English Lit B-17th May exam
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hahhaha im doing c2, definite integration, yeah i did c1 early it was mehh, did you do it yesterday? Who doesn't love gatsby, hes just so adorable, daisy pisses me off but i think you hate her more hahaa, Tom is just a retard and Myrtle needs a slap. i love it wheenn hes soo nervous when daisy comes round the first time, too cute 
Btw what can you comment about structure in Great Gatsby?
Original post by TheStudent.
Careful now, Gatsby was able to attain the american dream but he couldnt fulfil his own dream of having Daisy as his wife. There's a distinction there. He dies a lonely soul, and because of that, Fitzgerald disillusions the reader to how empty and materialistic the american dream actually is. The closing message that I take away from the text is that whilst Gatsby had it all, he did in fact have nothing, which is somewhat alluded to when he dies.
Other then that, excellent points and I particularly really liked the symbolism paragraph
Other then that, excellent points and I particularly really liked the symbolism paragraph
Sorry! hahha i agree, i find your interpretation interesting, the closing message to me was that humanity is defined by its capacity to dream even when failure seems likely.
Original post by Zarah01
hahhaha im doing c2, definite integration, yeah i did c1 early it was mehh, did you do it yesterday? Who doesn't love gatsby, hes just so adorable, daisy pisses me off but i think you hate her more hahaa, Tom is just a retard and Myrtle needs a slap. i love it wheenn hes soo nervous when daisy comes round the first time, too cute
yeah i did c1 and m1 yesterday, c1 was fine i think but m1 was terrible :/ anyway im hoping for low grade boundaries, i think lots of people found it hard. what other subjects are you doing? hahaha i swear all the characters except gatsby need a slap tbh. aww he's so awkward :')
Original post by Zarah01
Sorry! hahha i agree, i find your interpretation interesting, the closing message to me was that humanity is defined by its capacity to dream even when failure seems likely.
Your answer was SO good though! Whenever I talk about symbolism, I always refer to the green light and how that represents Gatsby as his character which in turn represents american dream that sort of thing :P
Original post by _hail
yeah i did c1 and m1 yesterday, c1 was fine i think but m1 was terrible :/ anyway im hoping for low grade boundaries, i think lots of people found it hard. what other subjects are you doing? hahaha i swear all the characters except gatsby need a slap tbh. aww he's so awkward :')
My friend did those exams too yesterday! Im doing chem, bio, english and maths, you? , and agreed, but i like owl eyes so you cant slapp him
Original post by SharminaSyeda
Btw what can you comment about structure in Great Gatsby?
In any particular chapter?
Original post by TheStudent.
Careful now, Gatsby was able to attain the american dream but he couldnt fulfil his own dream of having Daisy as his wife. There's a distinction there. He dies a lonely soul, and because of that, Fitzgerald disillusions the reader to how empty and materialistic the american dream actually is. The closing message that I take away from the text is that whilst Gatsby had it all, he did in fact have nothing, which is somewhat alluded to when he dies.
Other then that, excellent points and I particularly really liked the symbolism paragraph
Other then that, excellent points and I particularly really liked the symbolism paragraph
Was he able to attain the American Dream though? Essentially Daisy is symbolically representative of Gatsby's American Dream, and in Chapter 5 onwards it becomes pretty unattainable because of the fact that Gatsby realises that the reality of Daisy isn't as good as the strive and journey towards her.. soz geek moment hahaha
Original post by Zarah01
In any particular chapter?
Lets say chapter 6
Original post by SharminaSyeda
Your answer was SO good though! Whenever I talk about symbolism, I always refer to the green light and how that represents Gatsby as his character which in turn represents american dream that sort of thing :P
Thanks
Just saying, if anyone needs advice/help basically everything is covered in this thread : http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2167542
I know it's the thread for the January retake, but it also continues after that exam, and there's some discussion on there about this exam.
Just saying, there is literally a massive guide on how to structure every answer in there.
I know it's the thread for the January retake, but it also continues after that exam, and there's some discussion on there about this exam.
Just saying, there is literally a massive guide on how to structure every answer in there.
Hi I think I got either a high C or a low B in my eng coursework. Does anyone know what I will need in the exam to get an A overall?
Original post by edsjay23
Hi I think I got either a high C or a low B in my eng coursework. Does anyone know what I will need in the exam to get an A overall?
