Prose anthology (Stories of Ourselves) — AS & A Level Literature in English (9695) questions by topic
Stories of Ourselves, including work such as The Door in the Wall, The Yellow Wallpaper and The Melancholy Hussar, are examined by comparing two stories on a shared theme, drawn from only 7 real questions set in 2023 to 2025 papers, all worth 50 marks.
Discuss and comment always require two named stories placed side by side, weighing a writer's methods, such as symbolism or structure, rather than retelling each story's plot in turn. Because reports note some candidates attempting a passage with limited knowledge of the story, drafting a response naming two specific stories and getting it marked instantly checks that comparison, not recall, is driving the answer.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is attempting a passage with limited knowledge of the story, misunderstanding a character's situation or confusing one character with another.
- Examiners repeatedly note relying on recall of characters and plot rather than analysis of the writers' methods.
- Reports flag choosing stories that tend to be less successful for a given focus, suggesting careful story selection matters as much as the argument itself.
- Strong answers explore a fantasy setting, such as the garden in The Door in the Wall, showing strong understanding of its symbolism against the character's actual life.
- Strong responses interweave two chosen stories to show understanding of a shared theme, for example spaces that both imprison and liberate their characters.
May–June 2025, Paper 21
Stories of Ourselves, Volume 1 Either Discuss ways in which the writers of two stories present characters' responses to threat or danger.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 22
Stories of Ourselves, Volume 1 Either Discuss ways in which the writers of two stories present fathers.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 21
Discuss ways in which the writers make rooms or particular spaces important in two stories.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 21
Discuss ways in which the writers of two stories present characters’ hopes.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 23
Discuss the presentation of families in two stories.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 22
Discuss the presentation of relationships between the younger and the older generations in two stories.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 23
‘The writers are interested in women who seek their own course.’ In the light of this comment, discuss the presentation of independent female characters in two stories.
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Literature in English topics
- Poetry (130)
- Prose (115)
- Drama (93)
- Unseen poetry and prose (16)