Paper Two Questions CATEGORIZED

Exam Instructions: Answer one essay question only. You must base your answer on two of the
works you have studied and compare and contrast these works in response to the question.
HL and SL candidates are presented with the same four questions from which to choose and
have 1 hour 45 minutes in which to prepare an essay response.

ESSAY TERM DEFINITION (adapted from le.ac.uk)

Analyze Break an issue into its constituent parts. Look in depth at each part using supporting
arguments and evidence for and against as well as how these interrelate to one
another.
Comment on Pick out the main points on a subject and give your opinion, reinforcing your point of
view using logic and reference to relevant evidence.
Consider Say what you think and have observed about something. Back up your comments
using appropriate evidence. Include any views which are contrary to your own and
how they relate to what you originally thought.
Discuss Essentially this is a written debate where you are using your skill at reasoning,
backed up by carefully selected evidence to make a case for and against an
argument, or point out the advantages and disadvantages of a given context.
Remember to arrive at a conclusion.
Examine Look in close detail and establish the key facts and important issues surrounding a
topic. This should be a critical evaluation and you should try and offer reasons as to
why the facts and issues you have identified are the most important, as well as
explain the different ways they could be construed.
Explore Adopt a questioning approach and consider a variety of different viewpoints. Where
possible reconcile opposing views by presenting a final line of argument.
Identify Determine what are the key points to be addressed and implications thereof.
Show how Present, in a logical order and with reference to relevant evidence, the stages and
combination of factors that give rise to something.
To what extent/ Evokes a similar response to questions containing 'How far...'. This type of question
degree calls for a thorough assessment of the evidence in presenting your argument. Explore
alternative explanations where they exist.

Key:
§ Old Language and Literature § New Course
§ Old Literature (adapted)

CONTEXT or SETTING LENS

1. The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed
in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence…
2. Context – historical, cultural or social – can determine the meanings of a text. Discuss…
3. Literary works often show the conflicts and problems of a society. To what degree do you find this to
be true…
4. In what ways do cultural, physical or geographical surroundings influence the characters…?
5. Discuss the significance of the rural and/or urban…
6. How do literary texts capture the spirit of the times and the values of a culture?
7. Time of day or time of year is often presented by a writer to support ideas in the work, develop
character or establish a mood and atmosphere. In what ways is time used effectively…?
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8. It could be argued that in some societies or cultures women are at a disadvantage to men or even
actively discriminated against. To what degree is this evident in the way women are represented…?
9. How do authorial choices regarding setting (time and place) create order and influence meaning…?
10.In what ways would you argue that war is an important factor, either contextually or within the body
of the work…?
11.How is “home” depicted and what is its significance?
12.A work can be critically acclaimed in one culture and be banned in another. Discuss how two works
might lend themselves to various receptions.
13.Place can assume so much importance in some works that it almost becomes another character.
Compare the presentation and significance of such influential places or settings.
14.Discuss the presentation of order and disorder and the effects created.
15.Weather is often an important element in the setting of a work. Compare the ways in which writers
use weather…
16.Discuss how the author has created a convincing “world” (MyIB, 2022).
17.Often the appeal for the reader of a literary work is the atmosphere a writer creates (for example,
peaceful, menacing or ironic). Discuss some of the ways atmospheres are conveyed and to what
effect…(MyIB, 2022).

STYLISTIC LENS
Narrative Perspective:
1. How have writers used narrative voice and/or characterization to explore a social or intellectual
concern?
2. What techniques did the two of your writers use to convey the “thoughts” of their
characters, narrators or speakers and to what effect?
3. Readers are often enticed by the idiosyncratic or quirky narrator. Compare how two authors that you
have studied have crafted such distinctive voices, and to what effect…
4. A narrator may be close to, or even part of, the action in a work of fiction, or distant in time and/or
space. What is the effect of either the closeness or the distance of narrators…?
5. Compare the ways in which narrative point of view has shaped the presentation of character.

