In your first year of A level English Literature at Stockton Sixth Form College we will be reading and study texts that will prepare you for the OCR English Literature Linear A level. The first module of study is Comparative and Contextual Study. At Stockton Sixth Form we have chosen The Gothic as an area of literature to concentrate on.
Making its debut in the late 18th century, Gothic fiction was a branch of the larger Romantic movement that sought to stimulate strong emotions in the reader – fear, apprehension and thrills in this case. Gothic fiction places heavy emphasis on atmosphere, using setting and diction to build suspense and a sense of unease in the reader. Common subject matter includes the supernatural, family curses, mystery, sexuality and madness.
Set texts studied at Stockton Sixth form College
· Angela Carter – The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
· Bram Stoker – Dracula
Other suggested Gothic set texts for Comparative and Contextual study:
· William Beckford: Vathek
· Ann Radcliffe: The Italian
· Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
· Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray
· William Faulkner: Light in August
· Cormac McCarthy: Outer Dark
· Iain Banks: The Wasp Factory
· Toni Morrison: Beloved
These can be read and studied optionally (but knowledge of some is strongly recommended given the weighting of AO3 - Context in this component). These texts give students a superb depth and breadth of reference in both essays, showing wider reading to demonstrate a profound knowledge and understanding of the Gothic genre, its evolution, its tropes, themes, typical language features and structures. Many of my students have already read and enjoyed Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Beloved.
Other Gothic texts also enjoyed by my students so far:
· Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre
· Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights
· Northanger Abbey: Jane Austen
· William Shakespeare: Macbeth
· Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird
· Charles Dickens: Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist
· John Polidori: The Vampyre
· Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla
· Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto
· Edgar Allen Poe: The Cask of Amontillado; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Pit and the Pendulum, The Raven and many other short stories
· William Wycherley: The Country Wife (for context for Carter’s Puss-in-Boots)
· Charles Perrault: The Tales of Mother Goose ( including Puss-in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Blue Beard, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty)
· Gregory Maguire: Wicked
· Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
· Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca
· H.P Lovecraft: The Call of Cthulu; The Music of Erich Zann; The Picture in the House; Old Bugs and many other short stories
· Stephen King: The Shining and many other novels
· Susan Hill: The Woman in Black
· Gaston: The Phantom of the Opera
The Exam Paper: 2hr 30 mins; Total marks 60; Answer 2 questions.
This is an example of the June 2017 exam paper for this module. Remember we are studying the Gothic, so the questions you need to consider are questions 3 and 4,a,b,c.
The Mark Scheme
This is the OCR mark scheme for this exam. The most useful pages are pp18-21 which sets out suggested content for each of The Gothic questions.
Examples of Candidate Answers
Below is a link to exemplar answers published by the OCR board.
There are two essays per Candidate Script as there are two essays to be completed in the exam.
In your case you would ALL do question 3 and then choose ONE out of the following: 4a OR 4b OR 4c.
Each essay should take 1hr 15 min each. They are each worth 30 marks each. The total achievable in the exam is 60 marks.
Examples of essays on The Gothic:
pp 56-86 are examples of A* and A grade exam essays.
pp 87-101 are examples of B and C grade essays
pp 102-110 are examples of D grade essays