Student Name: ______________________________________________________

Tutor Group: _____________________

Class: _____________________

Teacher: ______________________________________________________

A LEVEL

English Literature
EXAM BOARD: OCR
Contents

1. Gothic Unseen (Teacher A)

2. Pre 1900 Drama and Poetry (Teacher B)
3. The Bloody Chamber (Teacher A)
4. The Tempest (Teacher B)

Welcome Page

A Level English Literature is a two year linear course which is comprised of two papers and a Non-Exam Assessment
(NEA) folder. Paper 1 will assess your skills and understanding in relation to Shakespeare and pre 1900 drama and
poetry and paper 2 will assess your skills and understanding of a specific genre of literature. Your NEA folder will be
comprised of a comparative contextual study and a close reading of a post 1900 drama piece.

It is rare that a piece of literature, and the issues that arise within in, can be separated from the society that it has
emerged from, which is why contextual understanding and application is such a driving skill in English Literature
studies. With this in mind, the structure of the GCE course allows you to explore a range of English Literature from
17th century Shakespeare through to controversial modern writers such as Palahniuk’s postmodern ‘Fight Club’ and
Angela Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’, encouraging you to critically evaluate the extent to which society has or has
not changed in relation to the values that have underpinned society for generations. By the end of the course, you
will learn how to structure a short thesis, analyse and compare critically, using a range of critical interpretations and
theorists to support and challenge a range of ides.
English Literature is a very popular A-Level choice, which is highly respected by all universities because it gives you
the knowledge and skills necessary for higher education and which are also useful in any career. Although there’s no
one industry which takes precedence, English degree graduates are often found where strong communication and
written English skills are top priorities; for example, within the worlds of education, politics, media and publishing.

Exams and Coursework

 Component 1: Shakespeare and Drama and Poetry pre-1900 (40%)

 Component 2: Close reading and Comparative and Contextual Study (40%)
 Component 3: NEA 3000 words coursework portfolio (20%)

When

 Summer 2020

Knowledge, Skills, Understanding

 AO1 - Articulate informed, personal and original responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and
terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression
 AO2 - Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts
 AO3 - Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are
written and received
 AO4 - Explore connections across literary texts
 AO5 - Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations

Department overview:

CTL: Miss Hyams

A Level Co-ordinator: Mrs Welsh
Expected trips and visits: Guest lecturers; University taster days; Theatre trips
Compulsory texts: Selected poems by Christina Rossetti; A Dolls’s House by Henrik Ibsen; The Bloody Chamber by
Angela Carter; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk; Selected Poems by T. S.
Eliot; The History Boys by Alan Bennett
 Gothic Unseen
Week
Extended writing Homework

Gothic World
Week 1 Analyse the gothic features of an Read Gothic Motifs article
What are the origins and the aims of
extract Complete written task
Gothic fiction?

Theoretical Viewpoints
Read and annotate extracts from
Week 2 How and why does Gothic require
Dracula
us to suspend our disbelief?

Dracula and the Taboo To what extent does the Gothic

How does Gothic ‘get away with’ genre allow writers to explore illicit
Week 3 Extended essay
exploring taboo or perverse and taboo subjects
subjects?

The Gothic and Psychoanalysis

Week 4 How does the Gothic tap into Read Fall of the House of Usher
trauma and terror?

The Fall of the House of Usher

Read exemplar material and
Week 5 How can apply the ideas and Re-draft previous essay
response to marking
theories I have learned?

Gothic Conventions
Week 6 How does Gothic feature within Complete Gothic collage
other cultural settings?

Gothic contexts
Complete presentations and
Week 7 How do Gothic texts reflect their
timeline
social, historical, political contexts?

Unseen Extracts
Extended writing
Week 8 What are the requirements of this Complete extract analysis
Read The Yellow Wallpaper
element of the examination?
 Week 9 Terror versus Horror How does Perkins use symbolism to
Add to Gothic timeline
What different schools of Gothic comment on the role of the 19th
Complete extract analysis
exist? century woman?

Modern Gothic
Week 10
How does a 20th/ 21st Century Read a range of extracts
setting impact Gothic texts?

