[Rosyred809]

same settings is the way to go and narrators

[Chapter One]

(Original post by Rosyred809)
same settings is the way to go and narrators

What can you say for narrators, like in terms of gothic? I'm struggling, I had a Wuthering Heights question which was something like 'The gothic elements in WH are made credible by the narrator and settings' you see I wouldn't know what to write about for narrators. only in WH though, I could write about it in Faust and Frank. I dunno, I suppose this is irrelevent if you're not studying Wuthering Heights.

[haaaza23]

I think narration would be a part A question, as it depends on the text - I wouldn't say it's a Gothic element at all...
Anyone here aiming to do Macbeth for part A?

[CTanner90]

yeah I'd agree I don't think narration is a gothic element...and I think this would be relevant mostly to part A.
Also..
If I have 27/30 on all four pieces of coursework..then what percentage/grade would I need to get in each exam to achieve an overall A (or a highly unlikely A*)?...I've been tryna work out but its getting me nowhere!

Help!...

Oh & I really recommend going on the AQA website and reading the examiners report on last year's exam...helps you to not make the common mistakes and understand what the examiners are really looking for!
Has made me feel more confident anyway

[jessica78]

The Bloody Chamber is jam packed with gothic elements, especially the motif of innocence as it is exploiting the traditional fairy tale structure to appeal to a more adult audience. There's mentions of virginity and also development (company of wolves, the snow-child, lady of the house of love - but its the man in this case)
This theme carries on to the motif of romance and violence, which both go hand in hand in a vast majority of the stories.

[Rosyred809]

hey guys how is the revision going/??? is everyone revising hard or does everyone else have other exmas to revise for..my plan is to start revsing 5 dyas before theexam since i am aiming for an A* i reckon females fro bloody chamber in section a hopefully figners crossed. the only reason i didnt get an A* and i was one mark of becasue i repeated myself and the examiner dislilked the reoetition...but see how it goes x

[xnatalie01x]

(Original post by haaaza23)
I think narration would be a part A question, as it depends on the text - I wouldn't say it's a Gothic element at all...
Anyone here aiming to do Macbeth for part A?

Probably Macbeth, possibly The Bloody Chamber. I can't do Dracula as Section A I've tried and failed. I'm more worried about Section B and the links between all the texts

[haaaza23]

(Original post by xnatalie01x)
Probably Macbeth, possibly The Bloody Chamber. I can't do Dracula as Section A I've tried and failed. I'm more worried about Section B and the links between all the texts

Yeah I wouldn't be able to do Draccy in part A...but Macbeth or TBC for part A quite happily

I don't think we have to make explicit links in part B, just show where authors differ in using Gothic elements, sorta thing...

[xnatalie01x]

(Original post by haaaza23)
Yeah I wouldn't be able to do Draccy in part A...but Macbeth or TBC for part A quite happily

I don't think we have to make explicit links in part B, just show where authors differ in using Gothic elements, sorta thing...

Any tips you can give me on section B structure? I really haven't done much past paper practice in class

[Chapter One]

Does anyone have a list of key quotations for Wuthering Heights and/or Faustus? I have Frankenstein.

[2zara2]

(Original post by Chapter One)
Does anyone have a list of key quotations for Wuthering Heights and/or Faustus? I have Frankenstein.

these are some i've memorised...

Faustus
'a sound magician is a mighty god'
'his waxen wings did mount above his reach' (-link to ideas of the marlovian flaw/tragic hero and transgression)
'I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh' (- link to terror/threats of violence)
'Offer lukewarm blood of new-born babes'
'I writ them a bill with mine own blood' (- link to horror)
'All places shall be hell that is not heaven'
'I think Hell's a fable'
'we must sin and consequently we must die' (- link to representation of hell/religion or possible subversion)

Wuthering Heights
'life of such complete exile from the world'
'misanthropists heaven' (- descriptions of WH- link to isolation from society)
'I want to kill some of you' (- link to threats of violence/transgressive actions)

[Mr.Seven]

Those quotes are useful. I'm gonna add a few of my own soon, the more the merrier, helpful for revision.

