What Is Prose Fiction?

Prose fiction is imaginative writing in prose form, encompassing novels, novellas, and short stories. In IB English Literature, prose fiction often explores themes, characters, narrative voice, and setting, and requires close reading to interpret style and structure.

SPICES: A Prose Fiction Annotation Guide for IB English A: Literature

Use this framework to annotate and analyze prose fiction extracts in Paper 1 and other assessments. Each section will help you deepen your understanding of the text and structure a strong literary commentary.

1. S – Setting

The where and when that shapes mood, tone, and conflict.

1. What is the physical and social setting?
2. How is the setting described (imagery, symbolism)?
3. What tone does the setting establish?
4. How does the setting influence the characters or plot?
5. Are there any customs, traditions, or values at play?
6. Does the setting create tension, isolation, or safety?

2. P – Perspective (Narrative Voice)

The lens through which the story is told.

1. What point of view is used (first-person, third-person, etc.)?
2. How reliable is the narrator? Biased or objective?
3. What does the narrator reveal or conceal?
4. How does the perspective shape reader understanding?
5. Are there shifts in voice, tone, or time?

3. I – Ideas

The themes, messages, and emotional impact of the passage.

1. What big ideas or themes emerge (e.g. identity, freedom, trauma)?
2. What is the author saying about life or human nature?
3. Are there philosophical, moral, or societal questions raised?
4. What emotions is the reader meant to feel?
5. Does the story challenge or reinforce norms?

4. C – Characters

Who the people are and how they are revealed.

1. How are characters described (physically and psychologically)?
2. What are their motives, fears, or desires?
3. How do they behave and interact with others?
4. Do they change (dynamic) or stay the same (static)?
5. What do other characters say or think about them?

5. E – Events (Conflict + Structure)

The action and shape of the story.

1. What is the main conflict (internal/external)?
2. What part of the narrative arc is this (climax, exposition, etc.)?
3. How does the pacing affect the tension?
4. Are there flashbacks, shifts in time, or non-linear events?
5. How do the events reflect or complicate character development?

6. S – Style

The author’s craft and literary choices.

1. How does the author use:
   1. Tone and mood?
   2. Imagery, metaphor, simile, personification?
   3. Diction (formal, informal, emotive, symbolic)?
   4. Symbolism or recurring motifs?
   5. Dialogue or internal monologue?
   6. Foreshadowing or irony?
   7. Syntax (long/short sentences, structure)?
   8. How do these elements support themes or affect the reader?

Prose Fiction Model Answer

Text Extract

They said the power would be back by nightfall. But nightfall had come and gone, and the house sat in silence—deep, pressing, breathless silence. Lydia moved through the hallway with the only source of light: an old brass lantern she’d found in the attic. The flame flickered nervously, casting distorted shadows across the peeling wallpaper and making the coat rack resemble a hunched man. Every few steps, the flame would stutter, and the hallway would swell with shadow before shrinking again into dull yellow light.

She told herself the noise upstairs was just the wind. It had to be. The windows were rattling again, and every few seconds the roof creaked like it was exhaling. Still, her steps slowed when she reached the foot of the staircase. She squinted up into the darkness, her free hand curling into a fist. Even in daylight, the staircase was narrow and steep, carpeted with a runner so old it had dulled to the colour of dried blood.

The house had belonged to her grandmother. Lydia had only been here once as a child, and the memories were all half-formed and uneasy—mismatched china dolls, locked doors, the scent of burnt toast, the long silence that seemed to press down over every room. Her grandmother had died quietly and alone in this very house, her absence noticed only when the postman complained about the smell. Now, with her parents gone and the will signed, the house was Lydia’s. But it didn’t feel like it belonged to her. Not yet.

As she placed one foot on the bottom stair, she paused again. She could feel the air change—thicker, colder. She strained to hear something familiar, some sign that this place was hers now. Instead, from the top of the stairs, a soft clinking sound echoed—a rhythmic tapping, like someone brushing metal against glass. Lydia froze. It was a delicate sound, almost polite, but too persistent to ignore.

“Hello?” she called. Her voice came out embarrassingly thin, barely reaching the second step. The silence that followed seemed heavier than before, like a held breath waiting to be exhaled.

Slowly, reluctantly, she climbed the stairs, the lantern swaying slightly in her grip. With each step, the tapping seemed to retreat, then resume. The flame flared briefly at the landing, illuminating the water stains that stretched across the ceiling like bruises. The tapping had stopped. She turned the corner—and gasped.

A mirror. Just a mirror.

Her pale face stared back, eyes wide, breath uneven. Her features looked unfamiliar in the warped glass—older, perhaps, or simply more frightened than she expected. But something else caught her attention. Behind her, in the reflection, the hallway was not empty.

She spun around. Nothing. No one. Just the hallway again. Still, empty, cold.

But when she looked back at the mirror, the shape remained. Not a figure, exactly—more like a curve of shadow, a smear in the light. She lifted the lantern higher, watching its glow ripple across the glass. The shape twitched slightly, as though it had noticed her noticing.

Lydia backed away slowly. Her feet made no sound on the runner. The flame wavered once, then again. For a brief second, the hallway vanished completely into darkness. And when the light returned, the shape in the mirror was gone. But the house no longer felt empty.

Guiding Question:

How does the writer use literary techniques to evoke a feeling of unease and psychological tension in the extract?

