AOE Areas of Exploration in IB English

What’s AOE?

Areas of Exploration (AOE) are the three conceptual lenses that guide the study of texts in IBDP English A:

1. Readers, Writers, and Texts.
2. Time and Space.
3. Intertextuality: Connecting Texts.

They help students critically analyze how meaning is created, communicated, and received. AOEs encourage exploring the relationship between a text, its audience, and its creator; understanding the influence of historical, cultural, and social contexts on a text; and identifying connections between different texts or genres. These lenses are applied across all assessments, ensuring a comprehensive approach to textual analysis.

1. Readers, Writers, and Texts

Core Idea

This area focuses on the interaction between the writer, the reader, and the text itself. It examines how the writer conveys meaning and how the reader interprets it, considering personal and cultural perspectives.

Key Questions:

• How does the writer’s purpose and context influence the text?
• How do language, structure, and style shape meaning?
• How does the reader’s context influence their understanding of the text?

Examples:

• The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald): Readers analyze how Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream through Gatsby’s idealism, Daisy’s superficiality, and the unattainability of wealth and happiness. A 1920s reader might view Gatsby as a tragic hero, while a modern reader might see him as a critique of materialism.
• Frankenstein (Mary Shelley): The reader explores Victor’s role as a creator. Is he a tragic figure or an arrogant scientist? Readers from different time periods may interpret Victor’s actions differently, influenced by advancements in science and ethics in their era.
• Anne Frank’s Diary: The diary’s personal tone creates an intimate connection with the reader. While readers during WWII might have seen it as a firsthand account of survival, modern readers might analyze it as a universal call for tolerance and the human cost of war.

2. Time and Space

Core Idea: This area focuses on the context in which the text was produced and received. It examines how historical, cultural, and geographical settings influence the meaning of the text and its themes.

Key Questions:

• How is the text shaped by its cultural, historical, and geographical context?
• How are universal themes interpreted differently across time and space?
• How does the setting influence the characters, themes, or conflicts?

Examples:

• Frankenstein (Mary Shelley): The novel reflects anxieties of the Industrial Revolution, the consequences of scientific hubris, and Romantic ideals. Its exploration of playing God resonates differently today, considering debates on AI and genetic engineering.
• The Crucible (Arthur Miller): Miller’s play, set during the Salem witch trials, reflects the McCarthy-era Red Scare in the 1950s. The historical parallels between the two periods—hysteria, scapegoating, and societal division—invite the reader to reflect on how fear manipulates justice across different timeframes.
• Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe): The novel portrays the effects of colonization on Igbo society. A postcolonial reading highlights the cultural loss and identity crisis caused by British imperialism, while a Western reader might focus on universal themes of change and resistance.

3. Intertextuality: Connecting Texts

Core Idea: This area focuses on how texts connect to one another. It examines shared themes, stylistic techniques, and cultural influences, showing that texts do not exist in isolation but as part of larger literary, social, and historical conversations.

Key Questions:

• How do texts reflect or transform other texts?
• How do similar themes appear across different genres and contexts?
• How do universal ideas connect different cultures and time periods?

Examples:

• The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire: Both explore themes of illusion and the destructive nature of desire. While Gatsby clings to his dream of Daisy, Blanche hides behind fantasies of a romanticized past. The texts critique societal pressures that lead individuals to self-destruction.
• Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood): Both address the dangers of oppression. Shelley critiques Victor’s overreach and irresponsibility, while Atwood explores how patriarchal control over women’s bodies leads to dystopia. These texts can be connected through the theme of power and its abuses.
• Macbeth (William Shakespeare) and 1984 (George Orwell): Both explore the corrupting influence of power. Macbeth descends into madness due to his ambition, while Orwell’s dystopian society showcases the complete erasure of individuality under totalitarianism.

