SHORT FICTION REVISION
revision and Exam Techniques
REVISION PROGRAMME IN TERM 3
1: Exam structure, revision themes
and unifying Terms 1 and 2
 Session
2: Structuring exam answers
(essays and the comparison) and practice
planning.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
 Session
RECAP ON EXAM STRUCTURE
Exam structure is as follows:
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It’s a 2 hour exam plus 15 minutes reading time.
Section A is a comparison of two passages – you
choose from two pairs of thematically linked
excerpts.
Section B contains essay questions that must be
answered on four stories (two Italian, two
English).
The stories chosen for the essay should
demonstrate chronological range from the
medieval period to the present.
You must answer one question from Section A
and one question from Section B.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
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SECTION A – COMPARATIVE COMMENTARY
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Analyse the passages closely and critically.
Pick up on themes and literary techniques –
there will be a link between the two passages.
Keep your analysis comparative throughout.
Concentrate mainly on the passages themselves
rather than discussing the wider contexts of the
stories.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
A commentary is different to a standard essay
and requires you to:
SECTION A – COMPARATIVE COMMENTARY
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Use of imagery (similes, metaphors, etc)
Characterisation
Whereabouts the passage come from, ie. are
they both beginnings or endings of stories?
Style of narration and narrative viewpoint (first or
third person)
How the passages embody the literary
movement to which it belongs.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
Here are some elements to comment on in
your answer:
SECTION A – COMPARATIVE COMMENTARY
 Remember
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
to plan your answer even
though it isn’t a standard essay.
 You are not arguing a point of view like you
would in an essay but you still need a sense
of purpose.
 Keep your answer focused on the passages
themselves to allow time for close analysis –
this should take up 80% at least...
 ...leaving 20% at most to talk about the
stories in their entirety or the literary
movements they belong to.
SECTION B – COMPARATIVE ESSAY
The essay questions are very open to
interpretation.
 Try to take a comparative approach throughout
rather than addressing each story in turn.
 An essay needs an argument – establish your
thesis statement first.
 This is a chance for you to show your own,
individual take on the module so choose stories you
have something to say about.
 Always bring the literary movements into your
analysis.
 Avoid repeating material from assessed essays
– this is very important!
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Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
SECTION B – COMPARATIVE ESSAY
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The impact of social conventions in short
fiction.
Representations of nature in short fiction.
The difference between ‘realism’ and ‘reality’ in
short fiction.
The importance of the individual in short
fiction.
Definition of good and evil in short fiction.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
These were the question topics for the 2010
paper:
SECTION B – STRUCTURING THE ESSAY
Introduction – put the topic in context, give a thesis
statement to say how you are going to answer the
question and what stories you’re going to use.
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Three main points that you are going to argue to
support your thesis statement, with supporting
references from the texts and to the literary context
of the stories.
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Conclusion – sum up what you’ve argued, put it
back into context and say what this has shown
about the short story genre.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
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EXAM TECHNIQUES – READING TIME
First read through the paper to decide which question
you are going to choose for each section.
 For Section A, read and reread your chosen pair of
passages carefully, looking for close analysis points of
interest.
 Make notes on your chosen Section A passages – think
about themes and how to structure your comparison.
 If you have time, plan out your answer(s) to the Section
B essay too.
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Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
You’ll have 15 minutes at the start to make notes on
the paper but not the answers booklet, so:
EXAM TECHNIQUES – READING TIME
Plan your essay with thesis statements, three
main points, conclusions.
 Choose your topic carefully – what stories will
you use?
 How will you narrow the focus of the question?
 What quotations/points of the narratives you’ll
use for illustration?
 How do literary movements affect this topic?
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Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
When planning your answer for Section B,
consider the following:
EXAM TECHNIQUE TIPS
your answers focused – don’t try to do
too much in one essay.
 Plan your answers – use the reading time
well.
 Choose questions carefully – this will avoid
having to restart halfway through.
 Be ruthless with timing –leave yourself five
minutes to read through each answer.
 Make sure you devote equal attention to
both exam answers.
 Keep
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2012
REVISION TECHNIQUE – HOW TO BEGIN
appreciate the evolution of short fiction as a specific
literary genre and its relationship to contextual issues
such as politics, religion and ideas;
 conduct literary analysis across languages;
 identify the ways in which key themes in short fiction are
treated differently according to the authors’ differing
cultural, historical, and social milieus
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Make sure that your revision demonstrates these
outcomes.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
Start with the module learning outcomes that students
should:
REVISION TECHNIQUE TIPS
Don’t try to cover everything – choose thematically
linked groups of stories.
 Start by ruling out stories/themes you’ve already
used in the assessed essays.
 Choose groups of stories that would work for more
than one theme.
 Practice past paper questions – what you can
(hand)write in 50 minutes?
 Also practice planning past paper questions – give
yourself 5-10 minutes to work out what stories
you’d use, what your thesis statement would be,
etc.
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Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
COVERING BOTH TERMS
Group term 1 stories with term 2 stories according
to theme.
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A wider range of stories will be taken into account if
your essay is on a grade boundary.
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Think carefully about how to compare term 1 stories
with later texts, including comparing/contrasting:
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Literary techniques
The purpose of the short story at different times
Literary movements
Thematic concerns
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012

REVISION THEMES
Think back to the themes outlined in Term 2,
week 1:
Issues of gender
• How are relationships and marriage depicted?
• What expectations does society have for male and
female characters.
• What happens to those who transgress society’s
rules?
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
The individual in society
• How does the individual fit into society?
• How does the individual identify him/herself?
• How important is the individual’s point of view?
REVISION THEMES
Reality and fiction
 how do these concepts relate to each other?
 Is it possible to convey reality through literature?
 What constitutes ‘realism’?
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
Methods of narration
 Who is narrating whom?
 What is the relationship between the author, the
narrator and the reader?
 Who is in control of the narrative?
REVISION THEMES
These themes will form the basis for all
aspects of the exam. When revising, choose
three and create a set of stories to use for
each.
Copyright R. Sibley, University of Warwick
2012
The nature of short fiction
 How does the genre work?
 How have ideas about the function of short fiction
changed over time?