Analysing Prose Non-Fiction Texts (DP IB English A: Literature: HL): Revision Note

Analysing Prose Non-Fiction Texts  

Paper 1 asks you to analyse unseen literary texts. A literary text broadly means a text that belongs to a literary form such as poetry, prose fiction, prose non-fiction or drama. While you cannot predict what type of text will come up in the exam, it is a good idea to practise analysing common literary forms so that you are familiar with typical features and conventions of a variety of texts. One type of text you may be asked to analyse is prose non-fiction.

Here we will cover these aspects of analysing prose non-fiction:

• Overview of prose non-fiction

• Prose non-fiction: form and genre

• Non-fiction prose techniques

• How to annotate a prose non-fiction extract

• Prose non-fiction: Paper 1 model answer

Overview of prose non-fiction

Prose non-fiction is writing that is based on real events, people, or ideas, rather than invented narratives. It is often written to inform, persuade, reflect, or argue a point of view. Unlike fiction, prose non-fiction is grounded in reality, but it still uses language and structure creatively to shape meaning.

In order to convincingly analyse a prose non-fiction text, you need to assess what the writer is trying to convey and how language, tone and structure are used to influence the reader.

Purpose

The purpose of a prose non-fiction text is the reason it was written and what it seeks to convey. To effectively identify purpose, ask yourself:

• What is the writer trying to explain or argue?

• What viewpoint is being presented?

• How is the reader being positioned?

• What message or insight is being conveyed?

While non-fiction often aims to inform or persuade, other purposes include:

• Sharing personal experience or reflection

• Critiquing society or institutions

• Arguing a political or moral position

• Reporting events or observations

• Exploring ideas or cultural issues

• Persuading the reader to adopt a viewpoint

Prose non-fiction: form and genre

Prose non-fiction is a broad category that includes many different forms and styles. Form refers to the overall type of text, while genre refers to its conventions and typical features.

Some common forms of prose non-fiction include:

Non-fiction prose techniques

Criterion B in Paper 1 assesses your ability to analyse how a text creates meaning. In prose non-fiction texts, writers use a range of techniques to shape the reader’s response and convey ideas effectively.

How to annotate a prose non-fiction extract

Before you write an answer to any Paper 1 question, it is important that you select the best evidence from your source text. A great way to do this is to identify the focus of the guiding question and then annotate your text with this focus in mind.

Here is an example of how you might annotate a prose non-fiction extract in the exam:

Remember that non-fiction is designed to communicate ideas clearly and effectively, so always consider the writer’s intention.

Prose Non-Fiction: Paper 1 model answer

Below is a top-mark answer for a Paper 1 question on a prose non-fiction extract. The commentary shows how it meets the assessment criteria.

Task: Write a guided analysis of the following text. 

This is an extract from Prospero’s Cell, a non-fiction work by Lawrence Durrell. 

Model answer

At the beginning of the extract, Durrell creates a strong sense of isolation. The house is placed “in the extreme north of the island” and “ten sea-miles from the town” which shows how far away it is from civilisation. This immediately creates a feeling of seclusion. The simile “a white house set like a dice on a rock” suggests the house is small and almost randomly placed in a huge landscape, which makes it seem fragile. The contrast between the “white house” and the “scars of wind and water” shows how nature has shaped and worn down the land over time. The word “venerable” also gives the landscape a sense of importance.

Durrell also builds atmosphere through the way the speaker describes the surroundings. The phrase “the cypresses and olives overhang this room” suggests that nature is almost closing in on the house. The verb “overhang” makes it feel like the natural world is surrounding the narrator. This creates a calm but slightly overwhelming mood. The description of the “bare promontory” helps the reader picture the rough, untouched landscape and conveys how natural and wild the setting is. In contrast, the arrival of the books by sea brings noise and disruption. The list “confusion, adjectives, smoke” feels chaotic and broken up. Further, the “deafening pumping of the wheezy Diesel engine” uses sound to show the harshness of the machinery. The word “wheezy” suggests something weak and old, which contrasts with the strength of the natural world. The caique that “staggered off” is described as if it is struggling and the comparison of the crew to “a litter of cats” makes them seem small and unimportant. 

The extract then moves to a wider view of the island. The instruction “Climb to Vigla” directly involves the reader and creates a sense of looking out over the landscape. The island being shaped “in the form of a sickle” is a strong image because it is clear and suggests both beauty and danger. Durrell also uses contrast when he describes “a great bay, noble and serene” alongside the “troubled blue of the Ionian”. This shows that the sea can be both calm and violent, helping to create an unpredictable atmosphere. This is made stronger by the colour imagery in “a milky ferocious green when the north wind curdles it”. The contrast between “milky” and “ferocious” shows that nature can be both gentle and aggressive at the same time. The verb “curdles” also personifies the wind, making it seem powerful and active, as if it is controlling the sea, which helps to show how nature is always changing.

Examiner commentary

• Maintains a clear focus on how descriptive language creates atmosphere throughout the extract

• Selects relevant quotations from across the passage to support interpretations

• Analyses a range of language features, including simile, personification, imagery, sound effects and contrast

• Explores how descriptions of the landscape create feelings of isolation, beauty and awe