Prose analysis forms a substantial element of the IGCSE English Literature course, and is assessed through a 40-mark (Paper 1) exam question that constitutes 26% of the overall grade. It is crucial that candidates prioritise consolidating their knowledge of the prose texts they are taught, but more importantly that they do so in a way that best allows adaptability when it comes to the exam. 

Generally, IGCSE prose questions will follow the style of: ‘Explore how the writer presents the character of [x] in the text,’ or ‘Explore how the writer explores the theme of [y] in the text.’ Knowledge of the plot is crucial, but studying and revising through character and thematic analyses provides a solid foundation for high-level IGCSE prose essays. 

When we look at the IGCSE rubric, one finds that half of the available marks for the prose question assesses knowledge and understanding of the text, while the other half assesses the candidate’s awareness and analysis of context. This means that integration and discussion of context should be clear and sustained. Candidates should be able to produce a five-paragraph essay, in which text and context are discussed in tandem where possible. Context points should be included in topic sentences, and integrated in the body paragraphs. Let’s take a look at this model response based on Of Mice and Men.

Explore how Steinbeck examines dreams in ‘Of Mice and Men’.

Steinbeck explores the idea that 1930s American society precludes some people from having dreams. This is most apparent in the character of Crooks, “the Negro stable buck” who suffers racist discrimination on the farm. Firstly, Crooks is made to live in a  “harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn.” This suggests that the farmhands see him as an animal with the “harness” a symbol of the inferior position of African-Americans within 1930s society. In an ironic twist, it is revealed that Crooks is the only character amongst the farmhands to have experienced some semblance of the American Dream, having been born on his father’s “chicken ranch, 'bout ten acres,” now lost. Steinbeck does not directly reveal the reason for the farm’s loss; the reader is left to infer that it was due to Crook’s physical disability, being a “cripple” and due to the racist Jim Crow laws in force at the time. Crooks is characterised as intelligent, an owner of a “tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.” Despite this education, his ethnicity excludes him from regaining his former status and dream. Thus, through the character of Crooks, Steinbeck demonstrates how 1930s society delegitimises certain people’s dreams.

This response is strong because it includes critical discussion of the context through the text, and makes this clear from the topic sentence. It follows the PEAL structure clearly, with natural integration of quotations from the text and reference to specific context. Most importantly, the analysis is developed alongside the relevant context. This is the level of analysis IGCSE English students should aim for, as this provides a very strong foundation for essay writing in further study.

With an experienced tutor, improving in the prose section of the exam or any part of the IGCSE English Literature course is only a matter of time. Find out more about our individualised IGCSE English Literature tutoring programmes here, and work with a BartyED IGCSE English tutor today.

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