Guide to spelling, punctuation and grammar

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SAMPLE ESSAY 7: 
WRITING ABOUT A NOVEL
Writing an essay about a novel demands a slightly different approach
from writing about a play or poetry. As with essays on plays, you must
avoid paraphrasing or more or less telling the story (‘plot’ in terms of a
play) of the novel. You must understand what aspects of the novel you
are being asked to write about and concentrate on those, rather than
retelling the whole story and commenting on characters who may be
irrelevant to the assignment. You must, however, make close references
to the novel, mentioning relevant incidents or things that relevant
characters have said to back up the points you are trying to make. The
opportunity to quote at any length are limited (unless you are writing a
very long piece) so quotes should be brief and embedded at intervals in
your essay rather than in big chunks of quotation. 
Below is an essay written in response to the following topic:
‘In “Great Expectations”, Pip has to regain his moral values after
losing them along the way.’ Discuss this analysis of the novel. 
Opening paragraph
Pip’s values of kindness, industry, lack of pride and
common humanity that he learnt from his
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childhood at the forge through the influence of Joe
and Biddy, are gradually lost by him when he comes
into his ‘great expectations’, leaves for London and
enters the society world he aspires to. 
(1)
The false
values of Miss Havisham and Estella lead Pip into
superficiality and snobbery, and a rejection of Joe
and the honest, simple values the blacksmith stands
for. It is his realisation that it is the convict he had
rescued all those years ago on the marshes and not
Miss Havisham who is his benefactor that brings him
face to face with what kind of man he has become in
London. 
(2)
His moral journey is complete when he
faces up to his responsibility for Magwitch and
regains his moral values. 
(3)