AS LL- SPIES ANALYSIS QUESTION FEEDBACK

How does Frayn convey a sense of Stephen's naivety?
Choose two or three extracts to explore in detail,
 
In your answer you should consider:

• Frayn's language choices
• narrative viewpoint

AO's tested in this question: AO 1 and AO 2 (15 marks)

From the Examiner's Report
 

There were some sound responses to this question with appropriate episodes selected on which to base their discussion, although it was clear that some students were not entirely sure what naivety means. Many equated naivety with childhood, which led to some not-quite-focused responses. Extracts chosen tended to include Barbara and hiding in the den but most did not include anything about the more complex issues, such as the relationship between Mrs Hayward and Peter. The challenge for many students was to draw out sufficient linguistic details to explain how Stephen's naivety is conveyed. Most showed a good awareness of narrative voice and better responses thoughtfully explored how the older and younger narrative viewpoints conveyed a sense of Stephen's naivety through the contrast between Stephen as a child and the more knowing sophistication of the grown-up narrator.

 

The student's response should:- from the exam board

Some possible (but not exclusive) content/stylistic points students may refer to:

Stephen's 1st person narrative as an adult - aware of his own childish naivety
• his lack of understanding of adults' lives - his response to Aunty Dee living nearby: Aunts don't live in the same street as you!
• his willingness to believe that Keith's mother could be a spy
• the games he plays - hiding in the den
• his lack of knowledge about sex and girls - taunted by Barbara: 'You mean you don't know what privet is?'
•Stephen's direct speech with Barbara: 'They kiss each other,' she whispers.....'I know, I know,' I say, though I didn't.
• Stephen's tragic lack of understanding of what is going on between Mrs Hayward and Peter.

General feedback on this question - from me

• Define clearly what you understand by the term 'naivety.' It means, having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous. Having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous:

• Comment on the older Stephen commenting on the younger Stephen's thoughts and behaviour during the war episode
• Comment on Stephen's mostly unquestioning loyality to Keith and their friendship
• and Stephen's complete trust and belief in Keith and his judgements
• Comment on Keith's natural role as leader and Stephen's accepted role as follower
• Comment on Stephen's almost complete lack of knowledge and understanding of women and girls
• Comment on Stephen's partial knowledge of the neighbourhood, his limited and general lack of knowledge about the world at large and the war - incredibly simplistic
• Comment on Stephen's almost complete obedience towards adults
• Comment on Stephen's ability to be manipulated and exploited by Barbara and Mrs Hayward
• Comment on the power of Stephen's extraordinary imagination - he hid his face when Peter came to the box by the railway line - page 117-118
   
• It is vital that you respond in your answer to two or three episodes.
• It is vital that you analyse the quotations you use in this question drawing on language and literary terms. If you don't do this you will be losing marks. 
• Don't spend time writing detailed introductions or conclusions. You will get marks for writing relevant, concise analytical paragraphs using a brief and direct overview to begin and a concluding statement to end.

AS LIT - JANE EYRE PRACTISE ESSAYS

Below are a number of practice essay questions on Jane Eyre.Some of these are from past papers and some I've made up. Use these titles as part of your revision on this question. You can write a plan - in 15 minutes, write a plan and introductory paragraph in 20 minutes. Write a plan, introduction and an analytical paragraph. Write a full essay to one of these essay titles under timed conditions - in one hour.

Either

a) ‘Mr Rochester is both Jane’s master and her pupil.’

In the light of this comment, discuss Bronte’s presentation of the relationship between Jane  and Rochester.  

Or

b) Charlotte Bronte’s sensational effects are always grounded in the everyday world.’

How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of Jane Eyre?

Either

a) ‘Above all, Jane Eyre is a love story.’

How far and in what ways do you agree with this view?

Or

b) ‘The novel’s settings reflect Jane’s powerful emotions.’

In the light of this comment, discuss the significance of the settings in Jane Eyre.

Either

a) ‘Jane is an extremely passionate heroine.’

In the light of this comment explore passion in the character of Jane.

Or

a) ‘Names play an important role in understanding the novel.’

In the light of this comment explore symbolism in Jane Eyre.

Either

a) ‘For each is the saviour to the other.’

