A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Texts and genres: Elements of political and social
protest writing
Thursday 22 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 3 hours
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]
This extract is taken from Racing Demon written by David Hare and first performed in
1990. Harry is a gay reverend in the Church of England at a time when gay relationships
had been legal for some time but attitudes were still divided. Harry has kept his sexuality
a secret and fears that, if it is exposed, those who attend his church and the wider public
will turn against him. In this scene, he is confronted by a journalist, Tommy, who is
threatening to expose him in the tabloid press.
SCENE FOUR
A darkened street. HARRY going home, in an overcoat, his keys already in his hand as
he approaches the front door of a small terraced house. TOMMY ADAIR steps out of the
shadows, smoking a cigarette.
HARRY: Hello.
TOMMY: I needed a vicar. I needed someone to talk about sin. So I thought I’d come to
an expert.
HARRY: Are you in trouble? Do you mean now? (Frowns.) If it’s not urgent we can
make an appointment.
TOMMY: That’ll be too late. I need to be sorted out by Sunday.
HARRY: Sunday? (Looks closely at TOMMY.) Do you mean before church? (Starts to
move away, suspicious.) Why don’t you ring in the morning? My number’s in
the book.
TOMMY: Don’t fancy me, eh?
(HARRY gets it.)
HARRY: Not in the slightest. Good night.
(But TOMMY at once goes on to the attack, raising his voice for the first time.)
TOMMY: I’m from a well-known national newspaper. I talked with a great friend of yours.
He’s rather a sweet and passive boy.
(HARRY just looks, not answering.)
I’m doing an investigative piece. It’ll appear next Sunday. If we talked you could
give me a number of other names. And that way your own name might not appear.
(There is a pause. Then HARRY moves towards him, casual, not frightened, taking
him on.)
HARRY: I’ll send you the synodical1 paper on exactly the subject you’re interested in.
Yes. The church set up a committee some years ago. A report was commissioned.
I can let you have a copy if you like. If you have space you can print it in full. Did
you know we had a synodical debate? Are you a theological correspondent?
(HARRY moves closer to him.)
The report asserts that genital acts between men are not necessarily wrong. Do you
know those words? ‘Necessarily’? ‘Genital’?
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
, 3
(TOMMY is unamused.)
TOMMY: I wouldn’t advise you to be aggressive. You’re not in a strong position.
HARRY: In fact I am. (Smiles, confident.) You see my big strength is, I don’t believe
you. No friend of mine would have spoken to you. And anyway, my life is between
me and God. And God, as I may best comprehend him, does not work through the
Sunday papers. (Smiles.) Not at least if He’s who I think He is. (Makes to go.)
TOMMY: You’re digging your own grave.
HARRY: I’ll risk that.
TOMMY: (Shrugs) It makes no difference.
HARRY: Then go ahead. Good luck. (Turns and reaches the steps of his house.)
TOMMY: Shall I give your love to Ewan?
(For the first time HARRY stops, his back to us. There is just a moment’s pause in
his step. Then he carries on into the house.)
HARRY: By all means. Do what you like.
SCENE FIVE
The church. HARRY comes in, in his overcoat. He stands a moment, alone in the dark.
HARRY: Lord, I don’t know. Of course I’m frightened. What would you expect? But I
won’t sink to their level.
I won’t speak to Ewan. I trust him. Everything’s fine.
I’ve always been proud that I have no illusions. In the three years I was at
Cambridge I only kissed a man once. By the river actually. In the darkness. I
couldn’t see his face. It still dazzles me, the memory. The three years weren’t
wasted because . . . there was this single moment of unbelievable happiness. Lord,
you know I don’t expect more.
We get by on so little. We all wore flannels2. And herringbone jackets. The
joke is, I still do. We smoked pipes. Long evenings spent discussing Teildhard de
Chardhin3, and thinking what’s his body like under the tweed?
I’m clear-eyed. I think I am. There is people as they are. And there is people as
they could be. The priest’s job is to try and yank the two a little bit closer. It takes a
good deal of time.
People have souls. That man from the newspaper, even. I have to remember.
It’s my duty. But I also have a duty to fight.
Oh God, please help me. I don’t understand. Teach me. How do you fight
without hate?
Glossary
1
synodical – related to the church.
2
flannels – trousers.
3
Teildhard de Chardhin – a priest who wrote about religion and philosophy.
Turn over for Section B
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
, 4
Over Section B and Section C, you must write about three texts from the following list:
Songs of Innocence and of Experience (pre-1900)
Tony Harrison: Selected Poems
The Kite Runner (post-2000 prose)
Harvest (post-2000 prose)
Hard Times (pre-1900)
Henry IV Part I (pre-1900)
A Doll’s House (pre-1900)
The Handmaid’s Tale
Section B
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 2 Songs of Innocence and of Experience – William Blake
‘Rebellious voices in Blake’s poetry are always silenced or ignored.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed exploration of Blake’s authorial
methods.
[25 marks]
or
0 3 Selected Poems – Tony Harrison
‘In Harrison’s poetry, highly educated individuals and those with authority always look
down on the working class.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed exploration of Harrison’s authorial
methods.
