Political and social protest writing - exemplar student response band 2

An exemplar student response to a Section B question in the specimen assessment materials, followed by an examiner commentary on the response.

Paper 2B, Section B

Sample question

'In Harvest, the world is unmade in seven days and it is those with political power who are solely to blame.'

To what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed exploration of Crace's authorial methods.  

Band 2 response

In Harvest the real enemy is Master Jordan and he is to blame for what happens. He is an unkind man and he does not have any positive feelings for the villagers. He is not like Master Kent who is part of the community. Jordan comes to the village and destroys the happy lives that the people have. He wants to make a profit and get lots of money through sheep farming. His plan is to enclose the land so that they can't grow barley. He can then sell the wool for profit in the towns.

At the start of Crace's novel, the people are harvesting their crops. They have worked hard but afterwards they have time to drink and be merry. 'This evening there's ale to drink, there's veal to eat, and we will choose the prettiest to be our Gleaning Queen'.  The writer uses a list here to make it seem as if there are plenty of things to make them all happy. The Derby twins and Brooker Higgs even have some magic mushrooms. Everyone seems to get along well and Master Kent is one of them, having supper with them and relaxing. This is a happy time for them all and is like the beginning of the bible when Adam and Eve were happy in the garden of Eden.

Things then change when Jordan arrives. He has a lot of political power.  He doesn't talk to the villagers or share things with them. They do not really know what he is doing. He believes in 'Progress and Prosperity'. But this is only for him. He says that when he brings in sheep farming there will still be some jobs for some people. But you can't trust him.

Other changes that he makes are to do with the law. When Willowjack is killed he says he will find out who did it and before the end of the day that person will be punished by law. He makes people afraid in the way he goes about trying to find out who did it. He also says he will build a church with a big steeple. This could be seen as a good thing but Jordan makes it seem threatening. In a sense he causes the deaths of Mr Quill.

The main changes he brings about though are that he turns all the people against each other by playing on their suspicions. No-one seems to trust anyone; he encourages them to tell him who might be involved in witch-craft. Gradually people are then made to leave the village, first the Carrs and at the end Walter Thirsk leaves. He seems very sad 'I am left to gather up my bags of modest assets and removable, my sturdy stick, my roll of unmarked vellum chart, my silver and my bulky burdens of remorse and memory. This is my heavy labour now. I have to leave behind these common fields. I have to take the first step out of bounds. I have to carry on alone until I reach wherever is awaiting me, until I gain wherever is awating us.' The writer here uses some lists and some repetition to make the mood seem really heavy, to show that the world is sort of at an end. This is all the fault of Master Jordan who is powerful and destructive.

Examiner commentary

This is a fairly simple and general response though it is focused on the task. The candidate has a view and follows it through in a simple way. There is no doubt about what the candidate is arguing and there is some relevant contact with the text, but too much is of a general nature.

AO1 

The essay has a simple structure and it is consistent though not all ideas follow on from each other.  There is a clear attempt to engage with to what extent.  The expression is fairly simple and there is a generalised use of literary concepts.

AO2 

There is a simple understanding that Crace has constructed this novel. Some simple comments are made about structure, voice and language and how they shape meaning.

AO3 

There is simple understanding of how contexts operate in relation to the question and the candidate comments on moral and social contexts. These are simply linked to the political and social protest writing genre.

AO4 

As the candidate writes about power and who is to blame for what happens to the villagers, the candidate connects with the wider genre of social and political protest writing.

AO5 

There is a simple and generalized argument here but the candidate does have a clear view.

This response seems consistent with the Band 2 descriptors.

This resource is part of the Elements of political and social protest writing resource package.