I'm trying to create 'mock' questions to practice. What do you think will possibily come up? For Faustus I've done the significance of the Old Man, and an essay on Sin. For Heights perhaps a Heathcliff question, whether we sympathise with him, or maybe a diabolical quote which asks us to explore the presentation of Heathcliff in the light of this comment. Maybe a question on the supernatural?

Section B is a funny one, I have yet to create some questions. While a question may be great for one or two of the texts, it might be difficult to answer for the other/s. I suppose that's why there's an option of three. But, for example, if women came up it would be difficult to write much in regards to Dr Faustus.

Take the Jan exam, and say you're studying Frankenstein, Dr Faustus and Wuthering Heights. We have a question on fascination with death, which fits well with Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights, but I personally would find it difficult to answer from a Dr Fautus angle.

The second question is on settings; great for Wuthering Heights, and again Frankenstein, but again there is a limited amount you could get, I think, from Dr Faustus.

The third asks us to consider the powerless of humanity when faced with the power of the supernatural. Now this is a good question to answer with Dr Faustus, and Frankenstein, but to a lesser extent it seems with Wuthering Heights.

I'm sure it is similar for other combinations of texts too, perhaps it's a better option to study 4 texts? Unless I am off the mark here; is there a different way of approaching questions? Maybe you can twist the question, I don't know. Maybe AQA have created them in a way so they can be answered by all the texts. All I know is...I'm lost.

Sorry, that was a bit of a tl;dr post.

[jakkowakko123]

(Original post by Mr.Seven)
Those quotes are useful. I'm gonna add a few of my own soon, the more the merrier, helpful for revision.

I'm trying to create 'mock' questions to practice. What do you think will possibily come up? For Faustus I've done the significance of the Old Man, and an essay on Sin. For Heights perhaps a Heathcliff question, whether we sympathise with him, or maybe a diabolical quote which asks us to explore the presentation of Heathcliff in the light of this comment. Maybe a question on the supernatural?

Section B is a funny one, I have yet to create some questions. While a question may be great for one or two of the texts, it might be difficult to answer for the other/s. I suppose that's why there's an option of three. But, for example, if women came up it would be difficult to write much in regards to Dr Faustus.

Take the Jan exam, and say you're studying Frankenstein, Dr Faustus and Wuthering Heights. We have a question on fascination with death, which fits well with Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights, but I personally would find it difficult to answer from a Dr Fautus angle.

The second question is on settings; great for Wuthering Heights, and again Frankenstein, but again there is a limited amount you could get, I think, from Dr Faustus.

The third asks us to consider the powerless of humanity when faced with the power of the supernatural. Now this is a good question to answer with Dr Faustus, and Frankenstein, but to a lesser extent it seems with Wuthering Heights.

I'm sure it is similar for other combinations of texts too, perhaps it's a better option to study 4 texts? Unless I am off the mark here; is there a different way of approaching questions? Maybe you can twist the question, I don't know. Maybe AQA have created them in a way so they can be answered by all the texts. All I know is...I'm lost.

Sorry, that was a bit of a tl;dr post.

You don't have to agree with the question, you could argue that The Gothic in Faustus is characterised by another aspect of the Genre. For example I feel the supernatural characterises the gothic more than death.

I feel the exam (especially for section B) is about testing the genre of the Gothic and seeing how far a text can fit a specific genre.

There are lots of things to talk about for setting in Dr Faustus. I would write about the roman catholic setting, a setting alien to an ENGLISH audience, due to the excommunication of catholcism during Henry VIII reign. This alienation is then the cause for Faustus's menance on the setting and its people by being invisable. The setting could also tell us about Marlowes atheist attitudes.

Then you have the darkness, pathetic fallacy and the irony of the staging (devils above - Faustus unaware), during the devil conjuring scene.

