AS English Literature F662 Literature Post-1900 (40%)

Two Coursework Tasks Task 1: Close Reading (Carol Ann Duffy) Task 2: Linked Texts (The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale) Word Limit: 3,000 1,000 for close reading(15 marks) 2,000 for linked texts(25 marks) *this does not include the title, quotes from the texts or footnotes

Bibliography For books and periodicals, you must include page numbers, publishers and dates For newspapers or magazines, you must include titles, dates and sources Video and audio sources must also be listed For internet sources, include the full address and print off a copy for submission

Linked Texts You will write about two further texts, highlighting both points of comparison and contrast between them. The analysis should be informed by what the specification calls interpretations of others, as defined by critical opinion, interpretations on stage, adaptations for film and/or television, genre considerations or theoretical perspectives. Your texts for this piece of coursework are The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006) and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

AOs A01: COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION (5 marks) Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts, using appropriate terminology and concepts, and coherent, accurate written expression A03: ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION (10 marks) Explore connections and comparisons between different literary texts, informed by interpretations of other readers A04: DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF CONTEXT (10 marks) Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received

Important Dates: DraftWednesday 20 th March FinalFriday 19 th April No coursework will be accepted after Friday 26 th April. All final drafts should have an accurate word count and bibliography.

Possible Questions: ‘All apocalyptic fiction ends in tragedy/despair’. By comparing and contrasting ‘The Road’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ discuss how far you find this a pertinent comment. ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there’. Compare and contrast ways in which McCarthy and Atwood suggest the past can be seen as a different world from the present. ‘The shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual.’ By comparing and contrasting ‘The Road’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ discuss how the writers present the theme of goodness. Compare and contrast the importance of the setting in ‘The Road’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

Key themes as we study the novel... The past as a different world to the present The significance and meaning of the ending – Tragedy and despair vs hope (especially at the end of the novel) ‘Goodness’ and evil: the ethical nature of the individual (what is good in this landscape?) The setting of the novel and its importance (setting = time and place)