AQA
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
7717/2A
Paper 2A Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing
Version: 1.0 Final
,A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2A Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing
Thursday 8 June 2023 Morning Time allowed: 3 hours
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 12-page answer book
• a copy of the set text(s) you have studied for Section B and Section C. These texts must not be
annotated and must not contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7717/2A.
• You must answer the question in Section A, one question from Section B and one question from
Section C. Over Section B and Section C you must write about three texts: one poetry text, one
post-2000 prose text and one further text.
• Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
• In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
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, 2
Section A
Answer the question in this section.
0 1 Explore the significance of elements of crime writing in this extract.
Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways the author
has shaped meanings.
[25 marks]
This extract is taken from a chapter near the end of Pine by Francine Toon, published in
2020. The story is set in the Scottish Highlands. After the disappearance of his wife ten
years ago, Niall, together with his daughter Lauren, lives in a remote hamlet at the edge
of a forest. Now a teenager, Ann-Marie, the daughter of Angela and Malcolm, has gone
missing. The police, along with neighbours including Diane and Kirsty, have been
searching for her.
Close to ten o’ clock, long after Lauren has fallen fast asleep once more, the doorbell
rings, startling Niall on the sofa. It’s the police again. Today, they searched the woods
and are examining a dilapidated house, after a tip-off from a young member of the public
who came across a secret annexe. Diane, Kirsty told him, has put something on social
media that has been shared thousands of times. Niall only has a vague idea of what this
really means. The police are interviewing a man found on the premises and have found
human remains. The words don’t click into place. He clings on to fragments of
sentences. Female. They were fast-tracked to a lab. He wonders if Angela and Malcolm
know.
The police pause. ‘And we’re sorry to bother you so late, but we’re working against the
clock and wanted to talk to you before anyone else, reporters and the like, do.’ Their
voices are smoothed out, softened.
‘OK, sure,’ says Niall, trying to figure out what they are getting at.
They tell him that the DNA does not match Ann-Marie’s DNA and the search for
Ann-Marie must continue. He breathes out.
The DNA, they continue, matches with Christine Mackay, his wife. He tries to
understand but his brain has slowed. He goes to the kitchen and eyes four fingers of
whisky in the bottle under the sink. He pours a glass.
‘Niall, if we may . . .’ The policeman’s voice reminds him of laminate flooring, flat and
colourless. ‘Our forensic team found the remains – bones, to be precise – of your wife
Christine, deep underground. We had her DNA on file and it is an exact match.
Therefore, her status has changed from that of a missing person to deceased. We are
sorry to tell you that her skull suffered trauma.’
‘She was wearing a blue dress that day.’
‘We have not yet found evidence of clothing in the basement. There was a dressing
gown near the door. We have to tell you that while we have taken in a man for
questioning, you remain a suspect in this case and we are going through your interviews
on file. If you want to say anything else, now is the time. We will set up another interview
with you at a later date. We’re currently running tests. And we have this ring now as
potential evidence.’ They put a silver Claddagh ring on the table in a clear plastic wallet.
‘It was handed in by your daughter today. But she says she found it earlier and didn’t tell
anyone. Can you tell us, Niall, if this belongs to your late wife, Christine?’
‘Yes,’ says Niall. ‘My daughter. Why didn’t she tell me?’
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, 3
‘Are you sure?’
Niall’s muscles are contracting. ‘And any other DNA?’ he says flatly. ‘Any other DNA.
You found that? Someone else?’
‘We’ve found separate DNA evidence, yes, but it is inconclusive. At this moment in
time. We’d like to take a fresh sample of your DNA.’
He holds his emotions on a tight leash. ‘You don’t still have me on file?’
‘I’m sure we have. It’s just to make sure everything’s as up to date as it can be. We
offer our sincere condolences, Mr Mackay, but we hope that you can find solace in this
information, however small.’
She had not gone far. She had not deserted him.
‘We’ll keep you updated with more details as soon as we have confirmation. The press
are already getting wind of this, as we say, because of social media, and you may see
them about – but we would ask you not to speak to them at this stage. We’ll be preparing
an official statement and will keep you updated. We wanted to tell you as soon as we
could.’
He coughs like a wretch. ‘Just so . . . Excuse me, this is a lot to take in. The annexe?’
‘We cannot say much about the annexe we described as we want to interview you
about it later. But we have reason to suspect . . . that she had been held there. Against
her will.’
Niall stays motionless, the words sloshing through his head like blood. ‘I don’t know
anything about it, I can tell you that now.’
‘We appreciate you may need a moment. We hope you can understand that we need
to see . . . if there’s some kind of link between Ann-Marie’s disappearance’ – the
policeman raises his eyebrows – ‘and Christine’s. Have you any idea?’
‘No, as I said before, I don’t, officer.’
‘Then we would like you to describe the nature of your relationship with your wife.’
‘We loved each other,’ he says. ‘I loved her, so much.’ His eyes are warm and wet. ‘I
want you to know that.’
Turn over for Section B
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun23/7717/2A
