IB English

Higher Level (HL) Essay

The Task 
At HL, students are required to write a 1,200 –1,500 word formal essay which develops a particular line
of inquiry of their own choice in connection with a literary text, or selection of short works, studied
during the course.

Explanation of the Task 

The HL essay offers students an opportunity to develop as independent, critical and creative readers,
thinkers and writers by:
 exploring a literary or language topic over an extended period of time
 refining their ideas by means of a process of planning, drafting
 and re-drafting
The essay requires students to construct a focused, analytical argument examining the work from a
broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires them to adhere to the formal framework of an
academic essay, using citations and references. 

It is assessed both internally (for all students) and externally, by the IBO (for students continuing to Year
2).

Connection to the Learner Portfolio

The HL essay is based on the exploration the student has carried out in the learner portfolio. During this
exploration process, the student will have investigated a number of works and texts from a variety of
different perspectives. In the lead-up to the drafting of the essay, the student must decide which text or
texts to focus on for further investigation, and which topic to write about in connection with them. In
choosing the topic, the student can consult the course’s seven central concepts (the 7 CCs). Choose
carefully because you will not be able to use this text again for any other IB assessment.
 What works are available to you?  What works are not available to you?
o Chronicle of Death Foretold o Works from other courses
o A selection of Kafka’s stories o Works we will study in quarters
o Their Eyes Were Watching God 3 and 4-you will need those for
o Frankenstein your oral presentations

Selection of Text, Texts or Work 

Candidates must select the texts and topic for their essay independently; however, consultation with
the teacher is essential in this process. Care must be taken to make sure that the chosen texts or works
are rich enough to support a developed, focused, and analytical argument. 

Determining the Topic 

The chosen topic should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay. In achieving this, the
course’s seven central concepts may be a helpful starting point for students in generating or
determining a topic for the essay. While students do not have to trace their essay back to one of the
seven concepts and the assessment criteria do not require it, working with one of the seven concepts
will allow students to begin thinking about their topic as they refine their ideas and arguments. The
seven concepts are briefly discussed here in relation to the assignment: 
Identity 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of identity of a particular character
or group of characters in the text, or on the way in which the text relates to the identity of the writer.
Example:  How does Ralph Ellison, in the novel Invisible Man, succeed in making his narrator a
convincing spokesperson for the concerns of African Americans in the 20 th century.

Culture 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of the culture of a particular
place,  institution or group of people, or on the way in which the text itself relates to a particular
culture. 
Example: How does Robert Capa represent post-Second World War II France to exemplify the
brutalities of the French population on former Nazi collaborators in La Femme Tondue.

Creativity 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of individual or collective creativity,
or lack of creativity, within the text, or on the way in which the text represents the creativity of the
writer. 
Example: How do Mario Testino’s portraits manage to convey the personalities of those
portrayed in original ways? (This is for IB Language and Literature-not our course.)

Communication 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of acts of communication, or failures
in communication, in the text, or on the way in which the text itself represents an act of
communication. 
Example: Which view of love does Matt Groening convey in Love is Hell.

Transformation 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of transformation or transformative
acts in the text, or on the way in which the text itself is a transformative act either of other texts through
intertextual reference to them or of reality by means of a transformative effect on the reader’s
identity, relationships, goals, values, and beliefs. 
Example: In what ways does the Allen Parson’s Project tales of mystery and imagination offer a
transformative rereading of Edgar Allen Poe’s tales.

Perspective 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of a particular perspective or
perspectives within the text, or on the way in which the text represents the writer’s perspective. 
Example: How does Mary Shelley’s protagonist in Frankenstein use the motif of dangerous
knowledge to show the perspective of fear and anxiety of excesses in scientific enterprise in
early 19th century Europe?

Representation 
The student might be interested in an aspect of the way in which the text represents different
themes, attitudes and concepts, or in the extent to which language and literature can actually represent
reality.
For example: Through what means does Juan Rulfo successfully convey the representation of
realistic and non-realistic characters and situations in Pedro Paramo.
However, using the 7 CCs is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive. Other literary focuses, theoretical
approaches, or areas of exploration could lead to lines of inquiry, such as:
 How does F. Scott Fitzgerald foreshadow how Gatsby’s unnatural attachment to the past causes
his downfall in The Great Gatsby?
 In what ways would Marxist theory about the stratification of wealth and power explain the
violence that runs through the action of the novel A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia
Marquez?
 To what extend was the characterization of the protagonist in Patrick Suskind’s Perfume
influenced by Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis?
 How to Get Started
A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Pick a text that you want to use. Make sure that you fully understand the text and that you feel
some kind of personal connection to it. The essay will be underdeveloped and lackluster if you
are not interested and invested in it.
2. Develop a line of inquiry. This is similar to the probing questions we’ve developed for Socratic
Seminars, the GCQs we started with at the beginning of the year, and the questions listed earlier
in this packet. Start thinking about your text in terms of technique and message. You should
develop a few lines of inquiry questions before you hone in on your main question. What can
this look like:
 Hmmm…I noticed a lot of nature in what I was reading, so I thought about it and
developed some questions for myself:
o How does an author use nature imagery to reflect identity and emotions?
o How does an author transform themes, attitudes and concepts into nature
imagery?
o What do repeated images about nature translate to in terms of conceptual
meaning?
o How does the nature imagery impact the emotional state of the characters?
o Obviously your questions won’t be so vague-you will know your author and your
text!
3. Take your questions, go back to the text, and answer your questions. Re-read, research-dig into
the text, chart your evidence and your findings. As you chart, explain how the evidence relates
to your questions.
 What patterns emerge?
 What conclusions can you draw from these patterns?
 You will be creating a formalized chart to hand in (and yes, it will be graded).
 When we say research, we mean, research within your text. There should be no outside
sources other than the text and your own brain. IB values independent, outside-of-the
box thinking. But, you must remain within the confines of the text.
4. You’ve honed in on a question, you collected your evidence, you’re really thinking about
connections…now what? It’s writing time! Writing
 Thesis/Intro
o We will collect, give feedback on and grade your Intro paragraph-the thesis
statement should be contained within the paragraph

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 250 word check Word checks are simply that-we check to make sure that you are at
 500 word check that word count. We do not read, revise or grade the papers at this
 750 word check point, but we may glance at them to make sure you are doing quality
 1200-1500 word check work, and offer mini-lessons on common areas of concern.
 Conference Paper
o You will hand in a formal Conference Paper that is worth 100 points. It will be
read and constructively criticized by your IB teacher. This should be treated as a
final exam-present your best possible work.
 Revised Paper
o Regardless of whether or not you continue on, you will hand in a revised and
final version of your Conference Paper in order to receive IB weighting.
 If continuing onto Year 2, you will continue to revise this paper as summer reading, and
its final version is due 3 weeks into your senior year.
Due Dates:

Assignment Due Date

Introduction/Evidence Chart March 19
250 word check March 27
500 word check April 2
750 word check April 8
(or, before you leave for Break)
1200-1500 word check April 20
Conference Paper April 24
(before you leave for Junior Ball)
Conferences April 29 and 30