English Literature

Course summary

In English Literature, you will explore the relationships that exist between texts and the contexts within which they are written, received and understood. You will build on knowledge gathered at GCSE but obviously there is a much higher level of challenge in the texts you study! You will be required to read widely across a range of texts over time. Working with texts over time involves looking at ways in which authors shape meanings within their texts. It also involves thinking about a wide range of relevant contexts, some of them to do with the production of the text at the time of its writing, some to do with how the text has been received over time, and most of all, how the text can be interpreted by readers now. Because texts and their meanings are not fixed, interpretation is not fixed, and multiple interpretations are possible. To put it another way, there is never one correct answer! IS THIS COURSE FOR ME? To succeed in this course, you will need a genuine interest in literature, a spirit of adventure and inquiry, a real keenness for learning something new, and most importantly, a willingness to read independently and widely!