Characters:
1. In what ways have writers presented the insane, the eccentric or mentally disturbed?
2. In many works, a single individual is recognized as a role model or mentor. Discuss by what means
and to what effect…?
3. To what extent do the protagonists of two works you have studied achieve a state of peace or
catharsis by the end of the work?
4. Discuss whether isolated characters are interesting to us and, if they are, explain why.
5. Discuss the significance of characters’ relationships with their pasts.
6. Explore the role minor characters play in the development of major characters…
7. Explain what you think is meant by the phrase “a strong character”.
8. Explore how women are represented as stronger than men…
9. To what extent do two of the works you have studied show that an individual is in control of his or
her own destiny?
10.How do two works depict men and women struggling to resolve problems and not succeeding very
well?
11.How and why do two works use reliable or unreliable narrators to establish credible or incredible
stories?
12.How does narrative perspective shape the reader’s perception of events and characters…?
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13.Some characters remain static: they don’t change. Compare how static characters are used and to
what effect.
14.Compare the presentation and function of villains or anti-heroes…
15.Characters in works of prose fiction are often running away or escaping from something or someone.
Compare the means by which such flight is presented, and its narrative significance…
16.We are fascinated by the play of power and persuasion in relationships: explore and compare the
dynamics in relationships, and the dramatic means by which they are established…
17.We often talk of characters arriving at some moment of epiphany; compare the means by which our
attention is drawn to these moments and their impact within the works.
18.Writers often use key events to contribute to the development of central characters. Compare how,
and how successfully, this has been done…
19.A writer may present us with characters who lack initial understanding of their own nature. Consider
the ways in which the work two writers you have studied present the progression of one or more
characters towards self-discovery.
20.Characters are most clearly defined through a demonstration of power and/or an exposure of
weakness. Compare the extent to which this is true…
21.Opposing motivations, such as selfishness versus generosity, are often used by writers. Discuss the
ways in which two writers have used such driving forces to shape their material.
22.A writer may at times seek to mislead a reader about the true nature of characters or situations.
Consider how and to what effect they have made good use of such ambiguities.

Techniques of Craft:
1. Show what techniques writers use to make us laugh and comment on their reason for doing so.
2. Irony can be used for either humorous or tragic effects. To what purpose has irony been employed…?
3. In what ways could you say that two writers you have studied distort reality in order to create a
particular effect or to present a particular idea?
4. Analyze the techniques used by writers to evoke an emotional response in the reader.
5. Discuss how one or more of the formal characteristics of a genre influence meaning…
6. In what ways and to what effects do two works make use of myths, legends or other stories and
tales?
7. Symbolism can help a writer convey ideas, develop characters and establish an atmosphere. For what
reasons and to what effects are symbols used…?
8. Compare the ways in which children are presented, and to what effect.
9. Compare the use and function of seemingly insignificant detail…
10.Dramatic tension often arises from the clash of seemingly irreconcilable differences between
competing truths or beliefs. In what ways, and to what effect…?
11.Consider to what extent the use of barriers, whether physical, emotional or symbolic, has a significant
effect on the progress and impact of the works.
12.Some works may challenge readers with content they find disturbing or with language that revolts. By
what means and to what effect has this technique been employed…?
13.Explore the ways in which recurring motifs or symbols contribute to a richer understanding and
appreciation of the works.
14.Compare the ways in which two works you have studied make use of recurring elements, such as
actions, sounds, motifs and language.
15.Writers use dialogue to perform different functions (to alter pace, demonstrate character and vary
tone, for example). Compare the ways in which dialogue is used and the effects achieved.
16.Discuss both how and why the text invites the reader to identify with situations, characters and/or
ideas (MyIB, 2022).
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Plot and Structure:

1. To what purpose do authors sometimes choose not to follow a chronological sequence of events in
their literary works?
2. Referring to two literary works you have studied, show whether they have what you consider to be a
good or satisfying ending.
3. What is the significance of “the getting of money” in two works you have studied, and how is it
represented?
4. To what effect is contrast and/or juxtaposition used…?
5. How have aspects of mystery or suspense been used to develop plot and/or atmosphere…?
6. How does a physical journey contribute…?
7. In what ways are the contradictory or the paradoxical significant aspects…?
8. Explore how the title and/or opening lines take on increasing significance throughout the work.
9. Discuss the significance of a pivotal moment, shift or turning point…
10.Authors sometimes tell their stories in a non-linear fashion. Compare how and why…
11.Tension is often created between “new” and “old”. To what effect do writers explore such tension…?
12.Compare the means by which the central conflict of the works are made clear from the beginning.
13.Compare the methods chosen by two authors you have studied for the openings of their works, and
the effectiveness of these choices in establishing contact with the reader.
14.Discuss the presentation and significance of physical action in the works…
15.Discuss and compare the ways in which two of the works that you have studied have been
constructed to be entertaining or even amusing, regardless of the subject matter, and consider the
effects created.
16.Compare the means by which closure or resolution is achieved…
17.A plot twist intrigues both writer and reader, but the seeds of that turn of events must be sown early
to ensure its plausibility. Compare the ways in which two authors you have studied have prepared the
reader for these plot twists.
18.In order to broaden the time span covered by the narrative, writers often include such techniques as
flashback and/or foreshadowing. In the works of two writers you have studied, show how writers
have used one or both of these techniques effectively.
19.Often in a fictional work the writer increases interest by accelerating the pace and intensity of events.
How effectively has this or other aspects of the pace of a work been used by two writers you have
studied?

THEMATIC LENS
1. In what ways and to what effect does innocence feature as a concern…?
2. In what ways is the reader seduced or comforted by the ideas in the works studied and in what ways
challenged or alienated?
3. Great literature is often said to have universal significance. To what extent do you agree with this
belief?
4. Works of literature can illuminate ideas that might be otherwise unavailable to an audience. To what
extent have you found this to be true…?
5. Many works of literature seem to have depressing themes or stories, but there are often moments of
innocence and hope within these works.  How do the authors of two works you have studied present
these moments and with what effect?
6. How does a particular term or concept, such as childhood, change in the way it is represented in the
texts you have studied?
7. A writer once described the family as “that dear octopus whose tentacles we never quite escape”. In
the light of this statement, discuss the presentation of the family…
8. To what effect have writers used death or dying…?
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9. In the past, it was believed that literature achieved its importance due to its ability to show people
the way to goodness and virtue. To what extent can this be said of the importance of two of the
works you have studied?
10.Appearances can be deceptive. Discuss the relevance of this statement…
11.Pride can lead to failure and self-destruction or to accomplishment and self-fulfilment. Discuss the
presentation of pride and its consequences…
12.Many works are concerned with human suffering. How has this concern been expressed in a way that
engages audiences…?
13.There is no love without suffering. Discuss the extent to which two of the works you have studied
support this view.
14.Explore the presentation and significance of jealousy…
15.Pleasure is often deferred, delayed or denied. Discuss why this is so by analyzing examples in two of
the works you have studied.
16.How and to what effect are strangers or strangeness represented?
17.Discuss how moral and/or ethical issues are explored…
18.Work together or stand on your own two feet. How do two works comment on collaboration or
independence?
19.How is belief or faith represented in two works? What, according to these works, is the significance of
belief or faith?
20.How are notions of wealth and money represented…?
21.How is the pursuit of happiness explored…?
22.The depiction of violence in some form (cultural, political, physical, psychological, etc.) is a central
preoccupation of many works of literature. In two of the works, you have studied discuss how violence
is depicted and explore its significance.
23.Compare the means by which two authors you have studied have explored the power and significance
of memory.
24.Many authors seem to employ deliberate ambiguity. Consider how ambiguity adds to the reader’s
experience of two works.
25.Some central truths (of plot, character and ideas, for example) are made explicit, while some are only
implied. Compare the effects of explicit and/or implied disclosure of central truths.
26.How do two of the works you have studied portray the struggle to be understood? (MyIB, 2022)
27.Some literary texts, although set in a particular place or time, convey ideas that are universal. In
what ways is this true…? (MyIB, 2022)
28.Discuss how two works you have studied present concepts of good and bad, not as absolute
notions, but as a matter of individual perception (MyIB, 2022).
29.Some say ignorance is bliss. How is “not knowing” presented in two of the works you have studied
and to what effect? (MyIB, 2022)

