Comprehension A

"Be obscure clearly"- E.B. White

If I manage to get this right, you should be able to understand immediately why I bundled Unseen Poetry with the paper 1 stuff. So many of the same techniques and attitudes are required for the comprehension, especially part A. Keep this in mind.

1. Comprehension (Part A).

So here's the thing about comprehensions; you do them every single day. The idea behind this section is to decipher and understand the subtleties and nuances of a story, ie, looking beyond the black and white. Humans do this every. Single. Day, reader. It's how we know that Barack Obama was really digging into George Bush during his acceptance speech, how we can tell our Maths teacher is in a foul mood even though they're speaking politely; how we can tell someone has a debilitating crush on another by the way they ask for a pen. We're genius at it.

It gets tricky, however,  when we lose the "context" of the story- ie, when a story is plonked in front of us with no warm-up. It's harder to decipher text than conversation- you might have noticed this after failed attempts to send a sarcastic text- and it's even harder under the pressures and time constraints of an exam.

The only solution the paper gives you is a little square on the cover of the exam citing the theme of the paper. This is the biggest help paper one offers you- never, ever ignore it. Look for this theme throughout your comprehension- this saves you a lot of time and helps you read between the lines faster.

I said for the Unseen Poetry that it's helpful to read the poem out to get a feel for it. Unless you're unbelievably ballsy, this is not advised for the comprehension, however. Instead, I find it helpful to go absolutely batshit schizo crazy.

I have a full-on imaginary conversation with the character/s/ narrator. This lasts approximately two minutes. We drink tea, inject heroin, or visit bee farms together- whatever I think would suit them. Not only does this serve as a welcome break from exam stress- it's hard to have a panic attack when you're listening to blues in 1950s New York- it also helps with your comprehension Part A and B, and maybe even your essay. Making a human connection with the piece gives it that 'context' and makes you understand and truly relate to the character or narrator. It shows that you've got a clear mental picture of the aims of the character or peice, which when you think about it, can only stem from the text. Take down how the character or narrator behaved in your conversation, and look at the text to see what made you think they'd act that way. If it doesn't work, well, at least you've made a potential dialogue for your essay. Plus, you sometimes get free drugs.

As in the Unseen Poetry, make a note of anything that strikes you. Every writer seeks to create a "world" in their text, so anything that you notice while you're there will make a pleasing souvenir for the examiner.

Stories seek to speak to a reader, and writers are generally having a conversation- with you, with themselves, or with their characters.   This means language is more free and less dense, so metaphors and subtleties may be spaced further apart than in poetry- keep an eye out for "matching" images and throughout, as they might mark the beginning and end of an extended metaphor or symbol. Again, do not be afraid to embrace opposites- writers love to explore and observe all types of being.

Devices are important, but writers don't seek to play language like poets do. Instead, the focus is on scrutinizing events and people until their inherent beauty and truth is released- look at the characters and events in relation to the theme. Where sounds would demonstrate mood in poetry, look at how things move, act, sound, think, smell, taste, touch, look; a bowed head could imply the same reverence in a story that assonance could in poetry, for example. Senses are, again, really important- this is how writers transport readers to their Theoretical Mind Caverns, which is exactly where you want to be.

If the question calls for an examination of images, think again of the theme of the paper, then consider the surrounding text. Keep colour in mind- black and white images might suggest age, moodiness, drama, or melancholy. Sepia images me be reminiscent, and colourful, vibrant photographs might suggest abundance, joy, confusion, or variation. Compositionally, look out for uncertain wobbly lines, fulfilled circles, complex concentrics, challenging winding paths, sure straight lines, unifying triangles, or freeing diagonals. Of course, lines can mean different things for different pictures- a horizontal might be a calm sea in one picture and a cage bar in another- but the theme and content of the text should set you straight. Look for the number of people- is the picture overcrowded or solitary? Note lines that draw you in to a point, emphasising the subject of the picture, and pay attention to position- a face in the centre is more prominent than a shoe in a corner, usually. I draw all over my images, doing arrows and marking centres (and yes, occasionally drawing moustaches). This can help you engage with the image.

Lastly- trust that you can understand the comprehension. This is a human writing to another human about a human experience- it is the basis of communication, and we are very, very good at that. Go Simon Cowell on it. Judge every little thing the characters say or do or act or think, and form an opinion; fall in love, plan their murder, sexually fanta.. Well. Point is, we are assholes and we judge people and events all the time. Here we are, being offered marks for doing so. Really, really go to town.

To recap;

> Look at the theme of the paper. This will save you so much time and energy.

> Converse with the story. Stories are, in essence, an admittedly verbose chat- engage with it and you'll get talked through your answer.

> Get lost in the world of the author. You wouldn't be able to tell me about your trip to Madagascar if you'd stayed in your apartment the entire time.

>Look out for subtle metaphors and symbols. These can be sneaky, but can be spotted in repeated images or notions.

> Pay attention to images. These are often the most poorly- answered section of Question A.

>Judge everything. This is how we decipher a world. Plus, you won't hurt anyone's feelings- that is what they're there for.

> Note senses. These constitute the tangible side of the author's world.

>Do not consider the comprehension an alien challenge. We are really, really well practiced in figuring out what words mean. And lastly;

>Do not bring heroin into the exam hall. Characterisation need only go so far.

Thank you for reading; I'll have a sample answer up in a few. As ever, feel free to judge me like I'm a comprehension character- honestly and harshly. It's why I'm here.

Muchos gratitude(os?!),
Amy.