Just to clarify for everyone, I know not many people actually know the grade boundaries for this exam :
- In the last two papers, 46/84 was an A, which seems like an impossibly low boundary. Even if you got a C in your coursework, if you practice for this exam, and are fully prepared, you will still be able to achieve an A. The highest boundary for an A I've seen was 50/84 - which is still low.
Original post by dsfdsfdsf
Just to clarify for everyone, I know not many people actually know the grade boundaries for this exam :
- In the last two papers, 46/84 was an A, which seems like an impossibly low boundary. Even if you got a C in your coursework, if you practice for this exam, and are fully prepared, you will still be able to achieve an A. The highest boundary for an A I've seen was 50/84 - which is still low.
- In the last two papers, 46/84 was an A, which seems like an impossibly low boundary. Even if you got a C in your coursework, if you practice for this exam, and are fully prepared, you will still be able to achieve an A. The highest boundary for an A I've seen was 50/84 - which is still low.
Thank you for your quick reply. Do you know what the lowest mark on the paper could be to get maximum UMS (A) in for the exam?
Original post by Zarah01
My friend did those exams too yesterday! Im doing chem, bio, english and maths, you? , and agreed, but i like owl eyes so you cant slapp him
french, english, maths and physics
true owl eyes is cool, and gatsby's father is pretty unslappable too 
I'm so worried about this exam I just don't know how to structure the questions. I'm doing the great gatsby for section a and the kite runner and the poems of keats and browning for section b.
What chapter do you think will come up on the great gatsby?
how do you structure the debate question on section a?
x
What chapter do you think will come up on the great gatsby?
how do you structure the debate question on section a?
x
Original post by Zarah01
ooooh i heard about chapter 6 being likely to come up tooo, i havent done it yet, i was meantt to do my essay on it today. For section A imma do an intro, and then a paragraph each on narrative voice, symbolism and setting. this is a rough guideline.
Setting: Gatsby's home --> representative of the extravagant wealth of his 'New Money' , his house gives him status however even then he is not accepted by society as he does not have 'old money', emphasizes the hierarchy within american society. The quote im probably going to use for that is when Tom says "My God, i believe the man's coming." and just analyse the language a bit.
Symbolism: "He broke off and began to walk up and down the desolate path of fruit rinds and discarded favours and crushed flowers". The "crushed flowers" are significant as they symbolize gatsbys relationship with daisy, you can also link Daisys name to the word 'flowers'. You can refer to the structure of the sentence which has enjambment so there is a lack of caesura suggesting gatsby believes that their relationship still exists, this contrasts against the verbs "discarded" and "crushed" that have a negative stigma amd connote that their relationship is damaged.
Narrative Voice: homodiegetic narrator manipulates dialogue to characterize gatsby. gatsby has a inability to distinguish between past and present, " Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. Why of course you can!". Gatsby is living in the past, due to this, his perception of the present is distorted, the Daisy that he loved is an illusion as she no longer exists as time has moved on. " as if past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand". Gatsby belief that the past can be repeated emphasizes his confused concept of time and his intense desire for Daisy. "just out of reach of his hand" foreshadows Gatsby's failure to attain his american dream and highlights how the past can not be attained in the present.
This is just a mish mash of ideas right now, ill do one properly and put it up tomorrow.
I cant watch the movie untill ive done all my exams :'(
Setting: Gatsby's home --> representative of the extravagant wealth of his 'New Money' , his house gives him status however even then he is not accepted by society as he does not have 'old money', emphasizes the hierarchy within american society. The quote im probably going to use for that is when Tom says "My God, i believe the man's coming." and just analyse the language a bit.
Symbolism: "He broke off and began to walk up and down the desolate path of fruit rinds and discarded favours and crushed flowers". The "crushed flowers" are significant as they symbolize gatsbys relationship with daisy, you can also link Daisys name to the word 'flowers'. You can refer to the structure of the sentence which has enjambment so there is a lack of caesura suggesting gatsby believes that their relationship still exists, this contrasts against the verbs "discarded" and "crushed" that have a negative stigma amd connote that their relationship is damaged.
