IB English A Literature: The big 5 things that you should analyse for Paper 1 Unseen text analysis essay!

Just like the big 5 contents that you should analyse for paper 2's comparative essay: theme, characterisation, symbols, context, literary devices, there also are the big 5 for Paper 1 essay for unseen text analysis.

The Big 5 for paper 1 essay for unseen text analysis.

Here’s a list of the Big 5 things to remember when doing unseen analysis in the IB English Literature Paper 1. Not all texts are the same so you may find some of these more useful than others when analysing different works.

1.Main topic or idea: What message or idea does the author wish to deliver? What is the central theme or topic(s) expressed?

2. Content: What is literally happening? What is it about? What are the main ideas of the text

3. Tone/mood: How does it make you and/or the reader/audience feel? Describe the atmosphere.

4. Stylistic devices: How does the author use language to convey a sentiment of the message? What kinds of linguistic tools does he/she employ?

5. Structure: How is it organised, literally (e.g. regular/irregular; linear/non-linear)? What kinds of structural elements of a particular text type do you see?

Check out a sample outlining for IB Eng A Lit Paper 1 unseen text analysis essay.

The following extract is from the 2022 November exam.

Main idea: By adopting third person omniscient perspectives from different characters through the extract, Lively shapes the idea of inevitable misunderstanding and compromising of each other’s thoughts and actions caused by the subjective nature of personal context. 

Body 1: Third person. omniscient from Claudia → revealing the character as Claudia as competitive, independent, proactive and daring 

• Organic imagery: “suspicion and rivalry burn her up” 

• kinasthetic imagery “His legs in her way - it thrashes, she thrusts, and a piece of cliff … shifts under her clutching hands”

Body 2: Third person. omniscient from Gordon → presenting Gordon as jealous, self-conscious, lack of confidence and timid

• Consonance: “He can feel her getting closer, encroaching, she is coming here on to his bit”

• Juxtaposition  & Irony: “in horror and satisfaction he stares” - irony, juxtaposition 

Body 3: Third person. omniscient from mother →Edith as naive, irresponsible, insecure and reserved 

• Organic imagery: “Edith Hampton can marvel at the furious tenacity of her children”

• Repetition & diction:  “she blames the perilous world, so unreliable, so malevolent”