OR, how does the text relate to the identity of the ?
This summary is vague, so let's go in-depth on a couple of these concepts to really show you what you should be doing in the HLE.
Identity is what makes you, YOU. Here are some questions the concern your own personal identity:
Now apply this same logic to characters within your text.
Let's take a look at a concrete example of how we might choose evidence and quotes for a HLE on cultural identity. This example is based on a Vietnamese work in translation “Ru” by author Kim Thúy. For context, “Ru” is an autobiographical fictional account which explores Kim Thúy's move from Vietnam to Canada as an immigrant and her consequent struggles. The structure of her novel is largely lyrical and poetic.
Let's look at a section from her novel that may help us come up with an essay idea based on the concept of Identity. When she returns to Vietnam, she attends a restaurant, however this becomes a major awakening for her in terms of how she views her own personal identity. Kim narrates within her novel:
The first time I carried a briefcase, the first time I went to a restaurant school for young adults in Hanoi, wearing heels and a straight skirt, the waiter for my table didn't understand why I was speaking Vietnamese with him. Page 77, Rú
This is a perfect quote for the Identity concept. Can you see why? Let's think through it together…
Why would the waiter be confused if Kim, a “briefcase”-carrying individual in “heels” and a “straight skirt”, was speaking Vietnamese with him?
What does being “Vietnamese” look like to the waiter? Why does Kim not conform to his expectation? Was it perhaps due to what she was wearing?
Now, if we look at the section which follows this in the novel, we are able to see the impact this had on the character of Kim's sense of identity.
the young waiter reminded me that I couldn't have everything, that I no longer had the right to declare I was Vietnamese because I no longer had their fragility, their uncertainty, their fears. And he was right to remind me. Page 77, Rú
Here, we can clearly see that this character is now questioning her Vietnamese cultural identity. This is just one example that demonstrates the concept of Identity.
Culture seems to be this confusing thing. Does it have to do with religion? Race? Beliefs? What does it mean? Does the monster from Frankenstein fit into a certain culture?
The easiest way to put it is this: Culture is the way someone lives. It is their “way of life.” Think of it as an umbrella term. “Culture” can include so many different things; the list just goes on, for example religion, values, customs, beliefs, cuisine, etc.
Now think, how would I form an essay from this concept?
It seems odd writing an essay about “creativity” because… like… how can anyone definitively say what ‘counts' as being creative–or not? When I say the word creativity , I think of new inventions, or maybe those weird and wacky art installations living inside those ‘modern art' museums. But hey, what's creative to me might not be creative to you!
When formulating a HLE on the concept of creativity we have two main pointers for you. Look for:
Now, for this concept, let's look at how we might select supportive evidence and quotations for a HLE on creativity within the narrative style of author Mary Shelley in “Frankenstein”. The narrative style uses epistolary narration . This is a narrative technique in which a story is told through letters. This was something that I found both interesting and recurring within Frankenstein, which I believe worked to create a personal touch within the novel.
Additionally, Mary Shelley allows different characters to narrate Frankenstein during different volumes. Let's investigate this! I have written out different character profiles of the narrators below:
These 3 characters, each relate a part of the novel Frankenstein. This is an example of a creative authorial choice that allows us, as readers to explore different points of view within the text. This is just one example of a creative aspect of a text which you can analyze for your HLE.
Representation is all about how something is portrayed, conveyed, shown, described, illustrated, depicted . There are many different things that can be ‘represented' within a text, and it doesn't have to be tangible.
For instance, you can look at how a belief, idea or attitude is depicted within a text through different characters or devices.
Again, let's explore a concrete example to make things clear: this time the graphic novel “Persepolis”. We'll consider an HLE on how a text represents the impact of political turmoil on society .
Chapter 10 of “Persepolis” highlights societal changes occurring due to the Iranian Revolution. The panels below list the authorial choices relevant to the negative representation of political change in a society. When looking at the techniques highlighted in the slides below, think about how you feel when you look at the panels below. Can you sense a more positive or negative feeling?