Narrative Voice: homodiegetic narrator manipulates dialogue to characterize gatsby. gatsby has a inability to distinguish between past and present, " Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. Why of course you can!". Gatsby is living in the past, due to this, his perception of the present is distorted, the Daisy that he loved is an illusion as she no longer exists as time has moved on. " as if past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand". Gatsby belief that the past can be repeated emphasizes his confused concept of time and his intense desire for Daisy. "just out of reach of his hand" foreshadows Gatsby's failure to attain his american dream and highlights how the past can not be attained in the present.
This is just a mish mash of ideas right now, ill do one properly and put it up tomorrow.
I cant watch the movie untill ive done all my exams :'(
Wow thank you, that was really helpful!
It's because of Leo that I've 'forgotten' that I have more important priorities.
hi everyone this may help structuring your answer:
Right guys, as a couple of you have requested I will try and best explain how to structure your answers for this exam.
For anyone taking LITB3 - The Gothic, here is the revision guide I have made for it: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=2347942
Section A - Question 1
This question is out of 21 and will be a question along the lines of 'How does Author X tell the story in Chapter ___?'
The key thing to note with this question is you are marked only for AO2 - which essentially is about analysing how the author uses structure, form and language to shape meanings. Therefore, logically it makes sense to structure your answer so that you have a paragraph or so dedicated to each of these three components of the AO2. This question is not about writing what 'something could mean, but on the other hand what others may think it means', it is about detailing to the examiner the different literary techniques or the aspects of narrative used by the author.
Before you delve into this though, I would advise to include a short introductory paragraph which outlines what happens in chapter X. This only needs to be two, maybe three sentences long at most, just so it puts your answer into context, and demonstrates to the examiner that you know what happens in this chapter.
So, the way to structure your answer to this question is as follows:
1. Short introductory paragraph which outlines the main events that happen in the chapter.
2. Paragraph on the author's form/language. An example of this would be from The Great Gatsby where you could comment on Carraway's 'educated and poetic prose' and 'technically fluent style' and how this shapes the readers view of Carraway. Other things to comment on could be the language used in relation to the narrator's feelings. Is the narrator happy or melancholic? Then comment on how this is significant. Does the narrator's language change during the chapter, or does his tone change? If so then comment on this and say how it adds significance to the chapter. Further, you can comment on any of the above then relate it to its purpose/destination, does the component you talk about affect anything later on in the novel?
3. Paragraph on the structure of the chapter. You should use this paragraph to talk about whether the chapter is told chronologically or not, and how does this then shape the reader's view of the novel. Comment on whether the author has purposely created gaps in this chapter or missed out a certain time period, or suddenly gone from Spring to Summer in the chapter, etc. Commenting on time and how it passes in the chapter can sometimes be quite a unique, but effective thing to talk about in the question. These are all significant components of how the author tells the story - if these are present, then pull them out and comment explicitly on how they shape meanings. Is there a cyclical structure to how the chapter is told? How does the structure of this chapter go on to affect other chapters later on or previously in the novel? Obviously, you don't need to comment on all of these ideas, the best way is to just pull out one or two of these points then expand on them.
4. Paragraph on the narrative perspective. This is something that will vary quite a lot dependant on the text you are doing. Personally, this was fantastic to use for Gatsby as it features a narrator whose reliability can be questioned, so there is lots to write about. Aspects to include in this paragraph are things like what form of narration is present - is it first person, is it a modified first person narrator (like Nick Carraway is) etc. It is best to state what type of narration is featured at the start of your paragraph. Then, you can comment on whether the narrator is reliable, or if he is biased. Comment on how the narrator deals with integrating with other secondary characters, and the effect this might have on his narration/storytelling. Comment on any use of different view points during the narration, and how this is significant to the story, and what implication might come about because of this. Always link these back to the 'overarching' story - how they give effect to the rest of the novel.
5. Paragraph on setting. This can be a shorter paragraph that would be nice to end on. Commenting firstly on where the narrator has started off in this chapter and where he ends up (in context of the setting) and why this may be significant. An example of how to utilise setting in this question would be: 'The settings of the chapter are mainly Daisy and Tom's house and New York, as well as the Valley of Ashes as the site of Myrtle's death. Carraway describes the day as hot and stuffy calling it "certainly the warmest, of the summer". This weather provides a suitable atmosphere for the argument between Tom and Gatsby; the conversation gets heated which is reflected by the "large and stifling" room in which it takes place.' So by commenting here on the whether and linking this in nicely with the overall setting, you can see how it would begin to shape up in an essay. Of course that isn't the whole paragraph, you would follow this up with another couple sentences at least, but you get the idea.