 How far and in what ways is this statement an accurate description of the relationship between Rochester and Jane?

Or

b) Bronte has been described as ‘acutely aware of place.’

In the light of this comment explore the significance of setting in Jane Eyre.

Either

a) ‘Bronte’s mastery of suspense keeps the reader in a state of arousal and tension.’

In the light of this comment explore the narrative technique in Jane Eyre.

Or

b) ‘At the centre of all great literature there is conflict.’

In the light of this comment explore the significance of conflict in Jane Eyre.

Two Sonnets

A Petrarchan Sonnet - in Italian and an English translation

 

Gli occhi di ch'io parlai sí caldamente,

et le braccia et le mani e i piedi e 'l viso,

che m'avean sí da me stesso diviso,

et fatto singular da l'altra gente;

le crespe chiome d'òr puro lucente

'l lampeggiar de l'angelico riso,

che solean fare in terra un paradiso,

poca polvere son, che nulla sente.

Et io pur vivo, onde mi doglio e sdegno,

rimaso senza 'l lume ch'amai tanto,

in gran fortuna e 'n disarmato legno.

Or sia qui fine al mio amoroso canto:

secca è la vena de l'usato ingegno,

et la cetera mia rivolta in pianto.

(Translation:

The eyes I spoke of with such warmth,

The arms and hands and feet and face

Which took me away from myself

And marked me out from other people;

The waving hair of pure shining gold,

And the flash of her angelic smile,

Which used to make a paradise on earth,

Are a little dust, that feels nothing.

And yet I live, for which I grieve and despise myself,

Left without the light I loved so much,

In a great storm on an unprotected raft.

Here let there be an end to my loving song:

The vein of my accustomed invention has run dry,

And my lyre is turned to tears.

Sonnet 18 Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
     So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
     So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

AS LIT - JANE EYRE LINKS TO CONTEXT AND CRITICISM

Click here for a link to a very good website with a lot of material on Jane Eyre. We'll have a look at this next week and perhaps look at a specific article.

AS LL SPIES - PRODUCTION TASK FEEDBACK

Write a first person narrative from the point of view of Keith's mother, focusing on the behaviour of Stephen and Keith some time during the period when Stephen and Keith are spying on her. You may choose to focus on one day's events or cover a longer period.

You should give careful consideration to your language choices and style, which should achieve a sense of Keith's mother's voice.    (45 marks - AO1 = 15 marks + AO4 = 30 marks)

The student's response should:- from the exam board

• achieve a sustained first person narrative
• create a sense of Keith's mother's voice - standard English with some middle class expressions appropriate to the era, formal register

Answers may include

• describes the boys' behaviour
• shows her awareness that their game involves watching her
• convey's her discomfort at being the subject of their interest
• reveals her concern about Peter and her feelings for him
• comments on her husband and the importance of keeping her visits to Peter a secret
• gives her account of how she takes supplies to Peter
• describes Aunty Dee and her feelings towards her

General feedback on this question - from me

• Bare in mind you are referring to the end of chapter 4 and through to the end of chapter 5 - where Mrs Hayward warns Stephen not to follow her. She says, '...I think it might be a tiny bit rude  if you actually followed people around.' The boys follow Mrs Hayward in chapter 6 where they attack who they think is a tramp hiding in the Barns. The boys' relationship ends after this episode. 
• You should be absolutely clear in your own mind about at what point in the novel you are setting this narrative and only refer to events that have taken place prior to this point. If you draw on events or knowledge that have not taken place or  have not been disclosed yet, you may be marked down.
• The question asks you to write a 'narrative' - some of you treated this as an internal monologue but you could consider writing a  journal or think about your text as an extract of a short story.
• Don't be too subtle when you want to make relevant points. Don't rely on the sensitivity of an exam marker. Make points that are really clear and obvious. You may need to sacrifice a narrative's realism to make a point that an examiner will pick up on and mark. 
• Try and draw in episodes from other parts of the novel. Don't just refer to episodes from before the time you have set your narrative. But you should refer to other characters like Ted, Dee and the other neighbours where it is appropriate. Don't go into too much detail but make clear references to them in your answer.
• Avoid writing content thin and long answers. Write short, concise and detailed answers. Avoid the repetition of the same information.  