Cool, but what do we do to turn all this into an actual HL essay? Here is a sample response. The introduction might begin like this:
In the captivating graphic novel “Persepolis,” the author Marjane Satrapi explores the social and political impacts of the Iranian revolution. In particular, Satrapi conveys a disapproving viewpoint on political turmoil within the text. Throughout the graphic novel, Satrapi carefully represents how social isolation, hypocrisy and confusion is experienced by a young girl living in Tehran, as a result of political turmoil. Example HLE Introduction
Then, in a body paragraph, on one of the key ideas mentioned above, we could analyze the different literary techniques. For example, Panel 1 is a great representation of the experience of confusion in the midst of political turmoil:
Marji is the younger girl pictured in the panels above. While her parents appear quite concerned by the news on the TV, she appears to not be in full comprehension of the cause for their distress. This is demonstrated by the visual imagery and dialogue, in panel 7, for instance, if you observe the facial expressions by each of the characters. Example of analysis in body paragraph
This is just a short example from one particular text. To help you unpack any text, try look for the following when analyzing chapter to chapter:
If you're having trouble picking your text and line of inquiry, then use this simple 20-minute process to brainstorm potential questions for your HLE:
Choosing a question with good scope is extremely important, and it's one of the biggest challenges in the HLE. Here's why:
So, to help you get the balance just right , here are three examples of HLE questions, specifically for the concept of Identity which we mentioned in the table above (by the way, the example is a made-up novel for illustration purposes).
There are many things that contribute to a 7 in your HLE and your IB English grade overall. But if we had to boil it down to one secret, one essential fact… then it'd have to be this: Get really good at analysis .
Analysis is the key to a 7 in IB English. It doesn't matter if it's Paper 1, Paper 2, HLE, IO… You must learn how to analyze quotes at a deep level, and structure your analysis in a way that flows and delights your teachers and examiners.
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Since you're in HL, you'll also be needing Advanced Analysis skills if you want to impress your examiner. We've got all of that covered inside our Pro lessons.
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Also, you'll need to find good quotes for your text. Some good sources where you can find relevant quotes include Goodreads , SparkNotes , LitCharts , and Cliffnotes . Of course, you could just find quotes yourself directly–this will ensure your quotes are unique.
An essential step to getting a high mark on the HL Essay is understanding the rubric! It is SO important that you know what IB English examiners are looking for when grading your essay, as this helps you to shape the content of your essay to match (or even exceed) their expectations.
The IB English HL Essay is graded out of 20 marks . There are 4 criteria, each worth 5 marks.
Use the checklist below to make sure you're not making simple mistakes! Note that this is not the official marking criteria, and I strongly recommend that you reading the official rubric provided by your teacher.
Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding, and interpretation
Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation
Criterion C: Focus, organization, and development
Criterion D: Language
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Higher Level Essay
Crash course on HLE basics.
Updated: Jul 8, 2023
The English HL essay is undoubtedly the flagship assessment of Higher-Level English. At its core, the HL essay depends on the same analytical skills as any other piece of English assessment. However, the HL essay sets itself apart by requiring a more specific and conceptual line of inquiry, and overall greater depth of analysis. With these requirements, the HL essay is often the single most daunting assessment in the HL English calendar. So, to help you on your HL essay journey, this blog will detail some useful tips and considerations to get you heading on the right track.
The line of inquiry is the central question around which the entire HL essay rests. A good line of inquiry will set you up for a terrific analysis, while a bad line of inquiry will leave your essay stuck and directionless. But what actually makes a good line of inquiry?
The trick is to allow the line of inquiry to focus your analysis. Take this hypothetical line of inquiry: “ How and why does J.R.R. Tolkien use the race of Men as a philosophical discussion of agency and its relationship with mortality in books within the Lord of the Rings? ”.
Starting with the imperatives “how” and “why”, this line of inquiry immediately constrains your analysis to keep you focused on technique (the how) and purpose (the why). This protects you from straying off track; so long as you keep talking about the hows and the whys, you guarantee yourself those marks that are for focus and relevancy.
This line of inquiry further keeps on task by explicitly stating the feature of your text that speaks to some real literary concept. In this case, we can see that the student using this line of inquiry is arguing that the race of Men is a tool that Tolkien has used to talk about agency and morality. Agency and morality are the literary concepts, the race of Men is the feature. By connecting them in the line of inquiry, you make it significantly easier to keep making that connection all the way throughout the entire HL essay. Not only this, but by connecting in-text features with a concept, it becomes significantly easier to produce the kinds of insightful arguments that push you into the top band of Criterion A.
