The Essay Notes

IB English A: Literature and Language Paper 2 Exam Style Questions and Responses

1. We have devised a series of exam-style sample questions based on the 12 most popular themes present in IB HL/SL English Paper 2, which include an essay outline and an exemplar essay response with sample texts.
2. You can use these themes and essay prompts under timed conditions to aid your revision.
3. We have also attached exam technique tips and a detailed markscheme to thoroughly explain how you can score high marks!

1. Theme: Control

Sample Question: How do two of the works you have studied portray the consequences of individuals resisting or losing control?

Texts: 1984 by George Orwell & A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Essay Outline

Introduction

1. Define control as both external (political/social) and internal (psychological/self-image).
2. Context:
   1. Introduce 1984 as a dystopian novel where resisting control leads to ideological erasure.
   2. Introduce Streetcar as a psychological tragedy where losing control results in mental collapse.
3. Thesis: Both Orwell and Williams portray control as central to identity and show that resisting or losing it leads to devastating consequences, through external suppression or internal fragmentation. Through narration, symbolism, and form, they explore how individuals are ultimately destroyed when they lose power over their reality.

Body Paragraph 1: Forms of Control (Political vs Psychological)

1. Point: Orwell and Williams depict different types of control, yet both are inescapable.
2. Evidence (1984): Surveillance ("Big Brother is watching you"), ideological control via Newspeak.
3. Evidence (Streetcar): Blanche controls her image through illusion avoiding light, clinging to fantasy.
4. Link: Orwell’s realism and third-person limited narration reflect Winston’s rebellion; Williams uses stagecraft (e.g. paper lantern) to express Blanche’s fragility.
5. Comparison: Both authors show how even small attempts at controlling truth or narrative are dismantled by regimes or society.

Body Paragraph 2: Consequences of Losing Control

1. Point: Loss of control leads to erasure of self.
2. Evidence (1984): Winston is tortured, betrays Julia, accepts “2 + 2 = 5.”
3. Evidence (Streetcar): Blanche is institutionalized after trauma, saying, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
4. Link: Orwell’s clinical prose shows ideological submission; Williams uses irony and tragedy to convey emotional devastation.
5. Comparison: Winston is erased by the state; Blanche by society. Both are silenced and stripped of identity.

Body Paragraph 3: Symbolism and Motifs Reflecting Loss of Control

1. Point: Recurring symbols reflect psychological collapse.
2. Evidence (1984): The glass paperweight, symbol of Winston’s hope, shatters during arrest.
3. Evidence (Streetcar): The Varsouviana polka recurs during Blanche’s breakdowns.
4. Link: Orwell’s symbols are stark and external; Williams’ are lyrical, reflecting inner disintegration.
5. Comparison: In both texts, symbolic destruction mirrors the collapse of self and agency.

Body Paragraph 4: Authorial Purpose and Message

1. Point: Both authors critique systems that deny personal autonomy.
2. Evidence (1984): Orwell warns of authoritarianism’s erasure of truth and identity.
3. Evidence (Streetcar): Williams critiques social and gender norms that invalidate female voices.
4. Link: Orwell’s dystopian pessimism vs. Williams’ poetic tragedy.
5. Comparison: Both ask: What is left of a person who can’t control their truth? The answer is nothing.

Conclusion

1. Both texts show that loss of control leads to erasure of thought (1984) and sanity (Streetcar).
2. Orwell and Williams use form, voice, and symbolism to craft powerful critiques.
3. Final reflection: When control over identity or truth is lost, the individual ceases to exist, not just physically, but spiritually and psychologically.

Model Answer

In both George Orwell’s 1984 and Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, the authors portray the devastating consequences that follow when individuals attempt to resist or are unable to maintain control. Orwell focuses on the crushing power of a totalitarian regime, where even private rebellion is impossible, and resistance results in the complete erasure of selfhood. Williams, meanwhile, delves into the psychological disintegration of a woman who constructs an illusory world to escape the traumas of her past. Though differing in genre, form, and historical context, both texts expose how the loss of control, whether over truth, identity, or perception, results in psychological, emotional, and existential collapse. Through the use of symbolism, narrative structure, and contrasting literary styles, Orwell and Williams warn that the inability to assert or preserve one’s reality is ultimately a path to obliteration.

Firstly, both authors depict different types of control, but each shows that this control is essential to the characters’ sense of self. In 1984, the Party exercises absolute external control through surveillance, manipulation of truth, and the erasure of history. Winston’s seemingly minor acts of resistance, keeping a diary, having a sexual relationship with Julia, seeking out the Brotherhood, represent his attempt to claim intellectual and emotional freedom. Orwell’s use of third-person limited narration places the reader inside Winston’s increasingly paranoid thoughts, reinforcing the isolation of his rebellion. His famous thought “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four” captures his desire to preserve objective truth in a world of “doublethink”. Yet this is precisely the control the Party cannot tolerate. In contrast, Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire engages in a more personal, psychological form of control. She hides from the realities of her past, her failed marriage, sexual trauma, and declining social status, by constructing fantasies. Her plea, “I don’t want realism. I want magic!”, reveals her fear of confronting the truth. Williams symbolises this resistance to reality through the paper lantern, the avoidance of bright light, and the emotional intensity of expressionist sound effects. While Winston resists external ideology, Blanche resists internal pain, and in both cases, that resistance is doomed to fail.

