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Paper 2: How-Tos and Tips

What IB Examiners Want in Paper 2

• IB does not reward:
    - Two mini essays stapled together.
    - Analyzing Text A paragraphs followed by Text B paragraphs without establishing connections.

• IB does reward:
    - Evaluation of how and why authors make different choices.
    - Analytical linking that responds directly to the questions posed.
    - Strong comparison focusing on Authorial Choices.

Three Levels of Comparison Skill

• Level 1: Identification
      - Low: “Both texts are about power.”
      - Mid: “Both show power differently.”
      - High: “Atwood and Shakespeare both explore power, but Atwood challenges patriarchal storytelling through dual voices, whereas Shakespeare exposes political surveillance through soliloquies and court dynamics.”

• Level 2: Evidence and Analysis
      - General plot comparison.
      - Specific Theme comparison.
      - Comparative techniques with broad authorial choices like structure, language, and perspective.

• Level 3: Comparison/Contrast
      - No comparison at the low level.
      - Some comparison at the mid level.
      - High: Explains why each author’s approach matters and the effects it creates.

Integrated Format

• An essay structured around textual features should follow this pattern:
      - Point: What you are examining from your claim.
      - Text A: Include an example of textual feature from Text A.
      - Text B: Include an example of the same textual feature from Text B.
      - Comparative Sentence(s): Highlighting similarities/differences.
      - Link Back to the Prompt: How this proves your thesis.

Example of Comparative Analysis

• Point: “Both Shakespeare in Hamlet and Atwood in The Penelopiad explore the instability of truth, but they construct this instability through different narrative architectures.”

• Text A: “Shakespeare uses soliloquies—particularly Hamlet’s introspective fragmentation—to show how internal conflict destabilized his sense of truth.”

• Text B: “Atwood, however, builds instability through a dual-voiced structure, where Penelope’s retrospective narrative is persistently undermined by the Maids’ chorus.”

• Analysis: “While Shakespeare locates instability within one consciousness, Atwood externalizes it as a clash between competing versions of history, suggesting that truth itself is contested and political.”

• Link Back: “Thus, both authors respond to ‘the complexity of truth,’ but Atwood uses multiplicity of voices whereas Shakespeare uses interiority.”

• Note: Be explicit in the link back!

Sentence Starters for Compare/Contrast

• Comparative Claims:
    - “Both authors… yet they differ in…”
    - “Whereas Text A… Text B instead…”
    - “In contrast to…”
    - “Similarly, though through different methods…”

• Comparative Analysis:
    - “This contrasts with the way…”
    - “Unlike the first text, which…, the second…”
    - “Both texts use ___, but for divergent purposes…”
    - “Here the effect is similar/different because…”

• Comparative Evaluation:
    - “This difference is significant because…”
    - “This reveals each author’s distinct perspective on…”
    - “As a result, each text positions the reader differently…”

Example: Identity and Reputation

• Structure for Comparison:
    - Comparative claim.
    - Text A authorial choice + effect.
    - Text B contrasting/parallel choice + effect.
    - Comparative hinge (why the difference matters).
    - Explicit link to the question.

• Application in Analysis: “Shakespeare shows how public reputation shapes a person’s identity through Antony’s struggle between Roman duty and Egyptian desire, while Atwood shows it through the way Penelope’s suitors judge her entirely based upon her status as a widow. In Shakespeare, Antony becomes torn between his dual identities as a Roman citizen and a lover, causing him to ultimately lose both. In Atwood, Penelope’s public reputation is always created by others, never allowing her to truly form her own personal identity. Both works show the negative effects that public reputation can have on a person’s sense of identity, albeit one from personal choice and one from lack of choice. This shows that whether or not a person’s public reputation is within one’s control, it can be a great source of misery.”

Types of Comparison IB Examiners Love

1. Comparing Structure

• Soliloquies vs. dual narration.

• Linear tragedy vs. cyclical mythic retelling.

• Episodic quatrains vs. narrative memoir.

2. Comparing Narrative Perspective

• First-person memoir (Penelopiad).

• Dramatic soliloquies (Hamlet).

• Philosophical speaker (Rubáiyát).

3. Comparing Textual Features

• Imagery vs. satire.

• Metaphor vs. irony.

• Lyrical tone vs. fragmented tone.

4. Comparing Purpose and Effect

• Feminising the myth.

• Critiquing monarchy.

• Challenging cultural narratives.

• Exploring existential doubt.

Structural Choices

• Narrative structure: Linear, circular, fractured, episodic.

• Use of framing devices: Introduces elements like parallel plots or dual timelines.

• Pacing and sequencing: Temporal shifts control how the story unfolds and how suspense is built.

• Importance: Structure influences suspense, theme development, and reader engagement.

Perspective and Voice

• Types of Narration: First/second/third person narration, unreliable narrator, shifts in point of view.

• Interior Monologue: Stream of consciousness techniques.

• Importance: Shapes bias, reliability, and reader alignment.

Setting and Contextual Framing

• Historical Setting: Serves as commentary on various contexts such as colonial era or Cold War.

• Cultural References: Intertextuality shapes thematic tensions and conflicts.

• Importance: Context influences motives and shapes the reader’s understanding.

Characterization Strategies

• Character Types: Archetypal or allegorical characters, foils, or fragmented identities.

• Character Roles: Influence over themes and narrative structure.

• Importance: Characters serve as tools to explore central themes.

Symbolic and Motif Systems

• Recurring Symbols: Form recurring motifs such as journeys or thresholds.

• Importance: These patterns create cohesion and deepen meaning.

