English Comparative (HL) 2013.

Creative Enthusiast

So what's everyone doing for their English Comparative?

I'm in the desicion stage at the moment, but I immediately gravitated towards Children of Men and 1984, because of my familiarity with them and their shared dystopian themes.

Unfortunately I've got no idea what a possible third text could be to compare them to.

Hence, this thread.

Bears and Vodka

How come you are deciding yourself which Comparative texts to take? Are you a teacher or are you doing English by yourself?

I would recommend a play as your third 'text', I think examiners like this variety of media. A lot of schools do a novel, a play, and a film. I think 'Children of Men' is a film and '1984' is a novel? If so, pick a play. It doesn't need to have very similar themes to the other two, as long as you draw it in. If they are very different make a point that 'There is a dystopian theme in X and Y, but not in Z'.

Canard

Well don't forget that there's (a) and (b) parts - one of our texts (The Constant Gardener) worked with our other two but definitely not as well, so we always did that question. Worked out grand, they're usually nicer than the 70 markers. Any kind of vague connection could work, really.

Creative Enthusiast

subz3r0 wrote: »

How come you are deciding yourself which Comparative texts to take? Are you a teacher or are you doing English by yourself?

I'm sitting it externally.

subz3r0 wrote: »

would recommend a play as your third 'text', I think examiners like this variety of media. A lot of schools do a novel, a play, and a film. I think 'Children of Men' is a film and '1984' is a novel? If so, pick a play. It doesn't need to have very similar themes to the other two, as long as you draw it in. If they are very different make a point that 'There is a dystopian theme in X and Y, but not in Z'.

Yes, Children of Men and 1984 are a film and a novel respectively, both of which are set in some sort of fictional future with dystopian themes and both of which are extremely well crafted and impactful.

I completely agree, wholeheartedly in fact, that a play as a third text is always extremely helpful in terms of variety. What worries about the play options we do seem to have for this year, is that during an essay a play taking place in rural Ireland about miscommunication, may seem 'tacked on' compared to the other science fiction texts.

Patchy~ wrote: »

Well don't forget that there's (a) and (b) parts - one of our texts (The Constant Gardener) worked with our other two but definitely not as well, so we always did that question. Worked out grand, they're usually nicer than the 70 markers. Any kind of vague connection could work, really.

I'm familiar with that as well, there was actually one year (I think it might have been 2011), where students of HL were afforded the oppurtunity to only write about two texts instead of three.

It's the connection part that's troubling me at the moment.

PictureFrame

Just do whatever 3 texts come in Key Notes and learn the sample answers they give in that book. My Teacher was atrocious so I decided to do it this way and got my A1 in Honours..

Creative Enthusiast

PictureFrame wrote: »

Just do whatever 3 texts come in Key Notes and learn the sample answers they give in that book. My Teacher was atrocious so I decided to do it this way and got my A1 in Honours..

It's never easy is it?

I doubt I'll be able to get another new book, but I'll see what I can do about working on it.

It's a pity someone whose doing the leaving this year hasn't posted in this thread, I'd love to discuss it with someone whose doing the same two texts as I am.

Bears and Vodka

Creative Enthusiast wrote: »

I'd love to discuss it with someone whose doing the same two texts as I am.

It may be very difficult to find a person who's doing exactly the same two texts as you. There are about forty texts available for mix and match for the comparative. Every school does something different, whatever the teacher likes best.

MWick94

I'm doing the LC this year, but we're doing I'm Not Scared (film), Sive (play) and Wuthering Heights (novel). I definitely recommend doing a film, a novel and a play because literary genre is one of the comparative modes for our year.

Creative Enthusiast

subz3r0 wrote: »

It may be very difficult to find a person who's doing exactly the same two texts as you. There are about forty texts available for mix and match for the comparative. Every school does something different, whatever the teacher likes best.

This is very true, however unfortunate it may be.

MWick94 wrote: »

I'm doing the LC this year, but we're doing I'm Not Scared (film), Sive (play) and Wuthering Heights (novel). I definitely recommend doing a film, a novel and a play because literary genre is one of the comparative modes for our year.

I just realised, Sive is a perfect text to use in comparison to Children of Men and 1984.

THANK YOU.