Literature in English (9695) | Prose

📚 AS & A Level Literature in English (9695) Study Notes

Paper 2, Section A: Mastering Prose Analysis

Welcome to the core of Paper 2! This section focuses on the detailed study of your set prose texts (novels or short stories). Don't worry if long novels seem intimidating; we will break down how to analyze these texts using the specific tools and skills required by the Cambridge syllabus.

Why is this important? Prose is the foundation of storytelling. By mastering Section A, you learn how writers build entire worlds, create complex characters, and argue profound ideas—skills essential for both your essay questions and the unseen analysis in Section B.

1. The Four Pillars of Prose Analysis (The AOs)

Your essay needs to demonstrate four key Assessment Objectives (AOs). Think of these as the four ingredients for a top-grade essay:

AO1: Knowledge and Context

• What does the text say? (Plot, characters, themes).
• How does the context (social, historical, biographical) inform the text?

Analogy: AO1 is knowing all the facts about the building you are studying: who built it, when, and what materials were used.

AO2: Analysis of Writer's Choices

• How does the writer use language, form, and structure to create meaning?
• This is where you discuss imagery, metaphors, narrative style, and sentence length.

Analogy: AO2 is analyzing the architecture: why the windows are placed there, why the roof is shaped a certain way, and the effect of these choices.

AO3: Informed Opinion and Interpretation

• What is your independent judgment about the text?
• Do you see multiple interpretations? You must argue your point clearly and support it with evidence.

Analogy: AO3 is being the critic: determining if the building is a success, arguing why it stands out, and acknowledging different views on its design.

AO4: Communication

• Is your essay clear, organized, and written using appropriate literary vocabulary?

Analogy: AO4 is presenting your findings in a professional, structured report.

2. Deconstructing the Prose Text (AO2 in Depth)

Prose writers use specific tools that differ slightly from poetry or drama. When analyzing a prose extract or the text as a whole, focus on these elements:

a. Narrative Perspective and Voice

The Narrator is the storyteller. How they tell the story profoundly affects what we know and how we feel about the characters.

• First Person (I): The narrator is a character within the story. This creates intimacy but also limits our view (we only know what they know).
• Third Person Omniscient (He/She/They): The narrator knows everything—thoughts, feelings, future events. This gives the writer maximum control and scope (like the comprehensive view in many 19th-century novels).
• Third Person Limited: The narrator follows one character, sharing only that character's thoughts and experiences. This builds empathy while maintaining some distance.

Key Term: Free Indirect Discourse. This is a clever technique where the third-person narrator slips seamlessly into the character's voice and thoughts without using quotation marks (e.g., "She looked at the yellow wallpaper. That hateful colour!"). Identifying this is often a sign of high-level AO2 analysis.

Did you know? In short stories, like those in *Stories of Ourselves*, the narrator’s reliability is often crucial. If the narrator is mad, biased, or unaware, we call them an Unreliable Narrator.

b. Structure and Form

Structure refers to the arrangement of the plot. Prose isn't just about what happens, but the order in which we find out!

• Chronology: Is the story told in straight time order?
• Flashbacks/Foreshadowing: Does the writer jump backwards (to reveal trauma or history) or hint at the future (to build suspense)?
• Pacing: Does the text use short, sharp sentences to speed up the action (fast pace), or long, detailed descriptions to slow it down (slow pace)?

Form Focus: Novel vs. Short Story

If you study a short story, remember that the form is designed to be concise. Every detail, image, and line of dialogue is essential. Short stories often focus on a single moment of profound realisation (an epiphany).

If you study a novel, the scale allows for multiple subplots, complex character development over time, and a broader thematic scope.

Key Takeaway for Structure:

Structure controls the reader’s experience. Analyze why the writer delayed a piece of information or why the story ends precisely where it does.

c. Characterisation and Dialogue

How do writers make characters feel real? They use direct and indirect methods.

• Direct Characterisation: The narrator explicitly tells us about the character (e.g., "He was a lazy, cowardly man.").
• Indirect Characterisation: We learn about the character through their actions, dialogue, thoughts, and how other characters react to them.

Analyzing Dialogue:

Dialogue isn't just talk; it reveals:

1. Social Status: Do they use formal or slang language?
2. Power Dynamics: Who interrupts whom? Who speaks less?
3. Psychology: Does the character ramble, lie, or use evasive language?

Example: In Kiran Desai’s *The Inheritance of Loss*, the use of mixed English, Hindi, and regional accents in dialogue helps establish complex socio-economic contexts (AO1/AO2).

d. Language, Style, and Imagery

This is where you dive deep into specific word choices (diction).

