Part B: How To Get Full Marks (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Kate Lee
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
19th Century Novel: How To Get Full Marks
Regardless of which 19th-century novel you are studying as part of the Edexcel GCSE English Literature exam, the type of question set in Section A part (b) will always be the same. In this section you are required to answer one essay question on your studied text. It is tempting to jump straight in and start writing immediately. However, following this guide will ensure you answer the question in the way the examiners are looking for.
Below you will find sections on:
What skills are required
Steps for success
What skills are required
There is only one assessment objective examined in part (b) of Section A: AO1. This assessment objective requires you to develop an informed personal response while maintaining a critical style throughout. Discerning references (both quotations and references to plot points) should be an integral part of your response. You must explore other areas of the novel when responding to this question and this is an opportunity to show how well you know the novel. The sections below explore the skills you will need to demonstrate mastery of this assessment objective in more detail.
Interpretation of a text (AO1)
In Section A part (b) the question will require you to focus on one or more of the following on the novel you have studied: plot, setting(s), character(s), theme(s). For your response, you need to determine which parts of the novel you will refer to in your answer.
When approaching this question, you should:
Try to respond flexibly and imaginatively to the demands of the question set
Give a personal and unique response to the novel:
Examiners will reward original and well-focused answers
Synthesise a developing argument (make the same argument clearly all the way through your answer)
Try to write imaginatively and with a fresh, creative approach:
Your response should not be hindered by rehearsed, generalised ideas
If possible, you should give alternative interpretations of the aspect being discussed:
For example, “On the one hand… however, this could also be seen to represent…”
Quotations should always relate to the point being made and be relevant to the theme being discussed:
Trying to introduce learnt quotations that do not necessarily link to the theme or the discussion is not reflective of a Level 5 answer
This is where a detailed knowledge of the novel is essential as it enables you to select from a wide range of examples
When approaching AO1, you need to ensure that your response keeps a clear focus on the question. Any quotations you choose to use should always be directly relevant to the focus of the question, but you don’t always need to use quotations to score highly for AO1: referring to plot points can be just as successful. Below is an example of how you might use both direct quotations and textual references to support a wider argument, using the following question on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol as an example:
In this extract, Scrooge allows his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to finish work. Explain how Bob Cratchit is portrayed elsewhere in the novel. In your answer, you must consider:
| |
AO1: Interpretations of the novel | Bob Cratchit is first introduced in Stave I, though his character remains unnamed and silent in this chapter and he is simply referred to as “the clerk”. By omitting Bob’s name and referring to him only by his occupation, Dickens conveys Scrooge’s myopic perception of Bob in terms of labour, rather than as a human being. Bob’s silence also signifies his irrelevance and insignificance as a lower-class person in the eyes of members of the wealthier classes, such as Scrooge. Dickens uses his character to underscore Scrooge’s cruel and exploitative behaviour: Bob works in a “dismal little cell”, suggesting a gloomy confinement from which he cannot escape, which could be viewed as a wider symbol of his poverty. He is too fearful to ask Scrooge for more coal to replenish his fire and instead tries “to warm himself at the candle”. Furthermore, Dickens's depiction of Bob invokes sympathy from the reader. He is deferential, patient, courteous and civil to Scrooge, despite Scrooge’s poor treatment of him. |
The examiner is looking for you to present a personal judgement on the novel, and this needs to be evidenced by references to the novel. Throughout your response you should aim to adopt a critical and mature style so that you demonstrate a perceptive understanding of your text. You should also aim to add your own interpretations and ensure that all of your points are fully developed. Below is an example of how you can extend your point to add your own interpretations and judgements:
AO1: Interpretations of the novel | As a character, Bob remains relatively unchanged throughout the novel and he is presented as the ideal family figure. He is a devoted father and husband who is loved and respected by his family and through Bob, Dickens underscores his message about the importance of family and its centrality to people’s lives. His relationship with his children is continually shown to be loving and affectionate, as when he is constantly described as either physically with them, or asking after them: “Tiny Tim upon his shoulder”/“Why, where’s our Martha?”. Furthermore, Dickens uses the character of Bob as a reminder of the humanity of the lower classes. Despite Scrooge’s cruelty towards Bob and his wife’s anger towards Scrooge, the family still display their compassion in raising a toast to Scrooge (Bob encourages his family to do so and calls Scrooge “the Founder of the Feast”). This demonstrates Bob’s kind-spirited and forgiving nature and he is presented as a virtuous and righteous character. Bob’s insufficient wages mean that he cannot provide adequate care for his son. However, even though Bob struggles financially, he is deeply appreciative of what he, and his family, have. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
AO2 is not assessed in part (b) of Section A. Setting aside AO2 gives you a greater opportunity to build and sustain a discussion focusing upon the meaning and interpretations of your chosen novel, without having to interrupt the continuity of your response in order to “step aside” and demonstrate AO2. However, if you discuss, for example, narrative devices or structure in your chosen texts, such analysis will be rewarded under AO1.
Adopting a critical style
Adopting a critical style means demonstrating perceptive understandings and interpretations. It involvеs making an informеd judgemеnt basеd on carеful analysis and considеration of thе text. It involvеs a critical еxamination of the extract in order to assеss the success of its intended effect.
You should aim to have a sense of your own personal response and therefore you need to develop the ability to ask questions independently about the text. This will enable you to interrogate, contest and have ideas about what you have read. As you read the exam question, you could consider the questions below. These questions will help you to move from the what (what is the author depicting in the text), to how (which writer’s methods have they used) and finally on to why (why has the author presented their text/characters/theme in this way? What ideas or messages could they be trying to convey?). The way to achieve a Grade 9 is to focus your analysis on the why:
Stage | Questions |
What? | What is being presented? What do you think? What is your opinion? |
How? | What evidence can you find? What proves what you think? What methods does the writer use to make you think this? What in the text backs up what you have said/what you think? |
Why? | Why does your evidence support what you have said? Why did the writer use these specific methods? What impact does this have on the reader (what does it make them think, or feel)? Why does it make you think or feel this way? |
Remember, a personal response is your opinion about the text, as relevant to the focus of the question. You are being asked to consider what the writer has tried to do and whether you think they have succeeded. However, it is also important that your arguments are convincing, which means that they need to be supported with evidence. Your choice of evidence, whether that be through direct quotation of language, or references to the text, must be relevant and meaningful.
Steps for success
It is tempting to jump straight in and start writing your response immediately. However, completing the steps below first will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for:
Read the question carefully and highlight the focus of the question:
Ensure you have identified what the focus is
Plan your answer:
Write an introductory statement which demonstrates to the examiner that you have understood the focus of the question
Select any quotations or close textual references you will be using in your response
Consider different interpretations of the text
Follow your plan and write your response:
Ensure each paragraph starts with a confident sentence which sets out the main idea discussed in that paragraph
Then flesh out each paragraph with a series of “sub-points” which develop your argument
Re-read and check your work for overall sense and accuracy
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