LTB 4 Coursework questions 2008-2009

Comparing Texts;
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Task:
You have a choice of four questions, choose one.
Your assessment is based on one essay of 2000-3000 words.
You must include a bibliography.

How your folder is assessed:

The coursework folder must show evidence of each of the Assessment Objectives. Therefore
students should:
 communicate clearly
 comment on relationships and comparison
 discuss the ways in which form, structure and language shape
 meanings
 discuss their own interpretation, informed by the interpretations of others
 evaluate contexts.
In comparing these texts candidates should:
 make use of critical concepts and terminology
 discuss issues of literary genre
 relate issues of literary genre to structure, narrative and authorial
 purpose
 consider a range of contextual issues.

QUESTIONS (Choose ONE)

1. In both novels, love affairs – or sexual relationships play an important part.

With reference to Winston and Julia and Offred and Nick compare and
contrast:
• The significance of the relationship in the novel
• The effect of language, structure and narrative voice on the portrayal of the
relationship and our response to it
• Your opinion of the effectiveness and credibility of the relationships in each
novel as a whole.

2. One of the most important themes in both Nineteen Eighty-Four and The
Handmaid’s Tale is control of the individual by the state

With reference to both novels, compare and contrast:

 How the authors present this control and the consequent loss of
freedom, with reference to narrative viewpoint, structure and other
relevant techniques.
 Its significance within the novel, including consideration of different
reader interpretations of the theme and its presentation

3. According to a BBC website, dystopias have only two main plots. These are:
i. Nasty things happen but despite everyone’s best efforts the Establishment wins.
ii. Nasty things happen but everything turns out right.
With these in mind compare and contrast The Handmaid’s Tale and Nineteen Eighty-
Four

You may refer to

• The similarities and differences in the “nasty things” depicted in both novels,
the methods used to describe them, including narrative voice and language - and
their effectiveness.
• Interpretations of and response to the endings of both novels: whether the two
main outcomes given above are accurate – or over-simplified.

4. Compare and contrast the ways in which the authors present the protagonists,
Winston and Offred, in their responses to the totalitarian regimes under which they
suffer in 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale.
You may consider
• The environment/setting/situation in which the characters are presented
• What you consider to be the main characters’ functions within the novels
• The effect of style and narrative voice on our responses to the characters and
the novels
• Different interpretations of the characters and their actions

DEADLINES!!

First draft: Friday 24th October 2008

Second draft: Friday 24th November 2008

Final draft: Monday 5th January 2009

Submission of coursework
• Breakdown of printers or problems with computers will NOT be accepted as an excuse: supply
yourself with a memory stick and print out your work well in advance of the deadline.
• If you are genuinely ill for an extended period before the deadline, you must produce a doctor’s
note.
Some reminders:
1. Ensure your name, title, word count and teachers’ names are on the front.
2. Your coursework must have an AQA cover sheet. Your teacher will supply you with this
after the work has been standardised and you must ensure it is fully completed, signed
and dated. Work with incomplete cover sheets cannot be submitted to the board.
3. Remember to include a bibliography of all the books and websites you have consulted.
Literature and Language/Literature students must also include the edition of the primary
text(s) they have studied.
4. Print an extra copy of your coursework or photocopy it to keep for your own
records. In the event of coursework getting lost in the post, you can then easily
produce a duplicate.
Literature
1. The word count for your comparative study is 2000-3000 words. Ensure you write out
the whole question & include your word count at the front of your work.
2. Your work must be tied together with treasury tags given to you by your teacher. You
may put your work in a single plastic wallet to protect it while it does the rounds of
marking and standardising internally.