AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest
writing
Thursday 8 June 2023 Morning Time allowed: 3 hours
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 12-page answer book
• a copy of the set text(s) you have studied for Section B and Section C. These texts must not be
annotated and must not contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7717/2B.
• You must answer the question in Section A, one question from Section B and one question from
Section C. Over Section B and Section C you must write about three texts: one poetry text, one
post-2000 prose text and one further text. At least one of your texts must be written pre-1900.
• Do all rough work in the answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
• In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun23/E5 7717/2B
, 2
Section A
Answer the question in this section.
0 1 Explore the significance of the elements of political and social protest writing in this
extract.
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways the author
has shaped meanings.
[25 marks]
The extract is taken from Lagoon, a science fiction novel by Nnedi Okorafor, published in
2014. The novel portrays events in Lagos, Nigeria, after a group of aliens arrives in the
city. People react with panic to the aliens and this results in the gradual breakdown of
civil society.
In the extract, the protagonist Adaora, with her companions Agu and Anthony, takes
Ayodele (one of the shape-shifting aliens) to see the dying President. In the
confrontation, Ayodele sets out her demands to the President.
The Igbo and the Hausa are indigenous ethnic populations in and around Nigeria.
Adaora stepped forward. “My name is Adaora,” she said. “I am a marine biologist.
This is Ayodele. She is one of them, one of the . . . the extraterrestrials. She is their
ambassador. She was the first to make contact and she seeks an audience with you,
Mr President. We’ve gone through a lot to get her here.”
The soldiers pointed their guns at Ayodele as they moved to shield the President.
“Oh, move aside,” the President snapped at the soldiers, becoming a little more
animated. “Do any of you think you can save my life? Look at me! I’m nearly dead
already!” He muttered something in Hausa. “Come,” he said, looking at Ayodele.
She stepped up to him. Her long braids blew in the soft breeze. Both of the young
soldiers holding up the President looked terrified. Above, the dark sky was warming as
sunrise approached.
“Are you truly a stranger? An extraterrestrial? An alien?”
“Yes.”
“You look like a woman from Igboland.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
He chuckled weakly and then coughed. “Prove it.”
She paused. Then she said, “Watch closely.”
Even as she spoke, her words were falling apart, disappearing into the din of metal
balls on glass, shifting and reshaping along with her body. The soldiers guarding the
President dropped their guns, the wives screamed, and one of his advisors fainted. The
pilot fell to his knees and began to vomit. The President watched with wide eyes.
Thankfully the two soldiers carrying him did not drop him, though one of them started to
sob and the other seemed to be having trouble breathing.
Ayodele was now a broad-shouldered, stocky white man in a blue uniform with bushy
grey hair and beard and haunted eyes. He had a mustache like a handlebar.
Ayodele-the-man put her hands on her hips and cocked her head.
IB/G/Jun23/7717/2B
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest
writing
Thursday 8 June 2023 Morning Time allowed: 3 hours
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 12-page answer book
• a copy of the set text(s) you have studied for Section B and Section C. These texts must not be
annotated and must not contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7717/2B.
• You must answer the question in Section A, one question from Section B and one question from
Section C. Over Section B and Section C you must write about three texts: one poetry text, one
post-2000 prose text and one further text. At least one of your texts must be written pre-1900.
• Do all rough work in the answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
• In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun23/E5 7717/2B
, 2
Section A
Answer the question in this section.
0 1 Explore the significance of the elements of political and social protest writing in this
extract.
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways the author
has shaped meanings.
[25 marks]
The extract is taken from Lagoon, a science fiction novel by Nnedi Okorafor, published in
2014. The novel portrays events in Lagos, Nigeria, after a group of aliens arrives in the
city. People react with panic to the aliens and this results in the gradual breakdown of
civil society.
In the extract, the protagonist Adaora, with her companions Agu and Anthony, takes
Ayodele (one of the shape-shifting aliens) to see the dying President. In the
confrontation, Ayodele sets out her demands to the President.
The Igbo and the Hausa are indigenous ethnic populations in and around Nigeria.
Adaora stepped forward. “My name is Adaora,” she said. “I am a marine biologist.
This is Ayodele. She is one of them, one of the . . . the extraterrestrials. She is their
ambassador. She was the first to make contact and she seeks an audience with you,
Mr President. We’ve gone through a lot to get her here.”
The soldiers pointed their guns at Ayodele as they moved to shield the President.
“Oh, move aside,” the President snapped at the soldiers, becoming a little more
animated. “Do any of you think you can save my life? Look at me! I’m nearly dead
already!” He muttered something in Hausa. “Come,” he said, looking at Ayodele.
She stepped up to him. Her long braids blew in the soft breeze. Both of the young
soldiers holding up the President looked terrified. Above, the dark sky was warming as
sunrise approached.
“Are you truly a stranger? An extraterrestrial? An alien?”
“Yes.”
“You look like a woman from Igboland.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
He chuckled weakly and then coughed. “Prove it.”
She paused. Then she said, “Watch closely.”
Even as she spoke, her words were falling apart, disappearing into the din of metal
balls on glass, shifting and reshaping along with her body. The soldiers guarding the
President dropped their guns, the wives screamed, and one of his advisors fainted. The
pilot fell to his knees and began to vomit. The President watched with wide eyes.
Thankfully the two soldiers carrying him did not drop him, though one of them started to
sob and the other seemed to be having trouble breathing.
Ayodele was now a broad-shouldered, stocky white man in a blue uniform with bushy
grey hair and beard and haunted eyes. He had a mustache like a handlebar.
Ayodele-the-man put her hands on her hips and cocked her head.
IB/G/Jun23/7717/2B
