All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Plan

“All Quiet on the Western Front” Essay Plan Key Scene

SQA External Report 2009 n n Successful candidates continued to pay attention to the structure of their essays, striving to shape them relevantly to the key parts of the question. Candidates who took a broad view of the text as a whole and did not get bogged down in constant “analysis” performed well; such candidates were often able to contextualise their comments by effectively narrating key details of selected events.

From a novel you know well, select a scene, episode or chapter that is crucial to your exploration of the ideas of the novel. By close reference this scene, episode or chapter, show why it is so important to your understanding of the ideas of the novel.

Remember n n The first line of the question directs you to an appropriate text. The second line of the question tells you exactly what you have to do and should be the starting point for your planning.

From a novel you know well, select a scene, episode or chapter that is crucial to your exploration of the ideas of the novel. n n This is a very wide key scene question, allowing you to chose a scene, episode or chapter. This gives you plenty of scope and plenty of choice. Here are some examples that have been done well in the past: n n n Chapter Three – vicious attack on Himmelstoss Chapter Six – the description of the fighting on the front Chapter Seven – Paul home on leave. Chapter Nine - Paul in the trench with dying French soldier. Chapter Eleven – the death of Kat. As the question is so wide, you could also consider writing about the opening chapter or the ending.

By close reference this scene, episode or chapter, show why it is so important to your understanding of the ideas of the novel. n n Close reference; you must know the scene very well and be able to quote from it. However, that doesn’t mean that you may not quote form other parts of the novel; you are trying to show that the scene you are writing about develops your understanding of the ideas (themes, central concerns) of the whole text.

show why it is so important to your understanding of the ideas of the novel. n n Well, what are the ideas of the novel? It is strongly anti war. Think of themes we have discussed. n n n Comradeship – “the only good thing to come out of the war” The Betrayal of Youth by the older generation. The futility and destructive nature of war. n n n Destruction of past, present and future Destruction of Relationships Relationship with Women Animal Imagery The Earth

Important!! n n n Do NOT try to write about all of these. If you do, your essay will be superficial and won’t cover any of the ideas in real depth. Choose the incident which you remember best and found most powerful. Write it down. Think about it very carefully; which two or three of themes does this particular part of the novel help you understand. Write them down.

Planning n n Choose the incident which you remember best and found most powerful. Write it down. Think about it very carefully; which two or three of themes does this particular part of the novel help you understand. Write them down.

n n For each theme you have thought about, consider which quotations are relevant. How will you analyse them to show that it has helped you understand the important ideas. For each idea you have chosen to write about, think about one or two other incidents from elsewhere in the book where this theme is introduced or developed. You should refer to these in your essay as it will show you have a full knowledge and understanding of the text.

Intro – text, author, ref. to qu. Brief explanation of key incident. Statement of what important ideas are explored Topic sentence, stating which idea you are going to be discussing. Evidence – quotation Analysis Evaluate – explain how this helps you answer the qu. Repeat the pattern to develop the point Firstly, Paul’s visit home on leave demonstrates how the war has irrevocably changed him and has destroyed for him the hopes and aspirations he once had. We see this when Paul enters his room on returning home: “Nothing stirs; listless and wretched, like a condemned man, I sit there and the past withdraws itself. ” Paul’s room, full of his books and papers of his own writing, means nothing to him now. He longs to return to his life before the war, when he read and wrote poetry and plays but, having endured the hardship of the battlefield, he sees no purpose in these activities and can take no pleasure from them. As he tries to enter into the life he had before, he cannot do so

Plan n Key Scene Possible Structure. doc