AQA A Level English Literature B Paper 2 (option B) 7717/2B - 20 Jun 2022 [Exam Chat]

Original post by ingenii

Just wondering what the time management for this Paper (planning and writing time) would be with the 30 minutes extra.

i usually do 1hr 15mins on the extract question (5 mins reading, 10 mins annotating and planning, an hour writing), 50 mins on section B and 50 mins on section C (5 mins planning, 45 mins writing). I use the left over 5 mins to read back over sections (i tend to specifically read back over the intros and conclusions).

Reply 22

Anyone going in already knowing exactly what they want to do for B and C? I really want to do Blake for B unless the question is like really bad

Reply 23

amyridds

Original post by ughexams123

Anyone going in already knowing exactly what they want to do for B and C? I really want to do Blake for B unless the question is like really bad

Pretty certain I'm gonna answer Henry IV for B and then Kite Runner and Blake for C unless I think Henry relates really well to the C question

Reply 24

Original post by amyridds

Pretty certain I'm gonna answer Henry IV for B and then Kite Runner and Blake for C unless I think Henry relates really well to the C question

I'm just so worried they're gonna do awful questions, AQA seem to have been the worst exam board for screwing people over but luckily we didn't really get any advanced info so they can't surprise us in that way.

Reply 25

amyridds

Original post by ughexams123

I'm just so worried they're gonna do awful questions, AQA seem to have been the worst exam board for screwing people over but luckily we didn't really get any advanced info so they can't surprise us in that way.

I know I'm trying not to stress too much because I always find at least one good thing to write about even when the question is bad, just hoping for something I can easily relate to any of the texts

Reply 26

username5867389

17

Original post by lidss

Yes! This my last exam so I have just come to look at it today :frown:

I've put all my energy into everything else I kind of left it to the last minute. I am just going to go through all my notes and read them aloud. I'm really grateful it is the afternoon though! Gives us a chance to review stuff in the morning.

Same, haven’t even looked at this till today

Reply 27

study89

Is anyone worried about unseen? I find it so difficult :frown:

any tips?

Reply 28

studyholmes

14

I’m hoping the unseen is something good & not with an obscure or reaaaaally subtle protest that is hard to pick up on!!!

Reply 29

Mythical Pingu

OP

15

How did you find the exam?

Reply 30

Thought it was decent. I did the mask of anarchy for my coursework so was quite pleased with that. Blake question was a bit weird but section C gender was beautiful

Reply 31

iqssss

what sort of things did you write for each bit if you can remember bc I did the same as you

Reply 32

Original post by iqssss

what sort of things did you write for each bit if you can remember bc I did the same as you

Section A - wrote about the presentation of the ordinary people/protestors, then the presentation of the 'tyrants' and then I think about how Shelley criticised England as a country and how it needed to be reformed
Section B - Used My Pretty Rose Tree and the Lily to show comparisons between human and poetic/perfect love, poetic love is free from repression of church etc. Then I just wrote about parental relationships often being not liberating because they force their children into work and education e.g., Chimney Sweep and Schoolboy then a bit about The Shepherd as relationships between nature and humans and how Blake thought nature was the best or whatever.
Section C - did the gender question with Kite Runner and Handmaids. I wrote about the presentation of Soraya and Sanaubar and the contrast as Hosseini kinda makes it seem like Sanaubar makes Baba cheat on his wife but he redeems himself by criticising Afghan culture that persecutes Soraya. I also wrote about the expectations of men that Amir feels in order to live up to Baba as well as Assef's toxic masculinity like how he forces Wali and Kamil to help him hold down Hassan. For Handmaids, I just wrote about women as childbearers and how this affects not only Handmaids but also the Wives and then some bits about the Commander and a bit about Luke when he's like 'its only a job'.
Sorry that this reply is so long lol

Reply 33

KillingLanter

What was William Blake again?

Reply 34

KillingLanter

Original post by KillingLanter

What was William Blake again?