The line of inquiry makes or breaks your HL essay (no pressure). That said, the HL essay is an ongoing journey. It is both common and perfectly okay to change or even completely scrap a line of inquiry partway through the drafting process.
The analysis in the HL essay itself takes a very similar shape to analyses elsewhere in English assessments: technique, implications, authorial purpose, text type, audience positioning, evaluation, link to paragraph thesis, and so on. These avenues of analysis are the backbone of English in general and so it should come as no surprise that they are the backbone of the HL essay as well.
Where the HL essay can diverge from the other assessments is the points that you are arguing within the body paragraphs. Body paragraphs in the paper 1, for example, often cover how individual categories (say, visual techniques) contribute to the overall meaning of the text. The HL essay body paragraphs are considerably more related to the concept that you are arguing.
Taking the Lord of the Rings example above, you could have one paragraph about the race of Men and how Tolkien portrays their culture as a means of questioning the futility of having agency in light of definitive mortality. Then, you could have a second paragraph about how the race of Men is made distinct against other races in the Lord of the Rings as a tool of evaluating the role of mortality in driving personal choice, and so on for further paragraphs.
As you can see, rather than targeting specific groups of techniques, the HL essay paragraphs first address the conceptual discussions created within the text, and then the techniques are brought in to explain how these discussions emerge and what commentary the author is trying to make.
There is no definitive go-to structure for the HL Essay. So long as there is an introduction and a conclusion framing a series of body paragraphs that each contain a thesis point, analysis, evidence and connections to the line of inquiry, then you are fulfilling the requirements of formal essay structure mandated by Criterion C.
Similarly, there is no required number of body paragraphs. Given the word count, 3-4 paragraphs is a good number to ensure that you are creating detailed points without repeating ideas. But, you are free to add more or less paragraphs and there are sometimes situations or texts where that may be necessary.
Criterion C and D are somewhat more check-boxy than A and B. How you fulfil Criterions A and B can be more variable depending on your text, as individual text types have defining features that lend themselves to potentially different directions of analysis. A short story, for example, would contain dialogue and so an analysis of speech and language takes on a completely different form than it would in a poem. But Criterion C and D are relatively consistent.
As long as you have a cohesive and formal essay structure as said above, combined with clear, analytical, and explicit vocabulary and tone, Criterion C and D are as good as guaranteed to you. Key things to consider when ensuring that these criteria are fulfilled include your tone (academic and unemotive), punctuation, and sentence variety (mixture of simple, compound, and complex sentences).
The HL essay is a task aimed to allow students to demonstrate the extent of their literary skills that they have learnt over their time in the diploma program. It can be daunting, and absolutely must be difficult in order to provoke insightful analysis, but it is just as possible to get a 7 on it as on any other assessment in any other subject. My final recommendation? Draft, redraft, redraft, and redraft again. Even if you’re just rewriting the same ideas every time, constant revision and review builds a crucial familiarity with the concepts and theses that you are arguing.
Good luck on your HL essay journey!
Key Concept in Economics IA
Avoid These Overused TOK Essay Examples
Deconstructing a 10/10 TOK Essay from Introduction to Conclusion
Written By Our IB++Tutor Birgitte J.
What You Need to Know
The paper is externally assessed, meaning the final grade given is from the IB Examiner, not from your teacher. However, your teacher will give a predicted grade that is sent to the IB [3] .
How to Approach the Essay
The essay requires you to construct a focused, analytical argument, examining the work from a broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires you to adhere to the formal framework of an academic essay, using citations and references.
Connection to the Learner Portfolio
The HL essay is based on the exploration you have engaged with in the Learner Portfolio [4] . In the lead-up to the drafting of the essay, you must decide which text to focus on for further investigation, and which topic to write about. In choosing the topic, you can consult the course’s seven central concepts. You can choose any text with the exception of the texts used for the Internal Assessment (the IO) or the Paper 2.
How to choose a text
Don’t wait until the last minute and talk with your teacher about the text you want to use and the focus you are considering. Write your ideas out to make sure your line of inquiry is focused and appropriate for an analytical argument of a paper of this length.
