Essay writing - sample answers
Foundation tier sample answers
Here are two sample responses which address point four of the essay plan:
Sample answer one
One of the ways there could be a 'bridge' is between two different generations. Marco, Eddie and Beatrice are the older generation and Rodolpho and Catherine are the younger generation. The two generations have different ideas. Alfieri is old but he thinks like the young generation. He is always telling Eddie to calm down and he says there is nothing he can do. Marco is married with three children and one of them is sick, so he needs the work.
He is quite old-fashioned because he thinks you should be allowed to get revenge. Eddie is not Catherine’s father but he acts like he is because he is very strict. Rodolpho thinks he can go out late at night with Catherine without asking for Eddie’s permission, but Eddie gets very angry about it.
Feedback comments – some initial focus on the point and some good observations but needs improvements
This answer does get straight to the point about there being a bridge between generations, but then it loses focus and although it talks about the differences between the generations, it becomes rather disjointed. When it says that the different generations have different ideas, these need to be listed and discussed. The part about Marco having three children is not really relevant here, although it could be made relevant by saying that he has come all the way to America to ensure their future as the next generation.
Alfieri is mentioned as having newer ideas even though he is older. He is actually a 'bridge' himself as he has lived half his life in Italy and half in America.
Sample answer two
The 'bridge' could be said to cross the divide between the generations. Rodolpho and Catherine represent the younger, more forward-looking generation, whereas Eddie, Beatrice and Marco are older and far more set in their ways. Eddie cannot accept that Catherine needs to leave him and Beatrice, with Rodolpho as her husband, and take all the opportunities that America can give them.
They are not afraid of working hard, and they do feel confident that they can become successful, like millions of Europeans since the beginning of the nineteenth century. America represents a brave new world with limitless possibilities. For Catherine, the opportunity to work for the plumbing company on Nostrand Avenue is a type of bridge to a better life. For Rodolpho, the chance to work legally and save money is also a bridge to a better life than the one he has left behind in post-war Sicily. Eddie wants to prevent Catherine from working, even though he seems to encourage her. He certainly does not want her to marry Rodolpho. It is as if he is frightened to cross the 'bridge' to a more modern way of thinking. He is stuck in the past.
Marco suffers in a similar way because his plans to stay in America come to nothing and he is sent back to Italy. He, too, is trapped on the wrong side of this imaginary bridge. Beatrice is held back as well, because of her loyalty to Eddie. He forbids her from going to Catherine and Rodolpho’s wedding and she obeys him – Go to your wedding, Katie. I’ll stay home.
Therefore she chooses to be left on the wrong side of the bridge.
Feedback comments – a much more detailed and focused answer
This answer shows a confident understanding of the point being made. It tackles the idea of the imaginary, generational 'bridge' straight away, and sets out clearly which characters are on either side of this bridge. It has a formal tone and makes each point clearly. There is specific inclusion of detail with the reference to Nostrand Avenue, as well as a direct quote from the play, showing secure knowledge of the text.
The pupil keeps returning to the point, building a response about the generational bridge, and including discussion of all the characters. This shows a confident grasp of the concept and of the question as a whole. There is clear reference to both assessment objectives. With more time, there could have been some discussion of where Alfieri fits into this point (see feedback to sample answer one).