Mode 1: Theme or issue
In Theme or issue, you examine how a central human concern or moral question is established, developed, and resolved across different narratives. You choose the theme or issue you have studied (such as power, isolation, justice, or the individual versus society).
How Questions Are Usually Phrased
Questions frequently ask how a central character's mindset or dilemma aids the author's exploration of the complexity of the theme, or how key moments deepen your understanding of the issue. You must name your chosen theme or issue explicitly in your opening sentence and use that exact phrase throughout your answer. In a two-part question, part (b) will ask you to explore the same theme or issue discussed in part (a) across your other two texts; never switch themes halfway through your answer.
Angles for Analysis
- Introduction of the Theme: How is the conflict or dilemma first presented? What does the opening environment tell us about the stakes?
- Escalation through Mindset and Decisions: Characters' choices, motives, and states of mind are one of the main ways a theme is explored. How do their psychological conflicts expose the complexities of the issue?
- Key Turning Points: Which specific confrontations or decisions alter the trajectory of the issue?
- Resolution and Insight: What final moral or philosophical insight does the text offer? Is the dilemma resolved, or does it endure as an inescapable human struggle?