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Edexcel AS Literature- comparison of novels

Hey, I'm struggling with this part; the novels are too big to really analyse and know everything, so I'm a little confused on how to revise for the exam. Do I pick out sections from the book and analyse them? Or do I just read the text and know it very well?

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Reading the text and knowing it very well is the best plan, from there you can reasonably answer any questions that come up. Learning a few choice arguments you wish to make is also fine as, if your ability to write cogently allows, you can work these into an answer almost irrespective of what the question is.
Hey, there!
Reading the novels is very important! I give my students brief chapter summaries, which I advise them to re-read constantly. As the exam is open book, you will have the texts with you. Whilst it isn't advised to constantly go back to the text (as you should learn quotes), this is there to help you. Which texts are you doing? I teach Frankenstein and The Handmaid's Tale but can give you some key resources for the majority, should you wish.
Original post by drrebeccakirby
Hey, there!
Reading the novels is very important! I give my students brief chapter summaries, which I advise them to re-read constantly. As the exam is open book, you will have the texts with you. Whilst it isn't advised to constantly go back to the text (as you should learn quotes), this is there to help you. Which texts are you doing? I teach Frankenstein and The Handmaid's Tale but can give you some key resources for the majority, should you wish.


Hi, thankyou, I'm doing Never let me go, and Frankenstein. My sixth form are really poor at teaching lit. So we should learn quotes? I was thinking about knowing a few extracts really well from the book, and refer back to them in the exam. Is that a good way to go about it?I typed up chapter summaries too which I'm planning to go over. Thank you, I really, really appreciate your help :smile:
Learning quotes is important, yes! You should also learn from which section the quote comes from!
The exam question won't specifically refer to any of your texts; it will mention the theme for all combinations.
If you want to really learn extracts from the novels, make sure you choose comparable extracts, ie extracts which show similar themes and comparable literary techniques. Go through chapter summaries, yes: this will help you to understand what happens in the novel and when.

The texts are with you to give back up, if you want to clarify spelling and layout of the quotes. It's completely OK to look through the text - both novels are fairly complex (especially the inconsistencies in Frankie) - so we don't expect you to know the novel by heart, especially as you have the other novel, a play, and poetry to learn!

Feel free to message me if you want support with your texts :smile:
Original post by drrebeccakirby
Learning quotes is important, yes! You should also learn from which section the quote comes from!
The exam question won't specifically refer to any of your texts; it will mention the theme for all combinations.
If you want to really learn extracts from the novels, make sure you choose comparable extracts, ie extracts which show similar themes and comparable literary techniques. Go through chapter summaries, yes: this will help you to understand what happens in the novel and when.

The texts are with you to give back up, if you want to clarify spelling and layout of the quotes. It's completely OK to look through the text - both novels are fairly complex (especially the inconsistencies in Frankie) - so we don't expect you to know the novel by heart, especially as you have the other novel, a play, and poetry to learn!

Feel free to message me if you want support with your texts :smile:


Hi, I hope you don't mind me asking. How would you recommend revising for the comparison exam? On numerous occasions I've just sat staring at my texts wondering how on earth I can go about revising and learning certain quotes. Thanks :smile:
It's important to understand what happens in both novels, and how these events are similar.
You should list the themes for each novel, then find which appear in both. (You should, via your teacher, have discussed themes)
For each theme, you should try and find quotes which support the theme. (You should, via your teacher, have discussed quotes)
You should then look at how the language used is different - which techniques are used in each quote, and how are they similar/different.
Also think about the structure/narrative: For example, in Frankenstein and The Handmaid's Tale, both use first person narrative. This is a similarity which is used to make the novel seem believable (which has been asked in an exam paper). Frankenstein is an epistolary novel (composed of letters), whilst THT used 'Historical Notes' at the back - what is the effect of this?

I hope this helps! Let me know if you need more advice.
Original post by drrebeccakirby
Learning quotes is important, yes! You should also learn from which section the quote comes from!
The exam question won't specifically refer to any of your texts; it will mention the theme for all combinations.
If you want to really learn extracts from the novels, make sure you choose comparable extracts, ie extracts which show similar themes and comparable literary techniques. Go through chapter summaries, yes: this will help you to understand what happens in the novel and when.

