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Discussing the themes and images in 'My Mother's Perfume', particularly the sinister tone and atmosphere as the persona has a toxic relationship with the mother.
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GCSE English Literature podcast exploring who is trapped and powerless in Of Mice and Men, looking at George's predicament in having to shoot Lennie to save him from Curley.
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A GCSE English Literature revision podcast exploring how imperialism and the legacy of slavery affect justice in the novel and how this theme connects the threads of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson's stories.
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How impulsive is Romeo in Shakespeare's tragedy? In this podcast I explore some different critical viewpoints, such as Romeo as a character fighting for masculine identity, and Romeo as 'tamed' by Juliet.
GCSE English Literature, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
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Unpacking how Elizabeth Gaskell's novel is structured as a Bildungsroman around the change of Margaret Hale, and also how Thornton changes too from a Malthusian autocrat to someone prepared to make a difference in the lives of his workers.
A Level English Literature, North and South
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Looking at how Austen satirises her society's obsession with social rank, and shows how Darcy changes and develops through comparing him with his aunt and her traditional views on marriage.
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This podcast explores the way that Austen differs from other female novelists of her time, who often wrote melodramatic stories of virtuous heroines, kidnapped, and forced to suffer, before being rewarded with happy marriages. Austen's realism means that she avoids some of the black-and-white simplicity of Miss Prism's pronouncement: "The good ended happily; the bad ended unhappily. That is what Fiction means." (Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest) Lydia is a morally transgressive character, and she has to live with the consequences of her actions... Though she is not punished in the way that Lady Catherine and Collins suggest she should be. Austen's preferred method of didacticism is through satire and wit.
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I explore how to approach this essay question when the marking is weighted towards context. Looking at Charlotte Lucas and lack of female empowerment and choices, Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy as a misunderstood hero. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice for GCSE English Literature.
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In this episode I explain the flaws in Lydia and Wickham's characters, and how Lydia's decision to run away with Wickham nearly ruins the lives of the whole family. Thankfully, Darcy comes to the rescue as the true hero of the story, not even seeking credit for his actions. Austen uses Lydia and Wickham to show the severe consequences of impropriety, and to display more brightly the better moral conduct of Elizabeth and Darcy.
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Exploring the viewpoint that North and South is more centred around romance than industry. The reality is that Gaskell intertwines the romance plot with her industrial focus throughout the novel. I look at Chapter 10, where John and Margaret first clash in their ideologies about the ethics of industry, and where Gaskell lays the ground for their future relationship as the conflict between them is established. I look at the strike mob in Chapter 22, where Margaret defends John - forming an important midpoint in the novel's structure and combining both the romance and industrial focus. After this, John feels obligated to propose, but how will Gaskell resolve the tensions in the novel? A Level English Literature, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.
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This podcast looks at the character of Catherine and how she represents youth and vitality in Arthur Miller's play. She catalyses Eddie Carbone's tragic fall and also provides a foil to his wife, Beatrice. Arguably she replaces one patriarchal authority for another when she marries Rodolpho, but there are signs Catherine has learned to assert her own desires, which could represent growing independence and freedom for women in post war America. GCSE English Literature
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Is it true that Gaskell's sympathies lie chiefly with the working class? In this episode, I look at the different divisions in the Victorian social structure, and how the characters of Bessy Higgins and the Boucher family create pathos in the novel.
A Level English Literature, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South
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Why does everyone want or need to get married in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? In this episode I unpack more about the situation of Mrs Bennet, young unmarried girls like Jane, Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas, and then why men like Mr Collins would also be under pressure to find a wife. I explore why Bingley's sisters want him to marry Georgiana, and why Lady Catherine wants Darcy to marry her daughter Anne. What is Austen's viewpoint about this social pressure to marry? GCSE English Literature revision
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Looking at the ideas Austen presents through the actions of Jane, Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas, and how she suggests that young women should not be pressured into a loveless marriage merely for economic security. Through the actions of Bingley and Darcy, she also suggests that love justifies going against the judgement of your family, especially when it's based upon something as superficial as social ranking. GCSE English Literature 'Pride and Prejudice'.
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Looking at how Darcy initially seems to be the antagonist of the novel, exhibiting pride and prejudice, but how Austen uses the characters of Collins and Wickham to then contrast to his heroic nature. Darcy learns from his mistakes, and ultimately rescues Lydia in a selfless and generous act of heroism. This moral character is what Austen values, above his income and social rank. GCSE English Literature, Pride and Prejudice.
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Looking at how Austen uses Elizabeth Bennet to question society's definitions of propriety, female accomplishment, social values on marriage, and suggest a vision for mutual companionship and compatability. Also looking at the Bildungsroman structure and how Elizabeth's realisation of her own pride and prejudice lead to her development and maturation. For GCSE English Literature, Pride and Prejudice.
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I give my top tips for writing a GCSE Literature essay, where the weighting is towards context, and use a question on Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' as a worked example from WJEC English Literature. I talk about the importance of the question focus, returning to it throughout the essay, and avoiding the info dump of contextual information, instead using a 'salt and pepper' approach.
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