A level English Literature OCR Gothic Unseen

How to prepare and write a Critical Appreciation:

READING & PLANNING (~10-15 minutes)

Read the passage and annotate it for its literal meaning and historical context.
On the left-hand side, jot down brief notes that identify key aspects, events, and focal areas of the text.
Place the passage into historical context and note down:
- when it was written,
- when and where it is set,
- what else was being written at the same time,
- any crucial cultural trends or historical events that are being depicted in the passage.
Note down comparisons/contrasts you can make between the presentation of key themes/character types/motifs in the passage and your set texts.
Reread the passage and annotate for AO2 (analyse imagery, description, characterization, and narrative voice/perspective, but also look for archetypes and stylistic features of your topic).
Plan a response.

WRITING (60 minutes)

Introduction
Place the passage into historical context (when is it written, when and where is it set, and what – significantly – was going on at the time).
Tie the contextual information you provide to a general overview of the passage.
State your thesis – what is the writer presenting in the passage? how does it develop?

Body
Provide a detailed commentary on the passage, analysing the writer’s choices throughout.
Each topic sentence should centre on a particular aspect or moment of the passage, and be linked back to the thesis.
Each paragraph should make links to more specific aspects of AO3. These should include concise comparisons/contrasts to your set texts and extension reading, but they must be relevant, specific, and brief. Show a breadth of understanding of your topic. This is where extension is important.
Cover as much of the passage as possible.

Conclusion
Do not simply restate your thesis – take it a step further.
This may be another place to compare the presentation of crucial themes to other writers you have studied.




You are assessed on AO1, AO2, and AO3:

AO1 (12.5%) - this is your argument
AO2 (75%) – this is analysis.
AO3 (12.5%) – this is reference to wider reading

NOTE - AO3 should not take over the focus on AO2. This is not a "spot the Gothic" or "find the American Dream" in the passage exercise, but an assessment in practical criticism. Any AO3 should be relevant, and should be used to strengthen the points you are making about the presentation of narratology, settings, conflicts, character(s), and/or relationships in the passage.

It is recommended that you write between 6-7 sides, depending on the size of your handwriting.

How to prepare and write a Critical Appreciation:

READING & PLANNING (~10-15 minutes)

Read the passage and annotate it for its literal meaning and historical context.
On the left-hand side, jot down brief notes that identify key aspects, events, and focal areas of the text.
Place the passage into historical context and note down:
- when it was written,
- when and where it is set,
- what else was being written at the same time,
- any crucial cultural trends or historical events that are being depicted in the passage.
Note down comparisons/contrasts you can make between the presentation of key themes/character types/motifs in the passage and your set texts.
Reread the passage and annotate for AO2 (analyse imagery, description, characterization, and narrative voice/perspective, but also look for archetypes and stylistic features of your topic).
Plan a response.

WRITING (60 minutes)

Introduction
Place the passage into historical context (when is it written, when and where is it set, and what – significantly – was going on at the time).
Tie the contextual information you provide to a general overview of the passage.
State your thesis – what is the writer presenting in the passage? how does it develop?

Body
Provide a detailed commentary on the passage, analysing the writer’s choices throughout.
Each topic sentence should centre on a particular aspect or moment of the passage, and be linked back to the thesis.
Each paragraph should make links to more specific aspects of AO3. These should include concise comparisons/contrasts to your set texts and extension reading, but they must be relevant, specific, and brief. Show a breadth of understanding of your topic. This is where extension is important.
Cover as much of the passage as possible.

Conclusion
Do not simply restate your thesis – take it a step further.
This may be another place to compare the presentation of crucial themes to other writers you have studied.




You are assessed on AO1, AO2, and AO3:

AO1 (12.5%) - this is your argument
AO2 (75%) – this is analysis.
AO3 (12.5%) – this is reference to wider reading

NOTE - AO3 should not take over the focus on AO2. This is not a "spot the Gothic" or "find the American Dream" in the passage exercise, but an assessment in practical criticism. Any AO3 should be relevant, and should be used to strengthen the points you are making about the presentation of narratology, settings, conflicts, character(s), and/or relationships in the passage.

It is recommended that you write between 6-7 sides, depending on the size of your handwriting.

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