Secondly, the consequences of losing control are rendered with chilling clarity in both texts. In 1984, Winston is captured by the Thought Police and subjected to extensive psychological torture in the Ministry of Love. Under duress, he betrays Julia and is eventually forced to accept that “2 + 2 = 5”. The final, tragic line “He loved Big Brother” is an example of Orwell’s devastating irony, as Winston’s capacity for independent thought is eradicated. The novel ends not with death, but with ideological submission, which Orwell portrays as a fate worse than physical annihilation. In Streetcar, Blanche’s descent is more emotional and gradual. The Varsouviana polka a musical motif linked to her traumatic past repeats more frequently as her delusions deepen. After being raped by Stanley, Blanche’s mental fragility crumbles entirely. Her final line “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” is steeped in pathos and dramatic irony, as the audience recognises the disconnect between her perception and reality. While Winston’s control is taken by the state, Blanche’s is eroded by trauma and a society that offers no place for women who do not conform.

Thirdly, both Orwell and Williams use symbolism and recurring motifs to reflect their characters’ spiralling loss of control. In 1984, the glass paperweight represents Winston’s attempt to connect with a preserved, uncorrupted version of the past. Its shattering during his arrest mirrors the collapse of his rebellion and his illusion of agency. Likewise, in Streetcar, the paper lantern becomes a tangible symbol of Blanche’s illusions. Stanley’s tearing down of the lantern during their final confrontation symbolises his total violation of her mental space. Additionally, light in Streetcar functions as a dual symbol, truth and exposure, which Blanche actively avoids. These objects are more than props: they are emotional anchors, and their destruction reflects the final stage of each protagonist’s psychological breakdown. Orwell’s symbols are stark, sterile, and bleak, aligning with his novel’s dystopian tone, while Williams’ are poetic, expressive, and tragic, both equally effective in externalising the loss of self.

Moreover, beyond individual tragedy, both authors have distinct purposes in exploring these downfalls. Orwell wrote 1984 as a direct warning against the dangers of authoritarian control, particularly after witnessing the rise of fascism and communism in the 20th century. The novel’s dystopian structure and philosophical underpinnings, such as the manipulation of language, the abolition of personal relationships, and the revision of history, show how power systems can obliterate identity and truth itself. In contrast, Williams critiques societal and gender norms in 1940s America, especially the vulnerability of women in a male-dominated world. Blanche is not just destroyed by her own delusions but also by a society that judges her sexuality, mocks her fragility, and offers no support for emotional trauma. Her inability to control how she is seen, especially by Stanley, reflects a broader critique of how patriarchal systems invalidate female narratives. In both texts, then, resisting or losing control leads to profound and irreversible consequences. Winston, once hopeful, becomes an ideological puppet; Blanche, once proud, descends into madness. Orwell and Williams, though working in very different genres, align in their portrayal of how power, perception, and truth are bound tightly to one’s sense of self. Without the ability to shape or defend one’s reality, the individual becomes empty, a shell manipulated by external forces or shattered by internal ones.

In conclusion, 1984 and A Streetcar Named Desire portray control as a fragile but vital foundation of identity. Through symbolism, form, and character arcs, both authors demonstrate that whether the threat is a totalitarian regime or an unforgiving society, the consequences of losing control are devastating and dehumanising. Orwell and Williams remind us that when individuals lose control over their truth, whether political or personal, they cease to exist not only in the eyes of others, but in their own.

2. Theme: Ethics / Morality

Sample Question: To what extent do the two works you have studied present the crossing of ethical boundaries as a path to personal or social revelation?

Texts: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Essay Outline

Introduction

1. Define key terms: Ethical boundaries refer to actions that violate societal or moral norms.
2. Context:
   1. In A Doll’s House, Nora forges a signature a legal and ethical breach.
   2. In Lolita, Humbert engages in sexual abuse under the guise of love.
3. Thesis Statement:
   1. Both texts present the crossing of ethical boundaries as a path to personal and social revelation. However, Ibsen treats it as a vehicle for female emancipation and societal critique, while Nabokov exposes the seductive danger of rationalizing immorality, prompting reflection on reader complicity and the nature of truth.

Body Paragraph 1: Nature of the Transgressions

1. Point: Both protagonists break ethical boundaries, but for different motives.
2. Evidence:
   1. A Doll’s House: Nora forges her father’s signature to save her husband.
   2. Lolita: Humbert kidnaps and repeatedly abuses Dolores Haze.
3. Techniques:
   1. Ibsen: Realist structure, domestic setting
   2. Nabokov: Unreliable narrator, poetic language
4. Comparison:
   1. Nora’s action is framed as morally complex but empathetic.
   2. Humbert’s is framed as deeply immoral but masked by charm.
5. Link: Both introduce moral ambiguity, but differ in how they portray intent and consequence.

