Summary AQA A LEVEL English Literature A: Top Girls Complete Notes
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Course
Paper 2B: Texts in shared contexts - Modern Times
Institution
AQA
I remember when I was doing my A Levels there weren't a whole lot of resources particularly when it came to Top Girls. So I compiled the key areas that I focused on to achieve an A in my AQA A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE A exams in 2024, allowing you to achieve the top grades you deserve!
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TOP GIRLS
AO1: Churchill’s Aims, Characterisation
AO1: Dramatic Aims
● Caryl Churchill: “I know what kind of society I would like: decentralised, non-authoritarian,
communist, non-sexist - a society in which people can be in control of their lives.”
● Churchill said that she omitted male characters in the play to focus on how women
communicate with each other when men are not present
● Churchill: “I did want people to feel that Marlene was wrong, I suppose, in rejecting
Angie[…]But I think it’s complicated and prevented from being just a simple black and white
thing…And equally that Joyce, though having other views that I would share is also in some
ways rather limited and bad tempered so that it wasn’t just a case of pitching a good person
and a bad person.” - Should every woman strive to be a Top Girl?
AO1: Themes
● Politics: J/M’s differences have long historical basis, which parallels the party-political division
● Feminism: Churchill met US feminists “getting far more women executives, women vice-
presidents” but she preferred British “feminism tends to be much more connected to socialism
and not so much to do with women succeeding on the sort of capitalist ladder.”
● Marriage: marriage isn’t presented as an attractive option - only for Angie
AO1: CHARACTERISATION
● Rejects naturalism - characters tend to a more Brechtian model of character development
● Juxtaposes characters from different historical/social backgrounds = diversity of women
Marlene:
● “I believe in the individual” (Act 3) - aggressive ‘me-first’ philosophy of 1980s business
● Lizbeth Goodman notes she has no real friends to invite to celebratory dinner
● “She was hungry because he drank the money./He used to hit her” (Act 3) - domestic abuse
● “You’ve been wonderful looking after Angie…I can’t write letters but I do think of you.” (Act 3) -
assuage guilt + sharing good fortune w/ J who gave her freedom to pursue her goals
● M can be kind AND ruthless - ensures all dinner guests’ needs are met + polite to MK
● Only time she is confrontational/comfortable = w/ Joyce: tries to play number of roles:
indulgent aunt, city girl taking breath of fresh air, long-lost nostalgic sister - but argues w/ J
Isabella Bird: Adventure - anomaly for time - bio: “A Curious Life for a Lady”: devastated by Hennie’s
death - made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1892 + gave a lecture there (1st woman).
Initially refused: “it seems scarcely consistent in a society which does not recognise the work of
women to ask women to read a paper.” Feels guilty - every story of her own liberation is countered w/
sombre reflection on Hennie /father/husband’s goodness: “I can never be like Hennie.”
Lady Nijo: Nijo is obsessed with status + Enjoyment of finer things in life makes her renunciation of
them even more impressive = Memoirs were lost but then rediscovered and translated in 1960s.
Dull Gret: She clearly listens to other guests so her remarks are always relevant. Lack of words made
up for by action - in all 3 productions she steals food + crockery
Win and Nell: A double act with identical attitudes. ‘Tough birds’ = successful, self-confident ,
individualistic and ambitious, their unashamed self-confidence and energy is refreshing and positive
compared to the misogyny and male violence endured by the women in Act One.
Louise: Subject to lookism/ageism as younger, more ambitious women (W/N) promoted over her.
Hardworking, loyal but not valued herself
Mrs Kidd: Sacrificed herself to being a good wife - frustration with herself for not wanting a more
independent life. Out of touch with women like Marlene and the modern world of work.
Angie: inherits her real mom’s ambition/determination but unlikely to master the other skills needed to
succeed - has learning difficulties but difficult to infer from text (remedial classes)
Kit: A year later (Act 2 -3) when Kit is introduced to Marlene she seems much more confident and
mature, this shows how little change there’s been in Angie
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