GCSE English Literature: Analysing Character and Theme in Prose Fiction Guide

Character as construct

Remember a character is a construct created by the writer for a purpose — always discuss how the writer presents a character, not just what the character is like, using phrases like "the writer presents X as..."

Tracking development

Characters and themes often develop across a novel. Consider how a character changes (or stays the same) from the beginning to the end, and what this reveals about the novel's central ideas.

Linking to context

Where relevant, link your analysis to the context the novel was written in — social, historical or the writer's own views — to show a deeper understanding of why certain ideas or attitudes appear in the text.

Using the whole novel

Extract-based questions still expect you to refer to the novel as a whole, not just the printed extract, to show a complete understanding of how a character or theme develops.

Common mistakes

• Writing about a character as if they were a real person rather than a writer's creation.
• Focusing only on the given extract and ignoring the rest of the novel.
• Making contextual points without linking them clearly back to the text.