Paper Two
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes [Both SL & HL]
Weighting: 35% at SL 25% at HL
4 questions of a general nature, write any 1.
The task is to compare and contrast two texts in relation to the given question.
How to write the comparative essay
1. Planning
2. Structure
3. Key words - Define
4. Introduction : Thesis statement
5. 3 examples
6. Style, devices, quotes etc.
7. Compare & contrast
8. Link to the question
9. Conclude
Approx : 900-1100 words (3.5 - 4 pages)
Examples
1. Separation and reunion are sometimes used by writers to create and maintain tension in a literary work. In
at least two works you have studied, show how writers have made effective use of the artistic potential of
one or both human experiences.
2. Literature is often said to be timeless, discuss the same with relation to the work studied.
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. How does the environment and setting contribute to developing characters’ views of reality?
5. Discuss important decisions that characters make and how they lead to self knowledge.
6. How is “home” depicted in two of the works you have studied and what is its significance?
7. Authors use the portrayal of characters who are somewhattrapped as a means to criticize society. Discuss
the extentto which this is true.
8. How do two of the works you have studied portray the struggle to be understood?
9. 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.
10. 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.
11.'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.
12.With regards to at least two literary works, explain how the setting both influences the characters and
reflects the author's own context.
13. How are the characters from at least two literary works representational of people from the time and
place in which they were written?
14. With regards to two literary texts, explain why authors may have chosen to depict events in a particular
sequence or order.
15. How do two literary works both reflect and challenge the spirit of the times in which they were written?
Works to compare
The Handmaid’s Tale
A Streetcar named Desire