Model Answers and Video breakdown of AQA GCSE English Literature

In Like an Heiress and The Jewellery Maker, both Grace Nichols and Louisa Adjoa Parker explore how the world is shaped by women’s experiences and how value is often defined by appearance or emotion. Nichols presents a performative world of glamour and illusion, critiquing societal ideals of class and beauty, while Parker offers a more intimate world grounded in memory, labour, and love. Despite their differences in tone and setting, both poets challenge the reader to consider where true worth lies—not in what is seen, but in what is felt and remembered.

In With Birds You’re Never Lonely and On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, both Raymond Antrobus and James Berry present lives shaped by observation, place, and identity. Antrobus reflects on personal disconnection and the search for meaning in nature, using sensory imagery to explore silence and belonging. In contrast, Berry portrays a Caribbean immigrant navigating British society, highlighting quiet attentiveness and social perception. While one poem explores an internal, spiritual journey and the other a cultural and social one, both offer powerful insight into how we form identity and find connection in the modern world.

In both My Last Duchess by Robert Browning and Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, power is portrayed as a corrupting, isolating force that ultimately fades with time. Through techniques such as dramatic monologue, symbolic imagery, and ironic tone, both poets critique the arrogance and fragility of human authority. Browning explores the personal abuse of power within relationships, while Shelley highlights the downfall of political dominance—each revealing how ambition and control lead not to legacy, but to decay.

In this extract, Hyde’s actions are immediately horrifying. Stevenson’s use of the phrase ‘trampled calmly’ creates a disturbing juxtaposition, with the adverb ‘calmly’ suggesting a complete lack of remorse and reinforcing Hyde’s inhumanity. Mr Enfield’s description of him as ‘like some damned Juggernaut’ invokes religious imagery, aligning Hyde with unstoppable destruction. Hyde’s menace is not limited to violence—it lies in the instinctive horror he provokes, disrupting Victorian ideals of order and morality

Priestley uses Sheila to embody the younger generation’s moral awakening and openness to change. From the moment she learns of her role in Eva Smith’s dismissal, Sheila expresses sincere remorse, stating, “I know I’m not to blame—and I’m desperately sorry.” The adverb “desperately” conveys a deep emotional response, while the personal pronoun “I” highlights her willingness to accept individual responsibility. This emotional maturity starkly contrasts with the defensive reactions of her parents. Priestley presents Sheila’s growth as a hopeful symbol for post-war audiences, suggesting that true social progress depends on the younger generation’s ability to embrace accountability and reject outdated class prejudices.

Dickens presents greed as a destructive force that isolates individuals and corrupts their values. Through the character of Scrooge, he explores how the pursuit of wealth can replace compassion and human connection. The extract and the wider novella show the emotional and social consequences of greed, while Scrooge’s eventual redemption offers hope that change is possible. In doing so, Dickens encourages readers to reflect on moral responsibility, social inequality, and the true meaning of generosity.

Shakespeare presents Juliet as a passionate and conflicted character whose love for Romeo is tested by tragedy and divided loyalties. In this way, audiences are encouraged to explore how intense emotions can clash with family duty and social expectations. By showing Juliet’s turmoil after hearing of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, Shakespeare highlights the emotional depth of her love and the devastating consequences of their forbidden relationship.

Shakespeare presents Macbeth as an emotionally unstable tragic hero throughout the play. In this way, audiences are asked to question the way societal pressures influence the protagonist and his rise to power. By introducing Macbeth as moral, loyal, and full of doubt about killing his king, Shakespeare illustrates how succumbing to fate and societal expectations leads to his overwhelming guilt, madness, and inevitable downfall.