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Jen Chan
Registrace 27. 02. 2020
Hi! I'm Jen, a literary expert, innovative educator and study content creator. If you're studying English Literature at school, this channel is where you can find top grade learning resources on Shakespeare, poetry, fiction and essay writing (with an emphasis on I/GCSE, A-Level and IB - but I promise you I can analyse ANY text!).
Since graduating with a 1st Class Degree in English from the University of Oxford, I've been teaching and writing about English Literature for as long as I can remember.
My literary analysis is always detailed, insightful and creative. I love reading between the lines, and literature offers us a wonderful opportunity to do just that. My goal is to inspire you to see the fun and beauty of analysing great writing - and of course, to get top grades while we're at it!
I'll be posting weekly videos aimed at helping you become a lit expert, so make sure to subscribe.
Check out my study guides here: www.hyperbolit.com/buy
Since graduating with a 1st Class Degree in English from the University of Oxford, I've been teaching and writing about English Literature for as long as I can remember.
My literary analysis is always detailed, insightful and creative. I love reading between the lines, and literature offers us a wonderful opportunity to do just that. My goal is to inspire you to see the fun and beauty of analysing great writing - and of course, to get top grades while we're at it!
I'll be posting weekly videos aimed at helping you become a lit expert, so make sure to subscribe.
Check out my study guides here: www.hyperbolit.com/buy
Analysis: Opening to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway
Virginia Woolf’s novella ‘Mrs Dalloway’, published in 1925, is arguably one of the most iconic Modernist literary works, specifically, as an exemplar of ‘stream-of-consciousness’ prose.
What that means is that the entire narrative is an unfiltered (or seemingly) presentation of the protagonists’ thoughts, and this style of writing was deemed experimental and revolutionary in Woolf’s time, when the Victorian realist mode of narration was still very much the style du jour.
In this video, I close read the opening to the book, which is a beautiful tapestry of rich, sensory-filled descriptions capturing both the internal world of Clarissa Dalloway’s mind, as well as the external environs of a bustling, vibrant London morning. Join me as I walk us through the details and minutiae of this wonderful moment!
TIMESTAMPS:
02:45 - Part I ("Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.")
07:23 - Part II ("A charming woman, Scrope Purvis thought her...")
💯 WATCH RELEVANT VIDEOS:
⭐Understanding Modernist Literature - concepts & context: czcams.com/video/3LhSwCMw0wU/video.html
⭐Analysis of T. S. Eliot’s ’The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ (if Mrs Dalloway is the exemplar of Modernist prose, then ‘Love Song’ is its verse counterpart): czcams.com/video/x-RS15J1mzg/video.html
⭐How to read fiction - a starter guide: czcams.com/video/P8EQOeRM40U/video.html
💫 FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM to DM me with questions: bit.ly/393zRvg
💌JOIN MY MAILING LIST for monthly digests of all the good stuff I write and create for English lit students: bit.ly/3l0bYHC
Email me at itslitwithjen@gmail.com
What that means is that the entire narrative is an unfiltered (or seemingly) presentation of the protagonists’ thoughts, and this style of writing was deemed experimental and revolutionary in Woolf’s time, when the Victorian realist mode of narration was still very much the style du jour.
In this video, I close read the opening to the book, which is a beautiful tapestry of rich, sensory-filled descriptions capturing both the internal world of Clarissa Dalloway’s mind, as well as the external environs of a bustling, vibrant London morning. Join me as I walk us through the details and minutiae of this wonderful moment!
TIMESTAMPS:
02:45 - Part I ("Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.")
07:23 - Part II ("A charming woman, Scrope Purvis thought her...")
💯 WATCH RELEVANT VIDEOS:
⭐Understanding Modernist Literature - concepts & context: czcams.com/video/3LhSwCMw0wU/video.html
⭐Analysis of T. S. Eliot’s ’The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ (if Mrs Dalloway is the exemplar of Modernist prose, then ‘Love Song’ is its verse counterpart): czcams.com/video/x-RS15J1mzg/video.html
⭐How to read fiction - a starter guide: czcams.com/video/P8EQOeRM40U/video.html
💫 FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM to DM me with questions: bit.ly/393zRvg
💌JOIN MY MAILING LIST for monthly digests of all the good stuff I write and create for English lit students: bit.ly/3l0bYHC
Email me at itslitwithjen@gmail.com
zhlédnutí: 66
Video
3 key approaches to literary analysis
zhlédnutí 182Před dnem
If you're a seasoned literature student, you'll probably know that literary analysis means reading between the lines of a writer's craft to dig deeper for a text's messages and meaning. But even with analysing a literary work, we often need to adopt frameworks and methods to make sense of the process of 'making meaning' from engaging with texts. In general, there are 3 main approaches to litera...
