IB English World Lit Paper 2

May, 2009 World Lit Works are defined as:

 Medea
 A Doll’s House
 Cyrano de Bergerac
 Like Water for Chocolate
 All Quiet on the Western Front

*World lit paper 2 must be 1000 – 1500 words in length and the number of words
used must be stated at the end of each assignment.

*Each world lit work may be used in ONE assignment only, so the works you used in
your comparative study (WL Paper 1) cannot be used for this paper.

*The nature of the paper must be clearly defined. Define it in your title (for
example, “An Analysis of the Symbols Used by Blobbity Blobb in Blah Blah”)

*You have two options for this paper.

Option 2b: Imaginative or Creative Assignment

• This paper will be based on one world lit work.
• A statement of intent must immediately precede the body of this type of
assignment and must include a brief explanation of all of the following:
o the work on which the assignment will be based
o the nature of the task to be engaged in, including consideration such
as audience, register, and form
o the aspects or elements of the work(s) on which the candidate intends
to focus
o how the candidate intends to explore these aspects or elements.
The statement of intent must be included in the word count. The length of
the statement will depend on the nature of the piece attempted and should
normally not exceed 500 words. However, where the assignment takes the
form of a single piece of writing, such as a short poem, the statement may
be longer than the body of the assignment and longer than 500 words.
Whatever the length of the assignment itself, the total number of words
must be between 1000 and 1500.
 • There are many possibilities for creative approaches to World Lit
assignments which, while giving the candidates an opportunity to exercise
imagination and ingenuity, bring them to a deeper understanding of the work
being explored and to an increased appreciation of the writer. The following
list of suggestions, while not exhaustive, provides some ideas for
assignments.
o The diary of a character accompanied by critical comment by the
candidate.
o A director’s letter to the actor playing a particular role or scene.
o An exercise in which the candidate turns the “story” or a portion of it
into another form such as dramatic monologue, biblical parable, folk
tale, or myth.
o A critic’s review of a dramatic interpretation or performance.
o An editorial objecting to censorship or exclusion of a work from a
school syllabus.
o A letter to a publisher outlining the merits of a work to be published
and reasons for publication.
o The creation of dramatic monologues that play the self-perception of
the characters against the view of other characters or the author.
o A transcription either of an imaginary interview with the author about
the work in question or of a conversation between two authors about
their respective works.
o A postscript to a novel, or an extra chapter.
o An additional scene for a play.A pastiche (an imitation or re-creation
of an already published work): in this assignment, candidates are
encouraged to demonstrate their sensitivity to, and understanding of,
a work by providing an original composition after the manner of that
work.

Option 2c: Detailed Study

• This paper will be based on one WL work.
• There are a number of approaches to this type of assignment.
o A formal essay: a formal piece of writing that follows a logical
sequence – just an analytical paper.
o Analysis of a key passage: the most important word here is “key.”
The passage for study, whether a paragraph, a chapter, or an extract
from a poem, should have major significance for any of a variety of
explorations that the candidate might choose to make, for example,
 prose or poetic style, character study, plot development, or theme.
The reason why the candidate has chosen the passage should be
briefly explained and the body of the assignment should explain the
significance of the passage to the larger work from which it has been
taken.
o Analysis of two key passages: Two significant passages from the same
work could be selected in order to explore, for example, contrasting
prose styles, descriptive method, character presentation and a range
of other aspects. The candidate needs to justify briefly and pivotal
nature of the passages chosen, and to demonstrate their particular
similarities and differences which the candidate considers
interesting.
o Commentary on an extract: In this exercise, an extract, of
approximately 30 lines of prose (or the equivalent in drama or verse),
is taken from a work for in-depth analysis. Candidates should justify
briefly their selection of the particular extract; the body of the
assignment should explore how language, imagery, organization of
ideas, and stylistic and thematic aspects work in the passage.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

1. The assignment must be the independent work of the candidate. You must work
independently, but with teacher supervision. All work connected with your
assignment must be your own.

2. Ask Mrs. Shaffer to:

a. help you decide which kind of assignment (2b, 2c) you should attempt
b. help you decide on the work on which assignments will be based
c. help you focus the assignment by defining a specific topic
d. help you with the title of the assignment
e. help you decide on the form of imaginative pieces (poem, diary, letter,
whatever)
f. help you decide if you need to consult secondary sources
g. discuss your outlines with you to make sure proposals meet the
requirements of the assignment
h. suggest to you how to modify your proposal if it’s unsuitable
i. discuss you proposal in terms of the assessment criteria
3. Keep all drafts of your paper, either on your computer or as hard copies –
including proposals, outlines, and just plain doodling. It may be necessary for me to
verify the authenticity of your paper and if I can see multiple drafts, that will be
sufficient in most cases. Be sure to turn in your rough draft on time so that I can
give you the most efficient help on this assignment.