TOEFL integrated writing: Chevalier de Seingalt

Lecture and the reading passage discuss about the accuracy of Chevalier de Seingalt’ memoir. The reading casts doubt on the accuracy of the memoir by three reasons, whereas the lecture rejects the reasons in the reading passage based on historical documents.

First, the reading passage explains that Chevalier, as a controversial figure in history of Europe in the century eighteen was not rich as he has said in his writing because he had borrowed too much money from a Swiss merchant. However, the lecture describes he was really rich at the time because he had saved huge money, as cash, from his property.

Furthermore, the reading passage doubts on the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the writer Voltaire that it is difficult to remember the notes over too many years. The lecture, on the other hand, following claim on the accuracy the memoir, explains that all of writing by him are based on the truth and he had wrote each night after the consultation, so he could remember the notes and details.

Finally, it is discussed based on reading passage that he has not escaped from the prison as he said. In fact his jailors were bribed to free him. In contrast, the lecture points out that it not possible to being free by bribery because there were lots of famous and rich characters at the same time as Chevalier in the prison. Therefore, he had really escaped from the jail by a hole on the basis on his writing.