Essay Outline:

1. Introduction
   1. Introduce the extract and directly address the guiding question.
   2. Identify the writer's overall intent: to immerse the reader in Lydia's unease and psychological discomfort.
   3. Briefly preview the main techniques (setting, imagery, narrative structure).
2. Body Paragraph 1 – Setting and Personification
   1. Point: The writer uses the house's setting to evoke isolation and threat.
   2. Evidence: "deep, pressing, breathless silence"; "roof creaked like it was exhaling"
   3. Explanation: These examples personify the house, creating an ominous atmosphere that mirrors Lydia's inner fear.
   4. Link: The setting becomes a character, generating unease through its oppressive presence.
3. Body Paragraph 2 – Distorted Sensory Imagery
   1. Point: Auditory and visual distortion heightens tension and reflects Lydia's psychological instability.
   2. Evidence: "soft clinking sound... like someone brushing metal against glass"; "coat rack resemble a hunched man"
   3. Explanation: These images confuse the senses and suggest danger, building psychological unease.
   4. Link: The reader experiences Lydia’s uncertainty and fear first-hand.
4. Body Paragraph 3 – Narrative Perspective and Structure
   1. Point: Limited third-person perspective and fragmented syntax mirror Lydia's fragile mental state.
   2. Evidence: "It had to be the wind."; "A mirror. Just a mirror."; "The hallway was not empty."
   3. Explanation: These narrative choices restrict knowledge and pace the tension, making the reader share in Lydia's doubt and panic.
   4. Link: Structure and perspective work together to sustain unresolved tension.
5. Conclusion
   1. Summarise how the writer’s use of setting, imagery, and narrative technique work cohesively.
   2. Reinforce how these techniques immerse the reader in psychological tension.
   3. End with a final reflection on the emotional effect of the passage.

Model Answer (20/20 Response)

In the extract “The Lantern”, the writer skilfully evokes a feeling of unease and psychological tension through three core literary techniques: the use of a threatening and personified setting, distorted sensory imagery, and the manipulation of narrative perspective and structure. Rather than relying on external action, the passage immerses readers in Lydia’s internal state, crafting fear from within through subtle and unsettling details. These techniques work cohesively to draw readers into Lydia’s perspective and make them experience her disorientation and dread.

To evoke a sense of psychological unease, the writer first establishes a personified and hostile setting that mirrors Lydia’s inner emotional state. The description of the house sitting in “deep, pressing, breathless silence” creates a stifling atmosphere, where the absence of sound becomes oppressive. This silence is not peaceful, but watchful. The simile “the roof creaked like it was exhaling” lends the house a sinister, almost sentient presence—breathing, reacting, alive. Meanwhile, the “flickering” of Lydia’s lantern disrupts any sense of safety, creating unstable lighting that casts “distorted shadows,” making her surroundings seem unfamiliar and threatening. Through these details, the writer transforms the house into a character in its own right—one that unsettles both Lydia and the reader, generating unease from the very space she occupies.

The writer further builds psychological tension by using sensory imagery—particularly sound and sight—to disorient Lydia and the reader simultaneously. The auditory detail of a “soft clinking sound… like someone brushing metal against glass” is not only mysterious but also deliberately unexplained, forcing readers to sit with the same uncertainty that Lydia experiences. Similarly, visual misrecognition deepens the tension: the coat rack that “resembles a hunched man” blurs the line between object and threat, playing on Lydia’s fear of the unknown. These distorted perceptions create a world where the familiar becomes frightening. The technique of sensory distortion reflects Lydia’s unreliable interpretation of her environment and draws the reader into her heightened psychological state.

Finally, the writer uses narrative voice and structural fragmentation to extend psychological tension through form. The use of third-person limited narration confines readers to Lydia’s point of view, immersing us in her thought process without providing objective clarity. When Lydia tells herself, “It had to be the wind,” the reader, like her, is left unsure. This limited perspective means that fear arises not from knowing too much, but from knowing too little. Additionally, the sentence structure at the climax becomes increasingly fragmented—“A mirror. Just a mirror.”—reflecting Lydia’s fractured state of mind. The final line, “The hallway was not empty,” delivers a jarring lack of resolution. It deliberately leaves the reader with a lingering sense of threat and incompleteness, reinforcing the passage’s core emotional effect: unease.

In summary, the writer creates a sustained atmosphere of psychological tension and emotional unease by layering three key techniques: a personified and oppressive setting, distorted sensory perception, and the strategic use of narrative limitation and structural fragmentation. Each technique places the reader inside Lydia’s anxious mind, making fear feel personal and immediate. Through these literary choices, the passage not only tells a suspenseful story—it invites the reader to inhabit the fragile, uncertain world that Lydia must navigate.

Why This is a 20/20 Model Answer Based on the IB Paper 1 Marking Criteria

This response achieves full marks by excelling in all four IB Paper 1 marking criteria:

Criterion A: Understanding and Interpretation (5/5)

1. The essay shows a strong understanding of the text’s purpose: to create emotional tension and immerse the reader in Lydia’s psychological state.
2. It consistently explains how literary techniques evoke unease, especially through setting, imagery, and perspective.
3. The response goes beyond identifying techniques—it explains their emotional and psychological effect on the reader.

Criterion B: Analysis and Evaluation (5/5)

1. The response offers systematic analysis of multiple key techniques: imagery, structure, diction, narrative perspective.
2. It supports each point with precise evidence and detailed evaluation of how each technique contributes to tension.
3. The explanation of why the technique is used is as strong as what the technique is.

Criterion C: Focus and Organization (5/5)

1. The essay follows a logical and cohesive structure with clear topic sentences, transitions, and focused development of ideas.
2. Each paragraph addresses a specific technique and returns clearly to the guiding question.

Criterion D: Language (5/5)

1. The essay demonstrates control and fluency, with varied sentence structure and precise vocabulary.
2. It uses literary terms confidently (e.g. “fragmentation,” “limited perspective,” “sensory distortion”).