Pathetic Fallacy: Pre-emps that faustus future will be deadly and his psychomatic mind-set.
The devils above: Presents an image of control and menance in that the devils are their to obtain his soul.

[vismante]

(Original post by haaaza23)
In order to get the high mark for AO1, obviously you need to write formally. Be subjective, i.e. don't use I, we, our, one etc. Use literacy terms and all that jazz etc.
For AO2, you must constantly analyse language and somewhere include something on structure and form (you should mention form throughout, seeing as most of The Bloody Chamber stories are stories of sexual discovery). Structure is key in most of the stories, i.e. in the exposition of the wolf stories, we get a sense of the gothic/supernatural world being set up...which then effects our perception of what happens.
For AO3, use critical views. Feminism is of course a key element of this objective. In terms of the supernatural, refer to contemporary readers finding the supernatural element comical.
AO4 is context, so referring to Carters technique and the ways in which the gothic elements are used. She describes her work as a "hybrid form" (relating to AO2 there) so discuss this.

The introduction should stay on focus, don't blabber on about irrelevant stuff. Attack the question and provide a thesis statement.
The conclusion shouldn't repeat what you've written in the essay, but it should some up what you've found. You may want to include your opinion here - but be subjective (if that's even possible..)

If anyone wants me to send an example of my essays I'm willing to share (I've got a level 6 essay with me - albeit 5 pages)

hiya, im also doing the bloody chamber.. would you be able to e-mail me your essay so that i would have a look at what sort of things you've written that would be great.. if you could do it tonight.. i would appreciate it.. my email is vismante@hotmail.co.uk
thank you sooo much

[Shelly_x]

(Original post by xnatalie01x)
Any tips you can give me on section B structure? I really haven't done much past paper practice in class

We're doing pastoral but im sure the structure is the same. We've been told to do it as though we're writing 20 minute essays on each text in section B, as you don't need to link them together. Just hit the assessment objectives and you'll be fine. We were told to add another reading, so from a feminist/marxist/religious perspective or a critics view (quote them and know their name).

[lhtcars]

Hi there
If anyone has any essays for
The Bloody Chamber
Dracula
Dr Faustus,
then could they please email me a copy (it would be better if you attach the mark you got as well) at lhtcars@yahoo.co.uk
We have not done much practice in the class and I am really worried. Thank You All for your contributions.
Your help is greatly appreciated and good luck in your exams.

[Goldiebaby]

(Original post by Shelly_x)
Im doing the June pastoral exam too
Studing William Blake (Songs of Innocence and Experience), Pastoral Poetry after 1945 and Shakespeare - As You Like It.
I don't think they will be much help out there, you can look at past papers on the aqa website + the spec, but its a brand new course and since most people are doing gothic i would assume most things will focus on that.
Just revise the texts and know your context + FSL

I've studied all the texts you've mentioned..and more. The problem is I don't know which ones to choose.. lol. and how many we are supposed to choose?

Theres:
Brideshead Revisited
As You Like It
Songs of Innocence and Experience
1300-1800 poetry
Post 1945 poetry



my teachers (2 of them) are so crap. and i'm not the only person to think so, lol.

[jcukip]

The elements of the Pastoral sounds sooo boring. I mean Gothic is bad enough but reading about farm mannnn.

Does anyone have any good secondary criticism for Doctor Faustus? All I have so far is R.M Dawkins "Doctor Faustus tells the story of a Renaissance man who had to pay the Medieval price for being one"

[257532]

I actually really like elements of the Pastoral! Also, this is a really stupid question but you know how you have to write about 3 texts in part B - this can include the text you wrote about in part A can't it? I hope so as we've only done 3 texts but I just remember the as exam was like that!

[haaaza23]

(Original post by 257532)
I actually really like elements of the Pastoral! Also, this is a really stupid question but you know how you have to write about 3 texts in part B - this can include the text you wrote about in part A can't it? I hope so as we've only done 3 texts but I just remember the as exam was like that!

Yes you can write about the same text you used in section A