Unit 1 : Aspects of Narrative

I think it is really important for you to understand why we are going to be studying 'The Great Gatsby'. Please take the time to read through the information below. It may take a couple of times for it to become clearer. Don't worry if it all seems very complicated right now - it will make more sense as we progress through the course.

We are studying the AQA English Literature B syllabus.

The aim Unit 1 is to introduce you to the central position of narrative in the ways in which

literary texts work. The term narrative is taken in a broad sense here, involving many different aspects of literary representation, with particular focus on how narratives are constructed by authors, and the different ways in which they can be responded to by readers.

You study 4 texts in all for this unit : 2 prose texts and 2 poetry texts. You will do one of each with myself and Mrs Notley.

Assessment will be by one written exam paper of 2 hours’ duration which you will take at the end of Year 12.

There will be two sections to the paper, Section A and Section B. You will be required to answer one question from each section. Each question will be marked out of 42, giving an overall maximum mark for the paper of 84 marks.

Section A will have one question on each of the set texts, each question having two parts.

You will answer one question on one text. Each question will require you to:

• comment in detail on the narrative method of an extract

• relate this extract to wider concerns within the text as a whole.

Section B will have two questions. Both questions will require you to compare aspects of narrative across three texts that you have studied. You will answer one question.  The three texts written about must not include the text referred to in Section A.

You are permitted to take your texts into the examination. This allows you to be pointed to

sections of texts in Section A, and to refresh your memory of the form and structure of texts for Section B.

You have to remember, of course, that the open book format does not remove the requirement that you know the texts well and can refer to them in detail. This is A level and not GCSE!

Texts taken into the examination must be clean, that is, free from annotation.

A copy of the full syllabus can be found HERE.