Big List of Paper 2 Questions

Question Source

Discuss the ways in which at least two works you have studied demonstrate that the search for identity can 2008
be a conscious or an unconscious process.

“Defiance becomes our duty in the face of injustice.” Referring to at least two works you have studied, 2008
explore the ways in which the writers have attempted to persuade us to accept or challenge this view.

“Why won’t writers allow children simply to be children?” Discuss the presentation and significance of 2008
children, or the state of childhood, in at least two works you have studied in the light of this complaint.

It is said that writers are the conscience of the world. In what ways have at least two of the works you have 2008
studied encouraged you to appreciate or question this assertion?

“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” Discuss at least two works you have studied in light of this 2008
statement, and say how far you would agree with it.

“Although doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one.” In the light of this statement, 2008
explore the impressions of doubt and/or certainty conveyed in at least two works you have studied.

“Authors use the portrayal of characters who are somehow trapped or imprisoned as a means to criticize
society. Referring closely to at least two of the works in your study, show to what extent and in what ways 2009
this statement is true.

Analyse the extent to which the reliability of the narrator can affect the reader’s understanding of events in 2009
at least two or the works you have studied.

Writers of literature rarely offer answers that resolve the issues they raise. To what extent and in what 2009
ways does this statement apply to at least two of the works you have studied?

In what ways is the literature you have studied concerned with gaining, maintaining or losing a paradise of 2009
some kind? Refer closely in your answer to at least two works.

Poetry can be prosaic and prose can be poetic. Explore this statement in relation to the varieties of 2009
language used in at least two of the works you have studied.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” To what extent and to do at least two of the 2009
works you have studied present concepts of go and bad as a matter of perception?

“Where other people exist genuine individuality is never possible.” To what extent does this statement
reflect the experiences of the central characters and problems encountered by them in at least two works 2010
of prose fiction you have read.

Discuss the ways in which at least two writers you have studied have sought to undermine or interfere with 2010
the “voices” of their characters in order to persuade, manipulate or instruct their audience.

Compare the presentation and significance of older people in at least two works you have studied. 2010
 “With the exception, perhaps, of music and dance, in all kinds of art it is possible to distinguish the content
from the form.” In what ways do at least two works you have studied make use of this relationship 2010
between content and form.

Discuss the role of education and/or learning (in the widest sense) in at least two works you have studied. 2010

Literature often deals with the themes of coincidence, chance or accident. To what extent, and in what 2010
ways, have at least two works you have studied dealt with all or any of these ideas.

In what ways and for what reasons do the works of prose fiction you have studied seek to represent 2011
thought or interior consciousness?

‘Fiction is an essentially rhetorical art—that is to say the novelist or short-story writer persuades us to share
a certain view of the world for the duration of the reading experience.” To what extent do you agree with 2011
this statement?

Authors are aware of the power of their works to shock the reader. Referring to at least two of the works in 2011
your study, explore some of the methods they have employed to do this.

In what ways and to what effects do at least two of the works you have studied make use of one or more 2011
aspects of the natural work as a significant motif?

Texts frequently present two (or more) realities, which are often very different. Referring to at least two of
the works you have studied, show to what extent and in what ways writers have made use of the interest 2011
and tension this creates.

“A writer is always being asked ‘For whom do you write?’.” Discuss the author’s sense of his or her 2011
audience in at least two of the works you have studied.

Using two or three of the works you have studied, discuss how and to what effect writers have used Nov-05
exaggeration as a literary device

"Analyze how justice is represented and understood in two works studied." May-13

“Looking closely at how weakness and strength are represented in at least two works you have studied, May-14
discuss the significance of the relationship between the two”

Time of day or time of year are often presented by a writer in such a way as to support ideas in the work, to
develop character or to establish mood, atmosphere, etc. In what ways is time used effectively in at least 2013 Nov
two works you have studied?

“Working together” or “standing on your own two feet” – how do either or both of these ways of behaving 2013 Nov
reflect the cultural contexts of at least two works you have studied?

Writing is both an art and a craft, where form and content are carefully constructed and language and style
artistically embellish the whole. Discuss in what ways at least two works you have studied effectively 2013 Nov
combine both art and craft.

A work can be critically acclaimed in one culture and be banned in another. Discuss how at least two works 2013 Nov
you have studied might lend themselves to various receptions.
What is the significance of “the getting of money” in at least two works you have studied, and how is it 2013 Nov
represented?

Tension is often created between “new” and “old”. To what effect do writers make use of such tension in at 2013 Nov
least two works you have studied?

Show some of the ways in which the writers of at least two of the works you have studied enable the 2014 May
reader/audience to discern a meaning that is only implied.

Texts originally produced in a culture or in a language different from that of the reader's can have a strong
impact. With close reference to at least two of the texts you have studied, show they challenge the reader 2014 May
to see the world in a new way.

Plays are meant to be staged; poems are often read aloud, and books are often made into movies. What 2014 May
aspects of at least two of the works you have studied would appeal to an audience's eyes or ears?

Can the ends ever justify the means? Consider the ways in which this idea is explored or discussed in at 2014 May
least two of the works you have studied.

Show how and to what effect at least two of the writers whose works you have studied make use of myth, 2014 May
legend or other stories and tales.

Looking closely at how weakeness and strength are represented in at least two of the works you have 2014 May
studied, discuss the significance of the relationship between the two.

Discuss the significance of the rural and/or the urban in at least two of the works you have studied. 2015 May

With reference to at least two of the works you have studied, analyse the techniques used by writers to 2015 May
evoke an emotional response in the reader.

