Anyone doing Emma by Austen?

[PringlePop]

So I am a little freaked about the exam :S

With an "interpretation", are we meant to stay away from the generic 'theme essay'? Because all of the prac essays I've done have been about measurement and limitations. This ALWAYS leads to a discussion of society and imagination -  but they are themes!!!

Is this necessarily a bad thing?

I hope that made sense :S

[EvangelionZeta]

You need to have some element of thematic discussion, but you have to ground it in the passages.  Always lead in to society and imagination - just frame it so that arrives from your engagement with language and so forth.

(and yes I do Austen too :p)

[PringlePop]

Thanks!

You're quite the English and Literature celebrity

[iffets12345]

In my opinion, Close Analysis needs themes as the back bone of your discussion, but you simply focus in on language and other forms of analysis along the way.

[masonnnn]

also, if you notice any of austin's good old irony/ satirical humour, exam markers seem to love when that's mentioned. they mentioned that the highest scoring responses always mentioned that somewhere and we had ours marked externally and her humor was a big point of emphasis

[iffets12345]

I can't tell when something is humourous, and when something is in verse/prose for Hamlet.

[simpak]

I can't tell when something is humourous, and when something is in verse/prose for Hamlet.

Can you identify iambic pentameter?

Also, you should talk about 'themes' without having to say 'themes'.  If you are talking about these things in relation to how the author FEELS about them (views and values) then you won't be running into problems because you will be addressing the criteria.

[iffets12345]

Um, I can identify that, but I don't see the point of mentioning it if I can't really discuss its purpose in any measurable way. Was it that important in Hamlet?