In the case of a collection of short stories, poems, song lyrics or any short literary text, you may choose to use just one literary text from the work. However, It may be necessary to use more than one literary text from the work chosen.
The Language and Literature course only *
In the case of short non-literary texts, it may be necessary to use more than one from the same text type by the same author, for example the same creative advertising agency, cartoonist, photographer or social media user. At least one of these texts must have been studied in class. (If using a text in translation it must be a professional and published translation).
Determining the Topic and the 7 Course Concepts
It’s helpful but not mandatory to start with the seven central concepts of the course in generating or determining a topic for the essay. The questions below are meant as starting points for the focus of the essay, not as complete lines of inquiry which should be more specific to the chosen text (see examples of lines of inquiry below).
Questions may include; How is identity represented in the text? How are the characters in the text representative of a group? How does the text reflect the identity of the writer?
Questions may include; How is an aspect of the text representative of a culture or a particular place? How is a group of people or an institution conveyed? How is the text representative of a cultural perspective?
3-Creativity
Questions may include; How is the text representative of an individual or collective creativity, or lack of creativity? How is the text a reflection of the creativity of the writer?
4-Communication
How is communication or lack of communication conveyed in the text? How does the text itself communicate with the reader? How are aspects of communication illustrated through literary features?
5-Transformation
How is change or development illustrated in the text? How are characters transformed through action, communication or events in the text? What is the relationship between transformation and the goals, values and beliefs conveyed in the text?
6-Perspective
How is a perspective or different perspectives represented in the text? How is a shift in perspective portrayed? How is the writer’s perspective revealed through the text?
7-Representation
How does the text represent a particular theme or message? How are attitudes conveyed? In what way is reality or the world within the text represented?
IB English Language and Literature Guide examples of lines of inquiry
A Final Note on the Learner Portfolio and the HL Essay
The Learner Portfolio is not assessed but schools are required to keep it on file. It is intended to be a platform for reflecting on the texts studied, facilitating development of independent thinking. The reflections may include responses to cultural perspectives and values, inter-relationships and identities as it relates to topics and themes in the texts studied. The reflections may serve as a springboard for the line of inquiry in the HL essay. For example, you may keep a record of themes present, reflections on how particular passages within the texts reflect those themes, or how themes and passages convey one of the 7 central concepts.
[1] Paper 2 is cancelled for the 2022 cohort. No announcement has been made for the 2023 at the time this article was written.
[2] There are 3 IB English courses. The two most common are IB English A: Literature SL/HL, a course focused on literature (Poetry, drama, short stories and novels) and the IB English Language and Literature SL/HL course, focused on literature AND a variety of non-literary (non-fiction) text types.
[3] The examiner’s grade is independent from your teacher’s predicted grade.
[4] An individual collection of student work compiled during the course in which you explore and reflect on the texts throughout the course.
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These resources are ready to hand to students. They offer a description of the assignment and take students through a step by step process to complete a draft of their HL Essay.
Language and literature course, a note about the resources.
Step 5 of the resources asks students to write their inquiry question on a shared Google document that all students have editing rights to. The Google doc uses a “Red, Yellow, Green” tracking system so that students know when their inquiry question has been approved as “Green” or “good to go”. The transparent nature of the document not only holds students accountable for their submission, it also allows other students to learn from their peer’s approaches to developing and writing inquiry questions. The transparent nature of the document also ensures variety as the specific topics and inquiry questions are on a “first come, first approved” (traceable through the revision history of the document). While students may feel a bit self conscious about the transparent nature of the document, they ultimately appreciate the insights gained from the experience and appreciate the development of the line of inquiry as an iterative process. Once students are “Green-lit”, those inquiry questions can serve as models and examples for other students. A sample tracking document, with sample HL Essay lines of inquiry, is provided below. Additionally, there is a Word template of the tracking document that can be uploaded to Google Docs; it should easily convert.
Sample hl essays.
Below are a range of sample essays that are all “good” to “excellent” and would be marked in the 5-7 range. At the end of each essay are holistic comments by criterion that identify the strengths and limitations of the essay against each of the IB Language A HL Essay assessment criteria.
The HL Essays below have been externally marked by the IBO on the HL Essay Rubric; final marks are provided in leui of holistic comments.