Original post by ughexams123

Section A - wrote about the presentation of the ordinary people/protestors, then the presentation of the 'tyrants' and then I think about how Shelley criticised England as a country and how it needed to be reformed
Section B - Used My Pretty Rose Tree and the Lily to show comparisons between human and poetic/perfect love, poetic love is free from repression of church etc. Then I just wrote about parental relationships often being not liberating because they force their children into work and education e.g., Chimney Sweep and Schoolboy then a bit about The Shepherd as relationships between nature and humans and how Blake thought nature was the best or whatever.
Section C - did the gender question with Kite Runner and Handmaids. I wrote about the presentation of Soraya and Sanaubar and the contrast as Hosseini kinda makes it seem like Sanaubar makes Baba cheat on his wife but he redeems himself by criticising Afghan culture that persecutes Soraya. I also wrote about the expectations of men that Amir feels in order to live up to Baba as well as Assef's toxic masculinity like how he forces Wali and Kamil to help him hold down Hassan. For Handmaids, I just wrote about women as childbearers and how this affects not only Handmaids but also the Wives and then some bits about the Commander and a bit about Luke when he's like 'its only a job'.
Sorry that this reply is so long lol

was blake the personal relationships are liberating and empowering

Reply 35

iqssss

Original post by ughexams123

Section A - wrote about the presentation of the ordinary people/protestors, then the presentation of the 'tyrants' and then I think about how Shelley criticised England as a country and how it needed to be reformed
Section B - Used My Pretty Rose Tree and the Lily to show comparisons between human and poetic/perfect love, poetic love is free from repression of church etc. Then I just wrote about parental relationships often being not liberating because they force their children into work and education e.g., Chimney Sweep and Schoolboy then a bit about The Shepherd as relationships between nature and humans and how Blake thought nature was the best or whatever.
Section C - did the gender question with Kite Runner and Handmaids. I wrote about the presentation of Soraya and Sanaubar and the contrast as Hosseini kinda makes it seem like Sanaubar makes Baba cheat on his wife but he redeems himself by criticising Afghan culture that persecutes Soraya. I also wrote about the expectations of men that Amir feels in order to live up to Baba as well as Assef's toxic masculinity like how he forces Wali and Kamil to help him hold down Hassan. For Handmaids, I just wrote about women as childbearers and how this affects not only Handmaids but also the Wives and then some bits about the Commander and a bit about Luke when he's like 'its only a job'.
Sorry that this reply is so long lol

Nooo thank you
I wrote an gender politics as well in the first question you know when it talked ab the women then I linked it to the context
and then Blake I did the same w chimney sweeper and I think I did nurse song to show that it is liberating and not oppressive
And the last one I do harvest and handmaids but yeh I talked ab them being objectified and lack of identity but she has identity in her gender through her narration

Reply 36

username5856164

I thought the exam was okay, but definitely not the best it could have gone. For Section A, I talked about how Shelley celebrates peaceful protest in contrast to violent protest, and then explores how trying to challenge the violence of 'tyrants' with more violence is fruitless. For my final paragraph, I focused on the power of the spoken/written word and how the poem itself is a form of protest/is aiming to rouse the readers into action. I didn't really like any of the Section B questions for my texts (Harrison, Doll's House and Kite Runner) but I went with the Harrison one and basically said that Working/National Trust present work as cruel and degrading, but in Marked with D Harrison might try to show how his father's work elevates him? (don't really think it was the best arguement and I didn't get to talk about my favourite poems so a bit annoyed about that)And then I also did the gender one for Section C which I think I did okay in? I basically argued that gender as a theme is used to explore how women are powerless/men have power, but then it could also be argued that men are also powerless in that they too are forced into following gender constructs (eg. Torvald and Amir). I feel like I somehow messed up the Doll's House part (even though that should have been easy lmao) and I can't really remember much of what I wrote for it, but I think my Kite Runner part was okay because I talked about how Soraya/Sanabaur both show how women are punished for transgression/objectified by men so men are in higher power, but then I also explored how Amir is arguably also a victim of patriarchal convetion as he is conditioned into repressing his emotions/believing he has to prove he is 'worthy' to Baba. Overall, didn't really enjoy this paper at all but I'm hoping I did alright lmao

Reply 37

andre_7b