AQA A2 LITB3: Elements of Pastoral 11th JUNE 2015

Hi guys, so im doing Brideshead Revisited, Tess of the D'urbervilles and As You Like It. I think ill so As You Like It for section A and really hope its a question about whether the forest is a good or bad place, but i think they had a questions before on how far you would say Arden is a place of banishment so not sure it will come up :/ Someone said to me that the fact it doesn't seem many people do pastoral, and more do gothic, is quite good, as it might mean there a less exam markers who know the texts as well, so as long as you are confident in what you are writing and have a strong argument you will most likely be fine. Thats a bit risky to just think like that alone though, because i could be totally wrong :')

Reply 22

Can anyone suggest any good revision techniques? I'm really struggling! I'm using merise (or whatever it is) to learn my quotes which is going fine, but I just don't feel like I've done enough. I mean, I feel prepared for the exam, and like I'll be able to write something good when I'm in there, but I feel like I ought to be doing more- if that makes any sense at all?!

Reply 23

username1138622

Original post by crawfy

Can anyone suggest any good revision techniques? I'm really struggling! I'm using merise (or whatever it is) to learn my quotes which is going fine, but I just don't feel like I've done enough. I mean, I feel prepared for the exam, and like I'll be able to write something good when I'm in there, but I feel like I ought to be doing more- if that makes any sense at all?!

I'm just making notes on all themes for all texts, with quotes and analysis :smile:

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Reply 24

Original post by indigorain

I'm just making notes on all themes for all texts, with quotes and analysis

Thanks! I had planned to make mind maps for the themes and what I would use from each text but I've been somewhat putting it off....I guess I know what I'm doing this afternoon!

Reply 25

Original post by crawfy

Thanks! I had planned to make mind maps for the themes and what I would use from each text but I've been somewhat putting it off....I guess I know what I'm doing this afternoon!

thats what ive been doing! so ive got a theme for religion on bridshead, and that sort of thing. im doing mind maps on each scene for as you like it, i hihglight all the quotes so they stand out most and then underlining key terminology like 'bucolic' or names of people connected to characters.

Reply 26

Original post by aksanghera

Definitely, the pastoral genre is quite a tricky one.
My fear is that I will sound repetitive in the exam.
What is your technique for remembering the quotes?
And how many quotes are you planning to memorise per each text?

For me I know the basic story for each of my texts but I just feel I should be writing more essays which I haven't had the time to do.
Also, finding the correct context for each text (depending on what question comes up) I feel will be hard for me to get the marks for AO4.
AO1 and AO2 I'm not finding too difficult.
AO3 which is different interpretations is taking ages because I'm having to read a lot and search for ages what critics interpret the texts as and memorising that as well.
We have just over 2 weeks so hopefully I am prepared by then!

im not too worried about AO4 because talking about the pastoral genre counts as context, as it explains reasoning for some of the texts' contents. Don't know if that helps :smile:

Reply 27

Would anyone be able to share pastoral themes with me?
So far I've got...
Nostalgia
Mourning the passing of time
Et in Arcadia ego
Pastoral romance
Court vs country
Spiritual growth in nature
Religion

I feel like I'm missing loads though...I'm sure I know more than those!

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Reply 28

username1138622

Original post by crawfy

Would anyone be able to share pastoral themes with me?
So far I've got...
Nostalgia
Mourning the passing of time
Et in Arcadia ego
Pastoral romance
Court vs country
Spiritual growth in nature
Religion

I feel like I'm missing loads though...I'm sure I know more than those!

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That is most of them I think...
There is also:
Sustenance
Work (which ties in with mutual relationship between man and nature)
The pastoral being idealised
Refuge/freedom (but I guess that fits with court vs country)
Childhood and innocence (again, nostalgia (they all overlap!!))
Wild nature versus controlled nature (this is great for poetry), nature and artifice
A place of nurture and protection (spiritual growth I guess)

Does anyone have any idea what might come up? Particularly for As You Like It, and section B?

