English Literature
English Literature is a 'facilitating' subject — so called because choosing it at A Level allows a wide range of options for degree study. The study of Literature is a study into the human psyche, human experience and social influences over the years.
The focus of this course is to consider texts through a historicist critical lens. Any text is the product of its time: a study of it will teach a student to read in context and to understand the societal and historical context of the text in time. The ability to read any content with a deeper appreciation and investigation is an essential skill.
Many of the skills developed through studying this subject are related to independent thinking — the ability to analyse sophisticated ideas and the ways in which they are presented, to synthesise large and complex literary texts, and to know how to sculpt a compelling argument are just a few.
Theme 1: Love through the Ages
Shakespeare’s: Othello (Year 12)
Ian McEwan’s: Atonement (Year 13)
Anthology: Love Through the Ages (Year 12)
Unseen Poetry (Year 13)
Theme 2: Modern Times: Literature from 1945 to the present day
Tennessee Williams’: Streetcar Named Desire (Year 12)
Kathryn Stockett: The Help (Year 12)
Sylvia Plath: Ariel (Year 13)
Poetry Anthology (Year 12/13)
Unseen Prose (Year 12/13)
NEA (Coursework): Independent critical study of two texts. One essay, 2500 words in length, comparing two texts, Oscar Wilde’s: The Picture of Dorian Gray and one text of the student’s choice (year 13).