GCSE: English Literature: Prose Fiction Coursework

About GCSE English Literature Prose.

Prose in this case means stories. The book you could study cover themes like horror, revolution, racism and bullying. Occasionally there's a happy ending (nice frocks and a wedding), but usually there's a healthy dose of death and disaster.

GCSE English Literature Prose: What Will I Study?

Most students will study two books, one modern and one "heritage" or "classic". Some exam boards ask you to read a selection of short stories too. Unfortunately you don't get to choose, it all depends what your teacher has in the stock cupboard. The good news is that all of the books are written in modern English so they should be easier to understand than Chaucer or Shakespeare. Many of them have been adapted into films which may help too.

To score highly in GCSE English Literature you'll need to be able to read and understand a story, spot how the author has built up the atmosphere and describe how different readers would think about the book and it's characters. To help you understand the background of a book you could learn more about the author's life and the times in which they lived.

If you're short of inspiration, or want to see examples of the coursework set for GCSE English Literature, then have a look at coursework.info.

GCSE English Literature Prose... What Can I Study Next?

A Level English Literature would be the obvious next step if you've enjoyed GCSE. Further down the line, you could take a degree in English literature at university where you'll be able to focus on the authors and books that inspire you.

More About GCSE English Literature Prose.