AO1: Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts, using appropriate terminology and concepts, and coherent, accurate written expression
AO2: Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in literary texts
AO3: Explore connections and comparisons between different literary texts, informed by interpretations of other readers
For more explanation of the AOs, see pages vi and vii of your textbook.
Section B
This question requires your response on the importance of a key feature of the narrative (examples include place, characters, openings, etc.)You are given two choices- so write about the one you feel you can make focused comments upon.
You are marked on AO1, AO2 and AO3 (see above descriptions), so don't write specifically about the context.
Structuring your essay for Section B
A short introduction saying why what you are talking about is important will suffice.Then spend about 20 minutes on each of your three sections, writing about three paragraphs for each text. In your paragraphs, should focus on the author at work in creating this feature. You could include:
- the interest executed in the reader by this feature
- where this feature occurs structurally in the text
- how it affects the text's outcome
- how the writer controls this feature
- whether it is appropriate to talk about this feature in all of the texts
- how the feature might be interpreted
- how this feature contributes to the subtext
In your conclusion, re-state why it is important and that you have just proved why.
You've got 1 hour, so a longer response is expected than for Section A.
Past Questions and General Tips on Section B
Since this Specification began in 2010, topics have been:- significant moments of crisis (Jan 2010)
- use of repetition (Jan 2010)
- ends of narratives (June 2010)
- significance of narrators (June 2010)
- narrative structure (Jan 2011)
- places (Jan 2011)
- gaps or untold stories (June 2011)
- descriptive language (June 2011)
- genre conventions (e.g. ballads, monologues) (Jan 2012)
- characters (Jan 2012)
- climaxes and/or anticlimaxes (June 2012) - exemplar exam answer for this is at http://cherwellenglish.typepad.com/files/litb1-june-2012-exemplar-script---78-marks.pdf
- speech (June 2012) - model answer for this is at http://cherwellenglish.typepad.com/files/litb1-june-2012-exemplar-script---63-marks.pdf
- protagonists (heroes/heroines) (Jan 2013)
- suspense (Jan 2013)
- conflict (June 2013
- time settings (June 2013)
You must write about all three texts, but don't worry if they're not in equal amounts. That being said, don't write most of your essay on one text and a sentence on each of the others :P
Comparison is necessary, but you don't need much. When going onto a new paragraph, write a joining sentence saying how the texts differ.
If you're studying a set of poetry (for example Browning, Keats, Hardy, etc) you've probably been given 6-8 poems. You only need to write about 2 or 3- that way they can be detailed enough. Do not write about just 1- you'll get substantially less marks.
And just some nice tips for general writing...
Refer to the author when writing. Yes you probably know this, but we tease a friend of mine that she believes the characters are real because she doesn't do this Also, you'll lose marks.
Use integrated quotation- so much neater
If you don't understand a question, or a word in a question, give it a good guess anyway. One student said that in her mock she didn't understand what "contrived" meant, but guessed. Turns out she'd answered on something they were looking for but not quite hit the high marks, so she still got a C
And remember- you can definitely do it!
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