WJEC ENGLISH LITERATURE

Principal Moderator’s Comments
“‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ is primarily a novel about a female victim of male power.”
Explore this idea in Hardy’s novel and consider how Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
illuminates your understanding of the core text.
Using a critical quotation to focus the essay allows the candidate to consider different
opinions while also focussing clearly on the core text. Moreover, the way the partner text
should be used is clarified in the task itself. There could be a danger here of by-passing
close analysis of the writers’ techniques and merely dealing with the novels’ ideas. Perhaps
the second half of the task could be re-phrased as, ‘Explore how Hardy presents this idea…’
in order to tackle AO2.
AO1 From the outset the essay focuses on the set task and continues to do so throughout.
The written expression is accurate and fluent and terminology, which can be rather
sophisticated at times, is used in order to illuminate the understanding of the texts. The
response is creative in the way that the student manages to continually explore the critical
quotation with the lightness of touch given to the partner text. When it is used, it is always
with a clear focus and purpose. The essay is well controlled throughout and the argument is
sustained which creates a fluent response. High Band 4.
AO2 Analysis is detailed and productive with some insightful comments on form, structure
and language. Indeed, there is a sound understanding here of the detail of the texts with
some close attention paid to the use of language in specific chapters. Hardy’s narrative
techniques are also considered and the way parts of the novel are structured along with an
awareness of the way form creates meaning, such as the consideration of the use of
rhetorical questions at the end of the ‘The Maiden’. The sophisticated overviews, aware
throughout of how Hardy shapes meaning, are a sign of a confident candidate. Implicit
meanings are explored and there is some considered analysis and evaluation of writers’
techniques.
High Band 4.
AO3 The essay strikes the correct balance between core and partner texts with a willingness
to allow ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ to remain the focus. Connections are only made when
necessary and the detail is always used in order to illuminate the core text. This is done
through the use of language, form and structure as well as using the different contexts of the
texts to compare and illuminate meanings. There is a continual awareness of different
readings, mostly as a response to the critical opinion offered in the wording of the task. The
word ‘explore’ in the task encourages this and the ideas of female conflict, fate, nature and
religion show some sophisticated awareness of other readings of the text other than ‘female
victim of male power.’ It would be better practice to use quotations by critics correctly and to
include a bibliography. High Band 4.
AO4 Contextual detail is woven into the essay and illuminates the texts. This is seen in the
ways that the Victorian era is considered with its social, cultural and political contexts, from
patriarchal power to the industrial revolution. The context of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is used to
illuminate the core text through the discussion of religion. Context is also used in terms of
how the original audiences might have responded in the periods that they were published.
The contexts are used throughout in order to illuminate the core text and to focus on the set
task. High Band 4.
Final Mark 40/40 High Band 4
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