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C2 Sample Essay 39 (School or family shapes one's personality)

In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school.  In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner.  Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
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Victoria Hislop - The Thread (Plot Summary) Part 2

This is the second part of the plot summary of Victoria Hislop's novel The Thread . For a brief introduction and the first 10 chapters of the book, please read Victoria Hislop - The Thread (Plot Summary) Part 1
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Victoria Hislop - The Thread (Plot Summary) Part 1

Victoria Hislop's novel The Thread is a book that combines fiction with early, mid and late 20th century Balkan history in a fast-paced narrative that tells the story of a changing city through the experiences of its protagonists.  By User:MWD - english wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6885987 It is the story of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, a pivotal harbor that has experienced war, migrant influx, grandeur during the Byzantine era, sacking and subjugation for 482 years under Ottoman occupation. All this is not mentioned in the novel which touches upon modern times, from the Great Fire that raged for 32 hours and ravaged 32% of the city in 1917 to the great earthquake of 1978, the magnitude of which was felt in nearby Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.  It is also the story of Dimitris Komninos and Katerina Sarafoglou, how fate brought them together, to grow up on the same street though their backgrounds demanded the...
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Elie Wiesel - Night (Overview)

Night is a heavy book to read.  You believe you know the events that took place in WWII because you learnt more facts and dates at school than you would have liked, watched over a dozen movies related to the war that came after the one that was supposed to end all wars, visited museums and seen artefacts linked to atrocities on one side and bra v ery on the other . And yet, Night strikes deeper into the heart of readers because it balance s the m between real fiction and fictitious realit y, toying with the ir mind which is unable to grasp the horror of the book they hold before them as they read.  "How? How is this possible?" repeat s itself like a mantra as your eyes fly over the words on ea ch pa ge, so simply written , so briefly expressed, so full of pathos. Characters develop ef fortlessly, the tragedy of an entire generation un fol ds like a bloodied gauze that's left its mark on charred skin.  This book must be read. Buy it. Teach it. Share it wit...
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