Done. This question doesn't need a conclusion to it in my opinion. Yes you could write a line or two to finish it off neatly, but ultimately you aren't going to get any marks for doing this, so I don't see the point. Remember, you don't get marked for AO4 in this question, so don't waste your time talking about context, as that is used in the next question.
This question can be quite challenging if you don't know how to structure it. If you know the chapter well and get the introductory bit sorted at the start, then I found that really helps to get it fresh in your head so you can talk extensively about it.
NOTE ANYONE DOING GATSBY FOR THIS QUESTION - Only chapter 6 hasn't come up yet since this exam has been made. Every other chapter has come up once. Make of it as you will, but personally I think chapter 6 will come up in January, as they have to include all the chapters at some point. But don't let that distract you from revising the other chapters too, as AQA may be annoying and do a chapter that has been done already.
Section A - Question 2
Again, this question is out of 21, however the type of question asked here will vary immensely, so it is hard to detail a specific structure to your answer. This question will be linked to the previous question in section A - although it may not seem like it. The examiners choose this question carefully with the view that it has a relation to an event or something specific from the question asked on telling the story in chapter X. Therefore, you should try and make some sort of small connection in your answer that links to the chapter you previously spoke about.
Typical questions asked will be along the lines of: “How far do you agree with..” “What is your view of author X's use of..” "To what extent is.." just to give you a rough idea of what you may encounter.
Now for this question, you get most of your marks for AO3 - which is analysis and evaluation of different interpretations of carefully selected references (e.g quotes). So here you need to make sure that rather then saying 'Author X does this because..' you should say things like 'It could be seen that author x does this because... however, others may be of the view that author x does this due to...' Those aiming for the top marks may include an evaluation point following that, so something like 'Overall, the more fitting view is that...' or 'The latter is more likely/has more weight as...' I cannot tell you what specific references to include from your texts, as there is such a variety of good points to include. But what you really get marks for is saying why the author has included this, what effect it may give, what effect it may not give, etc.
Something I saved from reading through the examiners report on past papers for this exam is this: Strongest candidates are those who agree with the statement and give alternative interpretations on meaning and give both sides to arguments. This underlines what I have said. The bad answers will be those that just outline a balanced argument, which leaves the examiner in limbo until you finally conclude it, thus letting the examiner know whether or not you agree/disagree with the question. The best answers will be those who have a strong view at the foundation of their argument, one where the examiner knows whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with the question throughout your answer, rather than having to leave it to the end to find out. You can do this and still give alternative interpretations which go against what you are arguing, just make sure that it is clear.
A final thing to comment on in this question, you are marked on AO4 - Context. This is in my opinion the hardest thing to do well in this exam, as you have to be able to think up your own relevant piece and apply it to a certain part of your answer. What I found worked for me is I made a list of different context sentences, which I tried to memorise the core parts to, and then used 2/3 of these in my answer to the question. An example of one I used was: "Like Gatsby, Fitzgerald was driven by his love for a woman (Zelda) who symbolized everything he wanted, even as she led him toward everything he despised." It isn't anything special, just a small bit of context that can seamlessly be woven into your answer, but it gets you the vital AO4 marks. Context needs to be worked into your answer well, it will make the examiners cringe if they see context which has been evidently forced into your essay, just so you can 'tick the AO4 box'. So like I said, the best way to do this is to try memorise 4/5 context sentences, which you can adapt and apply to your answer.
This chapter can often be very nice if you get a favourable question that appeals to you. With this question you will only really get good through practising essays on a variety of titles, rather than trying to get a structure fixed into your head, something which you can do for the previous question in my opinion.
Section B
This question is out of 42 and is the big one of this exam. Here you must write about a minimum of three texts (I did four myself) and write a piece on them. However, I would advise you not to get caught up in trying to compare the different texts extensively, obviously link them in the topic sentences to one another, but make sure the main bulk of your writing on each text is about that text, rather then about trying to avidly compare and contrast it with the previous one you spoke about.
