1. Unit 1 Love Through the Ages Section C

2. Section C Comparing texts Open book Gatsby and pre-1900 love poetry
One essay
25 marks
1 hour
Remember: Section A = Othello Section B = unseen poetry ( compare two unseen poems in light of a statement)

3. Key guidance on what to include in your answer:
Write about at least two poems for band 4
Whilst it is fine to talk about some structural and organisational features to cover A02 in closed book exam (Othello) , in Section C you are expected to discuss Ao2 choices with precise detail.
You must address the central historicist concept that is set up in the question (so if your question is ‘compare how two authors present ideas about marriage’ at some point in your essay you need to explicitly address the way in which marriage was understood at the time of writing/ by genre)
Your answer must be relevant to the question and offer a relevant argument around the two texts
Authorial methods (A02) must be considered in both texts: form/genre + structure+ language/imagery/other devices.
There must be substantial coverage of both texts
A01 competence is necessary

4. An example question: Decide how you will interpret the key word
An example question: Decide how you will interpret the key word. Narrow your focus.
Passionate love and intensity
Desire and longing
Idolatrous
Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about passion
Careless
Suffering resulting from passion
Anger
Jealousy

5. Our foci for comparison for Section C: We will cover 1-5 this term.
Ideas about passion (including obsessive love)
Barriers to love
Transcendental love and positive representations
Suffering in love (including loyalty/ betrayal / jealousy)
Unequal relationships

6. Exemplar Band 5 answer from AQA website (comparing post 1900 poetry & Age of Innocence)
9 paragraphs / 30 v.short quotes.
Ao2 is deft not digging deep.
Introduction addressing key word in question and finding one common idea all writers share in relation to key word.
When were texts written and how does this inform key word - look for broad link.
Text 1 (novel): genre & writer’s intention in nutshell
Text 1 structure . At the start of the text +quote+ AO2 foreshadows…symbolic of… Later in the text…+ quote+ inference
Text 1 setting. 7 quotes. Focus on a specific character
6. Text 1 denouement. Evaluates usage of motif. How relationship ends
7. Although poetry cannot use setting to show…in the same detail, both texts 2 & 2 (poems) use the marital bed as an emblem of …..close analysis of Text 2 (connections to Text 1)
8. Text 3 setting of the bed (connections to Text 1) then evaluating contrasts between all three texts linked to quotes and Ao2 details.
9. Historical context for all three texts and how it shapes understanding . Concludes with key AO2 device used to present key word in question.

7. Having never taught this, my gut says:
Lead with Gatsby in your essay
Choose two poems for comparison
Create quote banks for each topic area on slide 4 (rather than for each text? Do you agree?) Choose quotes which allow A02/3 – only choose quotes which will work hard for you
Revise the poems by printing out clean copies of all poems and reannotate with links to Gatsby/quote and also key AO2 ideas to revise poem.
Revise Gatsby with a speed reed making a note of key love quotes ( it took me four hours)
Prepare revision sheet on structure for Gatsby and each poem
Prepare revision sheet on genre/form for Gatsby and each poem
Prepare revision flashcard for each poem and Gatsby for key historical and literary contextual details
Prepare revision sheet on critical interpretations for Gatsby and each poem.
Prepare an ‘original links’ sheet using more obscure poems to (pleasantly) surprise the examiner.

8. This term: Week 1: Top Girls
Week 2: Gatsby & pre-1900 poetry whilst supervision meetings take place
Week 3-7 : one lesson Gatsby & pre1900 poetry and one lesson Top Girls
We will not have many lessons on Gatsby & pre-1900 poetry – Section C. Each lesson will address a different exam question. This means that you need to start the revision tasks now and take responsibility for understanding the novel and the poems yourself. If you prepare in advance of each lesson (see schedule below) you will be revising as you go:
Ideas about passion
Barriers to love
Transcendental love
Suffering in love
Unequal relationships

9. Preparation for our first lesson on section C:
Passionate love and intensity
Desire and longing
Idolatrous
Compare how authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about passion
Careless
Suffering resulting from passion
Anger
Jealousy

10. Start by thinking about what Fitzgerald is saying about passion:
Passion = strong and barely controllable emotion
= sexual desire / lust or romantic feelings
= devotion
= Passion of Christ (crucifixion; passion is from the latin ‘passionem’ meaning suffering)
Is Gatsby a hero? What is the reader supposed to think about his quixotic passion?
How does the novel hold up a mirror to 1920s America? What does it reveal about passion at this time in history?
What does Carraway , the narrator, feel about Gatsby’s passion and Gatsby’s ultimate demise?
What other ‘options’ (than being passionate) are represented by other characters? Are they shown as a preferable way of loving/ living?

11. Gatsby ideas to consider on the theme of ‘passion’:
Fitzgerald said ‘The book contains no important woman character’ and reflecting on its limited popularity ‘They [women readers] don’t like it. They do not like to be emotionally passive’. Do female characters get to experience passion?
Male writer & largely a male narrator - is there any significance in this?
Social sexual freedom granted at the time of writing – address the context of the novel
1920s writers thought it possible to tell about the inner experience of Americans ‘the way it was’ (Hemingway) Is Great Gatsby typical for writing at the time?
Myrtle = overt, unconcealed sexuality, voluptuous and sultry. How is her death presented with sexual undertones? How is her passion punished? Fitzgerald’s attitude?
Jordan Baker (emotionless and self sufficient) as a foil for Daisy with her ‘bright and passionate mouth’ What does the author think of Jordan? Daisy?
Passion of Gatsby & evocation of Jesus in Jay Gatsby – google this article and see if you can make sense of it. *Challenge task *
Green light? Weather? Valley of Ashes? How do these AO2 devices shape ‘passion’

12. Links to the poems – some starting points
Do any poems also represent a devalued passion – a insouciant attitude towards passion and love? Which of the poems reflects a society where promiscuity thrives?
Do any poems also represent a quixotic (idealistic / impractical) passion? One which fails to fully recognise social barriers?
Do any poems represent longing and worship of a woman?
Find your own original links to the poems