A-level ENGLISH LITERATURE A (7712/2B) - AQA

1 SPECIME N MATERIAL A-level EN GLISH LITERATURE A (7712/2B) Paper 2B: Texts in S har ed Contexts: Modern Times: Li ter ature from 1945 to the Present Day 2015 Morning Time allow ed: 2 h our s 30 minutes For this paper you must have: an AQA 12-page answer booklet a copy of the M odern Times Q uesti on Paper Insert a copy of each of t he set texts you have st udi ed for this paper. These texts must not be annotated and must no t contain additional notes o r materials. Inst ructions Write the information re quir ed on t he front of your answer book .

2 The Examining B ody for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is 7712/2B. R ead all of t he questions. Then choose eit her Opti on 1, Option 2 or Option 3. Answer one questi on from Section A and both questi ons from S ecti on B from y our chosen option. You must answer q uesti ons from only one opti on. Do all rough work in your answer book . Cross through any work that you do not want to be marked. Information T he marks for questi ons are shown in brackets. T he maximum mark for this paper is 75.

3 Y ou will be marked on y our ability to: use good ENGLISH organise information cl early use specialist vocabulary where appr opriate. In your response you need to: analyse carefully the writers methods explore the contexts of t he texts you are writing about explore connections across the texts you have st udi ed explore different interpretations of your texts. Option 1 2 Secti on A: Poetry S et T ext Answer one question in this section. Either Femini ne G ospels Carol Ann Duffy 0 1 T he title of the collec ti on suggests Duffy s agenda is to challen ge traditional male ideas about the gospel truth.

4 Examine this view. [25 marks] or 0 2 Examine t he vi ew t hat this collec ti on excl udes men as subjects and makes no attempt to engage them as readers . [25 marks] Skirrid Hill Ow en Sheers or 0 3 In Ski rrid Hill relationships are frail, fr ag ile, falling apar t. Examine this view of Sh eers presentation of relationships in t he collection. [25 marks] or 0 4 Sheers prefaces Skirrid Hill with a quotation from Eliot. Examine t he significance of Sheers choice of this preface for his collecti on.

5 [25 marks] Option 1 Section B: Drama and Prose Contextual Linking Read the insert. Answer both questions in this section. 3 Turn over Read t he i nsert carefully. It is taken from Bri ck Lane, a novel by Monica Ali published in 2003. 18- year-old Nazneen has mov ed from Bangladesh to Britain to become the w ife of Chanu, an older man. Havi ng no prior experience of Britain and very little knowl edge of the Eng lish l anguage, Naz neen spends her time in their small flat looking out across a housing estate. Answer both questions.

6 0 5 Explore the significance of isolation in this extract. Remember to i nclude in your answer relevant deta iled analysis of t he ways that Ali shapes meanings. [25 marks] 0 6 M odern LITERATURE shows isolated characters as bei ng prof oundly damaged. Com pare the significance of isolation in two othe r texts you have st udi ed. Remember to i nclude in your a nswer reference to how m eanings are shaped in the texts you ar e com parin g. You must use one drama text and one prose text in y our response.

7 [25 marks] Option 2 4 Secti on A: Drama Set Text Answer one question in this section. A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Wil lia ms Either 0 7 Primar ily, this play presents a clash betw een two cultures, not two individuals. Examine this view of A Streetcar Named D esire. [25 marks] or 0 8 Examine t he vi ew t hat A S treetcar Named D esire fa ils because the relationship betw een Ste lla and Stanl ey is inconceivable . [25 marks] Top Girls Caryl Churchill or 0 9 Churchill presents a cynical, negative critique of powerful women.

8 Examine this view of Top Girls. [25 marks] or 1 0 Examine t he vi ew t hat the character of Dull Gr et is i nsignificant within the pl ay as a whol e. [25 marks] Option 2 Section B: Prose and Poetry Contextual Linking Read the insert. Answer both questions in this section. 5 Turn over Read t he i nsert carefully. It is taken from Bri ck Lane, a novel by Monica Ali published in 2003. 18- year-old Nazneen has mov ed from Bangladesh to Britain to become the w ife of Chanu, an older man. Havi ng no prior experience of Britain and very little knowl edge of the Eng lish l anguage, Naz neen spends her time in their small flat looking out across a housing estate.

9 Answer both questions. 1 1 Explore the significance of isolation in this extract. Remember to i nclude in your answer relevant deta iled analysis of t he ways that Ali shapes meanings. [25 marks] 1 2 M odern LITERATURE shows isolated characters as bei ng prof oundly damaged. Com pare the significance of isolation in two othe r texts you have st udi ed. Remember to i nclude in your a nswer reference to how m eanings are shaped in the texts you ar e com parin g. You must use one prose text and one poe try tex t in y our response, at least one of which must be a text written post- 2000.

10 [25 marks] Option 3 6 Secti on A: Prose Set T ext Answer one question in this section. Either 1 3 Waterl and Graham Swift Examine t he vi ew t hat the Fenland landscape is the most compelling char acter in this novel. [25 marks] or 1 4 Graham Swift presents history as being as much about the private as t he public. Examine this view of Waterland. [25 marks] The Handmaid s Tale Margaret Atwood or 1 5 In G ilead, men are victims too. Examine this view of Atw ood s presentation o f male characters in The Handmaid s Tale.