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Post 1914 Prose/Drama (WJEC)
1. Context: The World After 1914 and its Literary Impact
Understanding the historical and social context of the Post-1914 era is crucial to grasping the literature produced during this time. The period after 1914 was profoundly shaped by:
World War I (1914-1918): This cataclysmic event shattered pre-war optimism and deeply impacted society. Literature from this period often reflects:
Loss of Innocence: The war exposed the brutal realities of modern warfare and led to a widespread sense of disillusionment and the loss of traditional values.
Trauma and Psychological Impact: The psychological scars of war, shell shock (PTSD), and the emotional toll on individuals and society became significant themes.
Social Change: The war accelerated social change, including shifts in gender roles, class structures, and political ideologies.
Interwar Period (1918-1939): This period was marked by:
Economic Instability: The Great Depression and economic hardship in many countries.
Political Extremism: The rise of fascism and communism in Europe, leading to political polarization and anxieties about the future.
Social Change and Modernity: Continued rapid social change, including urbanization, technological advancements, and evolving social norms.
World War II (1939-1945) and Post-War Era: This further global conflict and its aftermath continued to shape literature:
Totalitarianism and Oppression: Experiences of totalitarian regimes and the fight against fascism became important themes, particularly in works like Animal Farm.
Existentialism and Absurdity: The horrors of war and the perceived meaninglessness of life contributed to philosophical movements like existentialism, which influenced literature.
Social Welfare State: In the UK and elsewhere, the post-war period saw the development of the welfare state, aiming to address social inequalities, a context relevant to plays like An Inspector Calls.
Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Literature continued to evolve, reflecting:
Multiculturalism and Identity: Increased migration and globalization led to explorations of diverse identities and cultural clashes, as seen in texts like Anita and Me and Leave Taking.
Technological Advancements and their Impact: Literature began to grapple with the rapid pace of technological change and its effects on human relationships and society, relevant to works like Never Let Me Go and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Social and Ethical Issues: Contemporary literature often engages with ongoing social and ethical dilemmas, such as inequality, environmental concerns, and the nature of reality.
How Context Influences the Literature:
Themes: The historical context directly informs the dominant themes explored in Post-1914 literature. The anxieties, social changes, and philosophical shifts of the period are reflected in the recurring themes of social responsibility, power, identity, and loss.
Characters: Characters are often shaped by the context. They may be grappling with the aftermath of war, social inequality, or existential crises. Their motivations and experiences are often rooted in the historical and social realities of the time.
Setting: Setting becomes more than just a backdrop. It can be symbolic of broader social or political conditions, or reflect the psychological state of characters. For example, a bleak, post-war setting can emphasize disillusionment.
Literary Techniques: Writers experimented with new forms and techniques to reflect the changing world. Modernist and postmodernist movements influenced prose and drama, leading to non-linear narratives, fragmented perspectives, and self-aware storytelling.
2. Common Themes
Social Responsibility and Inequality:
Focus: Explores the obligations individuals and society have to each other, particularly concerning social justice and fairness.
Examples: An Inspector Calls directly confronts social responsibility across class lines. Blood Brothers examines the impact of social class on life opportunities. Animal Farm satirizes social inequality and the abuse of power in revolutionary societies. Lord of the Flies can be interpreted as exploring the breakdown of social order and responsibility in the absence of civilization. Anita and Me touches on social inequalities faced by immigrant communities.
Questions to Consider: Who is responsible for social problems? What are the consequences of social inequality? How do individuals challenge or perpetuate social injustice?
Power and Authority:
Focus: Examines the nature of power, how it is gained, maintained, and abused. This can be political power, social power, or personal power within relationships.
Examples: Animal Farm is a direct allegory of political power and its corruption. Lord of the Flies explores the dynamics of power within a group of boys and the descent into savagery. The History Boys might explore intellectual power and the influence of teachers. DNA could examine power dynamics within teenage groups and the consequences of collective action.
Questions to Consider: Who holds power in the text? How is power exercised? What are the effects of power on individuals and groups? Is power inherently corrupting?
Identity and Belonging:
Focus: Explores the search for self, cultural identity, and the desire to belong to a community. This is particularly relevant in a world marked by migration, social change, and evolving cultural landscapes.
Examples: Anita and Me directly addresses the challenges of navigating dual cultural identities. Leave Taking explores the experiences of immigrant families and the complexities of belonging across generations and cultures. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit examines the struggle for personal identity against societal and religious expectations. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time explores the identity of a neurodivergent individual and their place in the world.
Questions to Consider: What factors shape identity? What does it mean to belong? How do characters negotiate different aspects of their identity? What are the challenges of feeling like an outsider?
Friendship and Relationships:
Focus: Examines the complexities of human connection, including friendship, family, and romantic relationships. Post-1914 literature often portrays these relationships as complex, fragile, and shaped by external forces.
Examples: Blood Brothers centers on the intense and ultimately tragic friendship between Mickey and Edward. Never Let Me Go explores the bonds of friendship and love in the face of a predetermined fate. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time examines family relationships and the challenges of communication. A Taste of Honey focuses on the unconventional and sometimes strained relationship between a mother and daughter.
Questions to Consider: What are the different types of relationships portrayed? How are relationships tested or strengthened? What role do relationships play in shaping characters' lives? What are the limitations or complexities of human connection?
