How to respond to a 'discuss' essay question

[YellowTongue]

I've been given an essay question that goes like this:

Through his novel...the author suggests that..... Discuss

How do I respond to a question like this if I don't agree with the claim that has been made?

[literally lauren]

There's no difference between a 'Discuss' question and a 'Do you agree'/'To what extent do you agree?'
Every essay you write will be discussing whether or not you agree.

If you're having trouble disagreeing, I'd recommend using the word 'Although...' to start you off.
It forces you to consider different points of view: 'Although X, nonetheless, Y'
eg. Prompt: Through his novel, the author suggests that unicorns are wonderful
Contention: Although the author celebrates the beauty and mythical appeal of unicorns, he also reveals their potential for aggressive and spiteful manipulation.

Basically the first part of your contention will be acknowledging the plausibility of the contention, and then the second half furthers it by asserting a statement that's more true, which will be the focus of your essay.

[YellowTongue]

Thank you

So then, would I have to acknowledge that unicorns are wonderful throughout the essay, or only in the introduction where I state my contention?

[literally lauren]

Thank you

So then, would I have to acknowledge that unicorns are wonderful throughout the essay, or only in the introduction where I state my contention?

You wouldn't want to overemphasise it, but it should be mentioned a couple of times throughout. But your focus is predominately on the second part of that 'Although...' statement; you're really only using the first part as an alternate interpretation.

eg. in the middle of a b.p.
'One might even argue the unicorns' sparkles are indicative of their inherent, magical beauty. However, the fact that these sparkles end up blinding the other characters hints at the more sinister, destructive potential of these beasts.'