Marks A:5 B:5 C:5 D:5
Marks A:4 B:4 C:4 D:4
IB English A Literature: HL Essay Assessment Considerations
IB English A Language and Literature: HL Essay Assessment Considerations
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Check the Subject Guide and with your teacher for official information about the HL essay.
There are a number of different ways to develop an HL essay. Consider the following outline; it isn’t 100% comprehensive but it covers the key elements.
What is the IB English HL Essay?
The IB English HL Essay is usually written at the end of the first year of IB English in international schools and constitutes 25% of the IB English grade. For IB HL English Language & Literature, the source for the 1200-1500 word essay will be a non-literary or literary text studied in the course; for HL English Literature, this will be a literary text studied in the course.
As an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English student, one of the most daunting tasks is achieving a level 7 on the essay. However, with the right approach and mindset, it’s definitely achievable. Here are the top tips to help you achieve a level 7 on your IB HL English essay.
In conclusion, achieving a level 7 on your IB HL English essay requires careful planning, effective use of evidence, and a clear and concise writing style. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to success.
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If you choose one of your literary works for the Higher Level essay topic, this task is nothing more than has been the standard written coursework for years in Literature courses: one slightly longer literary essay.
Choosing an exact focus for the literary work is just as challenging as outlined in HL Essay - Choosing a Topic but at least the primary evidence for close analysis is clear.
A good piece of analysis can take many different forms and has much to do with effective exposition, deconstruction of well-chosen evidence, a coherent developing argument, and a conclusion that suggests the study and research was worthy, valuable and insightful. However, I have always tried to push students into including both a thematic or conceptual outcome and a cluster of literary features or stylistic choices that help facilitate that outcome. That is to say, to explore how an author uses certain techniques to create certain thematic effects.
Here is an example of a student's HL Essay on a literary work:
How does Dorfman use elements of dramatic presentation in order to explore the ambiguity of justice in Death and the Maiden ?
The notion of justice is a largely subjective one. Political philosophers have long questioned what should be considered societally ethical, and whether true distributive justice can be achieved. Such questions are rendered increasingly complicated after such a society has undergone profound political turmoil. It would be fruitless not to recognise that Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden is an exploration into how justice can be found for individual victims, should a government be unable to provide sufficient retribution for the perpetrators of crimes. Dorfman’s clear allusion to Chile’s post-Pinochet transition to democracy provides for a striking contextual backdrop: how can a government seek recompense for those who were victims of countless crimes against humanity? Through Dorfman’s use of representative characters, the motif of justice, and dramatic devices, the play serves as a social commentary of a politically and governmentally imbalanced country, which forces the audience to consider the implications that the emergence from dictatorship poses upon a country, while simultaneously compelling individual spectators to reconsider their own notions of what should be considered “just”.
Dorfman develops symbolically representative characterisation to render the play a microcosmic depiction of the corrupt nature of a country struggling with the emergence from dictatorship. The cast consists solely of three characters: Gerardo, a lawyer and member of a commission charged with investigating the direst of crimes against humanity in the old dictatorship, whose character portrays the government responsible for the transition to democracy; Paulina, his wife, a woman so profoundly impacted by the sexual torture she underwent during the dictatorship that she finds it difficult to attend social functions, whose character depicts the copious numbers of victims who suffered from such crimes during the dictatorship; and Roberto Miranda, a well-off physician whom Paulina recognises as the nefarious doctor who raped her, whose character represents accused perpetrators of the aforementioned crimes, who are, oftentimes, affluent members of society. The gender disparity in the cast is, in itself, indicative of the roles which each of these social groups bear: Paulina, a woman, is repeatedly silenced and belittled by her patronising husband, which effectively connotes the government’s lack of willingness to accept the notion that a significant portion of the population were subject to atrocities akin to those which Paulina experienced. Almost immediately in the play, Paulina begins to criticise the effectiveness of the country’s judicial system - “The judges? The judges who never intervened to save one life in seventeen years of dictatorship? Who never accepted a single habeas corpus ever?” - only to be silenced by Gerardo, who ‘takes her in his arms’ and coos “Silly. Silly girl, my baby” until she calms down. In rendering Gerardo so condescending towards Paulina at multiple instances such as this, Dorfman directly implies that the government takes no heed when victims condemn its lack of legal intervention, and instead dismisses them as fragile. Contrastingly, Gerardo immediately treats Roberto as an equal, and invites him to stay the night, convincing him with the promise of “the breakfast [Paulina] will make for us”. As well as demonstrating that, even after the dictatorship, criminals can still lead successful lives, Gerardo saying this indicates to the audience that the government not only silences the victims of the dictatorship’s trauma, but expects them to continue leading lives which are beneficial to the establishment of the fledgling democracy. Dorfman appears to be criticising the government’s half-hearted attempt at pursuing justice by showcasing Paulina’s sardonic disdain for Gerardo’s Investigating Commission, which “only investigates cases that ended in death”, as opposed to cases such as hers, which decidedly result in lasting mental upheaval. Each of these factors force the audience to question a government which attempts to pursue justice for those who were wronged without ostracising the wrongdoers, merely because those who committed the crimes are still prominent members of society.
