English Literature

Course summary

Students study a wide range of literary texts which are drawn from different periods and the three main genres of prose fiction, poetry and drama. Students develop the skill of writing well-organised and clear essays which discuss issues raised in set texts, analyse authors’ techniques and describe and explain their responses to what they have read. At A Level, English Literature students are generally encouraged to see that the meanings of texts are not fixed and that multiple interpretations are possible. Essays often set up a debate and students have to carefully argue a case, challenging the interpretations of other readers and developing their own informed personal responses. A willingness to read, discuss and write about literature is essential. The course focuses on the study of tragedy as a genre and literary movement that has developed throughout history; texts focused on here are Othello by William Shakespeare, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and a selection of poems by John Keats. Alongside this, students will also study elements of political and social protest writing; here the focus texts are The Handmaid's Tale by Margeret Atwood, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake. Students are also required to explore links between these texts and develop their appreciation of how different contexts ‘shape texts and possible meanings. Independent reading is also a requirement.