How do I answer an exam question on an unseen prose text?

The first step when approaching an unseen text, before you even think about answering the question, is to read through the text with a clear mind. While you’re doing this, think about how the poem makes you feel and what jumps out at you. This natural reaction will be the best guide for what is important to focus on, and you can use these initial reactions as hints about where to focus your answer. After you’ve done that you need to read the passage again this time paying attention to the literary effects of the text. Don’t be too worried about the question at this point as it’s better to get ideas flowing, but it is a good idea to hold it in your mind from now on. For this section I would recommending reading with a pen in hand and annotate the text with anything interesting you spot and any ideas that you have. The best way to make sure you’ve covered everything is to write down a checklist that would go like this. Genre, voice, character, language, devices. Genre: what genre is the text? What are the conventional features of this genre, and how is the writer using, or maybe subverting these? Voice: who is narrating in the passage? Is it 1st or 3rd person? Is the narrator omniscient, or are they a character within the passage? What tone are they writing in? Character: who are the characters in the text? How is the writer presenting each of them? What are their relationships with other characters, especially with regard to their power dynamics? Language: What semantic fields is the writer drawing upon? What linguistic choices is the writer making? This can sometimes be a tricky one to think about, but it’s so important to show the examiner you are aware of the specific linguistic decisions a writer is making. For example, why is it important that a character is described as ‘cheerful’ rather than ‘joyous’ if they mean practically the same thing. Think about what the connotations of these choices are. Devices: What devices is the writer using? This is very important in order to show in depth analysis and is a great chance to show off. Look for things like metaphor, simile, repetition, symbolism, onomatopoeia, pathetic fallacy, personification, oxymoron, irony, and hyperbole. You may need to go over a list of these to make sure you understand them first.Now you have all the material you need to answer your question! It’s a good idea to look back on the question here and think about the specific topics you’re being asked to address. A good structure to aim for is four well developed points with an introduction and conclusion, so try to think of four things you’d like to say in answer to the question. Try to get some balance in your answer by making contrasting arguments and discussing different ways the text could be interpreted. Then go through your annotated text and note down bits of evidence you will use for each. Then write up your points with an introduction giving an overview of your points and showing how you will answer the question, and a conclusion summing up your arguments. While you’re writing keep looking back to the question to make sure your answer stays focused.