Studying A Level English Literature in Year 13 next year? Here’s your summer work! Please read the instructions carefully as ALL THREE SECTIONS ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT

1. Summer Reading for NEA

In preparation for your NEA, which accounts for 20% of your A level grade, you need to purchase and read The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

The Bloody Chamber

An information sheet on the NEA can be found HERE. As you read the collection we’d like you to consider the themes below as these will form the basis of your NEA

• minds under stress
• the Gothic
• representations of women

You may wish to choose a theme not featured on the list; this will need to be approved by Mr Smith.

We’d also like you to consider reading as any texts from the pre 1900 list below which you think would make an interesting comparison to The Bloody Chamber.

• Jane Austin – Northanger Abbey
• Wilkie Collins – The Woman In White
• Henrik Ibsen – A Dolls House
• Mary Shelley – Frankenstein
• Bram Stoker – Dracula
• The Castle of Otranto
• Wuthering Heights – Charlotte Bronte

You may wish to choose a text not featured on the list; this will need to be approved by Mr Smith.

You must bring this book with you when you start back after the holiday.

2. NEA Proposal: Research and critical reading

You should produce some detailed research on The Bloody Chamber and the three possible areas of study:

A good starting point is eMagazine, use the search function to find articles on The Bloody Chamber

(To log in, you’ll need the details you’ll find by clicking on the ’emagazine’ tab at the top of this page.)

I also recommend that you use the British Library site, this has a whole section dedicated to Angela Carter and The Bloody Chamber

The British Library on Angela Carter

You must bring these notes with you when you start back after the holiday.

3. Summer Reading

In preparation for for the year 13 Texts Through Time module you need to purchase and read the following 3 texts

The Feminine Gospels

The Handmaids Tale

A Streetcar Named Desire

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If you have any questions about any of the summer work, contact Mr Smith (m.smith@lutterworthcollege.com).

Enjoy your holiday!

Incoming Year 12s studying English Literature next year: here is your transition work.

If you have any questions about any of the work detailed here, please contact the A Level English Literature Coordinator, Mr Smith (m.smith@lutterworthcollege.com).

Summer Reading

You need to read Othello by William Shakespeare and The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald.

You can get hold of the appropriate editions of each text at the links below. (To save money, you could buy a second-hand copy.)

Othello – William Shakespeare

The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

You must bring these books with you when you start back after the holiday. We’d also like you to make a bulletpointed synopsis of both of these texts.

Research Tasks

1. Read the interview with Terry Eagleton and answer the following questions in detail.

Terry Eagleton Interview – Asking Important Questions

(a) What, according to Eagleton, is the role of literary theory when analysing texts?

(b) What does Eagleton believe makes a good English student?

2. Read this article from the British Library and then summarise, in your own words, what makes a Shakespearean tragedy.

3. Read the article from emagazine below, and then write half a page in response to the following statement: ‘Simon Bubb argues that Iago’s lack of humanity is what Shakespeare is most interested in sharing.’ To what extent do you agree?

eMag – on Iago

4. Read the task sheet titled The Canon (link below). For each of the authors listed, write the title of at least one of their works and the genre.

The Canon

Remember that you must bring evidence of all tasks having been completed to your first English Literature lesson next term. If you have any questions, please email me on m.smith@lutterworthcollege.com

Enjoy the summer!

Mr Smith

 

A live performance of the RSC’s critically acclaimed production will be broadcast in school on Thursday 17th March.

The show will run from period 1  to period 4 in a venue to be confirmed, and all Year 12 English Literature students should attend.

There will even be an opportunity to interact with performers and ask questions, so don’t miss the chance to see Shakespeare’s tale of knavery, jealousy and murder – live!

Popcorn will be provided, but extra snacks are always welcome!

For details, speak to Miss Kirkpatrick.

 

 

If you’re in Year 13 and studying English Literature, here’s what you need to be getting up to as part of your Christmas 50.

You need to be independently reading around the subject to develop your own critical interpretation of texts by understanding other critical schools of thought, focusing on the ideas of critical theorists.

The following tasks will help you produce analysis at the highest level.

1. Read Terry Eagleton’s ‘Marxism And Literary Criticism’ and Raymond Williams’ ‘Keywords’ (both available in the Literature Google Drive) – this will aid your expression and analysis.

2. Go onto The British Library site and:

• Listen to the short lectures by John Bowen on:The Brontës and the 19th century woman and make bullet point notes on the sections that will be useful for developing AO3 in your essay.
• Listen to Professor John Bowen’s discussion of the intertwined nature of fantasy and realism within Emily Brontë’s novel and make bullet point notes on the sections that will be useful for developing AO3 for your exam responses.
• Read the article on ‘The Victorian Reader’ and make bullet point notes on the sections that will be useful for developing AO3 in your essay.

3. Read the Catherine Fry article given in class, annotating points that would help develop your comparative essay.

4. Go to emagazine and log in using ‘englishatlc’ as your username and password. Search for articles on the Brontes, ‘Faustus’, ‘The Bloody Chamber’ and the Gothic. Make bullet point notes.

5. If you are aiming for a B-A grade, you need to also make detailed notes that cover key points for AO4 – identify the social, cultural and biographical influences on the texts you are studying for both of your coursework tasks and for your examination.

Happy Christmas!

 

 

If you’re taking English Literature in Year 12, you’ll be working on the first draft of your NEA over the Christmas break.

You all now have an individual question and detailed plan and need to be completing a 1500 word essay for Feminism and Marxism, ensuring that they cover all the assessment objectives.

This must be completed for Thursday 7^th of January for the Feminist essay and the following Tuesday 12^th of January for the Marxist task.

Merry Christmas!