Tag Archives: Comparative

Senior Cycle

Past exam questions on Literary Genre

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2012

‘Authors make use of a variety of techniques to shape memorable characters.’ Identify and compare the techniques used to shape one or more memorable characters in at least two of your texts you have encountered on your comparative course. [70]

or

(a) With reference to one text on your comparative course, discuss the author’s use of setting (or settings) as an effective feature of good story telling. [30]

(b) With reference to two other texts on your comparative course, compare how the wuthors use settings as an effective feature of good story telling. [40]

2010

‘The unexpected is essential to the craft of story-telling.’ Compare how authors of the comparative texts you have studied used the unexpected in their texts. You may confine your answer to key moments in the texts. [70]

or

‘Aspects of narrative contribute to your response to a text.’

(a) With reference to one of your chosen texts, identify at least two aspects of narrative and discuss how those aspects contributed to your reponse to that text. [30]

(b) With reference to two other texts compare how aspects of narrative contributed to your response to these texts. In answer to question (b) you may use the aspects of narrative discussed in (a) above or any other aspects of narrative. [40]

 

2008

‘A good text will have moments of great emotional power.’

(a) With reference to a key moment in one of your texts show how this emotional power was created. [30]

(b) Take key moments from the other two texts from your comparative course and compare the way in which the emotional power of these scenes was created. [40]

or

‘The creation of memorable characters is part of the art of good story-telling.’ Write an essay comparing the ways in which memorable characters were created and contributed to your enjoyment of the stories in the texts you have studied for your comparative course. It will be sufficient to refer to the creation of one character from each of your chosen texts. [70]

 

2005

Write a talk to be given to Leaving Certificate students in which you explain the term Literary Genre and show them how to compare the telling of stories in at least two texts from the comparative course. [70]

or

‘Powerful images and incidents are features of all good story-telling.’

(a) Show how this statement applies to one of the texts on your comparative course. [30]

(b) Compare the way in which powerful images and incidents are features of the story-telling in two other texts on your comparative course. Support the comparisons you make by reference to the texts. [40]

 

2004

‘Literary Genre is the way in which a story is told.’ Choose at lease two of the texts you have studied as part of your comparative course and, in the light of your understanding of the term Literary Genre, write a comparative essay about the ways in which their stories are told. Support the comparisons you make by reference to the texts. [70]

or

‘Texts tell their stories differently.’

(a) Compare two of the texts you have studied in your comparative coure in the light of the above statement. [40]

(b) Write a short comparative commentary on a third text from your comparative study in the light of your answer to question (a) above. [30]

 

2001

Write an essay on one or more of the aspects of Literary Genre (the way texts tell their stories) which you found most interesting in the texts you studied in your comparative course. Your essay should make clear comparisons between the texts you choose to write about. [70]

or

‘No two texts are exactly the same in the manner they tell their stories.’

(a) Compare two of the texts you have studied in your comparative course in the light of the above statement. Support the comparisons you make by reference to the texts. [40]

(b) Write a short comparative commentary on a third text from your comparative study in the light of your discussion in part (a) above. [30]

Senior Cycle

Alec and Jerry’s friendship

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The beginning:

  • Friendship is a new and exciting experience for the lonely Alec – ‘looking back it all seems so idyllic’.
  • Up until the point he meets Jerry, Alec’s life is lonely, isolated and restricted.
  • Jerry and Alec bond by swimming together, horse-riding and through Queen Maeve.

Obstacles:

  • The social class barrier proves to be an obstacle in the way of their friendship. Alec’s mother disapproves of the friendship and she takes him to Europe for four months in an attempt to make him forget about Jerry. However this does not have its desired effect.
  • The war: Major Glendinning is also opposed to their friendship on the basis of social class. (p. 131)
  • Bennett, Alec’s friend, is curious about the origins of their friendship. He asks ‘How so?’ when he hears of their friendship. This shows that it was quite unusual for different classes to mix.

Acts of friendship:

  • Jerry shows his concern for Alec when he rubs his sore feet. He helps him take his boots off and massages his feet. This is an intimate act which shows their closeness and trust for each other. (p.122)
  • Alec asks the Major if Jerry can leave the army temporarily in order to search for his missing father. The major has already shown a dislike for Alec and has warned him about being in any way connected to Jerry. Therefore this act is brave of Alec and shows how much he wants to help his friend.
  • When Jerry returns after the search for his father, he knows he is in trouble because he left without permission. Immediately he goes to Alec for help. He listens to Alec’s advice. He decides to trust Alec and stay to face his punishment. Alec says he will speak for Jerry; he will try to persuade the Major not to punish Jerry too harshly. (p. 143)
  • The final point that shows their true friendship is Alec’s act to end Jerry’s life. Alec doesn’t want his friend to die a humiliating and harrowing death in front of a firing squad. By killing Jerry himself he prevents this. He doesn’t think of himself or the conseqences; he simply thinks of is friend. Perhaps he thinks his life is meaningless without Jerry anyway? (p.154-155)

Many thanks to Miss Ryan for her help with these notes!