Furthermore, Dorfman’s use of an overarching motif of warped judicial procedure, exemplified both symbolically and lexically, serves to remind the audience of the dangers of the pursuit of vigilante justice, which has been necessitated by an inadequate government. This underlines the idea that a legal structure must be established in order for those who committed the crimes to be appropriately prosecuted; Dorfman having Paulina conduct her own (somewhat inequitable) trial highlights the lack of legal alternative. Paulina insists on maintaining negligible legal conventions, such as referring to Roberto as Gerardo’s “client” and allowing the former time to argue his own case. Ironically, the integral defining factor of the trial itself is that it is an unethical, somewhat paradoxical pursuit of justice: while systems of prosecution generally uphold an “innocent until proven guilty” policy, the only circumstance under which Paulina claims she will release Roberto is if he confesses to his alleged crimes, despite his insistence throughout the play that he is innocent. Paulina promises Gerardo that if Roberto doesn’t confess, “[she’ll] kill him”, and that if he is, in fact, totally innocent, he’s “really screwed”. Throughout the trial, Paulina sustains this threat of violence, thereby asserting her control over Roberto and Gerardo. Dorfman uses Paulina’s sudden seizure of violence to draw a parallel between her and the formal dictator: she holds a symbolic loaded gun for most of the play - a constant reminder of the danger she is capable of wreaking on other cast members. This parallelism allows Dorfman to further explore governmental weakness in the form of Gerardo: he, supposedly, spent much of the regime attempting to overthrow the dictator, and his prevalent position in the opposition circles was the original reason for Paulina’s kidnapping; however, he tells Roberto that “when crazy people have power, you’ve got to indulge them”, thereby seemingly going against that for which he campaigned during the time of the fascist government. Additionally, the fact that Paulina “ties [Roberto] to a chair” is reminiscent of the kidnapping she underwent, which she continuously references. Actions such as these remind the audience that her alternative to legal procedure is no better than the system of the previous government, and, should everyone pursue such means to seek justice, the cycle of violence would deepen and democracy would never be achieved. Paulina’s approach to achieving justice is one which would undoubtedly yield bloodshed if applied worldwide: Dorfman implores the audience to decide whether or not she is truly making the correct decision in “[opening all the] wounds”, as Gerardo states. Because the audience remains oblivious as to whether Paulina does, in fact, kill Roberto, Dorfman implies that Paulina’s choice of action is irrelevant, as she will always remain a victim, whom the government continues to disregard.
Building on this, Dorfman continues to maintain a sense of ambiguity around each of the character’s innocence through the use of dramatic devices, hence forcing the audience to assume the role of a judge in the play’s final scene, in order for them to reflect upon their own perceptions of justice. Perhaps the most crucial of these devices is the use of the “giant mirror which descends, forcing the members of the audience to look at themselves” in Act 3, scene 1. The sudden transition from hyper-realism to a contemporary style is a jolting one: the audience members are thrust into the play itself, obliging them to scrutinise both themselves and the play’s events. The mirror not only compels the audience to determine the guilt of each character, but, alongside the “slowly moving spots [which] flicker over the audience, picking out two or three at a time”, urges them to examine their own standards of personal justice. The image of moving spots is almost reminiscent of searchlights, as though the light is attempting to elicit testimonies from the audience, thereby implying that some audience members may be just as guilty as Roberto, and should make their own confessions. The audience is further embedded into the play when Paulina and Gerardo “sit [...] in two of the seats in the audience itself”, thereby painting the audience as citizens of the country undergoing the emergence from dictatorship - the reason for all the pivotal conflicts in the play. Placing the audience on the same level as Paulina and Roberto drives them to consider the actions they would have taken, had they been in the same predicament as Dorman’s characters.