[25 marks]
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Texts and genres: Elements of political and social
protest writing
Thursday 22 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 3 hours
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]
This extract is taken from Racing Demon written by David Hare and first performed in
1990. Harry is a gay reverend in the Church of England at a time when gay relationships
had been legal for some time but attitudes were still divided. Harry has kept his sexuality
a secret and fears that, if it is exposed, those who attend his church and the wider public
will turn against him. In this scene, he is confronted by a journalist, Tommy, who is
threatening to expose him in the tabloid press.
SCENE FOUR
A darkened street. HARRY going home, in an overcoat, his keys already in his hand as
he approaches the front door of a small terraced house. TOMMY ADAIR steps out of the
shadows, smoking a cigarette.
HARRY: Hello.
TOMMY: I needed a vicar. I needed someone to talk about sin. So I thought I’d come to
an expert.
HARRY: Are you in trouble? Do you mean now? (Frowns.) If it’s not urgent we can
make an appointment.
TOMMY: That’ll be too late. I need to be sorted out by Sunday.
HARRY: Sunday? (Looks closely at TOMMY.) Do you mean before church? (Starts to
move away, suspicious.) Why don’t you ring in the morning? My number’s in
the book.
TOMMY: Don’t fancy me, eh?
(HARRY gets it.)
HARRY: Not in the slightest. Good night.
(But TOMMY at once goes on to the attack, raising his voice for the first time.)
TOMMY: I’m from a well-known national newspaper. I talked with a great friend of yours.
He’s rather a sweet and passive boy.
(HARRY just looks, not answering.)
I’m doing an investigative piece. It’ll appear next Sunday. If we talked you could
give me a number of other names. And that way your own name might not appear.
(There is a pause. Then HARRY moves towards him, casual, not frightened, taking
him on.)
HARRY: I’ll send you the synodical1 paper on exactly the subject you’re interested in.
Yes. The church set up a committee some years ago. A report was commissioned.
I can let you have a copy if you like. If you have space you can print it in full. Did
you know we had a synodical debate? Are you a theological correspondent?
(HARRY moves closer to him.)
The report asserts that genital acts between men are not necessarily wrong. Do you
know those words? ‘Necessarily’? ‘Genital’?
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
, 3
(TOMMY is unamused.)
TOMMY: I wouldn’t advise you to be aggressive. You’re not in a strong position.
HARRY: In fact I am. (Smiles, confident.) You see my big strength is, I don’t believe
you. No friend of mine would have spoken to you. And anyway, my life is between
me and God. And God, as I may best comprehend him, does not work through the
Sunday papers. (Smiles.) Not at least if He’s who I think He is. (Makes to go.)
TOMMY: You’re digging your own grave.
HARRY: I’ll risk that.
TOMMY: (Shrugs) It makes no difference.
HARRY: Then go ahead. Good luck. (Turns and reaches the steps of his house.)
TOMMY: Shall I give your love to Ewan?
(For the first time HARRY stops, his back to us. There is just a moment’s pause in
his step. Then he carries on into the house.)
HARRY: By all means. Do what you like.
SCENE FIVE
The church. HARRY comes in, in his overcoat. He stands a moment, alone in the dark.
HARRY: Lord, I don’t know. Of course I’m frightened. What would you expect? But I
won’t sink to their level.
I won’t speak to Ewan. I trust him. Everything’s fine.
I’ve always been proud that I have no illusions. In the three years I was at
Cambridge I only kissed a man once. By the river actually. In the darkness. I
couldn’t see his face. It still dazzles me, the memory. The three years weren’t
wasted because . . . there was this single moment of unbelievable happiness. Lord,
you know I don’t expect more.
We get by on so little. We all wore flannels2. And herringbone jackets. The
joke is, I still do. We smoked pipes. Long evenings spent discussing Teildhard de
Chardhin3, and thinking what’s his body like under the tweed?
I’m clear-eyed. I think I am. There is people as they are. And there is people as
they could be. The priest’s job is to try and yank the two a little bit closer. It takes a
good deal of time.
People have souls. That man from the newspaper, even. I have to remember.
It’s my duty. But I also have a duty to fight.
Oh God, please help me. I don’t understand. Teach me. How do you fight
without hate?
Glossary
1
synodical – related to the church.
2
flannels – trousers.
3
Teildhard de Chardhin – a priest who wrote about religion and philosophy.
Turn over for Section B
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
, 4
Over Section B and Section C, you must write about three texts from the following list:
Songs of Innocence and of Experience (pre-1900)
Tony Harrison: Selected Poems
The Kite Runner (post-2000 prose)
Harvest (post-2000 prose)
Hard Times (pre-1900)
Henry IV Part I (pre-1900)
A Doll’s House (pre-1900)
The Handmaid’s Tale
Section B
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 2 Songs of Innocence and of Experience – William Blake
‘Rebellious voices in Blake’s poetry are always silenced or ignored.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed exploration of Blake’s authorial
methods.
[25 marks]
or
0 3 Selected Poems – Tony Harrison
‘In Harrison’s poetry, highly educated individuals and those with authority always look
down on the working class.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed exploration of Harrison’s authorial
methods.
[25 marks]
IB/G/Jun25/7717/2B
