IB English A: Paper 2 Start to Finish Video #5 - Thesis and Outline

Summary

In this video, Andrew and Dave guide students through the process of preparing a strong comparative essay for IB English Paper 2. They break down the importance of understanding the exam question, specifically analyzing the key terms such as 'how,' 'struggle,' and 'understood.' By focusing on two texts, 'A Family Supper' and 'Stones,' the presenters discuss comparative thinking, family conflict, silence, shame, and father-son dynamics. They emphasize authorial choices, developing a thesis, and structuring an outline for the essay, while encouraging students to engage deeply with their chosen works.

Takeaways

• 📝 Before writing a strong Paper 2 response, it's crucial to break down the question and understand its key components.
• 🔍 Analyzing the question thoroughly involves identifying command words, nuances, and understanding what the question is asking.
• 🤔 Important questions to consider include: who is trying to be understood, who is doing the understanding, and what message the characters want to convey.
• 💡 Comparative analysis should focus on key themes and motifs in both texts to answer the question effectively.
• 🛠️ The authors' choices, such as characterization, symbolism, and the ending, are central to analyzing how the struggle to be understood is portrayed.
• 👨‍👦 In both 'A Family Supper' and 'Stones,' family conflict, especially between fathers and sons, is a major theme linked to the struggle for understanding.
• ⚔️ In 'A Family Supper,' the father's silence and conservative background create a barrier to understanding, while in 'Stones,' PTSD and shame are central obstacles for the father.
• 🍽️ Symbolism plays a significant role in both stories, with cooking symbolizing indirect communication in 'A Family Supper' and the hammer representing anger in 'Stones.'
• 📜 The thesis statement for the essay should compare the two fathers’ inability to articulate their emotions, leading to family discord and fragmentation.
• 🗂️ Organizing the essay requires discussing the fathers’ characterization, symbolism, and the resolution of their struggles, ensuring a structured and coherent response.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on preparing to write a strong Paper 2 response in IB English, specifically discussing how two works portray the struggle to be understood.

Why is it important to break down the essay question before starting the response?

Breaking down the essay question is crucial to understanding the key terms, command words, and nuances in the question. It ensures the response addresses all aspects of the prompt effectively.

What is meant by 'how' in the essay question?

The word 'how' in the essay question refers to examining the author's choices, including narrative techniques, literary devices, and stylistic elements, to convey meaning and themes.

Why is the concept of 'struggle' emphasized in the question?

The concept of 'struggle' emphasizes the difficulty characters face in trying to be understood, exploring themes of conflict, communication barriers, and emotional expression in the stories.

What are some key questions students should ask when analyzing the question?

Students should ask who is trying to be understood, who is doing the understanding, what message the character or author is trying to convey, and whether the struggle to be understood is resolved in the text.

What role does family conflict play in the comparison of the two stories?

Family conflict is central in both stories, where characters face struggles to be understood by family members, often due to generational differences or cultural contexts.

How does silence function in both stories?

Silence is a recurring element in both stories, symbolizing unspoken tension and emotional barriers. In 'A Family Supper,' the father's silence reflects his conservative background, while in 'Stones,' silence is related to the father's PTSD and shame.

How is the theme of shame explored in both stories?

In 'A Family Supper,' shame stems from cultural expectations and family failures, while in 'Stones,' the father's shame is tied to his war trauma and inability to reintegrate into his community.

What are some differences in the endings of the two stories?

The ending of 'A Family Supper' is ambiguous, leaving unresolved tensions, while 'Stones' provides a more definitive sense of closure, particularly in the father's death and his final wishes.

What is the thesis statement created for this comparative essay?

The thesis statement is: 'While the circumstances of their struggles are vastly different, the two fathers in A Family Supper and Stones both struggle to articulate their feelings and cope with their emotions. This struggle has dire consequences for the family dynamic and in both cases results in fragmentation and discord.'