The LENSES of Paper 2 Questions
(a) CONTEXTUAL LENS
(c) POLITICAL LENS
(e) STYLISTIC LENS
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Which social groups are omitted from a text, and
what might this reflect about its production?
To what extent do male and female literary
characters accurately reflect the role of men and
women in society?
How are the characters from at least two literary
works representational of people from the time
and place in which they were written?
How might the context of the author have
influenced their portrayal of a particular social
group or groups?
How do two literary works both reflect and
challenge the spirit of the times in which they
were written?
How do the conflicts between characters reflect
the kinds of conflicts from the time and place in
which the texts were written?
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How valid is the assertion that literature is a voice
for the oppressed?
How is justice represented?
How do writers use isolated/alienated characters in
order to explore their society’s values or attitudes?
Literature always has a political purpose; its aim is
never simply to entertain – do you agree or
disagree with this statement?
How does literature “face” history in order to
ensure that “wrongs need not be lived again?”
How can literature be used as a form of protest?
(b) RECEPTION LENS
(d) THEMATIC LENS
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What do you think of the assertion that the
meaning of a text is fixed and does not change over
time?
Is literature timeless?
How can we explain the continued interest in a
particular work in different contexts and at
different times?
How is our perspective on literary texts affected by
our cultural practices?
How can different people interpret texts
differently?
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?
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If beauty is a relative term, how do one or more of
the works you have studied explore this idea?
How does a particular term or concept, such as
childhood, change in the way it is represented in
the texts you have studied?
'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.
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To what purpose do authors sometimes choose not
to follow a chronological sequence of events in
their literary works?
How is setting used to convey central themes?
How is narrative perspective used to achieve the
author’s goals/intentions ?
(f)