IGCSEEnglish LanguageEdexcelEnglish Language APaper 2: Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative WritingRevision NotesPaper 2: FictionPaper 2: Section A ReadingQuestion 1 Skills: Analysing Prose

Question 1 Skills: Analysing Prose (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A): Revision Note

Exam code: 4EA1

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

Updated on

Question 1 Skills: Analysing Prose

Question 1 will be based on one of the fiction texts in your Edexcel anthology. The anthology consists of ten texts, of which the following are prose:

  • The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

  • The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

  • Significant Cigarettes (from The Road Home) by Rose Tremain

  • Whistle and I’ll Come to You (from The Woman in Black) by Susan Hill

  • Night by Alice Munro

It’s important to prepare for this question in the exam by studying the ten texts in advance. The following guide is designed to help you in your study of prose. It includes:

  • Overview

  • Perspective

  • Characterisation

  • Structure

Overview

Analysing a piece of prose involves not just looking at the language the writer has used. You might also wish to consider:

Form

Explanation

Plot structure

A plot can be linear:

  • This is when the events in the story unfold in chronological and sequential order

Or it can be cyclical:

  • This means there could be a recurrent theme or motif

  • Or it could mean that the plot “circles back” to the beginning

Mood

Mood describes the feelings or attitudes of the story or characters:

  • When setting a mood a writer is looking to make an emotional impact

Juxtaposition

To place two things side by side to compare or contrast for effect:

  • This might include the use of foil characters

A foil is a character who contrasts with another character:

  • For example, Harry Potter and Voldemort are foils of one another

Foreshadowing

  • This is a warning or a prediction of a future event in the story

  • The writer might also employ dramatic irony, where the reader might be aware of what is coming, but the characters are not

In medias res

This is when the story starts in the middle of the action

Flashbacks

A scene set in a time earlier than the main story:

  • This device can be used to convey extra information about plot or character

Soliloquies/dialogue

A soliloquy is a speech which a character makes to themselves:

  • It is a device in which a character’s inner thoughts can be made known to the reader

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a novel or play

What to do when analysing the author’s methods

  • Take a whole-text approach:

    • In this question, this could involve commenting on structure: “at the start”/“this changes when”/“in contrast…“

  • Always frame your essay with the author in mind:

    • As the examiners say: “writers use methods, including language and structure, to form and express their ideas — the choices the writer makes are conscious and deliberate”

    • Therefore, write that the author “highlights X”, “suggests Y”, “challenges Z”

    • Use the words “so” and “because” to push you to explain your own ideas further

  • Zoom out to big ideas in your analysis:

    • Go from analysing language, or other writer’s choices, to the author’s overall intention or message

    • This should always link to the focus of the question

What not to do when analysing the author’s methods

  • Do not just “spot techniques”:

    • Examiners dislike it when students use overly sophisticated terminology unnecessarily and without analysis

    • Knowing the names of sophisticated techniques will not gain you any more marks, especially if these techniques are only “spotted” and the author’s intentions for this language are not explained

    • Instead of technique spotting, focus your analysis on the reasons why the author is presenting the character or theme the way they are

  • Do not just limit your analysis to a close reading of the author’s use of language:

    • You gain marks for explaining all of the author’s choices, not just their language

    • Instead, take a whole-text approach and think about the author’s decisions about:

      • Form

      • Structure

      • Characterisation

      • Setting

  • Never retell the story:

    • “Narrative” and “descriptive” answers get the lowest marks

    • Move from what the author is presenting to how and why they have made the choices they have

Perspective

The narrative perspective of a piece of prose is the point of view from which the story is told. It is like a lens through which we view characters and events; we interpret those characters and events based on what the speaker shows and tells us.

There are two main types of narrative perspective:

First-person narrator

  • This means the story is told from the perspective of a character, most likely the protagonist

  • It is easily identifiable by the use of the word “I”

  • In a first-person narrative, the reader only has access to the experiences and thoughts of the narrator, and we see and experience events through their eyes

  • This can lead to the reader feeling sympathy for the character, or exposing the character as an unreliable narrator

  • Sometimes, the reader may know something the narrator does not seem to — this is called dramatic irony

Third-person narrator

  • This means the story is told from a perspective that sits outside of the world of the story

  • The narrator refers to all of the characters by their names or pronouns

  • A third-person narrator is sometimes referred to as an omniscient narrator, which means that the narrator knows everything about the characters and events

When considering the narrative perspective, ask yourself if the perspective shifts, or how the perspective affects your understanding of the story.

Characterisation

It is important to remember that characters are constructs, not real people. You should therefore consider what each character’s function is in the text, how they are presented, how they develop and how they interact with each other. Some characters may also be “foil” characters — this means any two characters who are opposites of each other. For example, Harry Potter and Voldemort are foils of each other: they embody the idea of good versus evil. Foil characters therefore help establish important themes.

There are two main types of characterisation:

Direct characterisation

  • This means what we are told by the author about a character’s appearance and personality

  • It might also involve the writer explicitly showing what characters think of one another:

    • For example, a character might directly describe another character’s traits

Indirect characterisation

  • This involves implying what a character is like

  • This could involve what a character says, how they say it or how they interact with other characters

  • It might also involve their inner thoughts and feelings, and more subtle indications of character, such as how they move and behave

Often, characters are symbolic of broader ideas or attitudes. It is therefore important to consider how a character changes as a result of the events in a novel.

Structure

When considering structure, you should think about:

  • The way the writer has put the different parts of the story together

  • How they set up the world of the story

  • How they introduce characters

  • What conflicts there are and how they are resolved

  • The role of individual chapters or paragraphs in the story arc

  • How things change by the end of the story

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    Deb Orrock

    Author: Deb Orrock

    Expertise: English Content Creator

    Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

    Kate Lee

    Reviewer: Kate Lee

    Expertise: English Content Creator

    Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.