Senior Cycle

Relationship between Alec and Alicia in ‘How Many Miles to Babylon?’

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Alec finds his mother to be very cold and unemotional. He tells us that he always felt alone, even with his parents: ‘even with them, I was alone’ (p.6).

What evidence is there to show they did not have a good relationship?

  • At the very beginning of the novel Alec writes that he loves ‘no living person’. He will not write to his parents to inform them of the situation: ‘Time enough for others to do that when it is all over.’  He feels sympathy for how his father will react to the knowlege but he says that his ‘heart doesn’t bleed for her’.
  • P. 23-25: His mother forbids him from seeing Jerry.
  • P. 25: Alicia takes Alec away to Europe for four months in an attempt to make him forget Jerry. Alec does not want to go but she makes him. She is not thinking about what her son wants or needs. Instead she is thinking of herself.
  • P. 39-40: Alicia wants him to go to war. WHY? She wants to separate him from Frederick, with whom he has grown closer. She is jealous of this relationship. She wants to be able to tell people that she has an officer son in the war. She can no longer live as a family unit. Each reason shows what a selfish character Alicia is.
  • P. 46-47: She tells Alec that Frederick is not his real father. This is malicious and cruel.
  • P. 64: Alec is repelled even by the touch of his mother and he strongly tells us that he ‘hated her’.
  • P. 109: While at war, he writes a letter to his mother describing the table he is sitting at. This shows that he has no concern for her and that he has nothing of importance to tell her.
Senior Cycle

‘How Many Miles to Babylon?’

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When you are making your notes on ‘How Many Miles’ here are some pages in the text for you to consult. Remember to include quotations from the text in the notes you make.

When writing about Alec’s relationship with his parents:

p. 3 – 8 (these pages deal with his isolation)

p. 23 – 30 (the fact that the relationship is so distant)

p. 39 – 40 (controlled)

p. 46 – 47

p. 66 – 70

When writing about the friendship between Alec and Jerry:

p. 10 – 13

p.  16 – 18 (hope, fun)

p. 51 – 52 (excitement)

p. 87 – 90 (companionship)

When writing about social class:

p. 17

When writing about the war:

p. 74

p. 81 – 84

p. 91 – 92

Senior Cycle

General Vision and Viewpoint

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Here are some questions to ask yourself while revising General Vision and Viewpoint. Make notes on each of our three texts as you are looking at each question.

 

Is the text optimistic or pessimistic?

Is the text compassionate or dispassionate?

Does the text support or condemn certain actions / values / characters? What is its moral stance?

Is the text timebound or does it have relevance today?

What is your attitude to the characters and the dilemmas they face?

What vision of family life is embodied in the text?

What is the nature of the key relationships in the text?

How would you describe the treatment of women in the text?

What is the religious vision of the text? (Christian? Religious vision absent?)

Is its vision of life tragic or hopeful?

What is the vision of human nature in the text?

Is the author’s presentation of society positive or negative?

Is the author’s presentation of society accurate?

What serious or philosphical questions about life and morality are examined by the author?

What life experiences does the protagonist endure which help or hinder his development as a person?

What is your personal response to the general vision and viewpoint of the text?

Remember to incorporate quality linking sentences into your notes. Practice makes perfect!!

 

Senior Cycle

Literary Genre

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One of the Modes of Comparison for 2012 is Literary Genre. Be sure you have a clear understanding of what this mode entails. Here are some aspects of Literary Genre to bear in mind as you are revising.

 

Why choose one genre over another?

Why did the author choose to publish in one particular genre over another? Why is ‘How Many Miles to Babylon?’ a novel? Would it make any difference if it was a play or poem? Why is ‘Inside I’m Dancing’ a film? What limitations and restrictions does this genre place on the text? What freedom does this genre allow? Why did Shakespeare choose to write the story of ‘Hamlet’ as a play? What is particularly dramatic about this story? What conventions do we associate with a novel / film / play? In what ways are they similar and in what ways are they different? What are the expectations of the audience / reader when they encounter this text? Are those expectations fulfilled or is the genre subverted?

