Alex Kirstukas Paper One (2 Hours)

[John Lamb]

Alex Kirstukas Paper One (2 Hours)

 

 

AQA GCSE World Literature (Lower Tier) (50 marks)

Paper One – 19^th Century Literary Inspirations in a Geopolitical Context.

 

Candidate Name – Alex Kirstukas

 

 Question One.

 Quoting from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas (1869) and your own knowledge, choose any one figure from world history who may have inspired the character of Captain Nemo.

 

In your essay you should include

 

·       The geopolitical backdrop of your chosen figure and how it relates to this and Verne’s wider works at local, national and international scales.

 

·       Named references to that chosen figure in the work of Jules Verne.

 

 

·       Written extracts from both the writings of your chosen figure and / or other historical sources and how they link directly into Verne’s text of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas.

 

 

·       Possible named links given by Verne regarding other contemporary historical figures given in the novel and how they relate to your choice for the inspiration of Captain Nemo.

 

 

·       Examples of possible codes and ciphers used by Verne relating to your choice.

 

 

·       Examples of humour used by Verne in the text.

 

 

·       How your chosen historical figure links into the personality of Captain Nemo in the sequel novel The Mysterious Island (1873).

 

 

You have chosen the Lower Tier Paper which helps you by giving you the seven prompts outlined above. Candidates are advised to spend roughly 15 minutes on each prompt and allow time for a meaningful introduction and conclusion.

 

 

Failure to submit this paper may result in you failing the AQA GCSE World Literature (Lower Tier) 19^th Century Literary Inspirations in a geopolitical Context Course.

 

 

Your Paper will be marked by Don Sample and Jean Louis Trudeau.

 

 

 

 

[Don Sample]

Your question is based on a false premise: that an author will pick out one historical figure on which to base a character.

That’s rarely what happens. Authors will build characters by drawing bits and pieces of inspiration from all over: their own life experience and imagination, people they have known, characters from other stories, and yes, real historical figures. All these parts are mixed and matched to create the character that the author wants for their story.

On Nov 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM, John Lamb <cads...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[John Lamb]

you say...

'That's rarely what happens'...

which means it does happen... 

So it is not a false premise is it?... 

For all your knowledge...

For all your experience of Verne studies...

you can not do it...

I did it of course for Semmes....

 with all those bullet points and more...

 ..and yet the editor of Verniana, can not do it....

so think twice before being hierarchical and ridiculing me...

because you can not do it... 

I could write a poem. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/jules-verne-forum/F4FA2F6A-4CD3-4CC0-9488-42BECB38DDF9%40mac.com.

[John Lamb]

That was my reply to Alex, not you Don, but I do not think you could do it either. 

[William Butcher]

Don  was being polite, but his point is entirely valid. Unless, of course, you've got some documentary evidence. But oh, you don't do documentary evidence do you?

---

From: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com <jules-ve...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of John Lamb <cads...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2025 7:38 AM
To: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com <jules-ve...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [JVF] Alex Kirstukas Paper One (2 Hours)

 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/jules-verne-forum/CAJ0ud40jj%2BC-AAcHdKJOnnogWPPcEn_3%3DY_mZAbfHKPYY25q7Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[John Lamb]

I apologise Don, but as I say I thought you were Alex. 

The point still stands though regarding  one person being an inspiration for Nemo and that is Semmes, the  counterweight being the Unionist portraits in his cabin.

...and Bill you can not answer your question either and that is the whole point regarding producing anything similar to Semmes from Alex, and anything similar to Birkenhead from you.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/jules-verne-forum/BN7PR14MB211466CEA55D05EA98B4F7F9FAC6A%40BN7PR14MB2114.namprd14.prod.outlook.com.