IB English A Lang & Lit Topic Peeling the Onion Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB English A Lang & Lit Topic Peeling the Onion Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Peeling the Onion: Deep Analysis for IB English Paper 2

In IB English Paper 2, the difference between an average and excellent essay lies in the depth of understanding.
High-scoring essays don’t simply describe what happens in the text
1. They interpret how and why meaning is constructed through language, structure, and context.
2. Move beyond surface reading.
Think of analysis like peeling back the layers of an onion. Each layer brings the interpretation closer to sophistication and insight.

Understanding a text means moving from surface knowledge to comparison

Imagine a scale of understanding that stretches from zero knowledge to expert-level understanding.
On that scale, your goal is to understand each of your Paper 2 texts well enough to confidently compare and contrast them through the lens of a prompt. This guide breaks that process into four levels:

Level 1: Basic (Surface Knowledge)

Themes: Broad concepts explored in the work (e.g., alienation, justice, morality)
Characters: Protagonists, antagonists, and key figures
Techniques: Literary or stylistic devices (e.g., irony, symbolism, tone)
Context: Historical, social, political, or biographical background

Level 2: Contextual Influence

Understand how the context influences all aspects of the work
Ask: How do social/historical conditions shape characters, themes, or techniques?

Example

In A Doll’s House, Ibsen critiques 19th-century gender roles through Nora's rebellion

Level 3: Relationships Between Elements

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Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Peeling the Onion: Deep Analysis for IB English Paper 2

In IB English Paper 2, the difference between an average and excellent essay lies in the depth of understanding.
High-scoring essays don’t simply describe what happens in the text
1. They interpret how and why meaning is constructed through language, structure, and context.
2. Move beyond surface reading.
Think of analysis like peeling back the layers of an onion. Each layer brings the interpretation closer to sophistication and insight.

Understanding a text means moving from surface knowledge to comparison

Imagine a scale of understanding that stretches from zero knowledge to expert-level understanding.
On that scale, your goal is to understand each of your Paper 2 texts well enough to confidently compare and contrast them through the lens of a prompt. This guide breaks that process into four levels:

Level 1: Basic (Surface Knowledge)

Themes: Broad concepts explored in the work (e.g., alienation, justice, morality)
Characters: Protagonists, antagonists, and key figures
Techniques: Literary or stylistic devices (e.g., irony, symbolism, tone)
Context: Historical, social, political, or biographical background

Level 2: Contextual Influence

Understand how the context influences all aspects of the work
Ask: How do social/historical conditions shape characters, themes, or techniques?

Example

In A Doll’s House, Ibsen critiques 19th-century gender roles through Nora's rebellion

Level 3: Relationships Between Elements

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Everything You Need to Know About Analysis6 subtopics

Paper 1 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay3 subtopics

Text Types13 subtopics

Literary Forms4 subtopics

IB English A Lang & Lit Peeling the Onion Notes

Everything You Need to Know About Analysis6 subtopics

Paper 1 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay3 subtopics

Text Types13 subtopics

Literary Forms4 subtopics

Peeling the Onion: Deep Analysis for IB English Paper 2

Understanding a text means moving from surface knowledge to comparison

Level 1: Basic (Surface Knowledge)

Level 2: Contextual Influence

Level 3: Relationships Between Elements

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Peeling the Onion: Deep Analysis for IB English Paper 2

Understanding a text means moving from surface knowledge to comparison

Level 1: Basic (Surface Knowledge)

Level 2: Contextual Influence

Level 3: Relationships Between Elements

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account