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Reply 29

Original post by indigorain

That is most of them I think...
There is also:
Sustenance
Work (which ties in with mutual relationship between man and nature)
The pastoral being idealised
Refuge/freedom (but I guess that fits with court vs country)
Childhood and innocence (again, nostalgia (they all overlap!!))
Wild nature versus controlled nature (this is great for poetry), nature and artifice
A place of nurture and protection (spiritual growth I guess)

Does anyone have any idea what might come up? Particularly for As You Like It, and section B?

Thanks, this is really helpful :smile:

I've no idea what will come up to be honest. My teacher told me that AQA sometimes give teachers hints about what theme will be involved in the questions but they haven't done it this year :frown:

Reply 30

Okay I'm definitely posting here too much today, but does anyone have any good points for the theme of time in Tess of the D'Urbervilles that they wouldn't mind sharing with me? I'm happy to share any revision notes/mind maps in return :smile:

Reply 31

aksanghera

OP

2

Original post by ILoveBooks

im not too worried about AO4 because talking about the pastoral genre counts as context, as it explains reasoning for some of the texts' contents. Don't know if that helps :smile:

After doing some more reading around the AQA examiner reports etc I've realised that, took me long enough but better late than never, haha.
But thank you nevertheless. :smile:

How are you feeling about this exam?

Reply 32

aksanghera

OP

2

What does everyone predict for Section B?

I was thinking along the lines of religion, mourning/grief or maybe corruption might come up again.
But I'm not too sure.

Reply 33

kyh1997

1

anyone could any good notes for As you like it
finding it so difficult to remember the quotes and basically everything about it arghhhhhh

Reply 34

Tea.Addiction

Hey, has anyone got some random Model Essays that I could use? I just wanna se how to structure and what to include in my answers. Any question, A or B, so long as it's Pastoral :biggrin:

Even if you point me to a website or something, it'd be greatly appreciated. Retaking an exam a year after you left college is a pain in the ass :/ You remember little, and have NO resources -_-

Reply 35

aksanghera

OP

2

Original post by Tea.Addiction

Hey, has anyone got some random Model Essays that I could use? I just wanna se how to structure and what to include in my answers. Any question, A or B, so long as it's Pastoral :biggrin:

Even if you point me to a website or something, it'd be greatly appreciated. Retaking an exam a year after you left college is a pain in the ass :/ You remember little, and have NO resources -_-

Hey, what texts are you doing?
Then I could maybe help you.
But in the mean time, you could read back through the thread a little I made some predictions about Section B and that could maybe help you along with what to focus on and what to make notes for. :smile:

Reply 36

subjunctivehistorian

16

Original post by ILoveBooks

Hi guys, so im doing Brideshead Revisited, Tess of the D'urbervilles and As You Like It. I think ill so As You Like It for section A and really hope its a question about whether the forest is a good or bad place, but i think they had a questions before on how far you would say Arden is a place of banishment so not sure it will come up :/ Someone said to me that the fact it doesn't seem many people do pastoral, and more do gothic, is quite good, as it might mean there a less exam markers who know the texts as well, so as long as you are confident in what you are writing and have a strong argument you will most likely be fine. Thats a bit risky to just think like that alone though, because i could be totally wrong :' :wink:

i like your line of argument here :wink:

I'm doing Tess and Brideshead too!! and some poetry which I absolutely loathe..

Good luck with the exam! It's my last one and I really haven't done much for it... yet.

Reply 37

subjunctivehistorian

16

Original post by aksanghera

What does everyone predict for Section B?

I was thinking along the lines of religion, mourning/grief or maybe corruption might come up again.
But I'm not too sure.

my optimistic prediction is friendship

tbh though I'm just glad that journeys came up last year for Tess of the D'urbervilles because that question is a bitch.

Reply 38

Original post by subjunctivehistorian

my optimistic prediction is friendship

tbh though I'm just glad that journeys came up last year for Tess of the D'urbervilles because that question is a bitch.

Oh I loved the journeys essay! Was one of my best marks!
Is your friendship prediction for section B? I hoping so because I'd find friendship in tess pretty difficult :/

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Reply 39