Anecdote: GCSE English Definition
Contents
What is an anecdote?
In GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language, an anecdote is a short, personal story which links the audience with the writer. They are often amusing or entertaining in nature.
Why do writers use anecdotes?
Writers use short anecdotes to highlight a point, a central theme or event. In literature, they can be used to give the reader a deeper understanding of a character, such as through their background or motives. Anecdotes are also often used in persuasive writing in order to engage the reader on a personal level.
Examples of anecdotes
Anecdotes can be personal, historical, cautionary, humorous, philosophical or inspirational. They can also be used by writers to highlight a key theme or as a literary device.
For example, in The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, Daisy starts to tell Nick an anecdote about “the butler’s nose” to highlight the careless nature of wealthy Americans.
Revision resources to ace your exams
Learn how to analyse anecdotes in literary texts and how to use them in your own English Language writing with our GCSE revision notes.
GCSE English Literature Revision Notes
GCSE English Language Revision Notes
For more literary techniques, check out our list of 127 top literary devices, complete with student-friendly definitions.
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Written by Deb Orrock
English Content Creator18 articlesDeb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.
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