Writing Literature Essays

During the two year IGCSE course you will be expected to write about the texts you study in a variety of ways. You may be asked to write a diary or monologue in role as on of the characters, rewrite the story for a different audience, write a newspaper article about the story etc. But the most common way of responding to literature is through an essay which are are asked to 'discuss...','compare...','give a personal response...' Etc. Essays like this are called literary criticism, and you need to be able to analyse the text and describe your response. There are certain basic techniques for writing in this way.

Techniques of Literary Criticism
1. Answer the question
2. Write in an appropriate style
3. Support your answer with evidence

1. Answer the question

Imagine you were asked one of these typical IGCSE questions:
• Comment on the role of X in helping the audience understand the play.
• Compare and contrast the characters X and Y.

In order to answer the question successfully you need to be absolutely clear about what you are being asked to do. The question will definitely not ask you to retell the storyline. This is the biggest mistake students make - retelling the storyline rather than answering the question.

Start by underlining or writing out key words from the questions, and then make notes. In your notes you should be writing down the key points you will make in your essay. Choose your own preferred style of making notes but some useful suggestions are spider-diagrams or lists.

2. Write in an appropriate style
• Literary criticism requires a fairly formal style. That means that you should:
• Use standard English
• Avoid contractions (e.g. isn't, aren't)
• Use precise vocabulary and avoid using slang ie use 'the children' rather than 'the kids'
• Write in substantial paragraphs, usually two, three or four to a side of A4.
• Use an introduction if you need to define the title, or explain your approach to the questions. Otherwise, dive straight into your first point.
• Try to use an impersonal style e.g. 'one fo the main themes in the play 'All My Sons' is the extent to which an individual is responsible to other members of society.'
• Use cohesive devises to add variety and clarity to your writing: however, although, therefore, then, at first, later...and so on.
• Show that you are answering the question by echoing its phrasing at the start of a new paragraph.
• Avoid sounding like you are having a chat with your best friend.

3. Support your opinions with evidence
One of the most important techniques when writing literature essays is to use quotations to support your ideas.
There are two ways of using quotations:

1. Place long quotations (more than one sentence) in a separate paragraph e.g.
Like all tragic heroes Keller makes a mistake which results in his downfall and eventual death. He is guilty of placing his family above the wider family of society and expects everyone else to do the same.

'There's nothing he could do that I wouldn't forgive. Because he's my son...I'm his father and he's my son, and if there is something bigger than that I'll put a bullet in my head.' (-Arthur Miller, All My Sons)

2. Embed short quotations into your own sentences. E.g. Joe Keller is a man in his sixties who believes that 'there is nothing bigger than family.'(-Arthur Miller, All My Sons)

Finally there is no substitute for detailed knowledge and understanding of the text. Students who demonstrate they are extremely familiar with the characters, action and background of a text generally score high grades in their exams and on their class assignments. Take time to reread each book, play or poem studied.

Adam runs two websites free revision notes and revision notes links.