The Comparative

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The study of texts in a comparative manner is intended to encourage wider reading in different contexts and to introduce different ways of looking at texts. At both Higher and Ordinary Level, students are required to study three texts, one of which may be a film. To facilitate such analysis, a set of modes of comparison have been identified as follows:

Modes

  • Theme or Issue
  • Vision and Viewpoint.
  • Compare central themes from different texts.
  • Literary Genre

Examine what type of text you are dealing with

Is it

  • A tragic play?
  • A romantic novel?
  • An autobiography?
  • A biography?
  • A travel book?

Be able to compare texts from a similar genre (e.g. tragedies) and to compare texts from different genres (e.g. differences between a play, a novel and a film).

The General Vision and Viewpoint

  • Is the overall view from the text negative or positive?
  • What aspects of life do they concentrate on?

General approach to answering questions

  • Clearly identify your three texts. You may not use any of these texts for your answer on the in-depth (single text) question.
  • Spend time working on the question. Make sure you understand every aspect of what is being asked before you start your answer.
  • Begin by working on a rough draft.
  • Write down several points from each text related to the question. Try to back up some of these points with a quote from that particular text.
  • You can write out your answer either by dedicating a series of three different paragraphs to each text and continue this the whole way throughout, or simply write an answer on each text separately and relate to the question.
  • All the material from your texts must be tied in to your answer in a fluid and natural way.
  • Do not divide your answer into sub headings with the title of the texts at the top. The main thing is to link or weave the texts naturally, and show how they relate to the question asked.
  • Don’t just jot down all points of comparison or contrast between the texts.
  • Organise your points into paragraphs, and make sure that you have used quotation/reference from the texts as much as possible.
  • Put priority and order on your points and make sure that each point refers in some way to the question asked.
  • Start writing the answer and stop at the end of each paragraph to examine what relevance it has to the question asked.
  • Always give yourself time to conclude a comparative answer. Go back to the actual question and make a statement on the question and the relation to all texts. This statement may simply draw a contrast or form a judgment about the different texts.

Past Prescribed Texts

2012

AUSTEN, Jane    -    Emma
BALLARD, J.G.    -    Empire of the Sun
BINCHY, Maeve    -    Circle of Friends
BOWEN, Elizabeth    -    The Last September
BRANAGH, Kenneth (Dir.)     -    The Last September As You Like It (Film)
BRONTË, Emily    -     Wuthering Heights
CHEVALIER, Tracy    -    Girl with a Pearl Earring
CURTIZ, Michael (Dir.)    -    Casablanca (Film)
FITZGERALD, F Scott    -    The Great Gatsby
FRIEL, Brian    -     Dancing at Lughnasa
FULLER, Alexandra    -    Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
GAGE, Eleni    -    North of Ithaka
HAMID, Moshin    -    The Reluctant Fundamentalist
HARDY, Thomas    -    Tess of the D’Urbervilles
HARRIS, Robert    -     Pompeii
HOSSEINI, Khaled    -    The Kite Runner
IBSEN, Henrik    -    A Doll’s House
ISHIGURO, Kazuo    -    Never Let Me Go
JOHNSTON, Jennifer    -    How Many Miles to Babylon?
KEANE, John B    -     Sive
MCDONAGH, Martin    -    The Lonesome West
MCEWAN, Ian    -     Atonement
MACLAVERTY, Bernard    -    Lamb
MEIRELLES, Fernando (Dir.)    -    The Constant Gardener (Film)

2010

2009

2008