This answer is assessed on everything except AO4 - context, so again there is no point including specific contextual references as there are no marks gained for them. Focus on talking in this answer about things like imagery, symbolism, themes, structure, form, language, contrast, any foreshadowing, juxtaposition, use of narrator and these different aspects of narrative and literary devices in your answer. Talk about how these narrative methods shape meanings, add significance to the text, why they may have been used, what the reader thinks as a result of them and the like. Make sure you really utilise your AO3 again here giving a variety of interpretations, but also evaluate these to make it clear which you think has more strength to it.
Your answer here again is hard to structure beforehand as the variety of questions asked is so vast, but if you focus on the above and apply them to the question you are given then you should gain good marks.
Something you might want to consider, although it is by no means essential, is to include a critical quote. If done well and seamlessly, it will demonstrate further reading and understanding to the examiner, and will look very impressive. The best way to do this is to research these beforehand, perhaps finding say three and try to memorise them. If you are clever in your research then you will pick three that are quite versatile so you are able to apply them no matter what the question is. In my answer I included two critical quotes, (one of which was only seven words long) but I do not have a record of what they were exactly. However, one I found I had saved somewhere is perfect for anyone doing Gatsby for this question: “Although Fitzgerald isn’t an out and out modernist, he does use modernist ideas and modernist perceptions in his work” – Nicolas Tredall. Now that maybe isn't so versatile in this question, but that would be fantastic to use possibly in Section A, Question 2 if possible. The bottom line is that something like a critical quote, worked well into your answer will look great, so I would advise you dedicate some time to finding two or three, with the view of using only one, maybe two in the real thing.
Similarly to Question 1 of Section A, you don't need a conclusion in this answer. I ran out of time in my exam so didn't conclude it at all, yet still achieved top marks for it. So you won't be penalised for not including one if you do run out of time, obviously a summing up paragraph at the end would make your answer flow nicely, but it won't get you any bonus marks in my opinion.
Make sure you have a good idea of what three/four texts you will use for this question, and that you know what key, juicy features of them you can pull apart in your answer. Making a list of a few key quotes from each text is always a good idea, as a lot of them will be applicable to any question given if you use your literary knowledge well.
Originally from Unsworth who created that, I am just helping those who need it, this is helping me
Right guys, as a couple of you have requested I will try and best explain how to structure your answers for this exam.
For anyone taking LITB3 - The Gothic, here is the revision guide I have made for it: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=2347942
Section A - Question 1
This question is out of 21 and will be a question along the lines of 'How does Author X tell the story in Chapter ___?'
The key thing to note with this question is you are marked only for AO2 - which essentially is about analysing how the author uses structure, form and language to shape meanings. Therefore, logically it makes sense to structure your answer so that you have a paragraph or so dedicated to each of these three components of the AO2. This question is not about writing what 'something could mean, but on the other hand what others may think it means', it is about detailing to the examiner the different literary techniques or the aspects of narrative used by the author.
Before you delve into this though, I would advise to include a short introductory paragraph which outlines what happens in chapter X. This only needs to be two, maybe three sentences long at most, just so it puts your answer into context, and demonstrates to the examiner that you know what happens in this chapter.
So, the way to structure your answer to this question is as follows:
1. Short introductory paragraph which outlines the main events that happen in the chapter.
2. Paragraph on the author's form/language. An example of this would be from The Great Gatsby where you could comment on Carraway's 'educated and poetic prose' and 'technically fluent style' and how this shapes the readers view of Carraway. Other things to comment on could be the language used in relation to the narrator's feelings. Is the narrator happy or melancholic? Then comment on how this is significant. Does the narrator's language change during the chapter, or does his tone change? If so then comment on this and say how it adds significance to the chapter. Further, you can comment on any of the above then relate it to its purpose/destination, does the component you talk about affect anything later on in the novel?
3. Paragraph on the structure of the chapter. You should use this paragraph to talk about whether the chapter is told chronologically or not, and how does this then shape the reader's view of the novel. Comment on whether the author has purposely created gaps in this chapter or missed out a certain time period, or suddenly gone from Spring to Summer in the chapter, etc. Commenting on time and how it passes in the chapter can sometimes be quite a unique, but effective thing to talk about in the question. These are all significant components of how the author tells the story - if these are present, then pull them out and comment explicitly on how they shape meanings. Is there a cyclical structure to how the chapter is told? How does the structure of this chapter go on to affect other chapters later on or previously in the novel? Obviously, you don't need to comment on all of these ideas, the best way is to just pull out one or two of these points then expand on them.
