English Literature IGCSE
Microcosm
What Microcosm means in English Literature IGCSE, as defined for Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Microcosm
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A small-scale representation of a larger system or society.
A community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger.
A situation or place encapsulating in miniature the characteristic features of something much larger.
A small group or situation that represents the characteristics of a much larger system.
A small, contained space or situation that encapsulates the features of a larger one.
A small place or situation that encapsulates the features of a much larger one.
Topics that use Microcosm
- A Streetcar Named Desire (Cambridge International IGCSE)
- Blues for an Alabama Sky (Cambridge International IGCSE)
- Hullaballoo in the Guava Orchard (Cambridge International IGCSE)
- I'm the King of the Castle (Cambridge International IGCSE)
- The War of the Worlds (Cambridge International IGCSE)
- An Inspector Calls (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE)
- Of Mice and Men (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE)
- Western Lane (Pearson Edexcel IGCSE)
Related terms
Using Microcosm in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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