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
Description
Internal thoughts
Actions and reactions
What other characters say about them
Active recall
How is the character constructed?
What is revealed about their psychology or motivation?
3. Setting and Atmosphere
How is the setting described?
What mood is created through sensory details?
How does the setting mirror characters’ emotions or themes?
Example
In The Great Gatsby, the Valley of Ashes is described as “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens.”
Analysis:
Fitzgerald’s setting is bleak, barren, and unnatural.
The grotesque imagery of ashes replacing organic life creates a desolate, lifeless landscape that immediately contrasts with the glamour of East and West Egg.
4. Structure and Pacing
Is the story told in chronological order?
Are there flashbacks or time shifts?
How do paragraph and sentence lengths affect rhythm or tension?
Are there contrasts between sections?
Tip
Chronological structure can reflect inevitability or a character’s journey.
Flashbacks and time shifts deepen emotional impact or reveal psychological complexity.
Short sentences create tension or deliver emotional impact; long sentences slow pacing and add reflection.
Contrasts between sections highlight thematic conflict or character development.
5. Language and Style
Imagery: Visual, tactile, auditory, etc.
Symbolism: Objects, colours, or actions that represent larger ideas.
Tone: Angry? Reflective? Satirical? Nostalgic?
Diction: What do specific word choices reveal?
Syntax: Long flowing sentences? Short fragments?
Tip
Always link technique → effect → purpose.
6. Theme and Purpose
Memory
Power and control
Coming of age
Gender or identity
Trauma and healing
Belonging and alienation
Active recall
Ask yourself: What human issue is the writer exploring?
How to Structure a Prose Paragraph
Use the PEEL method (Point → Evidence → Explanation → Link):
Example
The author uses first-person narration to expose the psychological fragmentation of the protagonist. The opening line, “I cannot remember when I stopped believing her”, immediately casts doubt and invites the reader into a fractured internal world. The use of the pronoun “I” establishes a personal and unreliable voice, while the vague temporal marker “when” highlights the haziness of memory. This unstable perspective reflects a core theme of uncertainty, inviting readers to question the boundary between perception and truth.
This is a strong PEEL paragraph. Each element is there:
Point (first-person shows fragmentation)
Evidence (direct quote)
Explanation (how language conveys instability)
Link (connects to theme of uncertainty)
Exam technique
SCOPE
S, Sequence Is the story told chronologically? Are there flashbacks or time shifts?
C, Contrast Are there structural contrasts (e.g. between chapters, perspectives, or tones)?
O, Order of Information How is information revealed? Is anything withheld for suspense or impact?
P, Pace & Paragraphing How do sentence or paragraph lengths affect rhythm, tension, or tone?
E, Environment & Setting How is the setting described structurally? Does it mirror mood or theme?
Active recall
Have I identified at least one structural feature clearly?
Can I explain the effect of that feature on pacing, theme, or character?
Have I linked structure to the writer’s purpose and tone?
Did I consider how the reader responds as the structure unfolds?