3. Literary Techniques
Structure:
Linear vs. Non-linear Narrative: Consider if the story is told chronologically or if time is manipulated (flashbacks, flash-forwards). Non-linear structures can reflect fragmented experiences or psychological states.
Dramatic Structure (Plays): Analyze the use of acts and scenes. How does the structure build tension, reveal information, and contribute to the overall meaning? Consider dramatic conventions like exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution (or lack thereof).
Narrative Perspective (Prose): Identify the point of view (first-person, third-person, omniscient, limited). How does the narrative perspective shape our understanding of characters and events? Is the narrator reliable?
Cyclical Structures: Some texts may use cyclic structures, returning to the beginning or mirroring events, which can emphasize themes of repetition, entrapment, or inevitability.
Language:
Diction (Word Choice): Analyze the writer's vocabulary. Is it formal or informal? Are there specific patterns in word choice that contribute to tone or theme?
Imagery and Figurative Language: Identify metaphors, similes, symbols, personification, etc. What do these figures of speech suggest? How do they create vividness or deeper meaning?
Tone and Register: What is the overall tone of the text (e.g., ironic, serious, humorous, tragic)? How does the language create this tone? Is the register (formality of language) consistent, or does it shift?
Dialogue: Analyze how characters speak. Is their dialogue realistic? Does it reveal their personality, social class, or relationships? How does dialogue advance the plot or create tension?
Characterisation:
Direct vs. Indirect Characterisation: Does the narrator or playwright directly tell us about a character's traits, or are they revealed indirectly through actions, dialogue, and interactions with others?
Character Development (or Lack Thereof): Do characters change and evolve throughout the text? Or are they static? What causes character development or stagnation?
Protagonist, Antagonist, Foil: Identify the main characters and their roles. Who is the protagonist (main character)? Is there an antagonist (character opposing the protagonist)? Are there foil characters who highlight certain traits in other characters through contrast?
Symbolic Characters: Do any characters represent larger ideas or social groups? (e.g., characters in Animal Farm are allegorical).
Setting:
Time and Place: When and where is the story set? Is the setting realistic or symbolic? How does the historical period influence events and characters?
Atmosphere and Mood: How does the setting contribute to the overall atmosphere or mood of the text? (e.g., a claustrophobic setting can create tension).
Setting as Symbol: Can the setting be interpreted symbolically? (e.g., a decaying house symbolizing a decaying society).
Contrast in Settings: Are there contrasting settings within the text? What do these contrasts reveal?
Dramatic Devices (Plays):
Stage Directions: Pay close attention to stage directions. They provide crucial information about setting, character actions, and atmosphere. How do stage directions contribute to the play's meaning?
Lighting and Sound: Consider how lighting and sound effects would be used in a performance. How do they enhance mood, create symbolism, or emphasize key moments?
Entrances and Exits: Analyze the timing and significance of character entrances and exits. How do they create dramatic effect or reveal character relationships?
Dramatic Irony: Does the play use dramatic irony (where the audience knows something that characters don't)? How does this create tension or affect our understanding of events?
4. Exam Essay Strategy
Planning is Paramount: Before writing, spend time planning. A strong plan ensures a focused and coherent essay.
Deconstruct the Question: Break down the question into its core components. Identify the key words and what the question is really asking you to do.
Brainstorm Points: Generate 2-3 key points that directly address the question. These should be your main arguments.
Gather Evidence: For each point, think of specific examples and quotations from the text that support your argument. Aim for strong, relevant evidence.
Structure Outline: Decide on the order of your points and how you will structure your paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion).
Using Extracts Effectively: If the question includes an extract:
Contextualize: Immediately place the extract within the broader context of the whole text in your introduction. Explain where it occurs in the story and what is happening around it.
Extract as a Starting Point: Use the extract as a springboard for your analysis, but don't limit yourself to it. Show how the extract connects to broader themes, character developments, or literary techniques present throughout the whole text.
Integrate Analysis: Don't just describe the extract. Analyze it in detail, linking specific features of the extract to your main points and the overall question.
Incorporating Quotations:
Select Strong Quotations: Choose quotations that are significant and directly support your points. Avoid long, rambling quotes.
Analyze, Don't Just Drop: Don't simply insert quotations without explaining their relevance. Analyze how the quotation supports your point. Explain the language, imagery, or dramatic effect within the quote.
Embed Quotations: Integrate quotations smoothly into your sentences. Use phrases like "This is evident when...", "For example...", "As the text shows...".
Vary Quotation Length: Use a mix of short, impactful phrases and slightly longer quotes where necessary for detailed analysis.
Developing a Critical Style:
Analytical Language: Use analytical verbs and phrases (e.g., "This suggests...", "This highlights...", "The writer emphasizes...", "This is significant because...").
Literary Terminology: Use literary terms accurately and purposefully (e.g., metaphor, irony, symbolism, dramatic irony, characterization). Don't just drop terms in randomly; explain how they function in the text.
Informed Personal Response: While objectivity is important, your own interpretation and insights are valuable. Express your personal response in a way that is grounded in textual evidence and critical analysis. Avoid simply stating "I think..." but rather "This can be interpreted as..." or "The effect on the reader is likely to be..."
SPaG is Crucial: Don't underestimate the importance of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Errors can detract from your analysis and lower your marks. Proofread carefully at the end of the exam.
