This unit outlines the main themes and ideas of the text and includes student activities.

Choose a novel or short story in which a central relationship is important to your understanding of the text. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain how the writer develops this relationship and discuss how it adds to your understanding of the text as a whole.

Choose a novel or a short story in which the author creates a fascinating character. By referring to appropriate techniques, show how the author has created this character and why you found him/her so fascinating.

Choose a novel or short story or non-fiction text which deals to some extent with a less pleasant side of life. By referring to appropriate techniques, show how this less pleasant side of life is portrayed realistically by the author’s description of people and/or places and/or events.

Choose a novel or short story or non-fiction text which made a strong impact on you. By referring to appropriate techniques, show how this impact was created.

Choose a short story that builds to a climax. Describe how the writer builds up to the climax and then, by referring to appropriate techniques, go on to explain why the climax is vital to the short story as a whole.

Detailed critical essay plan for ‘Story of An Hour’ by Kate Chopin. Choose a novel or short story in which an incident is significant in relation to the central concerns of the text. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain why the incident is significant and discuss how it adds to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

Choose a novel or short story in which an incident is significant in relation to the central concerns of the text. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain why the incident is significant and discuss how it adds to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

Choose a novel or short story in which there is a key incident that has significance for a character. Briefly explain the incident and, by referring to appropriate techniques, go on to show how this incident is important for the character and the text as a whole.

Detailed analysis of the key quotations from Iain Chrichton Smith’s ‘The Red Door’.

This unit covers the study of the play and includes a very detailed critical essay plan.