POLITICAL or SOCIAL LENS

1. How are challenges to authority presented in the two works you have studied, and what impact have
such challenges had on readers or audiences?
2. How is the role of the individual in society presented…?
3. Discuss in what ways and to what effect the “freedom to act, to speak, to think” has been explored…
4. How are different social classes presented…?
5. How is the abuse of power shown in two works you have studied? How does the writer encourage
the reader to respond to this theme?
6. Show how social values are represented…
7. In what ways do two of the works you have studied explore the role of the individual within society,
and what conclusions might be drawn from these explorations?
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8. Protest against authority can take many forms.  How is protest presented…?
9. Which social groups are omitted from a text, and what might this reflect about its production?
10.How valid is the assertion that literature is a voice for the oppressed?
11.Writers often use a character who is alienated from his or her culture or society in order to explore
cultural or social values. Examine this idea…
12.It has been said that history “cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
To what extent do two of the works you have studied “face” history in order to ensure that its
wrongs “need not be lived again”?
13.In what ways do two of the works you have studied (in form and/or content) question or subvert
norms, conventions or traditions?
14.Authors often write fiction as a means of social commentary. Compare how…
15.Analyze how justice is represented and understood…
16.In what ways do two literary works act as a voice for the oppressed?
17.Compare how and to what effect power struggles are explored.
18.Discuss the presentation of competing ideas, hopes or visions and consider the effects created.
19.Literature often heralds the underdog, providing the downtrodden a voice and, at times, even
triumph. Compare how, and to what effect…
20.Characters who violate social norms are often elements used to generate suspense. In the works of
two writers you have studied, consider the roles played by such characters in generating suspense.
21.Identify some of the forms intolerance can take, and discuss how its effects on both the victims
and the intolerant are presented…(MyIB, 2022)

1-3: 4: 5: 6: 7:
q Little q Adequate q Good q Very good q Perceptive
understanding; understanding; ideas understanding; understanding; understanding;
support is lacking are sometimes ideas are relevant ideas are relevant ideas are carefully
or irrelevant; supported; some and mostly and consistently explored and
lacks specific appropriate analysis supported; supported with supported;
citations and of textual features generally well-integrated insightful and
identification of and/or authorial appropriate citations; convincing analysis
devices or choices analysis of textual appropriate and of textual features
authorial q Satisfactory features and/or often insightful and/or authorial
choices; the interpretation of the authorial choices analysis of textual choices  
question has not similarities and q Often successful features and/or q Insightful and
been fully differences between interpretation of authorial choices convincing
explored the works used in the similarities and q Convincing interpretation of
q Superficial relation to the differences interpretation of the similarities and
attempt to question between the works the similarities and differences
meaningfully q Ideas have some in relation to the differences between the works
compare and organization and question between the works in relation to the
contrast in structure, but may q Well-organized to in relation to the question
relation to the lack clarity, balance or flow from point to question q Effective and
question coherent connection point in support of q Logical sustained
q The question is q Language is a clear thesis, but organization, using organization,
not really adequately clear, but may lack logical effective including diverse
understood or with little sense of connections transitions; ideas transitions;
fully addressed register and style between texts are cohesively convincing
q Organization and appropriate to the and/or ideas or connected connectedness of
development is task remain partly q Language is clear ideas
lacking q It is evident you have imbalanced and carefully q Sophisticated use
q Language is tried sophisticated q Language is mostly chosen of language – clear,
sometimes clear, vocabulary, but clear; attempts engaging and
but errors mean meaning is lost as a impactful style, precise
meaning is lost result with some success