IB English A Lit Topic Structure in Prose Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB English A Lit Topic Structure in Prose Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Structure in Prose: A Guide for Analysis

If you want to smash prose analysis, it’s all about looking at how the writer tells the story, not just what they’re saying.
That means paying attention to their language choices, how the whole thing is structured, and the kind of style or voice they use.

What Counts as Prose?

Extracts from novels or short stories
Autobiographical or biographical non-fiction
Memoirs or personal essays

Core Areas to Focus On

1. Narrative Voice and Point of View

First-person = intimate, subjective, unreliable?
Third-person limited = restricted knowledge, creates suspense
Third-person omniscient = gives broader insight into characters/events
Shifts in perspective = can mark key turning points or contrasts

Tip

Always ask who is telling the story and why it matters.

Example

First-person: The Catcher in the Rye “If you really want to hear about it…” → personal, subjective, and unreliable.
Third-person limited: Harry Potter “Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley” → restricted to Harry’s view.
Third-person omniscient: Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike…” → narrator knows and tells all.
Shifting perspective: As I Lay Dying “My mother is a fish.” → changes in narrator reveal emotional and mental contrasts.

2. Characterisation

Look at how the author builds characters through:

Dialogue

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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

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.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

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

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.

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

Structure in Prose: A Guide for Analysis

If you want to smash prose analysis, it’s all about looking at how the writer tells the story, not just what they’re saying.
That means paying attention to their language choices, how the whole thing is structured, and the kind of style or voice they use.

What Counts as Prose?

Extracts from novels or short stories
Autobiographical or biographical non-fiction
Memoirs or personal essays

Core Areas to Focus On

1. Narrative Voice and Point of View

First-person = intimate, subjective, unreliable?
Third-person limited = restricted knowledge, creates suspense
Third-person omniscient = gives broader insight into characters/events
Shifts in perspective = can mark key turning points or contrasts

Tip

Always ask who is telling the story and why it matters.

Example

First-person: The Catcher in the Rye “If you really want to hear about it…” → personal, subjective, and unreliable.
Third-person limited: Harry Potter “Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley” → restricted to Harry’s view.
Third-person omniscient: Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike…” → narrator knows and tells all.
Shifting perspective: As I Lay Dying “My mother is a fish.” → changes in narrator reveal emotional and mental contrasts.

2. Characterisation

Look at how the author builds characters through:

Dialogue

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 Analysis5 subtopics

Paper 1 Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay (HLE)3 subtopics

IB English A Lit Structure in Prose Notes

Everything You Need to Know About Analysis5 subtopics

Paper 1 Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay (HLE)3 subtopics

Structure in Prose: A Guide for Analysis

What Counts as Prose?

Core Areas to Focus On

1. Narrative Voice and Point of View

2. Characterisation

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

Structure in Prose: A Guide for Analysis

What Counts as Prose?

Core Areas to Focus On

1. Narrative Voice and Point of View

2. Characterisation

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