English Lit revision help (novels)

I think transferring your annotations into another format can be a useful exercise for revising and organising your ideas in more constructive ways. I find that my annotations on a text tend to be all of the place and, in an essay, it would be unlikely that I would use all the notes I made.

At A-Level, you should think about getting the balance right between looking at the "big picture" of the novel and how ideas / themes, plot, and character are developed throughout as well as close analysis.

If I was organising my notes, I might consider compiling evidence about the presentation of a character or theme throughout a novel. In Jekyll and Hyde, for example, Jekyll is initially portrayed as a reputable gentleman but his character, especially by chapter 10, is revealed to be manipulative and dual. In Gatsby, the American Dream arguably seems achievable at the start, yet, by the end of the novel, the American Dream is more of an illusion. Being able to note changes and development within a novel is part of writing about it effectively.

You need to think about narrowing down the evidence you would use, considering how one quotation can be used in response to a multitude of questions. Do more with less.