Body Paragraph 2: Personal Revelation

1. Point: Transgressions trigger moments of awareness for each protagonist.
2. Evidence:
   1. Nora realises her role in a patriarchal marriage and seeks self-liberation.
   2. Humbert reflects on his actions, but through self-pity and narcissism.
3. Quotes:
   1. Nora: “I believe that I am first and foremost a human being.”
   2. Humbert: “You were the only love of my life.”
4. Comparison:
   1. Nora’s revelation = growth and independence
   2. Humbert’s revelation = morally inadequate, self-absorbed
5. Link: Both experience awareness, but only Nora gains true agency.

Body Paragraph 3: Social Revelation and Authorial Critique

1. Point: Ethical breaches expose societal flaws.
2. Evidence:
   1. A Doll’s House: Critique of gender roles and marriage.
   2. Lolita: Critique of voyeurism, aestheticisation of abuse, and societal blindness.
3. Techniques:
   1. Ibsen: Dialogue, structural climax (the door slam)
   2. Nabokov: Reader manipulation, moral irony
4. Comparison:
   1. Ibsen: Transgression = path to social progress
   2. Nabokov: Transgression = exposure of cultural complacency
5. Link: Both force the reader to confront societal hypocrisy and complicity.

Conclusion

1. Restate thesis:
   Both works show that crossing ethical lines leads to revelation, though with different outcomes.
2. Ibsen: Transgression = self-discovery and liberation
3. Nabokov: Transgression = moral corruption and exposure of reader and societal flaws
4. Final Thought:
   Revelation through transgression isn’t always redemptive—sometimes it simply reveals how far we are willing to excuse the inexcusable.

Model Answer

In both Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, ethical boundaries are not simply crossed as they are interrogated, complicated, and ultimately used as a tool for deeper personal and social revelation. Ibsen presents Nora’s act of forgery as a morally complex yet liberating decision that leads to an awakening of her individual identity and critique of patriarchal norms. In contrast, Nabokov portrays Humbert’s transgression as an unambiguously monstrous act, masked by poetic language and unreliable narration, which reveals disturbing truths about obsession, complicity, and the power of manipulation. Through structure, narrative voice, symbolism, and irony, both authors present ethical transgression not as a flat violation of right and wrong, but as a lens through which individuals and societies can be more clearly understood.

Each protagonist commits an act that violates clear ethical or legal standards, yet the tone and literary framing of these acts diverge significantly. In A Doll’s House, Nora forges her father’s signature to obtain a loan, motivated by love and desperation. Ibsen, writing in a realist tradition, situates this act within a highly constrained domestic space, emphasising how societal structures, particularly legal and gender systems limit her moral options. The use of dialogue and stage directions reinforces this: Nora moves frantically, often infantilised by Torvald’s patronising pet names, which enhances the sense of her psychological entrapment. The forgery is not framed as criminal, but as morally courageous, even if legally suspect. Meanwhile, in Lolita, Humbert Humbert's transgression is far more egregious: he seduces, manipulates, and repeatedly abuses a child, Dolores Haze. However, Nabokov’s use of first-person unreliable narration, allusion, and lyrical prose cloaks the horror of Humbert’s actions in aesthetic charm. His opening line “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins” is drenched in alliteration, metaphor, and sensual rhythm, drawing the reader into his deluded worldview. This tension between style and subject matter forces the reader to confront how language can obscure or distort moral reality.

For both Nora and Humbert, their transgressions are also pathways to personal revelation, though the nature of that revelation is markedly different. In A Doll’s House, Nora’s decision ultimately becomes the catalyst for her psychological emancipation. Ibsen’s climactic use of symbolism the infamous “door slam” as she leaves Torvald represents a literal and metaphorical closing of one chapter and the beginning of selfhood. Her line “I believe that I am first and foremost a human being” is both a declaration of agency and a rebuke of social roles. Ibsen’s structural build-up, with tension mounting through small revelations (Krogstad’s letter, Torvald’s reaction), leads to this final act of moral clarity. In Lolita, however, Humbert’s moment of reflection is undercut by narcissism and self-pity. His later confession “I was a monster, but I loved you” is shaped by paradox, and Nabokov’s manipulation of free indirect discourse blurs sincerity with self-justification. Unlike Nora, Humbert does not undergo meaningful transformation; rather, his “revelation” serves to expose the limits of self-awareness when mediated through obsession and guilt.

Beyond personal change, both texts use ethical transgression as a means of social commentary. Ibsen, writing in 19th-century Norway, uses the domestic space as a microcosm of societal inequality. Nora’s ethical breach exposes the hypocrisy of a society that demands obedience from women while offering them neither autonomy nor protection. The legal system penalises her for her forgery, but not Torvald for his moral cowardice. Ibsen’s use of dialogic contrast, between Torvald’s moral platitudes and Nora’s growing independence, highlights the gendered double standards of Victorian ethics. Nabokov’s commentary is more layered and sinister. By constructing a protagonist whose charm manipulates the reader as much as his victim, he critiques not only Humbert, but the cultural aestheticisation of abuse, the romanticising of obsession, and the failure of institutions (schools, parents, doctors) to protect vulnerable individuals. Nabokov’s frequent use of intertextual references, to Poe, Dante, and even fairy tales, creates a narrative web of illusion, showing how easily stories can disguise abuse. In both cases, the authors use literary technique to turn transgression into a mirror, reflecting the flaws and contradictions of their respective societies.

