AS ENGLISH LITERATURE
2000 WORD COMPARISON ESSAY
ESSAY CHOICES
The focus for our lessons on Spies and Equus has been dominated by the plot of both texts. But now we need to consider the texts in terms of themes and the contrasts between the texts.
To do this exercise properly you will need to have completed reading both texts. The reading journal for Spies has been given out to enable you to read this independently. If you are feeling unprepared for planning this essay you need to complete your reading quickly.
STEP
|
ACTIVITY
|
1
|
Select a first choice and a second choice essay
|
2
|
This is a really important stage in preparing for the essay. You should spend some time thinking through your essay topic carefully.
Take your first choice essay title and write down as many thoughts and ideas you can link to the topic you’ve chosen. If you note one thing to say about one text then consider the second text in the light of the note you’ve just made for text one. Here are some prompt questions you can ask yourself to help you do this.
· Define what is meant by the essay topic in relation to the two texts
· Consider synonyms of the topic - does this add anything?
· Is there an overall message being communicated about the topic and what is the message
· Or is there just the presentation of the topic without any message
o For example are we just presented with violence in the two texts or does Shaffer and or Frayn have some moral message about violence
· Are there very clear episodes and extracts that come to your mind from the beginning, middle and end of the texts that you can use in your essay?
|
3
|
If you feel you have written down a lot then you can use what you’ve written to begin making a plan. If you’ve found this process difficult with the first essay choice then you should do the same with the second choice.
|
