Exam-style questions for Coram Boy - Edexcel

• Coram Boy is examined as part of Edexcel Paper 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature.

• In your answer, you need to include quotations from the novel and make links to relevant contextual information.

Remember

There are marks to gain for accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar in this paper.

Make sure to check your work.

Your question will usually contain a quotation from the text and then ask about one or more of the following areas:

• Plot

• Setting(s)

• Character(s)

• Theme(s)

Understanding the exam question is an important first step.

Read it carefully, highlight the command words and think about what the question is asking you to do. For example:

Sir William: "I did not truly know until now how much I loved my son and miss him."

Explore how family is important in Coram Boy.

You will be marked against three assessment objectives (AOs) in this exam:

In your exam, it is a good idea to spend a few minutes writing down your ideas before you start your essay.

You could plan your ideas using bullet points, a mind map or any other method you prefer.

Include quotations in your plan if you can and any ideas about contextual links.

Remember

Points about context should always:

• Be relevant to the question

• Explain and develop the points that you are making

• Show your understanding of how the context is linked to the story.

It is also important to leave time to check the accuracy of your spelling, punctuation and grammar at the end of the exam. There are eight marks available for this (AO4) so it’s worth checking your work carefully.

Read and compare these two sample answers to the question:

Sir William: “I did not truly know until now how much I loved my son and miss him.”

Explore how family is important in Coram Boy.

Answers could include:

Family is an important theme as it links to many of the characters. Aaron doesn’t know who his family are, and Alexander’s family disinherit him because he wants to become a musician. Otis is cruel to his son, Meshak, and so he runs away with Aaron to start a better life.

Sir William wants Alexander to take on the running of the estate, because this was expected of him as a wealthy heir in the eighteenth century. He wants to be a musician instead and father and son fall out. Sir William says ‘he is no longer my son’.

Eventually, after hearing the Swan Song and seeing Aaron, Sir William realises that he misses Alexander and wants to reconcile with him because he now knows that family is important. He wants them to be happy together, more like the Ledbury family who accept Thomas for who he is.

Answers could include:

In Coram Boy, Gavin explores the importance of family through the different characters and the ways they act with their relatives. For example, Sir William does not appreciate the family he has and tries to control Alexander’s future, whereas the Ledbury family are loving and accepting of Thomas’ musical talent. Meshak is treated cruelly by his father and creates a family of his own through his fantasy world of ‘angels’. By setting the story during the 18th century when many children were abandoned, Gavin highlights the necessity of a loving family unit.

At the start of the novel, Sir William cannot accept that his son, Alexander, wants to become a musician instead of taking over running the Ashbrook estate, as was expected of him as a wealthy heir in the eighteenth century. It causes tension between the two and, following an argument, Alexander leaves home. Sir William declares ‘he is no longer my son.’

It takes seven years but eventually Sir William realises that rejecting his son ‘inflicted great pain and distress’ on his family and that he ‘loves’ and ‘misses’ him. Despite the fact that Alexander’s career path doesn’t follow traditional 18th century expectations for the upper classes, Sir William accepts the importance of family above anything else. Through the character of Sir William, Gavin is showing that family is far more important than traditional expectations.

The more you practice planning answers to exam-style questions, the easier you will find it in the exam.

The questions below are about theme in Coram Boy. For each question, remember to:

• Look for the command words

• Plan your ideas

• Include relevant context

• Support your points with quotations.

1. "Otis Gardiner, pots man, Jack-of-all-trades and smooth-tongued entrepreneur, ranted non-stop."
   Explore how Otis is significant in the novel.

2. Admiral Bailey: “An orphanage that does its job too well does no one any favours.”
   Explore how charity is presented in Coram Boy.

3. Alexander: "I don't know what I am without music.”
   In what ways is music important in Coram Boy?

4. "Thomas made him see the world in a gentler light."
   How is friendship significant in the novel?