5e. Literature post-1900 (Non-exam assessment component) suggested texts - RELIGION IN LITERATURE — OCR A-Level English Literature
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5e. Literature post-1900 (Non-exam assessment component) suggested texts - RELIGION IN LITERATURE explained
Elizabeth Jennings’ Selected Poems (1985) offers a profound exploration of faith, doubt, and the human condition, making it an excellent poetry choice for the post-1900 NEA focusing on Religion in Literature.
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As a devout Roman Catholic, Jennings frequently grapples with spiritual vulnerability, the search for divine presence, and the intersection of religious belief with mental illness and personal suffering. Students should analyse her formal, restrained poetic structures—often employing traditional rhyme and metre—as a counterpoint to the intense emotional and spiritual turmoil depicted within. By examining poems such as 'Answers' or 'A Requiem', learners can evaluate how her 1985 collection articulates the complexities of modern religious experience against a secularising twentieth-century backdrop.
Racing Demon David Hare 1990 Drama
David Hare’s 1990 drama Racing Demon provides a compelling examination of the Church of England, making it a highly effective text for the post-1900 NEA topic of Religion in Literature. The play dramatises the ideological conflict between traditional, community-focused pastoral care, represented by the Reverend Lionel Espy, and the aggressive, evangelical certainty of Tony Ferris. Students should analyse Hare’s use of dramatic techniques, such as direct address and overlapping dialogue, to expose the institutional crisis and personal crises of faith within a secularising society. By exploring these character dynamics, learners can evaluate how the 1990 play critiques the intersection of religion, politics, and morality in late twentieth-century Britain.
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ Philip Pullman 2011 Prose
Philip Pullman’s 2011 prose work reimagines the foundational narrative of Christianity by splitting the central figure into two distinct twins: the spiritual, idealistic Jesus and the pragmatic, historically conscious Christ. For the non-exam assessment focusing on religion in literature, this text offers rich opportunities to explore the tension between faith and institutionalised religion. Students should analyse how the author uses the allegorical twin dynamic to critique the manipulation of truth for political power. A strong approach involves examining the narrative voice and the metafictional elements that question how sacred texts are constructed, highlighting the dichotomy between pure moral teachings and the corrupting influence of the church as an earthly authority.
Your focus
- Analyse how Elizabeth Jennings uses poetic form and structure to explore religious themes.
- Evaluate the impact of Jennings' Roman Catholic faith on the thematic concerns of her 1985 collection.
- Synthesise connections between Jennings' poetry and another post-1900 text within the context of religion in literature.
Show all 9 objectives
- Analyse the dramatic techniques used by David Hare to present religious and institutional conflict.
- Evaluate the contextual factors of 1990s Britain that influence the play's depiction of the Church of England.
- Compare the differing theological perspectives represented by the central characters in the drama.
- Analyse the allegorical significance of the twin protagonists in representing different aspects of religious history.
- Evaluate the author's use of narrative voice to critique the construction of sacred texts.
- Synthesise textual analysis with contextual understanding of 21st-century secular perspectives on religion.
5e. Literature post-1900 (Non-exam assessment component) suggested texts - RELIGION IN LITERATURE exam tips
Marking Points
- Demonstrate understanding of Jennings' use of traditional poetic forms to contain intense spiritual and emotional experiences.
- Analyse the presentation of Roman Catholic faith, particularly the tension between divine grace and human suffering.
- Evaluate the contextual significance of writing religious poetry in a predominantly secular late twentieth-century society.
- Compare Jennings' thematic exploration of religion with another post-1900 text, focusing on stylistic and contextual connections.
- Analyse Hare's dramatic methods, including soliloquies and direct address, in revealing characters' internal spiritual conflicts.
- Evaluate the representation of the Church of England as a fractured institution struggling for relevance in 1990s Britain.
- Explore the thematic contrast between evangelical zeal and liberal, doubt-ridden pastoral care.
- Synthesise contextual knowledge of late twentieth-century secularisation and political shifts with the play's religious themes.
- Evaluate how the twin motif functions as an allegory for the division between personal faith and institutional religion.
- Analyse the narrative techniques used to question the historical accuracy and construction of sacred texts.
- Explore the contextual significance of publishing a secular critique of Christianity in the 21st century.
- Compare the characterisation of the idealistic brother with the pragmatic, politically motivated brother to highlight thematic dichotomies.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Select poems that explicitly bridge personal suffering with religious themes to ensure a strong fit for the 'Religion in Literature' NEA topic.
- 💡Closely analyse Jennings' precise, unadorned diction and how it contributes to the sincerity and vulnerability of her spiritual voice.
- 💡When comparing with another text, ensure you balance the analysis of poetic form with the thematic exploration of faith and doubt.
- 💡Focus on the contrasting language used by Lionel and Tony to demonstrate how Hare dramatises different theological and practical approaches to faith.
- 💡Use the 1990 context to discuss how the play reflects broader societal anxieties about the role of traditional institutions in modern Britain.
- 💡Ensure your NEA essay maintains a sharp focus on 'Religion in Literature' by constantly linking character conflicts back to theological or spiritual questions.
- 💡Use the twin dynamic as a central framework for comparing pure spirituality with the mechanics of the church.
- 💡Incorporate relevant contextual research on secularism and the author's known critiques of religious institutions to strengthen your argument.
- 💡Select quotations that highlight the manipulation of truth, focusing on how the 'Christ' character records and alters events.
Common Mistakes
- Treating the poetry solely as autobiographical accounts of mental illness; correction: integrate analysis of how these experiences are framed through the lens of religious faith and spiritual testing.
- Ignoring the significance of her formal poetic structures; correction: explicitly analyse how traditional metre and rhyme schemes reflect a desire for divine order and stability.
- Overlooking the specific 1985 publication context; correction: contextualise the collection within late twentieth-century literary movements and the broader secularisation of British society.
- Focusing entirely on the political critique while neglecting the personal religious struggles; correction: balance the analysis of institutional politics with the characters' intimate crises of faith.
- Treating the play as an anti-religious tract; correction: recognise and analyse Hare's nuanced, empathetic portrayal of the clergy's genuine attempts to do good.
- Ignoring the dramatic form; correction: explicitly discuss how the genre of drama, including staging and dialogue, shapes the audience's understanding of the religious debates.
- Treating the text as a straightforward historical or biblical retelling rather than a deliberate postmodern subversion. Correction: Analyse the text as a metafictional critique of how religious narratives are constructed.
- Focusing solely on the plot without addressing the specific prose style and narrative voice. Correction: Ensure close analysis of the author's linguistic choices and the omniscient narrator's tone.
- Ignoring the broader theme of 'Religion in Literature' required by the NEA task. Correction: Explicitly link the character dynamics to wider debates about faith, truth, and institutional power.