13/25 The Handmaid's Tale and The Things They Carried

Read the following Paper 2 exam and the student's response to it, which was written in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Apply the assessment criteria and discuss the marks that you would award the essay before reading the examiner's marks and comments. How different were your marks and comments from the examiner's marks and comments? What improvements could be made to achieve better results?

Essay question: Discuss the significance of particular times, places or events from real life, either mentioned or implied, in at least two of the works you have studied.

Student Response
Paper 2 SL/HL assessment criteria
Examiner's comments and marks

Assessment

Why did the writers write these works? It's essential to answer this question in any Paper 2 response, even if the question does not ask for it. This question asks about the "significance" of places and times to understanding the works. Why are the works important? They are 'cautionary tales' (a great phrase to use) and they are significant because they warn about the dangers of theocracy (Iran) and senseless wars (Vietnam). There. There's an argument - the authors' argument - that you can build your essay on to answer the question.

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