The Great Gatsby - A-LEVEL - AQA - A* - Complete Revision Notes

Full set of revision notes for English Literature A-Level, created with the requirements of the AQA specification in mind. These notes have been compiled over my time at sixth form, and helped me consistently achieve A*, A and B+ grades.

I have been careful to include all the assessment objectives. Such as A01 and A02, as personal interpretations will be built upon, ensuring your response is well-argued and convincing. As well as this, these notes will provide a foundation for the use of relevant terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.

The use of A03 is essential to a successful essay response, as it shows a depth of understanding and has the ability to strengthen your interpretation. I have selected elements of context that will be applicable to any exam question you are faced with, for example ‘Gertrude Stein said WW1 had produced a lost generation. Fitzgerald had already captured this sense of exhaustion and pointlessness when he wrote ‘This side of paradise’ in 1920’.

A04, the need to explore connections across literary texts, can be covered via the structure of the Love Through the Ages Paper through the comparison of the text to poetry. Despite this, in order to show a depth of knowledge and throughly researched answer I have included references to other literature, an example being, ‘Tom Buchannan’s racism highlights a deep flaw in America’s self-image. The practice of slaveholding is incisively criticised by Mark Twain in ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ in 1884’

A05 is also taken into account with a variety of different interpretations that can be used alongside your own independent analysis to show wider awarness. I have included traditional standpoints such as a Freudian reading as well as specialist critics, such as Lois Tyson, a feminist critic, ( Lois Tyson in ‘What’s love got to do with it?’, a psychoanalytic reading of Gatsby claims it is a drama of dysfunctional love).