This course prepares candidates for the AQA English Literature A Level syllabus
(2745), for examinations in
June 2012 and later years.
The English Literature A Level is
covered in 4 units:
Unit 1 - Aspects of Narrative
Introduction
The aim of this unit is to introduce you to the central position
of narrative in the ways in which literary texts work. The term
narrative is taken in a broad sense here, involving many different
aspects of literary representation, with particular focus on how
narratives are constructed by authors, and the different ways in
which they can be responded to by readers.
Content
Four texts must be studied, two for Section A and two for
Section B. In Section A at least one text written post 1990 must be
studied. ICS has chosen to study the following texts:
Section A - Prose
- Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time
- F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
Section B - Poetry 1800 - 1945
- Robert Browning
- The Patriot
- My Last Duchess
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin
- Porphyria's Lover
- Fra Lippo Lippi
- The Bishop Orders his Tomb
- John Keats
- Lamia
- The Eve of St Agnes
- La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Unit 2 - Dramatic Genres
Introduction
The aim of this unit is to introduce you to aspects of genre. As
used here, the term refers both to a type of text described by its
form, in this case drama, and a further sub-categorisation by
content and method. For the first three years of this specification
the dramatic genre to be studied will be tragedy. This unit also
addresses the compulsory requirement of the study of at least one
Shakespeare play.
Content
You must study at least two plays within the dramatic genre of
tragedy. At least one of the plays must be by Shakespeare. ICS has
chosen to study the following plays:
- William Shakespeare's King Lear
- Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire
Unit 3 - Texts and Genres
Introduction
The aim of this unit is to develop ideas on the significance of
genre which have been established during the AS course. Individual
texts will be explored and evaluated against some of the commonly
accepted principles of the chosen genre, and three texts (or more)
will be compared as representatives of that genre.
Content
You will study a minimum of three texts. At least one of these
texts must be taken from the groups labelled 1300-1800. ICS has
chosen to study the following texts:
Elements of the Gothic
1300-1800
- William Shakespeare's Macbeth
Post 1800
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
- Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights
Unit 4 - Further and Independent Reading
Introduction
There are a number of aims to this unit. The first is to
introduce you to the study of a wide range of texts, some of which
may be of your own choosing. The second is to introduce you to
different ways of reading texts for study, including independently.
The third is to introduce you to some critical ideas, and for these
ideas to be applied with discrimination to literary text.
Content
You must study at least three texts. In the definition of text
here, one of the three will be a pre-released anthology of critical
writing applied to a piece of literature.
The pack of critical material is designed for specific use with
coursework Unit 4, but will have wider application across the whole
of A2 study of English Literature. It will therefore contribute
significantly to the specification's commitment to progression from
AS. It is designed to help you to make connections across texts,
and to see that the study of Literature is underpinned by certain
methods and ideas.
The purpose of the pre-released pack of critical material is to
introduce you to some different ways in which the study of
Literature can be approached. Once you have studied the material
you will then apply some of it to a text or texts of your choice.
ICS has chosen to study the following texts:
- Jane Austen's Emma
- Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
- Alan Bennett's Talking Heads