Paper 2 Sample Essays

“Not rounding off, but opening out “Not rounding off, but opening out.” Comment upon the way the writers of the novel and short story deal with the ending in relation to the whole. In your answer you should refer to two or three novels or short stories you have studied.

Marking Notes

Satisfactory to good give some consideration to what constitutes an ending make some analysis of the types of endings and make some judgments about their nature relate endings to elements such as plot or character or theme

Very good to excellent give a more detailed analysis of different types of endings demonstrate an understanding of what endings can do discuss in detail how endings relate to the whole of the work

Distribute sample essay.

Sample Essay Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score Individually, read and mark using the rubric As a group, discuss: Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score

Score Examiner: 21 Moderator: 21

Subject Area Report Some candidates well prepared for this question, prepared to analyse, cite detail, and make evals some unfortunate answers: plot summary, those who failed to distinguish life from literature “Rounding off” and “opening out” were only explored in a limited number of answers

"Fact versus fantasy; this is a clash that can have comic or tragic results." Bearing this statement in mind explore the results of using realism and fantasy in any two or three works you have studied.

Marking Notes

Satisfactory to good identify the elements of fact and fiction show an awareness of how these are combined discuss the treatment of the tragic or comic effects created

Very good to excellent offer a working definition of "realism" explore in detail how the relationship between fact (realism) and fantasy is presented give a detailed analysis of the results in terms of the tragic and/or comic, or other effects

Flip to the back of the previous essay.

Sample Essay Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score Individually, read and mark using the rubric As a group, discuss: Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score

Score Examiner: 21 Moderator: 21

Subject Area Report number of terms in the question was surely problematic examiners likely to reward candidates handling most of them results of the clash of fact and fantasy only rarely addressed

“Even in the darkest and most pessimistic of novels or short stories, there is light.” To what extent is this true with respect to works by at least two authors and how has “light”, or the lack of it, been presented?

Marking Notes

Adequate to good take some kind of stance on what the quotation means should be some lenience in accepting a range of interpretations identify the nature of the darkness/light discuss to some extent how these elements are presented

Good to excellent have a more sophisticated view of light/darkness analyse in greater depth how these elements are presented

Distribute sample essay.

Sample Essay Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score Individually, read and mark using the rubric As a group, discuss: Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score

Score A: 4 B: 2 C: 3 D: 4 E: 5

Subject Area Report weaker answers retell story and attach labels of darkness or light at particular points some answers limited by the choice of texts good answers based themselves on a clear definition of what was meant by ‘light’ and ‘dark’ in this context explored the fictional techniques which contribute to the creation of the mood of a narrative

“The characters of a novel can only be individualized if they are set in a background of particularized time and place.” How important is the setting of a particular time and/or place to the development of the characters? Refer in detail to at least two novels or short stories.

Marking Notes

Satisfactory to good identify instances in selected works in which the role in character development of a particularised setting in time and/or place can be seen consider the impact of setting on character development in the selected texts; (or, alternatively, demonstrate the independence of character development and specificity of setting) offer a judgment as to how important the use of a particularised setting is to the development of individualised character(s)

Very good to excellent examine more fully the ways in which setting affects character development in particular instances (and/or the ways in which the two may be seen as independent of one another) analyse in detail the techniques employed to convey the impact of setting on character make a reasoned argument as to the relative importance of specific setting in the creation of individualised character(s) in the works concerned

Distribute sample essay.

Sample Essay Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score Individually, read and mark using the rubric As a group, discuss: Strengths Weaknesses Rubric score

No official score

Subject Area Report “kaleidoscopic” or “individualized” give the answer a refreshing angle background and biography tended sometimes to take over the answer, while character receded

Final handout If there is time, read and discuss these in class. Otherwise, read for homework. IB Examinations: Paper 2 / The “So what?” Question Literary Analysis: What the Professors Forget to Say