How to plan an essay on the novel

How to plan an essay on the novel Step 1: Identify the subject of your essay (a character or a theme or an event) and decide what conclusion you are going to come to regarding Golding’s presentation of the subject and how this connects to the overall message of the novel.  

For example:   Write about the ways that Golding presents the island setting of Lord of the Flies. You might want to write about: what the island is like how the island is presented to the reader how the setting of the novel contributes to the novel’s message.

The key things I have to think about are:   How does Golding present the island? How does this contribute to the message of the novel?

Step 2: Identify a range of ‘moments’ or authorial devices – like symbols – throughout the novel which support your ideas about the presentation of the subject. Ideally you should think about how things change as the novel progresses.

Step 3: Identify significant aspects of language from these ‘moments’ which contribute to the ideas you already have about how the subject is presented.  

I want to say that the island is initially presented as a Paradise … I need to find a quotation to support that idea … I’ve already identified the boys walking along the beach as a key moment so that could be my starting point…   Now, go back and find some quotations to support your points in step 2.

STEP 4: Write! You need to get started quickly, especially in an exam or when writing controlled assessment coursework. Use your thinking about the presentation and message to inform your introduction and then reflect and evaluate in your conclusion. Look at the descriptors from the A* band in the mark scheme, and decide how you will achieve these in your writing.

Here are some general tips for success: Know where your essay is going from the beginning, and have a clear sense of your key analytical points.   Carefully consider WHY your author has constructed the novel as she/he has done, and write clearly about how the message of the novel connects with its construction.

Integrate short quotations from the text throughout your answer and analyse the language choices the writer makes.   Know and write about the novel as a whole. Consider what, in your view, is particularly effective in the novel and WHY. Use adverbs and adjectives to evaluate the writer’s technique, eg: ‘Golding skilfully creates almost unbearable tension during the terrifying “hunt” for Ralph, making his readers fear for the safety of the “boy with the fair hair” who we have seen progress from leader to quarry throughout the novel.’