Analytical Topic Confusion

[Orukami]

Hi guys!
I was wondering what the difference was between 'Discuss' and 'To what extent' means in a topic. Also, if a topic provides a quote in the topic, do you have to reference it in each paragraph or just into/conclusion and 1 body?

Thank you for your time!

[TSEtuition]

Hi Orukami,

What a great question. I would treat a 'to what extent' as a 'do you agree' prompt, but just take extra care to talk about how the statement is true to a certain point. Of course it depends on the actual prompt so always read it carefully to determine what it's actually asking! I've got a video here about it: https://youtu.be/mzy8q4DR7Qk

In terms of the quote that's provided in the prompt - strictly speaking you don't have to include it in your essay at all if you don't want to, but it does give you a hint as to what the prompt is really asking. So I suggest using the quote to think about what aspect of the theme you need to discuss, and hey, if you've been given a free quote to use... why not? 

Hope that's helpful!

[s110820]

Hi Orukami,

Personally, I slightly disagree with TSEtuition's answer - a to what extent question should not only be how the statement is true to a certain point but should also consider both perspectives of the text to inform the reader of the nuances within the text. For example, a "nuanced" and "discerning" thesis would look like:

Hence, despite Shakespeare’s “positive” narrative of human behaviour in The Tempest, Atwood takes a more pragmatic approach to the representation of grief and trauma. For example, Atwood mirrors the readers’ social and psychological milieu to construct how the characteristics of vengeance, power and metaphorical “imprisonment” will always characterise human behaviour.

Of course, since I'm assuming that you are only one text, your thesis would look a little bit different but do you notice how I addressed the varying perspectives of the original base text and the rewritten version, rather than just one? It's just these little details that can help you improve your essay from an "average" mark to "discerning" mark as complexity (to an extent as you need to find a balance between complexity and simplicity) is an extremely important feature of any type of essay.

However, when you are provided with a quote-based essay prompt, I would advise you to use the quotation provided as since the essay prompt is structured around your specific quotation (as well as the to-what extent) perspective, it would be an extremely integral part of your essay. For example, the quotation should assist you in constructing your thesis, points and overall arguments in one way or another. You don't have to necessarily agree or disagree with your quotation, but it is important to consider how this particular quotation affects the "shape" and "flow" of your analysis and argument. Furthermore, I would recommend that you should integrate the quotation into your introduction and frame your analysis and points around this quotation (how this specific quotation affects the plot, characters, relationships between the characters, themes etc.). Then I would reference (not quote word for word) your quotation at the end of each paragraph to connect back to your thesis, and then, I would use the quotation in the conclusion to summarise your essay.

Hopefully, this helps

But of course, if you do have any other questions, queries or concerns, please don't hesitate to message me as I would be more than happy to help!

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.