Week 11 Collate notes

Assessment Gothic Unseen Assessment
Read The Bloody Chamber

List of suggested wider reading:

Fiction Tennyson, A. The Lady of Shallot

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre Waters, Sarah. Affinity
Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights
Dickinson, Emily. Poetry Non- Fiction
DuMaurier, Daphne. Rebecca Botting, Fred. Gothic
Grimm’s Fairy tales- any collection Butler, Judith. Bodies That Matter/ Gender Trouble
Mitchell, David. Slade House Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex
Poe Edgar Allen. Tell-Tale Heart Greer, Germaine. The Female Eunuch
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein Freud, Sigmund. On Dreams
Stoker, Bram. Dracula Foucault, Michel. A History of Sexuality
 Gothic Comparison - The Bloody Chamber
Week
Extended writing Homework

Feminism and the Female Gothic Read the title story of the
Week 1
How do we apply feminist collection
approaches?

The Bloody Chamber How is the narrator presented

Week 2 How and why does Carter subvert within the text? Extended writing
Bluebeard?

Theoretical Readings
How does Carter provoke with her Read- Kingdom of the Un-
Week 3
texts and how does this link to a imaginable
Gothic agenda?

‘In Carter’s world, all men are

Erl-King monsters: predatory patriarchs
Complete critical readings theory
Week 4 How can we apply a range of who seek out the vulnerable.’ booklet
theories to the Erl King?

Context
Read and annotate extracts from
How does Carter’s biography impact
Week 5 Edmund Gordon- ‘The Invention of
our understanding of her and her
Angela Carter’
writing?

The Werewolf
Week 6 How does witchcraft act as a Read Wolf- Alice
metaphor within the text?

Wolf Alice
How does Carter engage with Extended essay- read Lady of the
Week 7 What impact does society have of
traditional notions of the mother? House of Love
psycho-social development?

Lady of the House of Love Read The Tiger’s Bride and

Week 8 What is inherently monstrous about Courtship of Mr Lyon
the female figure? Research the Belle et le Bete
 The Tiger’s Bride and Courtship of
Monsters allows cultures to identify
Week 9 Mr Lyon
‘norms and deviants’ and creates
Why does the Beauty and the Beast Extended Essay
fear of difference- how far do you
narrative remain so popular and
think this is case in the collection?
relevant?

The Company of Wolves

Week 10 To what extent is Red Riding Hood Plan essay using critical
an autonomous subject in ‘The perspectives sheet
Company of Wolves’?

Puss in Boots
Week 11 Complete Critical quotations
How does this story operate within
booklet
the collection?

Whole Text Revision

How and why does Carter use
Week 12
recurring themes and symbols in her Assessment
collection?

List of suggested wider reading:

Fiction Tennyson, A. The Lady of Shallot

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre Waters, Sarah. Affinity
Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights
Dickinson, Emily. Poetry Non- Fiction
DuMaurier, Daphne. Rebecca Botting, Fred. Gothic
Grimm’s Fairy tales- any collection Butler, Judith. Bodies That Matter/ Gender Trouble
Mitchell, David. Slade House Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex
Poe Edgar Allen. Tell-Tale Heart Greer, Germaine. The Female Eunuch
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein Freud, Sigmund. On Dreams
Stoker, Bram. Dracula Foucault, Michel. A History of Sexuality

Links:
https://padlet.com/MrDowling/ocr-the-bloody- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
chamber-gemtwnbwds94 The_Bloody_Chamber#Style_and_themes
https://padlet.com/MrDowling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bloody_Chamber

The Tempest
Week
(SOW ref) Extended writing Homework
 Create a Tempest timeline for the
Week 1 Drama and The Plot sequence of events in the play
(05) Using drama to understand the key
events of the text Revise for internal exams –
complete practice essay

Week 2 Complete Act/Scene plot

Reading the Play Close reading first draft due
(01) summaries

Ibsen and Rossetti Revision

Week 3
Responding to essay feedback and Internal Exam Revision
(02)
acting upon targets accordingly

Gothic Revision
Week 4
Responding to essay feedback and Internal Examinations Internal Exam Revision
(03)
acting upon targets accordingly

Week 5 Answer plot questions on Google

Reading the Play Internal Examinations
(04) Classroom

Exploring Performances
Week 6 Building on understanding of ‘form’ Research and bring performance
Second draft due
(05) through the analysis of reviews to lesson (AO5)
performances of the text

Week 7 Internal exam feedback and

Redrafts
(06) exploring performances

Returning to the NEA

Week 8 Ironing out wrinkles and
Complete coursework final draft
(07) understanding how to write in a
Band 6 critical style