Despite these similarities, the ethical implications and consequences of the transgressions differ starkly. Nora is ultimately portrayed as a figure of moral clarity and courage, her decision to leave framed not as abandonment but as liberation. Ibsen’s use of a three-act structure, progressing from domestic deception to moral reckoning, reinforces the idea that ethical lines must sometimes be crossed in order to grow. In contrast, Humbert’s transgression leaves only destruction in its wake Lolita dies, Humbert ends in prison, and any revelation is tarnished by his continued self-centering. Nabokov offers no redemption, only an exposure of how language, culture, and charisma can mask predation. Thus, while both authors use transgression to provoke personal and societal reflection, the moral tone of each text diverges sharply. Ibsen suggests ethical boundary-crossing can be redemptive. Nabokov insists it is often irredeemable.

In conclusion, both A Doll’s House and Lolita present the crossing of ethical boundaries as a route to profound personal and social revelation, but their approaches differ significantly. Ibsen portrays Nora’s act as a necessary rebellion that reveals both individual strength and societal hypocrisy. Nabokov, in contrast, crafts Humbert’s transgression as a disturbing, morally corrosive act whose seductive presentation implicates the reader in the ethical questioning. Through techniques such as structure, symbolism, narration, irony, and tone, both authors transform ethical violations into platforms for deeper exploration of morality, identity, and social critique. Ultimately, they ask: What do we learn when boundaries are broken and who pays the price for that knowledge?

3. Theme: Barriers / Obstacles

Sample Question: Discuss how and to what effect authors present barriers such as physical, psychological, or societal in two of the works you have studied.

Texts: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Essay Outline

1. Introduction
   1. Contextualise the theme: Barriers, whether internal or external, are forces that prevent characters from achieving autonomy, connection, or identity.
   2. Introduce texts:
      1. Atwood presents barriers through a dystopian regime that controls women’s minds and bodies.
      2. Williams focuses on emotional repression and societal judgment that trap Blanche in delusion.
   3. Thesis Statement: Both Atwood and Williams depict barriers as powerful, often invisible forces that isolate, destabilise, and ultimately destroy individuals. While Atwood critiques authoritarian systems through physical and ideological barriers, Williams explores how psychological trauma and social expectations trap women in destructive emotional patterns.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Psychological Barriers
   1. Point: Characters are emotionally or mentally trapped by past trauma or internalised fear.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: Offred’s disconnection from her past self (“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print.”)
      2. Streetcar: Blanche’s delusions and trauma manifest through “I don’t want realism. I want magic!”
   3. Techniques:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: First-person interior monologue, fragmented timeline, metafiction
      2. Streetcar: Expressionist devices, symbolism (paper lantern), stage directions
      3. Effect: Psychological barriers deconstruct identity, trapping women in mental spaces shaped by fear, shame, or loss.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Societal and Gendered Barriers
   1. Point: Social structures reinforce gender inequality, controlling women’s agency.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: Gilead’s laws reduce women to reproductive functions (“A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.”)
      2. Streetcar: Blanche is condemned for her sexuality, while Stanley is empowered by toxic masculinity.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: Biblical allusion, ritualistic repetition, dystopian setting
      2. Streetcar: Power dynamics in dialogue, stage symbolism, male dominance in space
   4. Effect: Both texts show how society punishes female independence and upholds double standards.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Physical and Environmental Barriers
   1. Point: The characters are physically confined by settings that reflect their lack of freedom.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: The Red Center, Commander’s house a claustrophobic, surveilled spaces.
      2. Streetcar: Two-room apartment with no escape from Stanley’s presence.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Handmaid’s Tale: Repetition of controlled rituals, spatial imagery, symbolism (wings, uniforms)
      2. Streetcar: Sound effects (streetcar, polka music), symbolic use of light and space
   4. Effect: Confinement in both texts mirrors the characters’ limited options and mental deterioration.
5. Conclusion
   1. Reaffirm thesis: Both authors present barriers as tools of patriarchal or institutional control that shape, distort, or destroy identity.
   2. Atwood: systemic oppression leads to cognitive dissonance and dehumanisation.
   3. Williams: social shame and trauma create emotional exile and madness.
   4. Final thought: Both texts argue that the most dangerous barriers are those internalised, as they strip characters of hope, memory, and voice.

Model Answer

Barriers, whether psychological, societal, or physical, are not just challenges that characters must confront. In both Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, barriers are used to reveal the fragility of identity, the weight of gendered expectations, and the consequences of emotional or social isolation. Atwood presents barriers as part of an institutionalised dystopian regime that strips women of their autonomy and reduces them to vessels of reproduction. Williams, meanwhile, constructs a personal tragedy shaped by psychological trauma and rigid gender norms, where barriers form within the mind and the home. Through distinct literary forms and techniques, both authors portray barriers as mechanisms that confine, isolate, and ultimately destroy those who cannot conform.