AS LIT - EMILY DICKINSON 712 Because I could not stop for death

The poem

Because I could not stop for Death--
He kindly stopped for me--
The Carriage held but just Ourselves--
And Immortality.

We slowly drove--He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labour and my leisure too,
For His Civility--

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess--in the Ring--
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain--
We passed the Setting Sun--

Or rather--He passed us--
The Dews drew quivering and chill--
For only Gossamer, my Gown--
My Tippet--only Tulle--

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground--
The Roof was scarcely visible--
The Cornice--in the Ground--

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity--

This poem engages with the topic of death. And is linked thematically to 465.

Difficult words

Immortality - is eternal life, the ability to live forever.

Civility - formal politeness and courtesy in behaviour or speech.

Gossamer -  very light, sheer, gauze-like fabric

Tippet - is a scarf-like narrow piece of clothing, worn over the shoulders

Tulle -  is a lightweight, very fine netting, which is often starched

Cornice - is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture element

Eternity - Eternity is endless time

A brief summary of the poem

A poem with a single extended metaphor in which the speaker of the poem is invited into a horse drawn carriage by death. Death is personified as a civil gentleman. There is the suggestion of a romantic encounter. The journey is slow. It continues through sunset, appears to go on through the night. Eventually the journey arrives at a grave - presented here as a house. The narrative perspective shifts in the last stanza. We become aware that the journey the speaker reports has taken place hundreds of years ago. The narrator seems to be recollecting the journey the narrator took the day she died. The journey is from life to death.

We become aware that the journey is a symbolic one. The journey takes place outside the physical limitations of time. The journey includes two details. The first refers to children  - symbolic of new life. And the second refers to fields ready for harvest - symbolic of old age and approaching death. Finally the poem records the arrival at a house buried in the ground - this is symbolic of a grave.

AS LIT - EMILY DICKINSON 501 This world is not conclusion

The poem

This World is not Conclusion.
A Species stands beyond—
Invisible, as Music—
But positive, as Sound—
It beckons, and it baffles—
Philosophy—don't know—
And through a Riddle, at the last—
Sagacity, must go—
To guess it, puzzles scholars—
To gain it, Men have borne
Contempt of Generations
And Crucifixion, shown—
Faith slips—and laughs, and rallies—
Blushes, if any see—
Plucks at a twig of Evidence—
And asks a Vane, the way—
Much Gesture, from the Pulpit—
Strong Hallelujahs roll—
Narcotics cannot still the Tooth
That nibbles at the soul—

This poem is linked to poems about immortality and can be linked to the poem 721 Behind Me - dips Eternity -

Meaning of difficult words

Sagacity - insight / wisdom

Vane -  thin, flat or curved object that is attached to a wheel and that moves when air or water pushes it, or perhaps a reference to a weather vane - an object that is usually put on the top of a roof and that has an arrow that turns as the wind blows to show the direction of the wind

Pulpit - a raised platform where a priest or minister stands when leading a worship service

Hallelujah - a shout or song of praise or thanks to God

Narcotics - a drug (as opium or morphine) that in moderate doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions

A brief summary of the poem

The poem begins with a strong assertion that death is not final. Beyond death existence continues intangible to the senses of the living. It invites us to participate in it but it is confusing - difficult to comprehend for mortals. There have been many human attempts to understand this state beyond life such as philosophy, wisdom and religion. Throughout history people have sought understanding but this has lead to death on occasion - self sacrifice and martyrdom are referred to directly. These questions about immortality  are challenging and provocative to faith and certainty. We are desperate to know the answer and use every piece of evidence to try and make sense of the situation. The church offers strong guidance in sermons and song. But we are left unsatisfied - intellectual speculations are perceived as distractions at trying to understand the concept. Doubt continues to undermine the assertions and empty gestures presented to us through faith. So the poem begins with strong assertions and ends with doubt.

AS LL STREETCAR PRODUCTION TASK FEEDBACK

Imagine that, after the events of the play Blanche accuses Stanley of attacking her, and Stanley is interviewed by the police officer investigating the accusation. Write the interview in play script form.

You should give careful consideration to your language choices and style, which should achieve a sense of Stanley's voice.


