A Streetcar Named Desire - Revision Notes for OCR A Level English Literature

I found a lack of A Streetcar Named Desire notes for A Level English Lit on the internet so I thought I would compile all my notes (from my own knowledge/class, York Notes, and other various websites) into one document and post it on here for other who might find it useful. Enjoy

I found a lack of A Streetcar Named Desire notes for A Level English Lit on the internet so I thought I would compile all my notes (from my own knowledge/class, York Notes, and other various websites) into one document and post it on here for other who might find it useful. Enjoy

Hey guys, anyone got any reasoned predictions as to what's likely to come up? Or any good revision tips?
I'm stressing out like mad :/

I'm studying Streetcar and Gatsby

Hey, I'm stressed too- especially for Street Car :/ But here's a break down of the AOs that you need to hit in your essay:

Gatsby-
AO3(Context) - 30%
A04(connection between text and unseen passage)- 20%
AO1- 30%
AO2- 20%

Streetcar -
AO3(context)- 30%
AO5(critics) - 20%
AO1- 30%
AO2 - 20%

As long as you hit each AO then your essay can't be bad
For critics, remember that you can make them up! The examiner won't be able to tell if it's real or not, just use a friend's or your teacher's surname and say their opinion that you can contradict or agree with.

A01 tips: Write formally, structure your answer consistently, use critical terminology
A02 tips: analyse language, form and structure, embed quotes, word analysis
A03 tips: influence of when the text was written AND received (remember this is 30% so lots of detail!)
A04 tips: make the connection to passage detailed (include in every paragraph).
AO5 tips: try to include critics from different times and USE them to influence your opinion or strengthen your analysis

I don't have any predictions so maybe learn 1 or 2 quotes for each theme and character to be safe
- I don't even know what the question was last year for Streetcar :'D do you know what it was?

Last years questions for Streetcar were:

(a) 'The play admires masculine power - but is also aware of its drawbacks.'
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of A Streetcar Named desire?

(b) 'When Blanche says she can't stand a naked lightbulb, she means she can't face the truth.'
In the light of this comment, discuss the role of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Specimen questions were:

(a) 'A Streetcar Named Desire shows how dangerous illusions can be.'
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view?

(b) 'Stanley is macho, posturing and vulgar.'
In light of this comment, discuss the role of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Great Gatsby question (2016):

Discuss ways in which Fitzgerald presents Daisy in The Great Gatsby. (Extract from Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy'.)

The Great Gatsby (Specimen):

'Discuss ways in which Fitzgerald presents the rewards and disappointments of pleasure-seeking in The Great Gatsby'. (Extract from Dorothy Parker's Diary of a New York Lady)

Hey guys, anyone got any reasoned predictions as to what's likely to come up? Or any good revision tips?
I'm stressing out like mad :/

I'm studying Streetcar and Gatsby

honestly for character it can only be Stella or mitch now.... unless the do us dirty and ask about stanley again...

Aw man if they ask about Stella or Mitch I'm screwed- I'll have to go for the theme question but now they've used illusions and masculine power I don't know what other themes there even are :'D

WOOOOOOOOO this is so useful on my birthday as well
cheers legendary student

theres sexuality/ love, hostility, loneliness, death, to name a few

dw i feel like streetcar's the easiest of the texts to do because you almost pull out any theme from any given quote. I'm more worried about The Bloody Chamber, my 2nd text

I feel the same way, Streetcar's alright but TBC is the hardest out of all four texts, ironically I enjoyed reading it the most

Never asked how everyone found it? I thought the questions were pretty nice but I completely ran out of time and looking back feel like i wrote a load of rubbish- too many ideas I was trying to cram in that just didnt flow :'D

I was so happy when I saw the question about Stella and Mitch because I revised them so much the night before but I feel like I didn't write enough about context and I didn't have time at the end to read back over it to check for mistakes which was sad. Hopefully we get a good grade though!