The Handmaid's Tale and Feminine Gospels 6 Model responses

6 model responses/model paragraphs comparing The Handmaid’s Tale and Feminine Gospels for AQA English Literature Paper 2B ‘Modern Times’ 7712/2B.

Each response has been written deliberately to try and target the 5 Assessment objectives and has been designed to fit snugly onto one side of A4 for ease of printing.

Each response uses a specific chapter or poem to exemplify wider ideas across the whole novel/collection.

For A02 there is a particular focus on macro methods with Offred’s unreliable/discontinuous narration in The Handmaid’s Tale and Duffy’s use of conceits, listing, surrealism.

For A03 there is a particular focus on the conservative backlash of the 1980s in The Handmaid’s Tale and consumerist culture, shifting identities and societal pressures on women at the beginning of the 21st century in Feminine Gospels.

Students are instructed to identify how each of the AOs have been covered across the response through labelling or colour coding.

The 6 themes of ‘modern times’ covered are the human body, degradation, isolation, contrasting ideas, motherhood and rebellion.

Personally, I find these exemplars are useful for teaching students how to meet the different Assessment Objectives without compromising the fluency of their response - something that is obviously essential for A01.