Applying AOEs in Analysis:

For each AOE, students are encouraged to:

1. Identify: Recognize key aspects of the text relevant to the AOE. Example: In Macbeth, identify how the setting (Scotland) and the time period (medieval monarchy) influence themes of loyalty and betrayal.
2. Analyze: Explore how techniques like symbolism, imagery, or narrative structure contribute to the meaning. Example: Analyze how Miller uses stage directions in The Crucible to reflect tension in both historical and modern contexts. Connect: Relate the text to other works, contexts, or the reader’s own experience. Example: Compare Achebe’s portrayal of colonialism in Things Fall Apart with Conrad’s representation of imperialism in Heart of Darkness.

Why should I know more about AOE?

Areas of Exploration (AOE) are relevant and integral to the entire IBDP English A curriculum and are applied across all components of assessment, including Paper 1, Paper 2, the Individual Oral (IO), and the Higher Level Essay (HLE). Let’s now see how AOE work in Paper 1 and Paper 2.

1. Paper 1: Textual Analysis

In Paper 1, students are required to analyze an unseen text, focusing on how the writer communicates meaning. AOEs provide a lens to explore different aspects of the text.

• Readers, Writers, and Texts: Focus on the relationship between the text, the writer’s intent, and the reader’s interpretation. For example, how does the writer use literary or stylistic devices to influence the audience?
• Time and Space: Analyze the cultural or historical context suggested by the text. For instance, how does a text from a specific time period reflect societal norms or values?
• Intertextuality: Identify connections between the unseen text and other works or broader themes. For instance, if analyzing a poem on nature, students might relate it to Romanticism or other works they’ve studied.

Example: In Paper 1, a student analyzing an editorial might explore how the writer’s use of rhetorical devices appeals to the intended audience (Readers, Writers, and Texts), or how the text reflects its cultural background (Time and Space).

2. Paper 2: Comparative Essay

Paper 2 focuses on comparing two works studied in the course. The AOEs guide students in crafting a well-rounded analysis.

• Readers, Writers, and Texts: Discuss how each author addresses universal themes or communicates specific messages. For example, compare how ambition is portrayed in Macbeth and The Great Gatsby.
• Time and Space: Highlight how the cultural or historical context of each text shapes its themes, characters, or style. For example, examine the differing views of gender roles in A Doll’s House (Victorian Europe) and A Streetcar Named Desire (20th-century America).
• Intertextuality: Compare shared themes or literary techniques across the two works. For instance, explore how both Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale critique the abuse of power and control.

Example: A Paper 2 essay might compare how societal norms restrict female identity in The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire (Time and Space), or explore how symbolism is used in both texts to depict these restrictions (Intertextuality).

3. Individual Oral (IO)

The IO requires students to analyze a global issue through one literary and one non-literary text. AOEs ensure students examine the texts holistically.

• Readers, Writers, and Texts: Discuss how the authors’ choices affect how the global issue is communicated to the audience. For example, in an IO on power and oppression, analyze how George Orwell and a political cartoonist manipulate tone, structure, and imagery.
• Time and Space: Explore how the cultural or historical context of each text shapes the portrayal of the global issue. For example, the depiction of colonialism in Things Fall Apart versus a postcolonial advertisement.
• Intertextuality: Connect the two texts through shared themes or techniques, such as the use of symbolism to represent power dynamics.

Example: If analyzing survival in Frankenstein and a documentary on climate refugees, students might discuss how cultural attitudes toward science and survival (Time and Space) influence both works.

4. Higher Level Essay (HLE)

The HLE involves an in-depth exploration of a single text or a small set of works. AOEs help students frame their argument and analyze the text critically.

• Readers, Writers, and Texts: Examine how the writer’s techniques or narrative choices communicate key themes.
• Time and Space: Discuss the relevance of the text’s historical or cultural context to its meaning.
• Intertextuality: Consider how the text interacts with other works or ideas.

Example: An HLE on The Great Gatsby might explore how Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream (Readers, Writers, and Texts), links the novel’s themes to the Jazz Age (Time and Space), or draws on intertextual influences like T.S. Eliot’s poetry.

Why AOEs are Essential in IBDP English A

AOEs are a conceptual framework that helps students approach texts critically. They ensure that students analyze texts not only for literary devices but also for broader connections to context, audience, and other works. This makes AOEs crucial in all assessments and not limited to Paper 1.

Would you like specific examples of AOE-based questions for one of these assessments?