The texts are with you to give back up, if you want to clarify spelling and layout of the quotes. It's completely OK to look through the text - both novels are fairly complex (especially the inconsistencies in Frankie) - so we don't expect you to know the novel by heart, especially as you have the other novel, a play, and poetry to learn!

Feel free to message me if you want support with your texts :smile:


Thankyou, you've helped a lottt:smile:
If it's not too much hassle could you send me any resources on the texts, and the poems? (It's because my college's lit department is a shambles)
Also, for the assessment objectives, does AO2 mean picking out individual parts of language, and looking at form and structure, and is AO1 being clear in your writing? The assessment objectives kinda confuse me :s-smilie:
Original post by Babs Posh
Hi, I hope you don't mind me asking. How would you recommend revising for the comparison exam? On numerous occasions I've just sat staring at my texts wondering how on earth I can go about revising and learning certain quotes. Thanks :smile:


Hey, what texts are you studying?:smile:
I'll see what I've got :-)
Yes, you're right with the AOs.
AO1 - making sure your essay is well structured and written, with terminology and correct SPG.
AO2 - quote analysis, structure/form/language analysis.
AO3 - context (all kinds)
AO4 - connections (similarities and differences)
AO5 - multiple interpretations (poetry; critics)
Original post by drrebeccakirby
I'll see what I've got :-)
Yes, you're right with the AOs.
AO1 - making sure your essay is well structured and written, with terminology and correct SPG.
AO2 - quote analysis, structure/form/language analysis.
AO3 - context (all kinds)
AO4 - connections (similarities and differences)
AO5 - multiple interpretations (poetry; critics)


Thank youu so much :smile:
Original post by chicagokid1998
Hey, what texts are you studying?:smile:


Dracula and Beloved in the supernatural genre :smile:
Original post by Babs Posh
Dracula and Beloved in the supernatural genre :smile:


ahh have you started revision
Original post by chicagokid1998
ahh have you started revision


Yes but only really this week, and tbh it hasn't been very effective... I start looking for quotes and linking it to themes and then I get too stressed :s-smilie: Hoping when I get back to school I will actually get things done haha

What texts are you studying and have you revised yet, if so how? :tongue:
Original post by Babs Posh
Yes but only really this week, and tbh it hasn't been very effective... I start looking for quotes and linking it to themes and then I get too stressed :s-smilie: Hoping when I get back to school I will actually get things done haha

What texts are you studying and have you revised yet, if so how? :tongue:


Yeh don't get too stressed, just link them to the themes and don't worry too much about it. I've been reading and annotating the book, but I wish I had started writing out and memorising quotes. I'm doing Frankenstein, and Never let me go. Have you started revision for the poetry and play?
Original post by chicagokid1998
Yeh don't get too stressed, just link them to the themes and don't worry too much about it. I've been reading and annotating the book, but I wish I had started writing out and memorising quotes. I'm doing Frankenstein, and Never let me go. Have you started revision for the poetry and play?


I've started revising for poetry since there's soooo many of them but I've only properly covered 2 poems... :frown: I haven't started revising for the play yet (I'm doing A Streetcar Named Desire) but I find it harder than poetry so should probably start going over that too.

Ahhh so much to do and so little time... love it.
Reply 16
Avatar for Suzanexo
Suzanexo
Original post by drrebeccakirby
Hey, there!
Reading the novels is very important! I give my students brief chapter summaries, which I advise them to re-read constantly. As the exam is open book, you will have the texts with you. Whilst it isn't advised to constantly go back to the text (as you should learn quotes), this is there to help you. Which texts are you doing? I teach but can give you some key resources for the majority, should you wish.





Hi, I'm doing Frankenstein and The Handmaid's Tale do you have any resources that may be useful for the exam. Thank you
Hi, Suzanexo!
I teach those, so I can definitely send you some resources that I use with my students!
Reply 18
Avatar for Suzanexo
Suzanexo
Hiii drrebeccakirby, Sorry for the very late reply but those would be helpful thanks. x
Original post by Babs Posh
I've started revising for poetry since there's soooo many of them but I've only properly covered 2 poems... :frown: I haven't started revising for the play yet (I'm doing A Streetcar Named Desire) but I find it harder than poetry so should probably start going over that too.

Ahhh so much to do and so little time... love it.


how did the poetry streetcar exam go? think this is like the latest reply ever lmao

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