THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTIONS-EPISODIC APPROACH (MISTAKES CANDIDATES MAKE!!)

HOW TO WRITE A KCSE ESSAY QUESTION BASED ON THE PEARL 

DOWNLOAD THE PEARL PDF FULL NOVEL HERE. 

Wondering how you can write an amazing essay based on The Pearl? 

It's pretty easy. However, it takes a bit of practice and heightened awareness of how the testing and answering of KCSE essay question on The Pearl works. 

First and foremost you ought to understand the objective of studying literature. 

The main reason why we study literature in the Kenyan curriculum is to promote values/morals. Therefore all KCSE essay questions revolve around certain values. 

Virtues (good deeds) are rewarded, whereas vices (bad deeds) are punished. For instance, due to Kino's greed, he loses his property as well as his son Coyotito.  This agony is as a result of desire without limit.

You can identify the moral values in a text by studying some themes in the pearl or by looking at the actions of the characters. For example we can conclude that the doctor is not only greedy but also callous when he poisons Coyotito with the view of getting the Pearl. 

 
The Pearl Essay Questions 

WRITING THE PEARL ESSAYS: WHAT TO CONSIDER 

1. Read the text critically. Do not ignore any detail. This will come in handy when citing illustrations from the text.

2. Divide the texts into episodes. 

3. Utilize the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. 

4. Identify moral values in the text. 

5. Identify the outcome(s) of the character(s)'s actions.

6. Write your essay in simple present tense. 

• Read the text critically.

Read the text more than once in order to fully understand the story line. 

• Divide the texts into episodes. 

                 How to identify episodes in a text

a)      What is the event?

b)      Who are the characters involved?

c)      What actions or activities are they involved in?

d)     How do the characters react to those events?

e)      What is the moral lesson in that episode?

• Utilize the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. 

Analysis (Reading to get the minute details)

Synthesis (knitting together the different events or details to help you come up with a judgement)

Evaluation (making judgements based on the synthesis)

• Identify moral values in the text. 

Identify the virtues and vices in the text. Draw moral lessons from the actions of the characters. Some  of the values in The Pearl include Greed, Contentment, Hypocrisy et cetera. 

• Identify the outcome(s) of the character(s)'s actions.

Every action has a consequence. Identify the consequences of the character's actions. Here good is rewarded while evil is punished. 

THE PEARL KCSE LITERATURE ESSAY: FORM

A KCSE essay question usually has two sides. To identify the two sides of the question find out the key words to guide you. Here is an example of a question. 

 

The Pearl Essay Questions 

The key words in the question above are over ambitious and suffers.  The question therefore needs the learner to demonstrate how being excessively ambitious can lead to suffering.  The question has two sides: Excessive ambition and suffering.

An essay is divided into 3 parts. 

1. Introduction

2. Body 

3. Conclusion 

Let's delve into the procedure of writing the essay. 

INTRODUCTION 

• We begin with how to write the introduction  

What to do; 

1. Write it within the first paragraph of your essay 

2. Demonstrate your understanding of the question 

3. Paraphrase

4. Capture both sides of the question since it has two parts. 

5. Cite 2 examples you intend to discuss. 

6. Be brief. 

What to avoid; 

1. Avoid definition of terms 

2. Avoid simply rewriting the question as it is 

Example showing how the 2 sides of the question are captured-ambition and suffering. 

That's pretty simple, right?  

BODY 

What to do; 

1. Write at least four, well-illustrated points. 

2. Each point falls on a separate paragraph 

3. Strive to answer the question on the first line of each paragraph. 

4. Capture both sides of the question when developing your point

5. Support each point with specific illustrations from the text. 

6. Write in prose. 

What to avoid; 

1. Narrating the events as they are in the book.

2. Headings/subheadings 

3. Writing irrelevant stuff.

Example of how your paragraphs should look like-The Pearl essay . 

 

CONCLUSION 

What to do; 

1. Simply sum up your discussion (you may use a relevant proverb)

2. Introduce your conclusion with phrases such as in conclusion, in brief, to sum up et cetera. 

3. Must fall on the last paragraph. 

What to avoid; 

1. Introducing new points 

LENGTH 

Your essay SHOULD NOT exceed 450 words. You risk losing two marks if you do not take heed of this rubric.

Here is another example of a KCSE essay question based on The Pearl 

Let's attempt these The Pearl KCSE essay questions.