Both authors begin with characters who are psychologically trapped. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred suffers from disassociation, forced to sever herself from memories of her daughter, husband, and freedom. Her internal voice is filled with fragmented reflection: “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print.” Atwood uses first-person narration, non-linear structure, and metafictional commentary to show how Offred constructs an interior world as a defense mechanism. The psychological barrier lies not just in her external oppression, but in her own need to forget, compartmentalise, and survive. Similarly, in A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois is imprisoned by her past, the death of her young husband, the loss of Belle Reeve, and social ostracisation due to her sexual history. Her reliance on fantasy is encapsulated in the line: “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” Williams externalises her mental state through expressionist devices: the Varsouviana polka, the paper lantern, and the use of dim lighting. These symbols serve as fragile protections against a world she finds unbearable. In both texts, the characters’ mental barriers protect them from truth, but ultimately isolate them further, making reintegration into reality impossible.

Beyond the psychological, both texts present societal and gendered barriers as oppressive forces. Atwood’s Gilead is a theocratic patriarchy where women are valued solely for fertility. Handmaids are stripped of their names, confined by ritual, and robbed of individual identity. “A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.”This metaphor chillingly captures the illusion of autonomy within a system of complete control. Atwood’s use of biblical language, ritualistic repetition, and symbolic uniforms reinforces how society enforces obedience through ideology. In Streetcar, Blanche faces societal judgment not through laws, but through cultural expectations of female purity and propriety. Stanley, the embodiment of brute male realism, asserts dominance over her not just physically but morally. Williams contrasts dialogue tone and rhythm between Blanche’s poetic nostalgia and Stanley’s curt aggression to show the power imbalance. While Blanche is destroyed for her emotional vulnerability and sexual history, Stanley is permitted violence. In both texts, societal barriers reflect gendered double standards, where women who transgress are punished either with silence or madness.

The physical environments in each text also reflect the constraints imposed on the characters. Offred is confined to sterile rooms, watched by Eyes, guarded by Angels. The ritual of the Ceremony, in which the Commander has sex with her while she lies between Serena Joy’s legs, symbolises the complete invasion of body and space. Atwood’s symbolism of wings, veils, and red garments reinforces the visual stripping of individuality. In Streetcar, Blanche is physically confined in the cramped New Orleans apartment, which offers no escape from Stanley’s presence. The stage directions heighten this claustrophobia Williams uses the setting as a character in itself, with sound effects (streetcar, trains) mirroring emotional intensity. The lack of doors, the forced proximity, and the oppressive heat all create an atmosphere of inescapable confrontation. These spaces are not simply backdrops as they embody the emotional and social walls that press upon the characters, leaving them nowhere to hide.

While the form and tone of the two texts differ, Atwood’s novel is speculative and politically expansive, while Williams’ play is lyrical and intimate, both authors depict barriers as mechanisms of control, alienation, and collapse. Offred’s internal monologue becomes a site of resistance but also a record of emotional erasure: she constantly forgets or censors her own past. Blanche, too, constructs illusion after illusion, until she no longer knows what is real. Their downfalls are not sudden, but slow erasures of identity. Importantly, both authors suggest that these barriers are not just external, they become internalised, absorbed by the characters themselves. Offred self-censors. Blanche self-deludes. In doing so, the authors reveal how barriers become most destructive when they are no longer recognised as barriers at all.

In conclusion, both The Handmaid’s Tale and A Streetcar Named Desire present barriers, psychological, societal, and physical, not simply as obstacles, but as the very architecture of oppression. Through a range of literary devices including narrative voice, symbolism, form, and setting, Atwood and Williams show that these barriers are invisible cages, slowly enclosing their protagonists until resistance or survival is no longer possible. What makes their tragedies so powerful is that the characters once had freedom and now live in the shadow of its loss.

4. Theme: Appearance vs. Reality

Sample Question: “Nothing is as it seems.” Discuss how authors explore the tension between appearance and reality in two of the works you have studied.

Texts: Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Essay Outline

1. Introduction
   1. Context: The conflict between appearance and reality is a driving force in both Macbeth and The Great Gatsby, where ambition, guilt, and self-image lead characters to construct false realities.
   2. Thesis Statement:
      Both Shakespeare and Fitzgerald explore how the desire for power and idealism leads characters to create and cling to illusions. Through dramatic irony, symbolism, and structure, the authors reveal the destructive power of self-deception and false appearances.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Characters Projecting False Selves
   1. Point: Macbeth and Gatsby construct outward identities that mask internal truths.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Macbeth: After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth maintains a loyal front: “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”
      2. Gatsby: Creates a glamorous identity to hide his poor origins, lavish parties, reinvention as “Oxford man.”
   3. Techniques:
      1. Macbeth: Dramatic irony, aside/soliloquy, symbolism of masks and darkness
      2. Gatsby: Narrative perspective, setting (West Egg mansion), symbolism (clothes, cars)
   4. Effect: These illusions help characters gain social and political power but eventually unravel, revealing instability beneath the surface.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Illusion vs Truth in Others' Perception
   1. Point: Other characters are misled by appearances, creating dramatic irony and building tension.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Macbeth: Duncan trusts Macbeth, ironically calling his castle “a pleasant seat” just before being murdered.
      2. Gatsby: Daisy and others buy into Gatsby’s myth until reality intrudes with violence and disillusionment.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Macbeth: Irony, symbolism (blood, hallucinations)
      2. Gatsby: Foreshadowing, symbolism (green light, valley of ashes)
   4. Effect: In both texts, others’ inability to perceive truth contributes to tragedy.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Collapse of Illusion and Return to Reality
   1. Point: The tension between appearance and reality becomes unsustainable, leading to collapse.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Macbeth: Haunted by guilt, hallucinations blur his grip on reality — “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
      2. Gatsby: His dream dies with his murder, and the illusion of his “greatness” fades even Daisy vanishes.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Macbeth: Tragic structure, hallucinations, blood imagery
      2. Gatsby: Narrative voice of Nick, juxtaposition of fantasy and disillusion, funeral scene symbolism
   4. Effect: The breakdown of illusion reveals a hollow core, ambition and idealism, ultimately destroy those who believe too strongly in surfaces.
5. Conclusion
   1. Reaffirm thesis: Both Shakespeare and Fitzgerald use the appearance vs reality theme to critique ambition, idealism, and self-deception.
   2. Macbeth: illusion is a tool for power that leads to guilt and madness.
   3. Gatsby: illusion is a romantic fantasy that ends in emptiness and death.
   4. Final thought: In both texts, nothing is as it seems, and the tragic consequences show the danger of mistaking appearance for truth.