• Imagery: Look for sensory language (what you can see, hear, smell). Is the imagery positive (light, warmth) or negative (decay, cold)?
• Figurative Language: Identify metaphors, similes, and personification. What is being compared, and what emotion or idea does that comparison generate?
• Tone: What is the writer's attitude? Is it satirical (mocking, as often seen in Evelyn Waugh's *A Handful of Dust*), melancholy, optimistic, or cynical?

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just list techniques! Always link the technique back to the overall meaning or effect. Instead of saying, "The writer uses a simile," say, "The simile 'The fence posts stood like weary soldiers' suggests the setting is both dilapidated and subject to a harsh, controlling force, thereby reinforcing the central theme of decay (AO2 linked to AO3)."

3. Tackling the Examination Questions

In Paper 2, Section A, you have a choice: an (a) general essay question or a (b) passage-based question.

Strategy 1: The General Essay (Type A)

This asks you to discuss a broad theme, character, or technique across the entire set text. Example: "Discuss the presentation of hope and despair in *The Underground Railroad*."

Step-by-Step Approach:

1. Deconstruct the Question: Identify the key terms (e.g., "hope," "despair," "presentation").
2. Thesis Statement (AO3): Formulate your argument. Your thesis should offer an original, specific, and debatable answer (e.g., "While hope is often brutally extinguished in the novel, it survives as a quiet, internal resistance embodied by Cora's determination, which contrasts sharply with the widespread, public despair.").
3. Select Evidence (AO1): Choose 3-4 powerful moments or sections from the whole text that clearly illustrate your point.
4. Develop Analysis (AO2): In each paragraph, use specific quotes and analyze the narrative methods (voice, symbolism, setting) used to present that emotion.

Strategy 2: The Passage-Based Essay (Type B)

This question prints a short extract from your set text and asks you to analyze it, often relating it to the whole work. This is usually the easier option for students who struggle with recall, as the evidence is right there!

Example: "Examine the ways in which the writer creates a sense of tension and fear in this passage, commenting on its significance to the novel as a whole."

The "PEEL-BACK" Method for Passage Analysis:

Think of analysis as peeling back layers:

1. P - Placement/Position (Structure): Where does this passage appear in the text? What happened just before? What is the atmosphere at this point? (AO1/AO2).
2. E - Extract Analysis (Language): Go line-by-line, focusing on specific literary devices (diction, metaphor, rhythm, dialogue) and their immediate effects. (AO2).
3. E - Emotional/Thematic Effect (Meaning): What mood or idea is created? How does the writer make the reader feel? (AO2/AO3).
4. L - Link to Whole Text (Context): Crucial for top marks! Explain how the themes, characters, or style in this extract relate to the text's overall message or development. (AO1/AO3).

Encouragement: Don't worry if you miss some minor details in the passage. Focus on the most striking linguistic features and connect them thoroughly to the overall purpose of the scene.

4. Literary Vocabulary & Communication (AO4)

To score high on AO4, use precise literary terms and structure your arguments logically.

Key Literary Terms for Prose:

• Motif: A recurring image or idea that holds symbolic significance (e.g., the recurring mention of food, or lack thereof, might be a motif for poverty).
• Diction: The writer's specific choice of words (formal, colloquial, archaic).
• Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases (sentence structure). Complex, long syntax often mirrors complex thought; short, simple syntax suggests directness or urgency.
• Juxtaposition: Placing two contrasting ideas or images close together to highlight the difference (e.g., placing a description of luxury next to one of extreme poverty).
• Setting: The time and place, often acting as a character itself (e.g., the suffocating setting in *The Yellow Wallpaper* reflects the protagonist's mental state).

Structuring Your Essay (The Argument Flow)

A strong essay flows naturally, building your argument point by point.

1. Introduction: Define the scope of the question, name the author and text, and state your clear Thesis (AO3).
2. Body Paragraphs: Start with a clear Topic Sentence. Introduce your evidence (AO1), embed your quote effectively, and spend the majority of the paragraph analyzing the writer’s choices (AO2) and relating the point back to your thesis (AO3).
3. Conclusion: Reiterate your main argument in a new way. Summarize your findings on the writer’s craft, and offer a final, informed judgment on the text's significance.

Memory Aid: Remember T-E-A for paragraphs: Topic Sentence, Evidence, Analysis (focusing on AO2).

Final Key Takeaway:

Prose analysis is all about understanding the writer's deliberate choices. Every detail, from a comma to a climatic confrontation, serves a purpose. Your job is to uncover that purpose and explain its effect on the reader and the meaning of the text.