What you'll learn
How to write a strong essay on your set prose text.
Building the essay
- Answer the specific question with a clear line of argument (thesis).
- Support each point with quotations and analysis of the writer's methods.
- Cover character, theme, narrative technique and structure as relevant.
- Show how meaning develops across the whole text, not just one part.
Exam tips
- Plan a clear argument before writing.
- Range across the novel; use short, well-chosen quotations.
Common mistakes
- Narrating the plot instead of arguing a case.
- Relying on one section of the book.