 

Narration

Focus on viewpoints, i.e. omniscient, 1st person, 3rd person, how camera shots act as the narrator, the role of the audience, the soundtrack.

 

Chronology

Linear? Flashback? Time span?

 

Language

Use of dialogue to add immediacy. Use of dialect to add colour and realism. Descriptive language. Close-up shots. Stage directions to create character and place. Use of imagery and symbolism.

 

Titles of the texts

Do the titles bear any particular significance or symbolism?

 

Humour

Key moments. What type of humour is used? What function does humour have in the text?

 

Character creation

Any pivotal characters? What techniques make you identify with the character?

 

Tension and suspense

How are tension and suspense created and to what effect? Music? Lighting? Atmosphere?

 

Non-verbal communication

E.g. dance, music, tableau.

 

Conclusion of the story

Are all loose ends tied up or is the ending abmiguous?

 

Make notes about our three texts under these headings. Practice using your linking sentences in these notes. Make your links substantial – using ‘in contrast’ and ‘similarly’ only is not sufficient. If you have any questions or comments on Literary Genre then comment on this post and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Senior Cycle

Linking sentences

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Words and constructions that could be used in comparative writing:

 

When making connections between similar aspects of texts:

  • I noticed in both X and Y that . . .
  • This situation in X is very like the part in Y where . . .
  • Joe in X reminds me of Mary in Y where he says . . .
  • Joe in X reminds me of Mary in Y because they both . . .
  • This way of thinking / behaving is typical of both X and Y.
  • When we turn to Y again we see / find . . .

 

 

When recognising differences between texts:

  • However, in Y . . .
  • . . . unlike what happens in X
  • What a contrast to X where . . .
  • X differs from Y in that . . .
  • X shows us . . . whereas Y . . .

 

When showing that similarities / differences need to be qualified:

  • This situation also crops up in Y, but things work out very differently . . .
  • Although X and Y deal with a similar theme, X treats it tragically while Y plays up the comedy.
  • X and Y deal with similar problems, but X’s world is very different from Y’s.
  • In both texts, you see into the hero’s mind; in X this is done through first person narrative, whereas in Y . . .
  • X and Y both deal with . . . but they offer strongly contrasting points of view.

 

These are pointers and suggestions only, but they should lead to useful comparisons within the modes, especially the final set.

 

Senior Cycle

2011 LCHL Question on Theme or Issue

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‘A reader’s view of a theme or issue can be either changed or reinforced through interaction with texts.’

Compare the extent to which your understanding of a theme or issue was changed or reinforced through your interaction with at least two texts on your comparative course. [70]

 

Marking Scheme

Areas from which comparisons might be drawn:

  • Theme/issue defined differently/similarly broadens understanding
  • The role of events/narrative voice in challenging preconceived/stereotypical ideas
  • Impact of authors’ varied approaches – serious, humorous, tragic etc.
  • Characterisation, language and imagery convey complexity of a theme
  • Visual and aural effects enhance/change/reinforce our understanding
  • Key moments offer revealing insights into a theme or issue

 

Paragraph 1

State the titles, authors and genres of the three texts. Remember the basics of capital letters and inverted commas.

 

Paragraph 2

Engage with the question. What do you understand by the question asked? Do you agree/disagree with the question? Has your view of friendship been changed or reinforced? I suggest that you state that your views on friendship have been reinforced through your interaction with these three texts. So what are your views on friendship?

  • True friendship is based on trust
  • True friendship creates mutual happiness
  • True friendship has its foundation in shared experiences
  • True friendship can withstand testing times

 

Paragraph 3

True friendship is based on trust

Text 1, Key Moment, Link, Text 2, Key Moment, Link, Text 3, Key Moment, General Observation and Personal Response (referring back to the question).

 

Paragraph 4

True friendship creates mutual happiness

Text 1, Key Moment, Link, Text 2, Key Moment, Link, Text 3, Key Moment, General Observation and Personal Response (referring back to the question).

 

Paragraph 5

True friendship has its foundation in shared experiences

Text 1, Key Moment, Link, Text 2, Key Moment, Link, Text 3, Key Moment, General Observation and Personal Response (referring back to the question).

 

Paragraph 6

True friendship can withstand testing times

Text 1, Key Moment, Link, Text 2, Key Moment, Link, Text 3, Key Moment, General Observation and Personal Response (referring back to the question).

 

Paragraph 7

Conclusions

 

NB

Your links are vital. To simply throw in ‘similarly’ or ‘in contrast to’ is not enough.