Feminism and 1984

Hi,

Here are a few things to get you started on the feminism/misogyny question in terms of Orwell and 1984.

• Daphne Patai on 1984 (in your folder)

• And another one

• A Prezi:

Mr M

How you know you're reading the Gothic...

Check out this excellent infographic about Gothic literature in the Guardian.


Mr M

More Faustus Revision resources

Hi,

A few more bits for you...

Faustus links:

Faustus at Sparknotes 
A guide to the Gothic
A better Gothic blog
Faustus quote cards 1
Faustus quote cards 2
Some useful gothic info and example questions etc. here




Here's some useful revision material for Faustus (through not as good as the notes in your copy of the text!):




Here is a walkthrough of the LITB3 exam:

And here are the Gothic videos starring David Punter:

I hope this is useful. Still, my top bit of advice is:

READ YOUR TEXTS (and the notes therein)!

Happy revision,


Mr M

Gothic past papers

Hi,

Here's a link to where you can find past papers for your exam. Remember, your paper is Unit 3.

In addition, I've uploaded a last year's paper, mark scheme and examiner's report, which you can find below:

  

More stuff to follow shortly. Let me know if you need anything.

Mr M

Y13: Gothic revision - Some resources

Oh hi,

As promised, I have a number of useful resources for you.

In this post, you'll find some top grade (and full mark) exam answers. Shortly, I'll be sticking up a few past papers for your perusal.

But first, some advice for how to make the most of your revision:

1) Selectively re-read your texts (I would re-read all the scenes involving Faustus, if I were you)
2) Try to memories key quotes
3) Read and make notes on context and criticism (the stuff in the back of your Faustus book is excellent: characters, contexts, language, criticism = all essential reading)
4) Revise your gothic checklists
5) Read model responses (below)
6) Practise making plans in response to questions
7) Do some practice essays

The following docs are all examples of excellent responses to past questions - and they've all been produced by students like you. 

You know what you're ready when:
a) you can see a way through the past paper questions
b) reading these model answers no longer makes you feel inadequate!

Here goes:

I hope that you find these useful. Past papers will be coming shortly, followed by some links and essays.

Get revising!


Mr M 

Good luck

Hi Y12,

Good luck for tomorrow, folks...


AND DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR COPY OF THE ROAD!


Mr M

Auden Round-up: How 1st September provides the key to understanding the poet's concerns

Hi,

Following a revision session today, this idea was buzzing around my head - so I had to write it down.

The starting point was an idea that many of the key quotes in understanding Auden come from 1st September 1939. So, here's what I'm thinking:


1st September 1939 reveals a lot about Auden's view of the human condition. Perhaps it is the key poem in understanding Auden? In it, Auden says that we live in a 'euphoric dream' - in denial of the realities of life beyond our narrow, selfish concerns. The 'error bred in the bone' (ie. human nature) is our selfishness ('to be loved alone') while Auden stresses the importance of 'universal love'. We are 'sensual' rather than cerebral - we want to feel sensations of pleasure and comfort, but we don't want to think. Because of this, Auden depicts us as childlike and innocent: 'lost in a haunted wood / Children afraid of the night / Who have never been happy or good.' Rather than think for ourselves, we'd rather allow ourselves to be shaped by others and by circumstance: parents, societal expectations etc. We drift through life in a euphoric dream with no direction. Only 'the Just' can think beyond these terms - they provide hope for humanity.

Now think of how these descriptions of human nature are reflected in the other poems:

Victor/Miss Gee/James: in all of these poems, the pace of the narrative seems to blur childhood and adulthood. In a way, these characters never grow up and never grow out of their issues - they are still child-like, innocent and naive until their deaths. They're either repressed, insecure, isolated - or all three. They all seem to be products of dysfunctional families - although we don't meet Miss Gee's parents. They all need guidance: from God, from parents, from neighbours. Perhaps this is why the ballad form works so well, as it depicts them in a comical or childish, nursery rhyme-like way.

As I Walked Out: The love poem at the start is innocent, romanticised, childlike. It is the 'romantic lie in the brain'. We are imperfect - see the nursery rhyme references or the 'crooked heart' line.

O What: More imperfect love. More selfishness. War can turn lover against lover. Neighbour against neighbour.

Musee: We are indifferent to the suffering of others. We drift though life with our own narrow concerns, barely noticing what goes on around us. Life juxtaposes the significant and the mundane - and which is which depends entirely on your subjective viewpoint. There is no absolute truth.


I hope this makes sense. Perhaps an even better argument can be made for one of the others as 'key poem', but I do think that 1st September is the poem that gets to the heart of what it is to be human. Make sure you know it!


Any questions, get in touch.


Mr M