It is clear that Dorfman’s study of justice is one which transcends the stage. In a play which is so easily applicable to real-world events, it seems only natural that the piece’s purpose be to prompt the audience towards their own conclusions. The casting of characters as clear representations of societal groups causes the audience to question the equity in each of their interactions, thereby causing them to question the equity in the actions of judicial systems in times of crisis. Paulina’s authoritative position throughout the trial seems as unethical as her perpetual silence before the trial. Such events pose as questions to the audience, and force them to decide what the correct procedure in these circumstances should be.
Word Count: 1483
Bibliography
Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden. London, Great Britain: Nick Hern Books,
1994.
The criteria used for assessing the HL Essay can be found in Marking Criteria .
Read the essay and make a short commentary of how you think it performs in each criterion area. Compare it to my comments:
This essay is highly analytical and interpretative throughout. It connects the craft of the literary work (and a work of fiction) to real-life contexts and universal concepts and themes in a highly convincing manner. The final body paragraph - ironically in some ways the least developed and thoroughly argued in terms of evidence - makes this connection and thus the value of this line of inquiry stark.
Literary features are appreciated throughout the essay, with the notion of allusion identified in the introduction, followed by an extremely strong thesis statement and topic sentences that connect choice and stagecraft with thematic effect. It is argued with plentiful evidence in terms of quotations, and is notable for its discussion of features unique to drama rather than just any other form of narrative fiction.
Extremely well-structured, with a strong introduction exploring the concepts rather than just the work, effective mapping of the essay in the thesis statement, strong topic sentences making effective interpretative points, with evidence embedded into the arguments effectively. A tiny quibble would be the slight imbalance of the third body paragraph, and the quotations need page references.
Language is highly effective throughout.
Now work out what marks you would give the essay. Compare it to my own:
How much of HL Essay - Great Examples (Literature) have you understood?
Which of the following best describes your feedback?
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Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .
Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.
You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:
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What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.
A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.
The best thesis statements are:
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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.
You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.
You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?
For example, you might ask:
After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .
Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.
In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.
The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.
In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.
The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.
A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:
The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.
These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.
Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :
The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .
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McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/
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Othello (hle).
The following HL Essay aims to answer the line of inquiry:
Read the essay carefully. Apply the HLE assessment criteria and discuss the marks you would award the script before reading the examiner's marks and comments. How different were your marks and comments from the examiner's marks and comments? What improvements would you make to this essay to achieve better results?
What's the role of secondary sources on the HL Essay ? Both the poor and the good essay have secondary sources. Compare the bibliographies of these essays. Clearly, the better essay cites more relevant sources. In other words, make sure that your sources are actually about the primary source and not just about cultural phenomena.
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IB English: Higher Level Essay - VIDEO #2 - How to Arrive at a Line of Inquiry. If the first method didn't work for you, please try another approach. How to Write the Line of Inquiry (part 2) IB English: HL Essay Thesis Statements. Turn that LoI into a clear, precise, and insightful thesis statement that will drive the essay.
This video discusses the essential elements of a good HL Essay Thesis. Sample thesis sentences are provided.Visit our website! All videos and documents are...
The HL Essay (HLE) is a 1200-1500 word essay about a text studied in the IB English course. For Lang Lit, the work you choose to analyze can be literary or non-literary, but for IB English Literature the text must be literary. The HLE will make up 25% of your final IB English HL grade, and it is graded externally.
HL Essay. HL Essay - Student Samples. 60'. Here you will find examples of real student HL Essays. Take a read and, using the marking criteria, grade them. You can compare your marks with those of the examiner. Student Samples. Student #1. The Characterization of Luis Alberto Molina through the use of Films, Dialogue and Stream of Consciousness ...
