English Literature

Assessment

• Unit 1: Literary Genres: Aspects of Tragedy (2 hour 30 minute exam: 40% of A Level) In this unit you will explore the major literary genre of tragedy – a genre that has its roots in the ancient world and has been reworked and reinterpreted by many authors since. You’ll focus on drama, studying King Lear and Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman. You’ll also study Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, examining how aspects of tragedy are also present in novels. • Unit 2: Texts and Genres: Elements of crime writing (3 hour exam: 40% of A Level) In this unit, you will explore elements of a more modern genre: that of crime writing. This genre holds an enduring power over readers, due partly to our love of solving mysteries and working out ‘whodunnit’, but also to our fascination with the criminal mind. You’ll look at two significant but very different crime novels: Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene, and Atonement, by Ian McEwan. You’ll also examine a collection of poems, to see how poets at different times have dealt with the idea of crime and depicted villains, victims, guilt and punishment. • Unit 3: Theory and Independence (Coursework: 3000 words: 20% of A-Level) This unit is designed to allow you to read widely and to examine the texts you read from a range of different perspectives. You will be encouraged to explore as wide a range of texts as possible: fiction, drama, poetry and non-fiction.