Model Answer

In both William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the authors construct dramatic narratives where appearances mask unsettling realities. Both protagonists carefully curate public identities, Macbeth as a loyal thane, Gatsby as a self-made aristocrat, but beneath these façades lie ambition, deception, and deep insecurity. As these illusions unravel, the authors reveal the personal and societal dangers of mistaking surface for substance. Through dramatic irony, symbolism, soliloquy, and narrative perspective, Shakespeare and Fitzgerald explore how the tension between appearance and reality becomes central to the tragedy that unfolds in each work.

To begin, both Macbeth and Gatsby carefully construct false appearances to conceal their ambitions and flaws. In Macbeth, Shakespeare introduces a world where “fair is foul, and foul is fair”, immediately establishing that appearances are unreliable. Macbeth, once hailed as a noble hero, adopts a mask of honour to cloak his growing desire for power. After plotting Duncan’s murder, he declares: “False face must hide what the false heart doth know,” signalling his willingness to embrace deception. Shakespeare’s use of soliloquy and metaphor here reveals the conscious performance Macbeth adopts to achieve his goals.

Likewise, Gatsby in Fitzgerald’s novel reinvents himself entirely, rising from James Gatz, a poor farmer’s son, to “Jay Gatsby,” the mysterious millionaire of West Egg. Gatsby hosts extravagant parties and wears expensive suits to project wealth and status, all in pursuit of an idealised version of love. Fitzgerald uses setting, costume imagery, and narrative ambiguity to illustrate Gatsby’s fabrication: his yellow car, Oxford backstory, and lavish mansion become symbols of his constructed identity. In both texts, surface appearance is deliberately manipulated to achieve personal ends, though while Macbeth seeks political power, Gatsby seeks romantic fulfilment.

Both authors further develop the theme through the deception of others, using dramatic irony to expose the tension between what characters believe and what the audience knows. In Macbeth, Duncan’s trust in Macbeth is tragically misplaced. When he arrives at Inverness, he remarks on the castle’s “pleasant seat”, unaware that Macbeth is plotting his murder. The audience, however, is painfully aware, Shakespeare uses this ironic contrast to emphasise the danger of mistaking appearance for truth.

Fitzgerald takes a more subtle but equally effective approach in The Great Gatsby, using Nick Carraway’s first-person narration to gradually peel away Gatsby’s façade. Early in the novel, Gatsby is shrouded in rumour, many guests at his parties don’t even know him. Daisy, too, is seduced by Gatsby’s charm but ultimately returns to the protection of her marriage with Tom. Here, Fitzgerald uses narrative delay, unreliable gossip, and the symbolism of Gatsby’s parties to show how society is complicit in the illusion. Both texts highlight how misperception is sustained by social blindness, and how characters become victims of their own lies, or those of others.

A crucial layer of this theme is self-deception, the illusion not only of how others see the character, but how characters see themselves. Macbeth becomes increasingly deluded, interpreting ambiguous prophecies as guarantees of invincibility. His famous vision “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”, marks a moment where illusion and reality begin to blur. Shakespeare uses hallucination, blood imagery, and disjointed language to represent Macbeth’s fractured mental state. He believes he can control fate through violence, but the illusion of power collapses into paranoia and guilt.

Gatsby, too, is trapped by his own idealism. He cannot accept that Daisy may never have truly loved him, and clings to the fantasy that the past can be reclaimed: “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” Fitzgerald uses the green light as a recurring symbol of Gatsby’s dream which is bright, distant, and ultimately unattainable. Even when confronted with the truth of Daisy’s shallowness and Tom’s cruelty, Gatsby continues to believe in his constructed reality. Both authors use these moments of symbolic collapseto illustrate how self-deception drives characters toward tragic ends.

Finally, Shakespeare and Fitzgerald use the collapse of illusion to critique societies obsessed with status and image. In Macbeth, the kingdom descends into tyranny, ruled by fear and suspicion. Macbeth’s illusion of power is unsustainable, once reality pierces his appearance, he is isolated and destroyed. Shakespeare’s tragic structure, culminating in Macbeth’s death and Malcolm’s restoration, reinforces that truth must eventually conquer illusion.