8 Tips for Earning a Level 7 on the IB English HL Essay (with Examples) Top 8 Tips for Earning a Level 7 on the IB English HL Essay. 2. Decide on your Topic by Brainstorming Wider Themes. 3. Consolidate your Line of Argument in a Thesis Statement. 4.
The English HL essay is undoubtedly the flagship assessment of Higher-Level English. At its core, the HL essay depends on the same analytical skills as any other piece of English assessment. However, the HL essay sets itself apart by requiring a more specific and conceptual line of inquiry, and overall greater depth of analysis. With these requirements, the HL essay is often the single most ...
Notes. Students need a clear, cohesive thesis statement in the introduction of the essay that states the conclusions the student has drawn in response to the line of inquiry. The "conclusions" are the student's central argument for the essay. Students need to understand the difference between demonstrating understanding of a work and offering interpretations of the work's meanings.
The HL Essay is a 1200-1500 word formal essay and it is based on a literary work studied as part of the course. You cannot use the same work for the IO or the Paper 2 [1] for this essay. In the IB Language and Literature course [2] , the essay can also be based on a non-literary or collection of non literary text(s).
Sample HL Essays. Below are a range of sample essays that are all "good" to "excellent" and would be marked in the 5-7 range. At the end of each essay are holistic comments by criterion that identify the strengths and limitations of the essay against each of the IB Language A HL Essay assessment criteria. Woman at Point Zero HL Essay.
How do I come up with a good thesis statement for my I.B. HL Essay? What is the relationship between a solid line of inquiry and a high-scoring thesis statem...
The basic outline can start with a clear thesis statement and topic sentences. Early in the development process make sure your ideas / arguments / evidence meet the requirements and criteria for the HL essay. Periodically re-read review sample HL essays. As you put together your first draft, make absolutely sure that all of your sources are ...
Develop a strong thesis statement: Your thesis statement should reflect the main argument of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and specific. Remember, a strong thesis statement is the foundation of a successful essay. Use evidence effectively: Include specific quotes and examples from the text to support your arguments.
The HL essay offers students an opportunity to develop as independent, critical and creative readers, thinkers and writers by exploring a literary or language topic over an extended period of time, refining their ideas by means of a process of planning, drafting and re-drafting. The essay requires students to construct a focused, analytical ...
Here is an example of a student's HL Essay on a literary work: ... effective mapping of the essay in the thesis statement, strong topic sentences making effective interpretative points, with evidence embedded into the arguments effectively. A tiny quibble would be the slight imbalance of the third body paragraph, and the quotations need page ...
This video explains how to effectively link all topic sentences to your thesis statement. This video applies to many assessments and academic writing. Chec...
With good preparation, a few memorized quotes, and a solid knowledge of the themes of your novels, it is very much possible to score a 7 on the English Paper 2 Examination. I'm going to give you a basic outline of how to structure your essay and also tell you a nice way to organize your quotes for the books that you're reading. In case you ...
IB HL English Essay Sample with Comments - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.
Step 2: Write your initial answer. After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process. The internet has had more of a positive than a negative effect on education.
An example of this structure is found in Monbiot's essay 'The Problem is Capitalism' (2019). Here, Monbiot argues that capitalism involves a grossly unequal and unfair distribution of the planet's resources and is, ultimately, unsustainable, leading to "environmental catastrophe".
The following HL Essay aims to answer the line of inquiry: In what ways does Shakespeare comment on the interdependence of love and jealousy through the portrayal of Iago and Othello in "Othello" ? Read the essay carefully. Apply the HLE assessment criteria and discuss the marks you would award the script before reading the examiner's marks ...
When writing an HL essay for IB literature, it is important to focus on the key elements of the text, such as the characters, themes, and symbols. Additionally, it is important to provide evidence from the text to support your analysis and to make sure to include a clear thesis statement that outlines the main points of your essay.
an example of a hl essay based on the book Persepolis . Exemplars. Review. Login. JOIN FOR FREE. an example of a hl essay based on the book Persepolis . Share. Bookmark Comments Download. Notes. English A (Lang & Lit) - HL ...
The main body of the essay should be dedicated to a detailed analysis of the literary work or works. This may include an examination of themes, characters, symbols, and other elements of the work. Evidence from the literary work or works should be used to support the analysis and the thesis statement.