April Fools?

Okay well I got my midterm essay back in my English Novel class and I'm pretty pissed. I got a B.

Now a B is a really good grade for me but the thing that pisses me off is that the kid who sits next to me got a C. This guy is the kind of super-smart kid who always participates in class and has insightful things to say. I'm the type who sits there and pretends to know what's going on. On the rare occasion I do say something, it's always about my own personal feelings on the subject instead of actual analysis. I know for a fact that this guy is a really great writer and knows a lot about the subject (he's in the third year of an English Lit major). I'm studying Anthropology and don't give a rat's ass about Charlotte Bronte.

According to my professor's feedback on the essay, it was "vague" and at one point I "lost track of the thesis". It was vague, probably because I only read half of the novel I wrote about. And I definitely lost track of the thesis; by the end, I was grasping at straws. So why did I end up with a B while an intelligent and well-written essay got a C?

This is probably one of those situations where the professor "expects more" from some students...but that doesn't mean it's not completely unfair. We all attend the same university and should all be expected to present the same high quality of work. I don't want to be coddled, but I'm not about to go argue for a lower grade either.

My only other explanation would be that there was a minor earthquake while she was drawing the D. Either that or a really cruel April Fool's joke.