In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s death symbolises the death of the American Dream. Though admired by many, he dies alone, abandoned even by Daisy. Fitzgerald underscores this emptiness in Nick’s reflection: “They were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” The illusion of love, class, and identity has evaporated, revealing a society driven by superficial values. Both authors close their texts by revealing that beneath the glittering appearance lies profound moral failure, and both protagonists are casualties of their own myths.

In conclusion, both Macbeth and The Great Gatsby interrogate the theme “nothing is as it seems” by exposing how appearances are constructed, misinterpreted, and ultimately destroyed. Through symbolism, irony, narrative structure, and psychological characterisation, Shakespeare and Fitzgerald demonstrate that illusion may be powerful but it cannot endure. Whether in the ambition of a Scottish thane or the dream of a self-made millionaire, the pursuit of illusion leads to ruin when reality inevitably reasserts itself.

5. Theme: Opposites / Contrasts

Sample Question: Discuss how opposition or contrast is used to shape meaning in two of the works you have studied.

Texts: Hamlet by William Shakespeare and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Essay Outline

1. Introduction
   1. Context: Literary works often rely on contrast to illuminate character development, thematic tension, or societal critique.
   2. Overview:
      1. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses oppositions between action and hesitation, appearance and reality, and life and death to explore existential anxiety and moral conflict.
      2. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger contrasts childhood innocence with adult phoniness, and external rebellion vs internal vulnerability to reveal the alienation of adolescence.
   3. Thesis Statement: Both Shakespeare and Salinger use opposition and contrast as central structural and thematic devices to convey inner turmoil and critique social values. These opposing forces drive the protagonists’ internal conflict and reveal their struggle to find truth and authenticity in a disordered world.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Action vs Inaction / Rebellion vs Withdrawal
   1. Point: Both Hamlet and Holden are paralysed by indecision and internal conflict, creating dramatic and emotional tension.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Hamlet: Delay in avenging his father → “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.”
      2. Catcher: Holden criticises everything but does little to change his circumstances.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Hamlet: Soliloquy, antithesis, rhetorical questions
      2. Catcher: Colloquial language, stream of consciousness, internal monologue
   4. Effect: Both authors use opposition between thought and action to expose the psychological paralysis of their protagonists.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Appearance vs Reality / Authenticity vs Phoniness
   1. Point: Both protagonists wrestle with the dissonance between what people appear to be and what they truly are.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Hamlet: Deception at court, Claudius’ false piety, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s betrayal.
         → “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.”
      2. Catcher: Holden’s constant accusations of “phoniness” in adults and institutions.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Hamlet: Dramatic irony, motif of disguise and spying, metaphor
      2. Catcher: Repetition of “phony”, symbolism (red hunting hat), narrative tone
   4. Effect: These contrasts reveal the protagonists’ longing for truth and their mistrust of the world around them.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Youth vs Maturity / Life vs Death
   1. Point: Both texts contrast youth and innocence with adult corruption, as well as life’s vitality with its inevitable decay.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Hamlet: Obsession with death, graveyard scene, skull of Yorick → “Alas, poor Yorick!”
      2. Catcher: Holden’s dream of being the “catcher” who saves children from falling into adulthood.
         → “If they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.”
   3. Techniques:
      1. Hamlet: Imagery of decay, symbolism of graves/skulls, existential tone
      2. Catcher: Symbolism (carousel, museum), nostalgic tone, childlike diction
   4. Effect: Contrast between innocence and experience shapes the protagonists’ view of the world and deepens their internal struggle to find purpose.
5. Conclusion
   1. Reaffirm thesis: Shakespeare and Salinger use opposition as a central structuring device to convey their protagonists’ moral and emotional conflicts.
   2. Hamlet: Contrasts drive the tragic arc and philosophical depth.
   3. Catcher: Contrasts define Holden’s alienation and desire for purity in a corrupt world.
   4. Final thought: In both texts, meaning is shaped not by clarity or resolution, but by the tension between what is and what could be.

Model Answer

In both William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, opposition and contrast are central devices used to shape meaning. These texts explore tension between action and inaction, truth and illusion, and innocence and maturity, using these contrasts to reflect the protagonists’ emotional and philosophical struggles. While Hamlet is consumed by existential uncertainty and delayed vengeance, Holden is paralysed by disillusionment and a desperate desire to preserve innocence. Through structural tension, tone, characterisation, and recurring motifs, Shakespeare and Salinger reveal that meaning is found not in resolution, but in the turbulence between conflicting forces.

One of the most prominent oppositions in both texts is the tension between thought and action, which becomes a source of internal paralysis for both protagonists. Hamlet spends much of the play grappling with the moral implications of avenging his father’s murder. His famous soliloquy “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” reveals his tendency to overanalyse rather than act, and Shakespeare uses antithesis, rhetorical questions, and soliloquy structureto emphasise Hamlet’s fragmented psyche. Although he is urged to take revenge, his intellect and ethical sensitivity prevent him from doing so impulsively. Similarly, Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye constantly criticises the world around him by calling people “phony,” lamenting adult hypocrisy, and fantasising about escape, but rarely acts on his feelings. His energy is internalised through a wandering narrative voice that reflects his stasis. Salinger’s use of stream of consciousness and digressive narration mirrors Holden’s mental looping, where desire for authenticity never materialises into meaningful change. In both texts, this contrast between what is thought and what is done contributes to a sense of disconnection from the world and deepens the characters’ alienation.

