Choosing Your HLE Text With No Regrets
- Let’s be real. Writing the Higher Level Essay can feel like a mission.
- But it becomes way more manageable (and even slightly enjoyable) if you start with the right text.
- First rule: no cheating the system.
- You can’t use the same texts you used for your IO or Paper 2.
- The IB is strict on this. Don’t test it.
Step 1: Pick a text you actually care about
- Don't choose a text just because you think it’ll be easier to write on. That strategy almost always backfires.
- Choose a text you actually found compelling, or at least memorable.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (themes: power, gender, identity)
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (themes: repression, coming of age, voice)
- A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen (themes: feminism, societal roles, freedom)
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (themes: identity, illusion vs reality, capitalism)
Ask yourself: Would I rather spend hours writing about this or slowly lose the will to live trying to force a theme out of something I barely remember?
Step 2: Think theme-first
- Start with a theme that genuinely intrigues you, something you’ve debated in class or thought about outside school.
- Then, look for the text that handles it in the most layered, analytical way.
- Popular themes students explore:
- The construction of identity
- The effects of power and control
- The conflict between individual and society
- The representation of trauma or memory
- Gender roles and rebellion
- Love the idea of surveillance and autonomy? 1984 is a great pick.
- Interested in trauma and memory? Try Beloved by Toni Morrison.
- Fascinated by gender dynamics? A Doll’s House or The Handmaid’s Tale offer tons to work with.
