LOW SCORE

	In this passage, the character Dombey is portrayed as a complex man 
who is often afraid to show his true feelings.  He was truly excited to have a 
son, and for the family name to live on.  His wife, however, was almost never 
even given a second thought, while Dombey prepared for a new life with his 
son.
	So overjoyed at the prospects of his new life, he called for his wife 
using the words, "Mrs. Dombey, my-my dear."  Mrs. Dombey was almost 
shocked at this term of endearment, for Dombey rarely addressed her with 
one.  It seemed that Dombey loved his wife, but was reluctant to show it.  
The birth of a son was such a joyous occasion that he let it slip out, though 
not without hesitation.
	Son was just as much a part of Mrs. Dombey as Dombey himself, but 
she seemed content with sharing a life with Dombey and son.  Rather than 
argue with Dombey as he planned his life, she agreed with his plans, including 
the naming of the baby.
	The narrative structure found throughout the passage was the main 
way in which the narrator directed the reader's perceptions of the characters.  
The reader was led through a story, beginning with the birth of a baby boy, 
and the understandable joy of the father.  While the wife isn't given full 
attention, it is clearly because the father is so in love with the prospects of 
life with a son.  It was a long awaited event, and "conveyed the one idea of 
Mr. Dombey's life."  Rather than hate Dombey for not paying attention to 
his wife, the reader is able to see the full character of Dombey, and is thus 
sympathetic with his emotions.
	The parallel structure of the second paragraph related the similarities 
between Dombey and Son.  This was extremely important to the rest of the 
passage, for the idea of Dombey and Son formed the framework of this 
novel's opening.  Though still very young to tell, they looked alike, and that is 
a great feeling for a new father.  Dombey loved his son, and looked forward to 
raising him.  He therefore looked for all the things that were the same between 
them, things they could share later.
	Attention to detail was another device that helped shape a reader's 
perception of Dombey.  The birth of his son was the crowning achievement 
of his life, and an event that he had long anticipated.  He therefore wanted to 
take in as much as he could, to remember everything.  Detail and imagery 
found throughout the passage helped portray such a desire, and further 
explained the true Dombey.


	The writer of this essay completely missed the point of the passage.  
This essay portrays Dombey as a character who is overjoyed about the 
prospects of a new life with a son.  However, it does not touch on Dombey's 
selfish reasons for his true excitement.  The essay goes off on tangents, and 
often states a generalization about the passage without sufficient examples.  
In the second paragraph, an analysis of Dombey's relationship with his wife 
is offered, but is unsupported by the passage.  The third and fifth paragraphs 
are particularly confusing, and it is apparent that the writer is performing a 
futile attempt to lengthen his/her essay in order to obtain a higher score.  This 
method is not recommended; it is more important to have a short, quality 
essay than a poor, lengthy one.  Although it appears that the writer 
attempted to answer the question, including briefly mentioning several 
stylistic devices, this essay must receive a lower-half score.