A second key contrast lies in the theme of appearance versus reality, particularly in how the protagonists perceive those around them. Hamlet is acutely aware of deception at court, especially the duplicity of Claudius, who presents himself as a gracious ruler but is in fact a fratricidal usurper. Hamlet notes, “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain,”highlighting the performative nature of power. Shakespeare reinforces this through the motif of disguise and eavesdropping, where characters are frequently watched or manipulated through misdirection. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden similarly perceives a disjunction between how people act and who they really are. He often complains about actors, teachers, and adults who behave in inauthentic ways. The repetition of the word “phony” becomes a verbal symbol of his distrust. Yet Holden, too, lies and constructs false identities by calling himself “Rudolf Schmidt” to a stranger, revealing that the line between truth and performance is blurred. Salinger uses narrative irony to show that Holden is often unaware of his own contradictions. Both texts show that disillusionment with the external world stems from an inability to reconcile surface appearances with internal realities.

Another major opposition explored in both works is that between youth and maturity, or innocence and experience. For Hamlet, this takes the form of an obsessive preoccupation with mortality and decay. The graveyard scene, where Hamlet contemplates the skull of Yorick, becomes a powerful symbol of the tension between life and death: “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” Shakespeare uses gruesome imagery, black humour, and existential rhetoric to reflect on the inevitability of death and the futility of human achievement. Holden, meanwhile, is terrified of growing up, equating adulthood with loss of honesty, spontaneity, and emotional connection. His dream of being the “catcher in the rye” a protector who saves children from falling off a cliff symbolises his resistance to the adult world. “If they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them,” he says, painting a vivid metaphor for suspended innocence. Salinger uses childlike diction, nostalgic tone, and symbols like the museumand carousel to represent Holden’s longing for a world that does not change. While Hamlet is forced to confront death and face existential collapse, Holden attempts to resist change altogether, though ultimately learns to accept a small measure of emotional growth.

By positioning their protagonists at the heart of these opposing forces, both Shakespeare and Salinger create meaning through the tension, not the resolution, of conflict. Hamlet’s tragic arc is defined by delay and philosophical indecision as he cannot reconcile his sense of justice with his fear of damnation. Salinger’s Holden similarly avoids resolution, wandering through New York seeking connection, while constantly retreating into cynicism. In both cases, opposition becomes a lens through which the reader explores the instability of identity, the pressure of social roles, and the complexity of emotional experience.

In conclusion, Shakespeare and Salinger use contrast and opposition to shape meaning by placing their protagonists in conflict with themselves and the world around them. Hamlet’s vacillation between revenge and reflection, and Holden’s struggle between innocence and alienation, reveal how internal contradictions become sources of insight. Through their use of language, structure, symbolism, and perspective, both authors demonstrate that truth lies not in clarity, but in the grey space between polarities.

6. Theme: Time

Sample Question: How do authors of two works you have studied explore the concept of time?

Texts: Dune by Frank Herbert and King Lear by William Shakespeare

Essay Outline

1. Introduction
   1. Context: Time in literature is often tied to cycles of power, generational change, and human limitation.
   2. Overview:
      1. In Dune, Herbert presents time as something prophetic and manipulated, exploring the tension between free will and destiny.
      2. In King Lear, Shakespeare frames time as a tragedy of misjudgement, aging, and decay, where characters only gain insight when it is too late.
   3. Thesis Statement: Both Herbert and Shakespeare explore time as a force that reveals the limits of human understanding. Through structure, character transformation, and symbolism, they show how power and knowledge are deeply shaped by time, whether accelerated toward a destined future or unravelled in the face of aging and regret.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Time and Power / Legacy
   1. Point: Both texts link time to shifting power and the desire to leave a legacy.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Dune: Paul Atreides is burdened by visions of the future and the legacy of his house.
      2. King Lear: Lear’s abdication of the throne leads to power collapse; he hopes to control time by choosing his legacy but fails.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Dune: Flash-forward visions, nonlinear prophecy, epigraphs from future history
      2. King Lear: Irony, symbolism (storm, blindness), tragic structure
   4. Effect: Both authors show how misunderstanding or attempting to control time leads to downfall and chaos.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Time and Character Transformation
   1. Point: Time becomes the catalyst for characters’ growth or descent.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Dune: Paul evolves from a boy to the messianic Muad’Dib, shaped by time-bound prophecy.
      2. King Lear: Lear moves from arrogance to insight, too late, realising “I am a very foolish fond old man.”
   3. Techniques:
      1. Dune: Mythic tone, development through temporal gaps, internal monologue
      2. King Lear: Catharsis, emotional contrast, symbolic regression
   4. Effect: Time is transformative in both texts, but its revelations come with irreversible cost.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Time, Mortality, and Fate
   1. Point: Time ultimately enforces mortality and limits human control.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Dune: Paul’s awareness of the jihad he cannot prevent tragedy of knowing the future.
      2. King Lear: Death of Cordelia and Lear’s collapse → futility of trying to master fate or delay death.
   3. Techniques:
      1. Dune: Prophetic tone, symbolic visions, cyclical motifs