iGCSE English Literature OxfordAQA

This subject offers 62 topics in 8 modules:

  1. An Inspector Calls 6 topics
  2. A Raisin in the Sun 6 topics
  3. Great Expectations 6 topics
  4. Julius Caesar 6 topics
  5. Macbeth 6 topics
  6. Never Let Me Go 6 topics
  7. Poetry: People and Places 20 topics
  8. To Kill a Mockingbird 6 topics
Study this subject in the Adapt App →
  • 8
    modules
  • 62
    topics
  • 22,042
    words of revision content
  • 2+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

A preview of iGCSE English Literature OxfordAQA in the Adapt app

Adapt is a revision planning app with full content coverage and unlimited past paper questions for 1,200+ GCSE and A Level subjects.

Study this subject in the Adapt app →

English Literature

An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls: Character Profiles

🤓 Study

📖 Quiz

Play audio lesson

An Inspector Calls: Character Profiles

Arthur Birling

  • Desperate for social status and respectability, but endorses the capitalist views that Priestley criticises.

  • Showed little remorse for his part in Eva Smith's predicament, further highlighting his complacency and stubbornness.

  • His incorrect predictions about the Titanic and World War I underline his ignorance in the macrocosm of society.

Sheila Birling

  • Undergoes the greatest transformation throughout the play, accepting and understanding her culpability in Eva’s demise.

  • Embodies responsibility by the play's end, which Priestley aimed to instil in his audience.

  • Sheila's character is utilised to illustrate the younger generation’s open-mindedness to socialism, contrasting with her parent's rigidity.

Gerald Croft

  • Is symbolic of the young upper class; whilst appearing progressive, he remains deeply conservative.

  • His affair with Daisy Renton proves his disregard for the sanctity of his relationship with Sheila.

  • Represents how the wealthy can manipulate vulnerable individuals and avoid consequences due to their privileged status.

Eric Birling

  • Portrayed as a 'half-shy, half-assertive' character. His excessive drinking points to his unhappiness with his position in life.

  • His theft from Mr Birling’s business and his impregnation of Eva Smith reveal the entitlement and irresponsibility inherent within his character.

  • However, like Sheila, shows a willingness to accept his guilt and change his ways, demonstrating Priestley’s optimism for younger generations.

Mrs Birling

  • Exemplifies the rigid class and gender prejudice prevalent in Edwardian society.

  • Holds an unfounded high regard for her own morals, yet her cold dismissal of Eva’s predicament contradicts her self-perception.

  • Does not accept any responsibility for Eva's death, thus Priestley uses her to symbolise the upper class's indifference to the plight of the working class.

Inspector Goole

  • Regarded as Priestley's mouthpiece, personifying the principles of socialism in his insistence on social responsibility.

  • His enigmatic identity leaves room for interpretation – perhaps metaphorically suggesting fate, conscience or divine intervention.

  • Ratchets up the tension dramatically with his questioning technique; employs comprehensive knowledge of events to break down the Birlings' and Gerald's complacency.

Course material for English Literature, module An Inspector Calls, topic An Inspector Calls: Character Profiles

English Literature

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go: Context

🤓 Study

📖 Quiz

Play audio lesson

Never Let Me Go: Context

Author's Background

  • Kazuo Ishiguro is a British novelist, born in Nagasaki, Japan and moving to England at a young age. His experiences as a migrant and living amidst two distinct cultures influence his exploration of identity and belonging in his works.
  • Never Let Me Go explores philosophical questions and ethical dilemmas. Ishiguro’s cultural background may have informed his exploration of these themes, especially considering Japan’s distinctly unique position on technology and morality.

Novel's Time and Setting

  • Never Let Me Go is set in a late 20th-century England with an alternate history, where advancements in medical technology have led to human cloning for organ donations.
  • Ishiguro paints a seemingly idyllic image of English countryside settings in stark contrast with the dark underlying themes.
  • The novel is set within three main locations: Hailsham, an isolated boarding school, The Cottages, a dilapidated farmhouse, and various carer centers across the country.

Social and Historical Context

  • While the novel is dystopian, it is worth considering the context in which it was written. The early 2000s saw rapid advancements in science and technology, especially in the field of genetics, bringing up questions around the ethics of cloning.
  • The human cloning concept in the novel touches on the fears and anxieties surrounding these advancements.
  • The novel deals with the theme of dehumanisation, partially influenced by the history of the Second World War and the atrocities committed, which brought forth key questions about what it means to be human.

Literary Context

  • The novel is influenced by elements of the Gothic genre, shown through the use of isolating and eerie atmospheres and a sense of impending tragedy.
  • It also shares common tropes with traditional Bildungsroman novels, focusing on the emotional, psychological, and moral growth of its protagonist from youth into adulthood.
  • Ishiguro had already established his reputation as a writer focused on themes of memory, time, and self-deception in previous works, which carry over into Never Let Me Go.
  • The narrative style of the novel, with its unreliable and reflective narration, is characteristic of Ishiguro's work.

Course material for English Literature, module Never Let Me Go, topic Never Let Me Go: Context

Can I trust Adapt’s expertise?

Adapt is already used by over 600,000 students and trusted by over 3,000 schools. Our exam-specific content and assessments are meticulously crafted by expert teachers and examiners.

Find out more about the Adapt app →

Planner

An always up-to-date revision timetable.

A personalised, flexible revision timetable that stays up-to-date automatically.

Content

All the exam resources, in one place.

Over 20,000 topics broken down into manageable lessons with teacher-written, exam-specific lessons.

Assessment

Past-paper questions, with instant feedback.

Unlimited past paper questions with instant examiner feedback on how to improve.

Progress

Track progress, together.

Progress tracking to stay motivated, with real-time updates to the Parent Portal.

Download the app today to start revising for free.