You should give careful consideration to your language choices and style, which should achieve a sense of Stanley's voice.

AO1 (15 marks) and AO4 (30 marks)

The student's response should:

• achieve play script form
• achieve a sense of Stanley's voice - confident and assertive with a suitable dialect

Answers may include - from the exam board

• appropriate stage directions
• appropriate opening to the questioning of Stanley
• Stanley explains how Blanche came to be staying with him and Stella
• Stanley describes some of the difficulties of Blanche's visit: her constant bathing and complaints about lighting. her designs on Mitch, her growing hysterical behaviour
• Stanley claims that Blanche is a fantasist - hearing music that's not playing and expecting a imaginary person to collect her
• admits that he did not get on with her
• denies attacking her

General feedback on this question - from me

• Make good use of two or three stage directions. This can really enhance your answer. It's a good idea to use stage directions as an introduction to an episode and can be used at the end of your answer. It can serve as a conclusion.
• Stanley speaking short simple sentences full of informal lexis and appropriate dialect is very good
• Being able to develop your answer in an imaginary and creative way that is completely relevant to the task and consistent with the characters is excellent. One example of this in your answers is having Stanley developing a friendship with the police officer. This is genius because this fits in very well with the character of Stanley - his many male friends. It also shows us how powerful and likable Stanley is to other characters. 
• The police officer - in this question or secondary / trigger character in other tasks, should only speak short and simple questions and use a formal register. He should be presented as professional and neutral / objective in his approach to Stanley. He should not be dominated by his emotions. His primary function is to discover the facts surrounding the accusation that Blanche has made against Stanley. Avoid long speeches from the police officer.
• Try and draw in episodes from other parts of the play - from before the scene you are writing about. Don't go into detail but make clear references to them in your answer.

AS LIT - EXAMPLE ESSAYS ON JANE EYRE AND EMILY DICKINSON WITH COMMENTS

Click here for a link to the OCR website. This document shows example scripts with marginal comments concerning the Assessment Objectives and final examiner comments at the end of each essay.

You'll need to scroll down the page to find the relevant essays on Jane Eyre and Emily Dickinson.

Hope you find this helpful.

AS LIT - EMILY DICKINSON 510 It was not Death, for I stood up

The poem

It was not Death, for I stood up,
And all the Dead, lie down—
It was not Night, for all the Bells
Put out their Tongues, for Noon.

It was not Frost, for on my Flesh
I felt Sirocos—crawl—
Nor Fire—for just my Marble feet
Could keep a Chancel, cool—

And yet, it tasted, like them all,
The Figures I have seen
Set orderly, for Burial,
Reminded me, of mine—

As if my life were shaven,
And fitted to a frame,
And could not breathe without a key,
And 'twas like Midnight, some—

When everything that ticked—has stopped—
And Space stares all around—
Or Grisly frosts—first Autumn morns,
Repeal the Beating Ground—

But, most, like Chaos—Stopless—cool—
Without a Chance, or Spar—
Or even a Report of Land—
To justify—Despair.

The poem is linked to other poems primarily about extreme emotional or mental distress or trauma such as poem 258, 280, 341, 670, 1400

Difficult words

Sirocos - is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe.


Chancel - the part of a church that contains the altar and seats for the priest and choir


Spar - a stout pole or a stout rounded usually wood or metal piece (as a mast, boom, gaff, or yard) used to support rigging

A brief summary of the poem

"This poem may well be autobiographical, written after the year of Dickinson's terror of 1861....there is a sense that the poet is trying to analyse an experience, which could lead to control over a psychological trauma."  from Selected Poems Emily Dickinson. Edited Jackie Moore. OUP

A poem of definition in which the speaker experiences an intense mental trauma that she tries to describe. She begins by trying to state her experience by what it is not. She states these negatives three times in the opening two stanzas. And then the poem begins a series of positive comparisons such as a funeral, she sees herself trapped, and she is like a corpse in a coffin. She uses natural and elemental language to describe this experience. But these comparisons largely fail. She is left in a disorientating blackness without any firm land, support or guidence. There is just despair.

Some literary techniques

Use of contrasts - the concrete used to describe the abstract

Syntactical paralleism

Synaesthesia