3 reasons why you should do a literature degree
zhlédnutí 712Před 14 dny
Depending on your goals and priorities, the reason for you to go to university or to pick a specific degree to study can be different from someone else's. A lot of people may look askance at the idea of specialising in a purely academic degree like literature (or philosophy / art) for 3-4 years, deeming it 'useless' or even detrimental to one's job prospects after graduation. But in this video,...
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou | Top grade analysis
zhlédnutí 138Před měsícem
Maya Angelou is one of the most celebrated African-American female poets of all time, and perhaps her most iconic work is the poem 'Still I Rise', which she would often perform live in front of massive crowds at big venues. It's a deeply empowering poem, and no matter if we choose to read the work in a biographical light as being about Angelou's personal experiences, or in a personal light as s...
The Tyger by William Blake | Top grade analysis
zhlédnutí 133Před měsícem
William Blake is known as one of the 'Big 6' Romantic poets, but he stands out from his contemporaries for his multifaceted - and some might say, fascinating - identity. Far being just being a poet, Blake was a skilled illustrator, talented engraver and a visionary mystic whose secluded lifestyle made him even more of an elusive character. Arguably his most famous work is the 'Songs of Innocenc...
What's different about top GCSE, A-Level and university English essays?
zhlédnutí 188Před měsícem
I get asked a LOT about the difference between GCSE, A-Level and university English essay writing, because some of you have discovered that despite excelling at English Lit in high school, simply applying those same skillsets to university English essay writing doesn't really work for top grades. Why is that? What makes a great GCSE essay different from a great A-Level essay, and what do you ne...
What actually happens at the end of The Handmaid's Tale?
zhlédnutí 934Před 3 měsíci
In this video, we’re looking at the ending of Margaret Atwood’s novel 'The Handmaid’s Tale'. To start, let’s ask a seemingly obvious question: what even is the ending of the novel? Does the narrative end at the point of Offred’s deportation (the end of Ch. 46), or does it actually conclude with the end of the ‘Historical Notes’ section, which functions as a kind of epilogue where a certain Prof...
Should we feel bad for Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire?
zhlédnutí 952Před 3 měsíci
In this video, we’re looking at the character of Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. It’s probably an understatement to say that Stanley is a controversial figure, and many readers might even write him off as a moral monster altogether, given his rape of Blanche at the end of the play. But is there room for some empathy - or even, pity - for this otherwise det...
Should we feel bad for the Commander in The Handmaid's Tale?
zhlédnutí 589Před 3 měsíci
Should we feel bad for the Commander in The Handmaid's Tale?
Analysis of the poker game symbol in A Streetcar Named Desire
zhlédnutí 1,4KPřed 3 měsíci
Analysis of the poker game symbol in A Streetcar Named Desire
Who's the scapegoat in The Handmaid's Tale?
zhlédnutí 541Před 4 měsíci
Who's the scapegoat in The Handmaid's Tale?
Narrative self-consciousness in The Handmaid's Tale
zhlédnutí 773Před 4 měsíci
Narrative self-consciousness in The Handmaid's Tale
The most important context of The Handmaid's Tale
zhlédnutí 3KPřed 4 měsíci
The most important context of The Handmaid's Tale
Is The Handmaid's Tale a feminist novel?
zhlédnutí 1,2KPřed 4 měsíci
Is The Handmaid's Tale a feminist novel?
Reading A Streetcar Named Desire with feminist, psychoanalytic and marxist theory
zhlédnutí 1,4KPřed 4 měsíci
Reading A Streetcar Named Desire with feminist, psychoanalytic and marxist theory
What's the context of A Streetcar Named Desire? Historical, social, cultural
zhlédnutí 2,6KPřed 5 měsíci
What's the context of A Streetcar Named Desire? Historical, social, cultural
What is 'love' in A Streetcar Named Desire?
