Neil Bowen on (Edited )
OCR Gothic Q2 Past Questions
June 2017
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘Gothic writing frequently explores the battle between good and evil.’ Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories ‘In Gothic writing, female characters are generally presented as victims.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Suspense is a key feature of narrative in Gothic writing.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
June 2018
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘Gothic writing is characterised by a fascination with death.’
Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘Gothic writing must always have the power to shock.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30] Or
(c) ‘A common character in Gothic writing is the isolated figure or outsider.’
Compare ways in which such figures are presented in at least two texts prescribed for this topic. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
June 2019
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula ‘The most fascinating characters in Gothic literature are its villains.’ Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘Gothic writing depends on the use of traditional images and stories.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Supernatural events and effects are key features of Gothic writing.’ Compare ways in which such features are presented in at least two texts prescribed for this topic. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
October 2020
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘Gothic writing places ordinary human characters under extraordinary pressure.’
Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘In Gothic writing, settings often reflect the moods of the characters.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
October 2021
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘Gothic fiction shows the human need for some kind of religion.’
Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘In Gothic writing, characters and events must be rooted in ordinary life.’ By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Gothic writing deals in extreme feelings.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
June 2022
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘In Gothic literature, there is no escape from the past.’
Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘Gothic fiction suggests that very primitive forces lie beneath civilised life.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Gothic literature explores the fascination for what is forbidden.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
June 2023
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘Gothic literature often places an ancient myth in a more recent setting.’ Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘Gothic texts are inclined to challenge traditional gender roles.’
By comparing The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with at least one other text prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you agree with this view. [30]
(c) ‘Gothic literature retains a sense of mystery at its heart.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]
Sample Question paper
4 (a) Bram Stoker: Dracula
‘The conflict between reason and emotion is characteristically Gothic.’ Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(b) Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
‘Innocence is often an important element in Gothic writing.’
Compare its uses and effects in The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories with those in at least one other text prescribed for this topic. [30]
(c) ‘Setting is always a key aspect of Gothic writing.’
By comparing at least two texts prescribed for this topic, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. In your answer you must include discussion of either Dracula and/or The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. [30]