Mrs. Daniels, I'm confused about this essay. I thought I was supposed to write about my own life.
You're supposed to write about the book. But if you'd like to relate it to your own life, you can. The main part of your essay should be about the book.
I see. I think I will have to rewrite what I've already written, since most of my essay doesn't have anything to do with the book.
That's probably a good idea.