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 5 měsíci
What is 'love' in A Streetcar Named Desire?
3 symbolic moments in A Streetcar Named Desire | Detailed analysis
zhlédnutí 4,7KPřed 5 měsíci
3 symbolic moments in A Streetcar Named Desire | Detailed analysis
Reputation and honour in Othello | Top grade analysis
zhlédnutí 2,1KPřed 5 měsíci
Reputation and honour in Othello | Top grade analysis
Analysing Othello with Freud: Id, Ego and Superego
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
Analysing Othello with Freud: Id, Ego and Superego
Are Othello and Desdemona good lovers to each other? | Marriage in Othello analysis
zhlédnutí 920Před 6 měsíci
Are Othello and Desdemona good lovers to each other? | Marriage in Othello analysis
Rethinking Hamlet with art and paintings
zhlédnutí 176Před 7 měsíci
Rethinking Hamlet with art and paintings
Rethinking Romeo and Juliet with art and paintings
zhlédnutí 250Před 7 měsíci
Rethinking Romeo and Juliet with art and paintings
Rethinking Othello with art and paintings
zhlédnutí 528Před 8 měsíci
Rethinking Othello with art and paintings
Rethinking Macbeth with art and paintings
zhlédnutí 337Před 8 měsíci
Rethinking Macbeth with art and paintings
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry Analysis
zhlédnutí 5KPřed 8 měsíci
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry Analysis
Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson | Poetry Analysis
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 9 měsíci
Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson | Poetry Analysis
Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats | Poetry Analysis
zhlédnutí 3,7KPřed 9 měsíci
Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats | Poetry Analysis
Daddy by Sylvia Plath | Poetry Analysis
zhlédnutí 6KPřed 10 měsíci
Daddy by Sylvia Plath | Poetry Analysis
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot | Poetry Analysis
zhlédnutí 2KPřed 10 měsíci
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot | Poetry Analysis
Hi jennnnn🎶🎶.I got my gcse results today and I got grade 9 in my eng lit papers 158 out of 160. Massively appreciate and enjoy all of yr videos, and I am planning to do a level English lit as welll, so I think we will continue our journey in searching for the splendidness of English literature❤❤❤❤❤❤
Amazing! Congrats on the excellent results, and thanks for letting me know that the videos have been helpful xxx Keep up the great effort as you start your A-Levels!
20 mins until my general english external exam literally a life saver ty 🙏🙏
i just wanted to say that thanks to you i got 9 in my gcse english literature getting 153/160 and your videos really helped me
Hooray love to hear that, and well done on the excellent work! Keep it up x
This is amazing as always, thank you!! I’m reading Mrs Dalloway as summer reading for my English degree I start in Sept; I’m really enjoying the rich imagery and stream of consciousness style, but boy is it hard to read 😳 I know its purposefully confusing to reflect the natural flow of the complex and nuanced thoughts of the characters but its taking so long to get through!
Yep that's stream-of-consciousness for you! I would say that most Modernist novels aren't meant to be 'understood' on first (or second/third, lol) read. So don't worry about it being confusing. Narratives like Dalloway are probably more of an experience for us to dip in and out of...
You gave so much context to the subject, that it really helped me understand how the different theories can be utilized for better comprehension. ❤😀👏 Thank you.
You're so welcome! Glad this was helpful x
thank you so much for making these videos they helped me get my A* in English lit - it helped me understand how to analyse Shakespeare and come up with my own ideas
Woot amazing great to hear - and well done on the excellent effort x Keep it up!
I became a big fan of your videos! Your eloquence is the best at it's grace and dignity! Great analysis!❤
Thank you for watching! Appreciate you x
🔥🔥
I love this! Jen, since you are literally (pun intended) my favourite literature youtuber can I please ask for middlemarch content! i’m reading it for uni, love it so far but i’d love to hear some of your takes on it
Oooh Middlemarch is an interesting one... also a mammoth novel to take on 🤣 but will see what I can do! Thanks for suggesting though!
Loved this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for watching! x
I've always wondered how much of this epiplexis was a genuine and spontaneous utterance, and what is a show for Horatio's benefit.
Yep great question - and what are the implications if it's just a show for Horatio? What do you think?
She is amazing. She deserves so so much credit!
