Topic study hub
Option 2A WW1 and its aftermath
Students choose a valid prose-poetry-drama combination, including one core text and at least one post-2000 text.
21
Objectives
10
Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
AqaA LevelEnglish Literature APaper 2 Texts in shared contexts
Choose a revision tool
Start revising Option 2A WW1 and its aftermath
Syllabus checklist
What you need to know
21 objective pages available
Conflict and wartime experience3 objectives
- Analyse representations of combatants, non-combatants and wartime experience.
- Explore recruitment, propaganda, nationalism, pacifism, slaughter and heroism.
- Compare writers in action with writers looking back on conflict.
Aftermath and memory3 objectives
- Analyse political, social, personal and literary legacies of WW1.
- Compare changing attitudes to conflict across texts and generations.
- Evaluate how peace, memorialisation and retrospective narration shape meaning.
Core prose and drama choices3 objectives
- Identify the official core prose and drama choices for Option 2A.
- Study the selected core text through methods, shared context, connections and interpretations.
- Keep the core text used in Section A out of the Section B comparison.
Core poetry choices3 objectives
- Identify the two official core poetry choices for Option 2A.
- Analyse anthology selection, poetic methods, voices and perspectives on war.
- Connect individual poems to the wider shared context without treating the anthology as one voice.
Comparative prose choices3 objectives
- Identify the official comparative prose choices for Option 2A.
- Apply the specified Brian Murdoch translation when studying All Quiet on the Western Front.
- Check genre and post-2000 requirements when constructing a valid text combination.
Wake and the 2027 boundary3 objectives
- Identify Wake as a 2027-only updated-specification choice.
- Keep Wake out of final-2026 curriculum claims and route metadata.
- Study the text through WW1 aftermath, memory, prose methods and comparison.
Comparative drama and poetry choices3 objectives
- Identify the official comparative drama and poetry choices for Option 2A.
- Analyse how genre and period affect representations of WW1 and its aftermath.
- Construct a valid comparative pairing that meets genre and post-2000 requirements.
Key terms
CombatantNon-combatantPropagandaHeroismFutilityDisillusionmentTraumaMemoryPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)ModernismCollective MemoryStream of Consciousness
Exam tips
- Use Specific Evidence: When discussing representations of wartime experiences, always include specific examples from the texts.
- Use specific examples: When discussing themes or techniques, always refer to specific lines or passages.
Common mistakes
- Overgeneralizing Themes: Always support thematic statements with direct quotes or detailed analysis from the text.
- Overgeneralizing themes: Always support thematic statements with direct quotes or detailed analysis from the text.
Practice preview
- Which of the following best describes the portrayal of non-combatants in Wilfred Owen's poetry?
- How does the use of imagery in 'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen reflect the experiences of soldiers during WW1?
- Evaluate how the theme of disillusionment is represented in both 'All Quiet on the Western Front' by Erich Maria Remarque and 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker.
Continue by objective
Objectives are grouped by subtopic so students can jump straight to the exact skill they want to revise.
Related topics