Paper 2 concepts and Questions

• Engels
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

Goals for today 

Paper 2 concepts and Questions

Act 1

Human Experience concepts Literature  

The Great Gatsby 

Human Experience Concepts: 

Belonging    Dreams    Authenticity    Insecurities 

Concepts we generated: 

Power dynamics, oppression, patriarchy, identity, rebellion 

Concepts HL literature The Handmaid's Tale

Central concepts in The White Tiger

Inequality corruption education freedom 

Act 1

Concepts  

A Doll's House 

Concepts we generated: 

Identity, (marriage) relationships, ethics, gender roles, money 

Act 1

Concepts  

Carol Ann Duffy 

Concepts 

Love          loss    gender   politics        capitalism 

Concepts 

A Clockwork Orange 

Concepts: The inviolability of free will, Manipulation, Power, Violence, Language and communication

Concepts HL Lit 

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous 

Concepts to consider: trauma, identity (sexuality), language,    racism, memory

Act 1

Concepts  

If This is a Man 

Concepts we generated (top 5): 

Dehumanization,(loss of) identity, humanity, language & morality 

Concepts 

Othello 

Concepts we generated: Jealousy, manipulation, trust, race, love 

Concepts HL Lang Lit 

The Things they Carried

Concepts we generated: 

friendship or relationships, trauma, tragedy, responsibility, love

Concepts HL language and literature in 1984

Concepts we generated:

Control, Rebellion, love, totalitarianism, sex

​

​

Concepts 

Szymborska's poetry 

Concepts: warfare, the human condition, nature, trauma, grief 

Concepts 

Katherine Mansfield short stories 

Concepts: warfare, the human condition, nature, trauma, grief 

Concepts 

Macbeth 

Concepts: Ambition, gender roles, power, appearance vs reality supernatural 

Add to the works the IB concept(s) that you feel align with these works. You can add as many as you feel are applicable. 

Paper 2 questions 

In general there are three areas which the paper 2 questions focus on:

1. The context of composition: For what reasons do writers write? How do contextual factors such as time and place, influence their writing? 

2. Style or technique: How do writers write? What choices do they make? What techniques do they use to convey their message? 

3. The context of interpretation: How do readers read literary works? How does the context of the reader determinate reception of a text? 

4. Topic or theme: What is the message of a work? What themes do the works explore? How do they comment on these themes? 

Paper 2 - specimen paper 

1. Referring to two works you have studied, consider how and why writers create characters who do not conform to norms. 

2.  Discuss the ways that writers have presented characters that feel alienated from their society in two of the works you have studied.

3. Referring to two works you have studied, compare how, and to what effect, the concept of hope is used by writers.

4. Works of literature can often function as social commentary. Discuss with reference to at least two literary works you have studied.

Consider when you are arguing your main claim: 

characterisation, symbols, motifs, themes, narrative structure, character development, narrative perspective, setting(s), names of people and places, literary style, linguistic techniques and stylistic choices. 

What makes the style of an author recognisable as that author? 

The question might not specifically ask you to comment on style, but you always should. 

1. Authors sometimes tell their stories in a non-linear fashion. Compare how and for what reasons the authors of at least two works that you have read have told their stories in a non-linear fashion. 

2. The meaning of a literary work can change over time. Compare how the meanings of two literary works that you have read have changed over time. 

3. 'Fight or flight' is a term used to describe human responses to adverse circumstances. Compare how the authors of two literary works that you have read have depicted such human responses to adverse circumstances. 

4. Authors often write fiction as a means of social commentary . Compare how the authors of two works that you have read have written works of social commentary.

Paper 2 - Specimen 1 

source: Philpot education 

1. Literary works are received differently in different places and times. Compare how two literary works that you have read have been received differently by different audiences. 

2. In what ways and for what reasons do two literary works that you have read appeal to their audiences' eyes and ears? Compare and contrast the ways in which they appeal to the auditory and visual senses of their audiences. 

3. Literary works often depict struggle between genders. Compare how two of the works that you have read depict a struggle between genders. 

4. Authors of literary works often write because they feel their stories need to be told. Compare the author's reasons for writing two literary works that you have read. 

Paper 2 - Specimen 2 

source: Philpot education 

1. Pablo Picasso once said that 'Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth.' Compare how the authors of two literary works help their readers 'realise the truth'. 

2. One characteristic of a literary work is that it never stops speaking to audiences. Compare how two literary works have continued to speak to their audiences over time. 

3. Suspense is what keeps readers turning the pages of literary works. Compare and contrast the ways in which the authors of two literary works build suspense and capture the imagination of their readers.

4. The struggle against injustice is a theme that speaks to readers. Compare the ways in which the authors of two literary works have depicted unjust worlds. 

Paper 2 - Specimen 3 

source: Philpot education 

specimen papers 

	work#1	work#2	work#3	work#4
Non-linear narration
Meaning changes over time
'Fight or flight'
Social commentary

Extract analysis 

Using your extract, or the one given to you, make an analysis that explores what the expected stylistic 'signature' is for your author. 

You can make or add to a revision guide in MB files paper 2