Authorial Positioning and Purpose

• Goals: Building sympathy or alienation, presenting moral ambiguity, provoking critical thought, and challenging normative values.

• Importance: IB stresses the need to evaluate why certain choices were made by the authors.

Broader Authorial Choices

• Definition: Macro-level decisions about how the text is built, which voice tells the story, structural decisions, and how readers are positioned.

• Characteristics: Not single techniques but deliberate creative strategies.

Broader Authorial Choices in Hamlet (Shakespeare)

1. Revenge Tragedy Structure:
      - Subversion of the Senecan model heightens moral ambiguity; encourages philosophical reflection.

2. Fragmented Dramatic Structure:
      - Frequent interruptions reflect Hamlet’s fractured psyche, destabilizing audience expectations.

3. Soliloquies:
      - Reveal internal conflict and position the audience as confidants.

4. Internal/External Voice Shifts:
      - Characters oscillate between political rhetoric and intimate thoughts, exposing duplicity.

5. Meta-theatricality:
      - Performance commentary critiques court politics.

6. Doubling and Foil Characters:
      - Mirrors of Hamlet draw thematic contrasts.

7. Uncertainty as Structure:
      - Ambiguity around character motives creates epistemological anxiety.

8. Political Context:
      - Personal revenge expands to national instability through political references.

Broader Authorial Choices in The Rubáiyát

1. Curated Structure:
      - Restructuring creates a coherent narrative arc focusing on existential themes.

2. Narrative Voice:
      - Speaker functions as sceptic and philosopher, questioning fate and knowledge.

3. Thematic Clustering:
      - Groups quatrains around recurring concerns for cohesion.

4. Metaphor Systems:
      - Utilizes extended metaphors to unify the text’s themes.

5. Philosophical Ambiguity:
      - Highlights scepticism and paradox without providing answers.

6. Romantic Tone:
      - Victorian sensibilities shape the text’s depiction of the speaker’s existential journey.

7. Determinism vs. Agency:
      - Explores the tension between human desire and fatalism.

8. Cyclical Structure:
      - Reflects themes of impermanence and mortality throughout the text.

Broader Authorial Choices in The Penelopiad

1. Dual-Voiced Structure:
      - Highlights tension between official narratives and suppressed voices.

2. Genre-Blending:
      - Eclectic forms mimic myth-making and reflect cultural evolution.

3. Feminist Reimagining:
      - Challenges patriarchal traditions and emphasizes women’s perspectives.

4. Retrospective Narrative Frame:
      - Penelope's hindsight provides irony and self-awareness.

5. Unreliable Narration:
      - Manipulates hero narratives, exploring story distortion.

6. Character Doubling:
      - Mirrors between characters emphasize gender and class dynamics.

7. Reframing Heroism::
      - Presents Odysseus as complex and morally ambiguous.

8. The Maids as Collective Symbol:
      - Exposes class and gender oppression, pushing against Penelope’s narrative.

9. Use of Satire and Irony:
      - Critiques societal norms through Penelope’s sardonic tone.

10. Cyclical Structure:
       - Suggests generational trauma and fluid mythological narratives.

11. Intertextuality with The Odyssey:
       - Encourages questioning canonical authority through meta-commentary.

12. Exploration of Power Dynamics:
       - Focus on gender and class inequality in shaping narratives.

What Are TEXTUAL FEATURES?

• Definition: Specific linguistic, stylistic, and technical elements the writer employs to construct meaning.

Key Elements of Textual Features

• Language Choices:
    - Includes diction, tone, imagery, figurative language, and syntax.

• Stylistic Devices:
    - Comprise repetition, contrast, allusion, and rhythm.

• Genre-Specific Features:
    - Vary by text type (drama, prose, poetry).

Examples of Textual Features in Different Contexts

• Hamlet:
    - Soliloquy reveals internal conflict, utilizing antithesis and metaphor.

• The Rubáiyát:
    - Cyclical structure employs extended metaphors and personification.

• The Penelopiad:
    - Dual narrative structure features ironic tone and choral rhythm.

Final Thoughts

• Analogy: “Broader authorial choices build the house; textual features decorate the rooms.”

• Comparison: “Textual features are visible in language; broader choices are design elements.”

Paper 2 Prompt Tips

• Spot the Verb: The command word indicates the style of your essay (e.g., discuss, evaluate, compare).

• Balance Your Answer: IB examiners reward nuanced responses and multi-faceted arguments.

• Link Back to Text: Use examples to explain their effects on the reader.

• Consider Context: Includes authors’ choices, cultural background, and impact on readers.

Prompt Wording

• Arguments:
    - “To what extent…” / “How far do you agree…”: Examine both sides and argue your position.
    - “Do you agree…”: Take a stance while acknowledging counterarguments.
    - “Evaluate…”: Judging something’s success or importance with evidence.

• Textual Analysis:
    - “Analyze…”: Breakdown techniques and themes.
    - “Examine…”: Look at details in the text.

• Comparative Prompts:
    - “Compare and contrast…”: Highlight similarities and differences.

• Exploratory Prompts:
    - “Discuss…” / “Consider…”: Explore various interpretations.

Additional Examples of Prompts:

• “Literature often involves crossing boundaries, physically and mentally. Explore this statement.”

• “Compare how two works you have studied present the relationship between individuals and society.”

• “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Discuss the extent to which this idea is illustrated in the works studied.

Future Considerations

• Potential IB Lang & Lit lessons to address grammatical concepts and practice essays, occurring during lunch.

• Proposed day is Tuesday. Interested parties to express their interest.