Guide to Paper 2:

Time: 1&1/2 hour

Out of 25 marks
25% of total IB grade

Here is a sample of questions that represent the kinds of questions that could appear on the exam. They
are inspired by the sample questions that appear in the Language A: Language and Literature guide.

1. Explain how the authors of at least two literary works have portrayed a social group in a
particular way. How might the contexts of the authors have influenced their portrayal of these
social groups?
2. It is often said that literature is a voice for social commentary. How is this true of at least two
works that you have read.
3. To what extent can the meaning of a literary work change over time? How does this question
apply to at least two works that you have read?
4. To what degree are readers influenced by their culture and context. Explain how at least two
works could be read differently depending on the culture of their audience.
5. 'Coming of age' is a common theme in literary works. With regards to at least two literary
works, explain how the author's own youth influenced their portrayal of this theme.
6. With regards to at least two literary works, explain how the setting both influences the
characters and reflects the author's own context.
7. How are the characters from at least two literary works representational of people from the time
and place in which they were written?
8. Why might two of your Part 3 works be considered 'timeless'?
9. With regards to two literary texts, explain why authors may have chosen to depict events in a
particular sequence or order.
10. How do two literary works both reflect and challenge the spirit of the times in which they were
written?

Get very comfortable with bending, morphing and twisting your texts and/or the prompt so that they
are as compatible with each other as possible. There are two ways that this can be achieved:

1. Morphing existing ideas in your own texts to fit the prompt. While Jane Sherwood’s
(some random character) nostalgia in your Incredible Text 1 may not directly relate to
“imprisonment”, you could twist the character’s nostalgia into the idea that emotions can trap
or “imprison” an individual in a treasured memory or a past experience. Nostalgia and
imprisonment seem like unlikely brothers at first, but with a bit of justification they look
almost like identical twins.

2. Redefining the prompt (reasonably). The key of the prompt can often be vague. For
example, there was a real IB exam prompt that asked whether “male characters were more
interesting than female characters.” What does “interesting” even mean? The IB Gods are
inviting you to constrain the topic in a way that works for your texts specifically. You could
write in the first sentence of your introduction: “Interest, an important part of dramatic works,
is often generated by emotional conflict and the subsequent creation of tension.” Here I have
restricted the broad topic of “interesting” to the more clearly-defined topic of “emotional
 conflict” because this redefinition works well for the texts I’ve studied for IB English Paper 2.
You should do the same.

In reality, you have to morph both your texts and the prompt in order to reach a snug fit between the
two. Getting to this point, which all happens during the planning stage, is the most difficult part of the
Paper 2 process because it requires you to know your texts so well that you can apply the ideas in your
texts to different situations.

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR ESSAY:

Introductory Paragraph

ü An introduction must consist of a brief introduction to the two texts:

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, written in the year 1999 and translated in 2003.
1984 by George Orwell, written in 1949.

ü The context of production:

Persepolis - After the Iranian Revolution. Post modern writer addressing ambivalence of identity,
emerging power structures and their impact.
1984 - After the writer’s brief stint in the army. Post WW2, modern writer addressing themes of loss of
identity, increased surveillance and mechanisation of life.

ü Addressing the Question: This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of
the two texts. Feel free to morph ideas (reasonably) and redefine the prompt to meet the needs
of your question.
ü Thesis Statement: Answer the question “What are you trying to prove?”

Body Paragraphs/Points

ü There must be about 3-4 points in your essay.

ü Each point must be supported with 4 evidences, 2 from each text.
ü Each evidence, in turn must be analysed in detail while linking your analysis to the thesis
statement.
ü Each evidence or analysis must be supported with literary techniques. It is strongly
recommended that you analyse at least 3-4 literary techniques, 1-2 from each text, per point.

Conclusion
ü A conclusion is an informal way of presenting your thesis statement.
ü Do not include quotes or new arguments.
ü Summarise the main arguments.
ü The last line must demonstrate some critical thought and must be able to provide closure to
your argument.