4. Paragraph on the narrative perspective. This is something that will vary quite a lot dependant on the text you are doing. Personally, this was fantastic to use for Gatsby as it features a narrator whose reliability can be questioned, so there is lots to write about. Aspects to include in this paragraph are things like what form of narration is present - is it first person, is it a modified first person narrator (like Nick Carraway is) etc. It is best to state what type of narration is featured at the start of your paragraph. Then, you can comment on whether the narrator is reliable, or if he is biased. Comment on how the narrator deals with integrating with other secondary characters, and the effect this might have on his narration/storytelling. Comment on any use of different view points during the narration, and how this is significant to the story, and what implication might come about because of this. Always link these back to the 'overarching' story - how they give effect to the rest of the novel.
5. Paragraph on setting. This can be a shorter paragraph that would be nice to end on. Commenting firstly on where the narrator has started off in this chapter and where he ends up (in context of the setting) and why this may be significant. An example of how to utilise setting in this question would be: 'The settings of the chapter are mainly Daisy and Tom's house and New York, as well as the Valley of Ashes as the site of Myrtle's death. Carraway describes the day as hot and stuffy calling it "certainly the warmest, of the summer". This weather provides a suitable atmosphere for the argument between Tom and Gatsby; the conversation gets heated which is reflected by the "large and stifling" room in which it takes place.' So by commenting here on the whether and linking this in nicely with the overall setting, you can see how it would begin to shape up in an essay. Of course that isn't the whole paragraph, you would follow this up with another couple sentences at least, but you get the idea.
Done. This question doesn't need a conclusion to it in my opinion. Yes you could write a line or two to finish it off neatly, but ultimately you aren't going to get any marks for doing this, so I don't see the point. Remember, you don't get marked for AO4 in this question, so don't waste your time talking about context, as that is used in the next question.
This question can be quite challenging if you don't know how to structure it. If you know the chapter well and get the introductory bit sorted at the start, then I found that really helps to get it fresh in your head so you can talk extensively about it.
NOTE ANYONE DOING GATSBY FOR THIS QUESTION - Only chapter 6 hasn't come up yet since this exam has been made. Every other chapter has come up once. Make of it as you will, but personally I think chapter 6 will come up in January, as they have to include all the chapters at some point. But don't let that distract you from revising the other chapters too, as AQA may be annoying and do a chapter that has been done already.
Section A - Question 2
Again, this question is out of 21, however the type of question asked here will vary immensely, so it is hard to detail a specific structure to your answer. This question will be linked to the previous question in section A - although it may not seem like it. The examiners choose this question carefully with the view that it has a relation to an event or something specific from the question asked on telling the story in chapter X. Therefore, you should try and make some sort of small connection in your answer that links to the chapter you previously spoke about.
Typical questions asked will be along the lines of: “How far do you agree with..” “What is your view of author X's use of..” "To what extent is.." just to give you a rough idea of what you may encounter.
Now for this question, you get most of your marks for AO3 - which is analysis and evaluation of different interpretations of carefully selected references (e.g quotes). So here you need to make sure that rather then saying 'Author X does this because..' you should say things like 'It could be seen that author x does this because... however, others may be of the view that author x does this due to...' Those aiming for the top marks may include an evaluation point following that, so something like 'Overall, the more fitting view is that...' or 'The latter is more likely/has more weight as...' I cannot tell you what specific references to include from your texts, as there is such a variety of good points to include. But what you really get marks for is saying why the author has included this, what effect it may give, what effect it may not give, etc.
Something I saved from reading through the examiners report on past papers for this exam is this: Strongest candidates are those who agree with the statement and give alternative interpretations on meaning and give both sides to arguments. This underlines what I have said. The bad answers will be those that just outline a balanced argument, which leaves the examiner in limbo until you finally conclude it, thus letting the examiner know whether or not you agree/disagree with the question. The best answers will be those who have a strong view at the foundation of their argument, one where the examiner knows whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with the question throughout your answer, rather than having to leave it to the end to find out. You can do this and still give alternative interpretations which go against what you are arguing, just make sure that it is clear.
