AQA English Literature: Cracking the AOs - Part 2

AO2: Analysis, A Deep Dive

In the previous article we spoke about AO1 and AO3 and how they come together to create a refined thread running through an essay, the point one wants to make and the socio-historic context that grounds that point. Finding what you, or others, might think and the cultural influences that may have led us to think that way.

(Note the importance of using ‘might’ and ‘may’ in essays too. Using tentative language such as ‘might cause’ is important because we can never explicitly say how people might react or think about plays and texts).

AO2, then, is the heavy lifting of the essay that refers to the deeper analysis of the text. This analysis is necessary because it is the explanation around why you chose to use the quotes you did. This is better illustrated with examples, but it may get a bit technical, so bear with me.

In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens writes "I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings.”

This is a great quote that illustrates a couple of important different things about Scrooge, you may pick it for your point (AO1) to start your thread explaining Scrooge’s redemption and how he has become a better person. Before, Scrooge would not spare a penny for the homeless and was miserable and grumpy. As we can see now, he is “laughing and crying in the same breath”, he has clearly changed.

AO2 is the space in your essay where you unpack and make these observations explicitly clear.

AO2: Divide and Conquer

In my opinion, AO2 is best split up into 4 key aspects of analysis:

• Technique, or method

• Author Intent

• Reader Effect

• Connotations

The point of splitting it this way is because it allows us to attack the points of analysis that the examiners are looking for across clear lines.

Technique, Methodology

Technique refers to the basic ‘goings on’ of the quote, in the case of the quote above we can see a metaphor (“a perfect Laocoon of himself”), more simply there is juxtaposition (“laughing and crying in the same breath”), but perhaps more perceptively this change indicates a juxtaposition of character as a whole. Scrooge was once miserable, and arguably quite cruel and evil. Here he seems to have been wholly redeemed. 

We can zoom in further to specific words once we have identified larger, more general terminology.

Dickens choosing the name “Laocoon” refers to a famous statue of a man being attacked by snakes. In this case it illustrates to us that in his jubilation he is so happy he struggles to even put on his stockings, so much so he looks like a man being attacked by snakes.

This is the importance of good analysis. Done well, it should tell the examiner exactly why you have chosen to use a specific quote for the question, and the depth of analysis is completely down to the student, opening it up for all answers to reach grades 4-9.

Author Intent and Reader Effect

These aspects share the same heading because a good author’s intent should always have an effect on the reader. That is to say, if the author wants the reader to feel something, their writing should communicate that (intent) and have a reader effect.

This is a very important part of analysis too because it indicates to the examiner that we understand why the author is doing a certain thing, and whether it has its intended effect or not. For example, Dickens’ intent here is to show that Scrooge has changed; his inclusion of the juxtaposition of ‘laughing and crying’, and the fact that Scrooge ‘[does not] know what to do!’ whilst previously being cold and calculating emphasises this.

The reader effect might be a renewed admiration for Scrooge, perhaps believing now that he has changed or come far from what he used to be. It may also make the reader feel that he deserves a second chance, or maybe even the complete opposite feeling might be evoked, that he does not deserve a second chance, or that he is faking his feelings of happiness (for example, he was so cruel before that it is just not possible that he could be so happy now).

All of these are acceptable and effective points of analysis, but the key is in referring back to your quote and making sure that your point (AO1) is not lost. AO2 should complement and reinforce the initial point you sought to make, not overtake it and become the main focus. 

Connotations

Taking a bit of a backseat, connotations are the more perceptive, higher end bits of analysis which come from other words or images invoked by the quote we pick. For example, the name Laocoon, being an Ancient Greek statue and tale, has connotations of mysticism and ancient wisdom. The story itself is about a Trojan priest and his sons who are attacked by giant serpents (in this case, Scrooge’s stockings). Referring to the connotations of this story allows a more advanced analysis of it, Scrooge, now redeemed and saved by the Ghosts has moved past the pain and agony he used to feel (like Laocoon). Where Laocoon is suffering in being attacked by Serpents, Scrooge feels only joy, “laughing and crying in the same breath”.

AO2: A Summary

AO2 has to be technical because it must be open for all students to engage with, and, with the same criteria, reach anywhere from Grade 4 to Grade 9. As a result it can get a bit technical, but the key points remain the same, particularly in the 4 key aspects of analysis. When you tap into those and make the most of them, especially talking about methodology and reader effect, the rest falls into place.

Remember, AO2 is only a method of reinforcing your initial point and the thread of your essay. It acts like evidence of your opinion and why you chose the quotes you did when deciding how to answer the question. Because of this, it should not overwhelm or take away from that thread, simply support it and hold it up.

AO2 is worth 12 marks of your essay.