Thank you! I appreciate you xxx
This is the best breakdown of this book I’ve seen so far. Wow 🤯
High praise! Thanks so much x
hi Jen, I just got my a level results back and got an A* in literature! I was really expecting an A or B but I'm convinced your videos were the reason for such a surprising outcome, so thank you so much :)
You are so incredibly welcome, and a massive well done to you for the excellent result! Keep it up xxx
Hi, can you post a video for tips on alevel coursework for English. Specifically on high level analysis techniques of quotes- any example from virgin suicides would be really helpful. But generally would be really good please
Very good stuff. Underrated channel.
Very interesting!
I love how you touched on how an initial degree in the humanities doesn't have to immediately lead to a job; nor does it have to box you into a handful of careers. Some people (particularly those in a specific field) really need to hear this!
100%!!! Thanks for sharing - we need to amplify this message further xxx
Thanku so much ! The way of understanding was good 👍
It seems lit theories assume literature as a given. But surely there must be a theory that explains what literature itself is - in a similar way evolutionary theory explains what evolution is, as well as the history of evolution in our planet, rather than limiting itself to analyzing specific cases.
Hm... I suppose it's a bit like explaining what 'art' is. Literature is a mode of creative expression, but of course there are many other ways of thinking about it. Welcome thoughts!
This saved me frfr💯
Thanks Jen ❤
Jen, you are the reason we fell in love with literature in high school. Please make a video about how to write an essay in college or anything related to literature in university. We are so stuck right now 😭
Hey thanks for letting me know - more related content planned for the next few months so stay tuned!
Hello Jen!
Hi!
Thanks a lot.
I think sympathy has to be tempered by the fact he was an achitect of this system and the fact he was willing to stand by and let his wife take out her rage for his actions on Offred as he had previously with the woman before her.
this video was really inspiring!! would love some more videos on uni content :)
Thanks for watching girl! Yep more uni-level content lined up, and if you have any topics to recommend please let me know x
As someone going into a lit degree next year I needed this!
Rooting for you 👍
Amazing explanation! Thank you so much for making this video ❤
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching x
Thank you for helping me write my AP Lang summer essay 🥺🥺🥺
Thank you ma'am for such detailed explanation. Continue making more videos like this.❤❤❤
This is the first of your videos I’ve seen, and it was awesome! Will definitely be watching more. I’ve always had a general understanding of Modernism, but this video gave me some much-needed perspective and clarity.
Love to hear that, and thanks so much for watching and letting me know this was helpful :)
😍😍
HEY JENNNNNN!!!!!!! CAN YOU PLEASEEEEEEEE DO VIDEOS ON AN INSPECTOR CALLS??? I love your analysis so much they are just so insightful and different to other videos and interpretation you see online.
Thanks for the recommendation - yes I've had lots of people reach out about me doing AIC, but I don't think I'll be prioritising this text because I'd like to explore texts/authors which are also studied by non-GCSE Eng Lit students :) If you wanted specific help on this you can email me at itslitwithjen@gmail.com
I love your videos❤
Thank you! 😁😘
Video Requests this might be a bit niche for a level english literature but could you consider maybe looking at one of the Bronte sisters novels
Hi - thanks for the suggestion! If you want to make specific video requests check out my membership program :) But yes, Bronte is potentially a good topic...!
Overall, this is a good analysis. However, the audio is a little squeaky-sounding. It may be the accent or the echo in the background. The voice pitch could be more comfortable to listen to.
Great diction! Love your analysis!
❤beautiful example of the cars
Incredible analysis
Jen, have you ever considered sharing any of your university essays / analysis? Could make a fun video 💕
You know what - that's actually a fantastic idea for a video... stay tuned!!! Thanks for the suggestion x
Send me your phone number I want more information on something which can't be archived from the media
I absolutely love this. "Tyger Tyger burning bright in the forests of the night". It's complete. He really didn't have to say much afterwards. Excellent analysis.
Thanks for watching! It’s such an incredible poem right? So much power in what’s otherwise seemingly simple language. 🤩🔥🫡
Lifesaver.Thanks so much !
Honestly the best piece of study and life advice ever!! Never underestimate the power of self belief!!!
TYYYYY🥰🥰❣💟💕
thank you so much for this!! this is so helpful. is it possible for you to cover heart of darkness or lonely londoners?
Literal last min revision for my a level mock tmrw💀