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English Literature

Welcome to English Literature 

Contact email:- g.meek@denemagna.gloucs.sch.uk

A Level English Literature is a challenging and hugely rewarding course that requires lots of independent reading, note taking, analysis and research. These summer tasks are designed to be challenging and to expose you to some of the content and skills you will need for not only Year 12 but Year 13 too.

Task 1: Prepare yourself by reading ahead
The key summer task is to purchase your own copies of two of the main texts for study and to read them. This is to ensure you are able to annotate them independently. Please purchase and read the following two books - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (ISBN 978-1784873189) and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (ISBN 978-0141439471).

After reading each novel, write a 200- word review of each, to express your opinion on what you liked and disliked about the characters, themes and narrative.

Task 2
In order to broaden your understanding of the texts you will need to conduct research into the contextual background of these two texts.

Please research these specific areas and make appropriate notes on the following categories:

Part 1: Romanticism and The Gothic

  1. What were the precursors to Gothic Literature?
  2. What were the main themes and setting of Gothic Literature?
  3. The life of Mary Shelley
  4. The trip to Geneva by Lord Byron and John Polidori
  5. The Prometheus Myth

Part 2: Dystopian Literature

  1. What are the definitions of Dystopian Fiction and Speculative Fiction?
  2. What are the main themes, ideas, settings and characters of Dystopian Fiction?
  3. The life of Margaret Atwood
  4. The themes of The Handmaid’s Tale
  5. The meaning of Feminist Literature

Please use the websites stated at the back of the booklet to help you with this task.

Additional resources
You might find the following links useful:

  • https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/English%20Literature/201
  • 5/teaching-and-learning-materials/Part_1_Exploring_poetry_v_final.pdf
  • A student book on exploring poetry with many activities to complete
  • https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/English%20Literature/201
  • 5/teaching-and-learning-materials/Literary_terminology_guide.pdf
  • A guide to literary terminology

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