Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry

J.B. Priestley (1945)

Inspector Goole visits the Birling family to investigate the death of Eva Smith. Each family member is revealed to have played a part. A play about social responsibility, class, and generational change.

Exam tip: Remember the dual time setting: set in 1912, written in 1945. Priestley uses dramatic irony (Birling's predictions about the Titanic and war) to discredit capitalist attitudes.

William Golding (1954)

A group of boys stranded on a deserted island descend from civilised democracy into savagery and violence. An allegorical novel about human nature and the fragility of civilisation.

Exam tip: The island is a microcosm of society. Each character represents an idea: Ralph (democracy), Jack (dictatorship), Piggy (intellect), Simon (morality/spirituality).

George Orwell (1945)

Animals overthrow their human farmer, but the pigs gradually become indistinguishable from the humans they replaced. An allegorical novella satirising the Russian Revolution and totalitarianism.

Exam tip: Know the historical parallels: Napoleon = Stalin, Snowball = Trotsky, Boxer = the proletariat. But also analyse Orwell's broader warning about any abuse of power.

Willy Russell (1983)

Twin brothers separated at birth grow up in different social classes in Liverpool. Their contrasting lives and inevitable reunion end in tragedy. A musical play about class, fate, and nature vs nurture.

Exam tip: The Narrator functions like a Greek chorus, commenting on the action and creating dramatic irony. The audience knows the ending from the start.

Alan Bennett (2004)

A group of bright sixth-form boys prepare for Oxbridge entrance exams under the contrasting teaching styles of Hector, Irwin, and Mrs Lintott. Explores the purpose of education.

Exam tip: Compare the three teachers: Hector (learning for joy), Irwin (learning as performance), Mrs Lintott (feminist perspective). Bennett questions what education is really for.

Shelagh Delaney (1958)

Jo, a working-class teenager in Salford, navigates relationships with her neglectful mother Helen, a Black sailor, and her gay friend Geoffrey. A kitchen sink drama challenging 1950s social norms.

Exam tip: Delaney was only 18 when she wrote this. The play was revolutionary in its frank treatment of race, homosexuality, and teenage pregnancy in 1950s Britain.

Stephen Kelman (2011)

Harri, an 11-year-old Ghanaian immigrant in a London housing estate, investigates a local stabbing. His innocent perspective contrasts with the violence around him.

Exam tip: Harri's naive narration creates dramatic irony - the reader understands dangers he does not. The pigeon symbolises freedom and vulnerability.