Themes
Exam responses that are led by ideas are more likely to reach the highest levels of the mark scheme. Exploring the ideas of the text, specifically in relation to the question being asked, will help to increase your fluency and assurance in writing about the novel.
Below are some ideas which could be explored in Great Expectations. This list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to identify other ideas within the novel.
Exam Tip
It is crucial that you develop the skills to find your own ideas and arrive at your own meanings and interpretations to the text. Try to take a more exploratory and discursive approach to your reading of the novel as the examiner will reward you highly for this approach. For instance, you could begin to develop your own interpretations by using sentence starters such as: “Dickens may have used the character of Miss Havisham to highlight ideas about …”