A final thing to comment on in this question, you are marked on AO4 - Context. This is in my opinion the hardest thing to do well in this exam, as you have to be able to think up your own relevant piece and apply it to a certain part of your answer. What I found worked for me is I made a list of different context sentences, which I tried to memorise the core parts to, and then used 2/3 of these in my answer to the question. An example of one I used was: "Like Gatsby, Fitzgerald was driven by his love for a woman (Zelda) who symbolized everything he wanted, even as she led him toward everything he despised." It isn't anything special, just a small bit of context that can seamlessly be woven into your answer, but it gets you the vital AO4 marks. Context needs to be worked into your answer well, it will make the examiners cringe if they see context which has been evidently forced into your essay, just so you can 'tick the AO4 box'. So like I said, the best way to do this is to try memorise 4/5 context sentences, which you can adapt and apply to your answer.
This chapter can often be very nice if you get a favourable question that appeals to you. With this question you will only really get good through practising essays on a variety of titles, rather than trying to get a structure fixed into your head, something which you can do for the previous question in my opinion.
Section B
This question is out of 42 and is the big one of this exam. Here you must write about a minimum of three texts (I did four myself) and write a piece on them. However, I would advise you not to get caught up in trying to compare the different texts extensively, obviously link them in the topic sentences to one another, but make sure the main bulk of your writing on each text is about that text, rather then about trying to avidly compare and contrast it with the previous one you spoke about.
This answer is assessed on everything except AO4 - context, so again there is no point including specific contextual references as there are no marks gained for them. Focus on talking in this answer about things like imagery, symbolism, themes, structure, form, language, contrast, any foreshadowing, juxtaposition, use of narrator and these different aspects of narrative and literary devices in your answer. Talk about how these narrative methods shape meanings, add significance to the text, why they may have been used, what the reader thinks as a result of them and the like. Make sure you really utilise your AO3 again here giving a variety of interpretations, but also evaluate these to make it clear which you think has more strength to it.
Your answer here again is hard to structure beforehand as the variety of questions asked is so vast, but if you focus on the above and apply them to the question you are given then you should gain good marks.
Something you might want to consider, although it is by no means essential, is to include a critical quote. If done well and seamlessly, it will demonstrate further reading and understanding to the examiner, and will look very impressive. The best way to do this is to research these beforehand, perhaps finding say three and try to memorise them. If you are clever in your research then you will pick three that are quite versatile so you are able to apply them no matter what the question is. In my answer I included two critical quotes, (one of which was only seven words long) but I do not have a record of what they were exactly. However, one I found I had saved somewhere is perfect for anyone doing Gatsby for this question: “Although Fitzgerald isn’t an out and out modernist, he does use modernist ideas and modernist perceptions in his work” – Nicolas Tredall. Now that maybe isn't so versatile in this question, but that would be fantastic to use possibly in Section A, Question 2 if possible. The bottom line is that something like a critical quote, worked well into your answer will look great, so I would advise you dedicate some time to finding two or three, with the view of using only one, maybe two in the real thing.
Similarly to Question 1 of Section A, you don't need a conclusion in this answer. I ran out of time in my exam so didn't conclude it at all, yet still achieved top marks for it. So you won't be penalised for not including one if you do run out of time, obviously a summing up paragraph at the end would make your answer flow nicely, but it won't get you any bonus marks in my opinion.
Make sure you have a good idea of what three/four texts you will use for this question, and that you know what key, juicy features of them you can pull apart in your answer. Making a list of a few key quotes from each text is always a good idea, as a lot of them will be applicable to any question given if you use your literary knowledge well.
Originally from Unsworth who created that, I am just helping those who need it, this is helping me
Original post by cjwalker
Was he able to attain the American Dream though? Essentially Daisy is symbolically representative of Gatsby's American Dream, and in Chapter 5 onwards it becomes pretty unattainable because of the fact that Gatsby realises that the reality of Daisy isn't as good as the strive and journey towards her.. soz geek moment hahaha
yeah i would agree with you, isn't the american dream all about a classless society and equality and people working hard and honestly... which gatsby isn't able to achieve because actually america is still class-ridden and he has to resort to criminality to even get his money?
anyway the examiners loveee alternative interpretations so i think we're all covered
Original post by Zarah01
Hey, im doing the exam too yay -_- im doing the great gatsby, enduring love, Keats and Tennyson. If anyone needs some notes on these texts ive got some i can share btw
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