English Literature

Please note:
This subject is offered in mixed classes jointly with Ermysted’s Grammar School.  

Is this course for me?

You need to enjoy reading for this course. You will have to read a vast range of different texts independently. You should also be proficient at close analysis and essay writing. You will be required to research around the subject, engaging with critics and contextual factors that surround a text. The examination units within this course are all closed book and there are difficult synoptic elements to the course, meaning you must be good at recall, memorisation and must be able to ‘think on your feet’.

Opportunities

English Literature can lead to a huge variety of careers that require a range of academic skills, such as: analysis, written communication and emotional and social intelligence. Popular careers stemming from an English Literature qualification include TV and print journalism, publishing, teaching/ lecturing, researching, writing, managerial careers and archivism, to name but a few.
Qualification Structure

Component 1: Shakespeare and Drama Pre-1900

This is an examination unit. There are two questions; the first question asks you to analyse a Shakespeare passage in close detail and link it to the play as a whole, and the second question asks you to write a comparative essay on one drama and poetry text.

Component 2: Topic Area Study

This is an examination unit focusing on Gothic fiction. In the first part of the exam, students perform a close analysis of an unseen text taken from the topic area. In the second part of the exam, students study two texts from a reading list within the chosen topic area and write an essay comparing the two texts. Set texts include: 'Dracula' and 'The Bloody Chamber'.

Component 3: Literature Post-1900

In this coursework unit, students study three texts across the forms of poetry, prose and drama. Texts change annually, but have included: 'The Magic Toyshop' by Angela Carter, 'Circe' by Madeline Miller, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams, 'Ariel' by Sylvia Plath, Hardy's 'Poems of 1912-1913', 'The World's Wife' by Carol Ann Duffy. 'Of Women and Salt' by Gabriela Garcia and 'That Face' by Polly Stenham. Students write one comparative essay (2000 words max) and either a re-creative response to one text or a critical analysis of a section of one text (1000 words max).

English Literature gives you the opportunity to read across a range of time periods and genres. Lessons are really fun, where you get chance to debate about different interpretations. It can get pretty heated! It’s very academic because you have to analyse different texts in depth, research critical opinions and write essays