With reference to at least two of the works you have studied, show how sub-plots or secondary themes 2015 May
contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole.

How are challenges to authority presented in at least two of the works you have studied, and what impact 2015 May
have such challenges had on readers or audiences?

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 in at least two of the works you have 2015 May
studied.

Examine the presentation of male and female views of the central concerns or issues in at least two of the 2015 May
works you have studied, and discuss the ways in which these views differ.

How is “home” depicted in at least two of the works you have studied and what is its significance? 2016 May

Referring to at least two of the works you have studied, discuss both how and why the text invites the 2016 may
reader to identify with situations, characters and/or ideas.
Identify some of the forms intolerance can take, and discuss how its effects on both the victims and the 2016 May
intolerant are presented in at least two of the works you have studied.

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 in at least two 2016 May
of the works you have studied.

Writers often choose words, phrases and names of characters and places not only for their literal meaning,
but for further meanings that they may suggest to the reader. With reference to at least two of the works 2016 May
you have studied, discuss how such words and their associations contribute to your understanding and
appreciation of the works.

In what way(s) can the term “artificial” be applied to at least two of the works you have studied? 2016 May

Show how belief or faith is represented in at least two of the literary works you have studied and discuss
how this aspect might be interpreted or understood in different historical, cultural or social contexts.

Some say ignorance is bliss. How is “not knowing” presented in at least two of the works you have studied
and to what effect?

Analyse the role non-human elements play in at least two of the works you have studied.

How can examining a literary work from different perspectives enrich our understanding of both the work
and the techniques used by the writer? Base your answer on at least two of the works you have studied.

To what extent do at least two of the works you have studied show that an individual is in control of his or
her own destiny?

How do the writers of at least two of the works you have studied convey a sense of place to their readers
and to what purpose?

How and why might at least two of the works you have studied be considered inspirational?

With reference to at least two texts you have studied, discuss ways in which an understanding of the texts
has been contested over time.

Discuss the portrayal of social class in at least two literary texts that you have studied. To what extent do
the ideas expressed remain relevant to contemporary readers or audiences?

Writers may use literature as a vehicle for social criticism. Compare and contrast the ways in which writers
criticize society in at least two texts that you have studied.

Discuss the portrayal of violence or insanity in at least two literary texts that you have studied.
With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, discuss how an understanding of
gender or ethnicity influences how the texts may be understood.

With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, discuss how they have been critically
appraised at different times.

In literature, a foil is a character that contrasts with another character, often to reveal particular qualities of
the other character. With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, compare and
contrast literary characters to show how their differences reveal competing social or moral values.

With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, discuss the extent to which they reveal
the prevailing values and beliefs of the periods and places in which the texts are written or set.

With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, how does the text conform to, or deviate
from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?

Discuss the significance of social status in at least two literary texts that you have studied, and comment on
its contribution to characterization.

With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, how could the text be interpreted
differently at different historical times?

In at least two literary texts that you have studied, to what extent has an awareness of context enriched or
enhanced your understanding?

How do two literary works both reflect and challenge the spirit of the times in which they were written?

With regards to two literary texts, explain why authors may have chosen to depict events in a particular
sequence or order.

Why might two of your Part 3 works be considered 'timeless'?

How are the characters from at least two literary works representational of people from the time and place
in which they were written?

With regards to at least two literary works, explain how the setting both influences the characters and
reflects the author's own context.

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.

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?
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.

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?

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?

Context – ‘historical, cultural, or social – can have an influence on the way literary works are written or
received. Discuss with reference to at least two works you have studied.

“How do the conflicts between characters in two or three of your Part 3 literary works reflect the kinds of
conflicts from the time and place in which the texts were written?”

Literary works often show men and women struggling to resolve problems and not succeeding very well. To
what degree do you find this to be true in at least two of the works you have studied?

How are the characters from at least two literary works representational of people from the time and place
in which they were written?

In what ways and for what reasons do the works of prose fiction you have studied seek to represent
thought or interior consciousness? In your answer you should refer to at least two of the works you have
studied

Fiction is an essentially rhetorical art – that is to say the novelist or short story writer persuades us to share
a certain view of the world for the duration of the reading experience.” To what extent do you agree with
this statement? In your answer you should refer to at least two of the works in your study

Compare the presentation and significance of older people in at least two works you have
studied.

In what ways do at least two of the works you have studied (in form and/or content) 2018
question or subvert norms, conventions or traditions?

Explore how women are represented as stronger than men in at least two of the works you 2018
have studied.

How do at least two of the works you have studied show that good can come out of 2018
destruction or violence?

How and to what effect are strangers or strangeness represented in at least two of the 2018
works you have studied?

Discuss how one or more of the formal characteristics of a genre influence meaning in at 2018
least two of the works you have studied.

Show how aspects of at least two of the works you have studied can be better understood 2018
with a knowledge of the time and context in which they were written.
Discuss the ways in which philosophical or aesthetic ideas are represented in at least two of 2019
the works you have studied.

There is no love without suffering. Discuss the extent to which at least two of the works you
have studied support this view.

In at least two of the works you have studied, discuss the means as well as the effectiveness
with which power or authority is exercised.

Pleasure is often deferred, delayed or denied. Discuss why this is so by analysing examples
in at least two of the works you have studied

In what ways are the contradictory or the paradoxical significant aspects of at least two of
the works you have studied?

Consider why writers create characters who do not conform to norms in at least two of the
works you have studied.