AS AQA B English Literature

remember the exam is based on 3 parts.

(roughly)
- /7 for the use of language analysis
- /7 for structure
- /7 for form

this question is only marked on AO2

hi guys!
i found this really helpful personally and it explains the marks needed for each exam to get each grade.

http://web.aqa.org.uk/UMS/index.php

put in the year, spec and type and then click multiple grades and it'll show you the full breakdown
hope this helps and calms nerves

I'm resitting for the second time. Third time overall. -.- Such a lame paper, I went from D to C. And I'm hoping now C to B. But really, last time it was horrible they asked us what the significance of names were in our texts Section B. Mariner... So... Wedding - Guest well it signifies he's at a wedding... Life-in-Death what da f? So yeah I'm in A2 now so I haven't had time to go to any AS Workshops. Anyone know what might come up?

This is great! So why is it that the grade boundaries were so low in Jan? Does that mean that the exam is likely to be relatively easier next week but with higher grade boundaries?

erm well i'm hoping it'll be 3rd time lucky

(^havent got the hang of this 'quote' thing yet...
)

oh i know im hoping third time lucky too!

dont get me started on my teachers for these units - both got pregnant and abandoned me without covering the 'shaping meaning' analysis required in detail.

tragic!

good luck though! x

I'm resitting for the second time. Third time overall. -.- Such a lame paper, I went from D to C. And I'm hoping now C to B. But really, last time it was horrible they asked us what the significance of names were in our texts Section B. Mariner... So... Wedding - Guest well it signifies he's at a wedding... Life-in-Death what da f? So yeah I'm in A2 now so I haven't had time to go to any AS Workshops. Anyone know what might come up?

I'm resitting for the second time. Third time overall. -.- Such a lame paper, I went from D to C. And I'm hoping now C to B. But really, last time it was horrible they asked us what the significance of names were in our texts Section B. Mariner... So... Wedding - Guest well it signifies he's at a wedding... Life-in-Death what da f? So yeah I'm in A2 now so I haven't had time to go to any AS Workshops. Anyone know what might come up?

I'm the same as you. I was predicted an A for the exam back in AS and got a D. I retook it and got a D again. It made me feel so pathetic. It's so irritating though because I have an A in all of my coursework modules and I got an A in my A2 exam. Because of this bloody AS exam my grade became a B overall, and I need an A to get into Kings, so I've got to retake it again even though I've left sixth form.

A2 was so much easier in comparison to this horrible exam.

I'm the same as you. I was predicted an A for the exam back in AS and got a D. I retook it and got a D again. It made me feel so pathetic. It's so irritating though because I have an A in all of my coursework modules and I got an A in my A2 exam. Because of this bloody AS exam my grade became a B overall, and I need an A to get into Kings, so I've got to retake it again even though I've left sixth form.

A2 was so much easier in comparison to this horrible exam.

good luck to you. i was saying to some people at school that i reckon teachers shouldn't be able to teach the syllabus if they can't themselves at least get band 5 in all the questions - seems pointless if they can't sit the exam.

they have no idea what the pressure's like! hahaha good luck! x

my teachers seem to think that this summer the question for section B will either be on Form or on some sort of moral message or destination of the texts

these haven't come up yet and seem the most likely...

if a question on Form appears, try to answer using this - you are automatically addressing AO2.

What do you mean by Moral message or destination?

I think what they mean is:
Moral message - an underlying message conveyed throughout the poem/novel which teaches us a lesson about life e.g in the Great Gatsby I think the moral message is that of the negative effects of consumerism and leading a hedonistic lifestyle, which ultimately leads to corruption and moral decay.

Destination - how the characters/personas end up i.e where the narrative is heading. Throughout the poem/novel there are often hints as to what will happen in the end.

Thanks! The 'moral messages' question seems pretty straight forward, the destination one, on the other hand is erm rather interesting .. all I can think of is the use of analepsis and prolepsis to create a sense of direction which I guess allows the narrative discourse to ultimately gravitate towards a tragic ending (in the case of Great Gatsby)-but I don't know.. I cant seem to think outside the box. What do you think of these questions? Would you say destination was similar to places in some aspect? Thanks again

Yeah, when they say destination they basically want you to talk about the methods the writers use to point to the overall effects and meanings of the story being told, which can include how the characters end up etc. So yes, the use of retrospective narrative means that Nick often hints at the destination, as you said through analepsis and prolepsis, but also through particular things he says such as 'Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder', which signals a change in direction and that something is going to change, hence pointing at the destination.

Events can point to destination too, such as the car crash outside Gatsby's house in chapter 3, a foreboding of Myrtle's fate and the capacity for recklessness, as Owl Eyes 'wash[es] his hands of the whole matter'. Of course this is further reinforced by Jordan not caring that she is a 'rotten driver' and that it 'takes two to make an accident'.

Also certain characters are crucial to the destination of the novel, such as George Wilson as he ends up killing Gatsby and hints at the one of the meanings of the novel, about social standing and the negative effects of the American Dream.

Sorry, I know I've rambled on a bit, but I too am trying to get my head around this whole 'destination' thing so writing it out like this has helped me. Hopefully it's helped you a bit too

No, this is great thanks! Never would of thought of characters lol. Now that you've really explored the concept more, I definitely think its very open to interpretation Do you think it would be relevant to talk about cars as they function not only as transporters but also act as catalysts to tragedy and fatal destinations. Or would I be kind of going off topic In my mock I mentioned how in chapter 7 the narrative pace accelerates similarly to the "death car" which drives (no pun intended!) the narrative discourse towards tragedy.