List of suggested wider reading sources/videos and websites:

Wider Reading:
Literature
Margaret Atwood, Hagseed *
Othello by William Shakespeare Critical Theory
Twelfth Night by William ShakespeareMeasure for ‘Of Mimicry and Man’, Homi K Bhaba
Measure by William Shakespeare ‘On Cannibals’, Michel de Montaigne
Edward Said, Orientalism
https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare

Pre 1900 Drama and Poetry

(Ibsen X Rossetti)
Assessments Homework
Week 1 Themes and course overview

Unit 1: Pre 1900 Drama and Poetry Essay: Explore Ibsen’s presentation
Understanding contextual factors of Nora and Torvald’s relationship
Week 2 at the start of the play
that influenced the works of Henrik
Ibsen 1000 words

Nora and Gender What expectations are established

Applying feminist theory to the in the opening stage directions?
Week 3
female characters and their
relationships in the play Act Two questions

Dramatic Theory
Essay: Apply a feminist reading to
Week 4 Applying dramatic theory to the play
the character of Nora (AO3,5,1)
to develop structural analysis

Marxism and Marriage Essay planning – apply a socialist

Understanding key principles of a reading to evaluate the
presentation of Nora and Helmer’s
Week 5 Marxist reading and using these
relationship
ideas to evaluate Nora and Helmer’
Folder redrafts
Read all Rossetti poems in
anthology and make preliminary
annotations in pencil
Week 6 Essay Skills Focus and Assessment Mini Assessment
Complete theory booklet applying
to Ibsen (leave space to come back
and add Rossetti)

Rossetti and Context

Week 7 Group research presentations on
Understanding gender expectations
(01) an aspect of Rossetti’s life
and the life and works of Rossetti

Torvald and Twice Research a stage review of a

performance of ADH
Comparing the character of Torvald
Week 8
(02) to Rossetti poems Essay: Love is a prison; love is a
paradise. Explore how these ideas
are presented in ‘Twice’ and ADH

Compare how fallen women are

Fallen Women
Week 9 presented in two or more of
Analysing Maude Clare, Shut Out
(03) Rossetti’s poems
and Soeur Louise

Week 10 Goblin Market Research Victorian attitudes

 towards death
To explore a multitude of
Read ‘The Consumable Female
interpretations surrounding
(04) Body in Christina Rossetti’s The
Rossetti’s longest poem in the
Goblin Market’
collection

Krogstad and Rossetti

Evaluating the function of Krogstad Essay plan – ‘The moral pariahs of
Week 11
in the play using critical ideas and literature are those we are led to
(05)
making comparisons with Rossetti’s sympathise with most’
poems

Secrets Essay: Woman should forever be

Drawing comparative links between punished for original sin. Explore
Week 12
Rossetti’s presentation of religion
(06) Rossetti’s poems driven by context
and sin in light of this statement.
and critical theory

Discuss ways in which Rossetti

explores grief in her poems ‘Song’
Remember and Dr Rank and ‘Remember’
Week 13
Exploring the theme of death across
(07) Read poems by Elizabeth Barrett
texts
Browning

Folder redrafts
Religion and Assessment
Read Dr Avery’s essay ‘CR:Religious
Preparation Poetry’ and add to your
Week 14 Analysing ‘A Birthday’ and notes/annotations on ‘A Birthday’
Assessment
(08) understanding what a Band 5 essay
looks like Complete critical theory booklet for
Rossetti

Jhansi and Echo Character profiles – create profiles

Week 15
Comparing the representation of making links between characters
(01)
female voice and poems

Thematic and Contextual Links Create venn diagram visually

Week 16
Revising links that can be made depicting the comparative links
(02)
between texts that can be made between texts

Applying Critical Theory

Week 17 Drawing links between texts
Folder redrafts
(03) through the application of critics
and theoretical approaches

Assessment Preparation
(04)
Final Assessment
Compare how Ibsen and Rossetti
present a theme in light of a critical
statement
 AO1/AO3/AO4/AO5

List of suggested wider reading sources/videos and websites:

Wider Reading:
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Poems by Emily Dickinson
Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Videos:
A Doll’s House (Dir. Patrick Garland, 1973) – available on Youtube
Suffragette (Dir. Sarah Gavron, 2015)

Websites:
Victorian Web
Victorian Britain – The British Library
Tate Britain – Pre-Raphaelites