AQA_2024: A-level English Literature A - Paper 2A
Texts in Shared Contexts: WW1 and Its Aftermath.
(Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE A
Paper 2A Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath
Wednesday 5 June 2024 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the Insert for use with Section B (enclosed)
a copy of each of the set texts you have studied for this paper. 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 7712/2A.
Read all of the questions. Then choose either Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3. Answer one
question from Section A and both questions from Section B from your chosen option. You must
answer questions from only one option.
Do all rough work in your 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.
, For A-level English Literature A Paper 2A: Texts in Shared Contexts: WW1 and its Aftermath,
focus on the following key areas:
1. Key Themes:
The Brutality of War: Examine the traumatic effects of war on soldiers and civilians,
explored in All Quiet on the Western Front and Regeneration. Focus on the loss of
innocence and disillusionment.
The Futility of War: In Journey’s End, the soldiers' inevitable fate emphasizes the
senselessness of war. Compare this with Birdsong, which shows the personal cost of
conflict.
Post-War Trauma: The psychological impact of war, particularly PTSD, is evident in works
like Regeneration and Birdsong, where soldiers return to a society that doesn’t understand
their suffering.
The Lost Generation: All Quiet on the Western Front and The Waste Land illustrate the
disillusionment of a generation that lived through WW1, searching for meaning in a fractured
world.
Camaraderie and Brotherhood: In Journey’s End and Regeneration, explore the
relationships between soldiers, showing how friendships are both a source of survival and
tragic loss.
2. Key Texts:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque): The horrors of trench warfare and the
emotional toll on soldiers. Focus on the theme of the disillusionment of youth.
Journey’s End (Sherriff): Depicts life in the trenches and the futility of war. Pay attention to
the camaraderie and its contrast with inevitable death.
Regeneration (Barker): Explores the psychological aftermath of war and the impact of
therapy on soldiers. Examine how the war affects mental health.
Birdsong (Faulks): Focus on the trauma of war and its effect on relationships, highlighting
the emotional scars soldiers carry.
The Waste Land (Eliot): A modernist poem reflecting the devastation and disillusionment
after WW1. Focus on its portrayal of a fragmented post-war world.
3. Literary Techniques:
Imagery and Symbolism: In The Waste Land, symbols like the "fire" and "water" represent
destruction and renewal. In All Quiet on the Western Front, imagery of nature contrasts with
the horrors of war.
Narrative Perspective: Consider how different perspectives (e.g., first-person in Birdsong,
third-person in Journey's End) affect the portrayal of war.
Stream of Consciousness: In Regeneration, this technique reveals the psychological
struggles of soldiers.
IB/H/Jun24/G4006/E10 7712/2A
, 2
Option 1
Section A: Poetry Set Text
Answer one question in this section.
Up the Line to Death – ed. Brian Gardner
Either
0 1 Examine the view that poems about combat in this anthology express despair rather
than anger.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
or
0 2 ‘Soldiers go to war with strong values and beliefs.’
In the light of this view, examine the presentation of strong values and beliefs in Up the
Line to Death.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
Scars Upon My Heart – ed. Catherine Reilly
or
0 3 Examine the significance of memory in this anthology.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
or
0 4 ‘In this anthology, the war is presented as strengthening women more than causing them
to suffer.’
Examine this view.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
IB/H/Jun24/7712/2A
, 3
Option 1
Section B: Drama and Prose Contextual Linking
Read the Insert. Answer both questions in this section.
Read the Insert carefully. It is taken from the end of The Patriot’s Progress, a novel by Henry
Williamson (1895–1977), published in 1930. In this extract John Bullock, a young soldier who has
lost his leg in action, returns home.
Answer both questions.
0 5 Explore the significance of conflicting attitudes towards war in this extract.
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways that
Williamson shapes meanings.
[25 marks]
and
0 6 Compare the significance of conflicting attitudes towards war in two other texts you
have studied.
Remember to include in your answer reference to how meanings are shaped in the texts
you are comparing.
You must use one drama text and one prose text in your response, at least one of which
must be a text written post-2000.
[25 marks]
Turn over for the next section
Turn over ►
IB/H/Jun24/7712/2A
Texts in Shared Contexts: WW1 and Its Aftermath.
(Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE A
Paper 2A Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath
Wednesday 5 June 2024 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the Insert for use with Section B (enclosed)
a copy of each of the set texts you have studied for this paper. 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 7712/2A.
Read all of the questions. Then choose either Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3. Answer one
question from Section A and both questions from Section B from your chosen option. You must
answer questions from only one option.
Do all rough work in your 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.
, For A-level English Literature A Paper 2A: Texts in Shared Contexts: WW1 and its Aftermath,
focus on the following key areas:
1. Key Themes:
The Brutality of War: Examine the traumatic effects of war on soldiers and civilians,
explored in All Quiet on the Western Front and Regeneration. Focus on the loss of
innocence and disillusionment.
The Futility of War: In Journey’s End, the soldiers' inevitable fate emphasizes the
senselessness of war. Compare this with Birdsong, which shows the personal cost of
conflict.
Post-War Trauma: The psychological impact of war, particularly PTSD, is evident in works
like Regeneration and Birdsong, where soldiers return to a society that doesn’t understand
their suffering.
The Lost Generation: All Quiet on the Western Front and The Waste Land illustrate the
disillusionment of a generation that lived through WW1, searching for meaning in a fractured
world.
Camaraderie and Brotherhood: In Journey’s End and Regeneration, explore the
relationships between soldiers, showing how friendships are both a source of survival and
tragic loss.
2. Key Texts:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque): The horrors of trench warfare and the
emotional toll on soldiers. Focus on the theme of the disillusionment of youth.
Journey’s End (Sherriff): Depicts life in the trenches and the futility of war. Pay attention to
the camaraderie and its contrast with inevitable death.
Regeneration (Barker): Explores the psychological aftermath of war and the impact of
therapy on soldiers. Examine how the war affects mental health.
Birdsong (Faulks): Focus on the trauma of war and its effect on relationships, highlighting
the emotional scars soldiers carry.
The Waste Land (Eliot): A modernist poem reflecting the devastation and disillusionment
after WW1. Focus on its portrayal of a fragmented post-war world.
3. Literary Techniques:
Imagery and Symbolism: In The Waste Land, symbols like the "fire" and "water" represent
destruction and renewal. In All Quiet on the Western Front, imagery of nature contrasts with
the horrors of war.
Narrative Perspective: Consider how different perspectives (e.g., first-person in Birdsong,
third-person in Journey's End) affect the portrayal of war.
Stream of Consciousness: In Regeneration, this technique reveals the psychological
struggles of soldiers.
IB/H/Jun24/G4006/E10 7712/2A
, 2
Option 1
Section A: Poetry Set Text
Answer one question in this section.
Up the Line to Death – ed. Brian Gardner
Either
0 1 Examine the view that poems about combat in this anthology express despair rather
than anger.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
or
0 2 ‘Soldiers go to war with strong values and beliefs.’
In the light of this view, examine the presentation of strong values and beliefs in Up the
Line to Death.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
Scars Upon My Heart – ed. Catherine Reilly
or
0 3 Examine the significance of memory in this anthology.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
or
0 4 ‘In this anthology, the war is presented as strengthening women more than causing them
to suffer.’
Examine this view.
You must write about at least two poems in your answer.
[25 marks]
IB/H/Jun24/7712/2A
, 3
Option 1
Section B: Drama and Prose Contextual Linking
Read the Insert. Answer both questions in this section.
Read the Insert carefully. It is taken from the end of The Patriot’s Progress, a novel by Henry
Williamson (1895–1977), published in 1930. In this extract John Bullock, a young soldier who has
lost his leg in action, returns home.
Answer both questions.
0 5 Explore the significance of conflicting attitudes towards war in this extract.
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways that
Williamson shapes meanings.
[25 marks]
and
0 6 Compare the significance of conflicting attitudes towards war in two other texts you
have studied.
Remember to include in your answer reference to how meanings are shaped in the texts
you are comparing.
You must use one drama text and one prose text in your response, at least one of which
must be a text written post-2000.
[25 marks]
Turn over for the next section
Turn over ►
IB/H/Jun24/7712/2A
