Paper 1 HL Sample 2.1 (chocolate)

Both Texts 1 and Text 2 refer to the method of making chocolate. What the methods are and how, by simple changes, something amazing is made out of a few Cocoa beans, some sugar and drops of vanilla.

In Text 1a the narrator describes every moment of the procedure with great detail, “The mingled scents of chocolate, vanilla, heated copper and cinnamon are intoxicating, powerfully suggestive…” She gives the idea that she enjoys every moment. She sets a mood that attracts the reader and interests them. Her style of writing is formal, but with a bit of ease. As for Text 2, the text is written with a formal tone and its structure is like a recipe with no measurements, straight forward and not very descriptive. However, even so, the author still attracts the reader’s attention.

“And I do not have to look into their hearts and take what I need; these are wishes that can be granted simply for the asking.” Text 1a shows a more personal side to the narrator as she brings in what her mother might have had or wanted. As for Text 1b it’s business, the text is simply a way of informing customers and persuading them to buy their products. Its’ less personal and when one reads the text they get a different vibe or feeling, more ‘distant’ and business or advert like.

Text 1 is in the structure of a novel. It’s purpose is to entice readers to read further, including them in during the entire process of making chocolate. At the same time it also includes a lot of the narrator’s life and her journey of chocolate making. “This is how I travel now, as the Aztecs did in their sacred rituals." The reader gets the idea that chocolate for the narrator is a “sacred ritual.”

Text 2’s structure is part list, and part paragraph. The paragraph part is to inform the reader where, when and how it all first begins, then, with the list, it plots the method of the recipe. It talks more about how the chocolate should be, instead of how the chocolate is.

Both texts are for an audience interested in the making of chocolate. Yet at the same time, both texts have a different audience. Text 1’s audience would probably be more interested in the life of the narrator and the slightly “romantic” ideas or opinions she has about chocolate. Whereas for the audience of Text 2 they’d probably be more interested in how it starts and more into the marketing part than the actual method. Both texts have the purpose to also intrigue the readers.

Both texts also us the ‘language’ of chocolate making, “couverture”, “conched.” Even though the reader might not understand some of them, the definition or concept is still understood simply by reading further on.

Both texts are formal, yet they are at the same time very different, whether it be in structure or tone. They both end up tempting the reader into going out and buying chocolate. For the narrator of Text 2, that is probably exactly what he/she is aiming for. For the narrator of Text 1a, her aim is more likely to have the reader think about how the chocolate is made and maybe even to appreciate the idea even more than the reader would have, had they not read the text.

The reader is informed and involved in the entire chocolate making process, from the fermented beans to the steaming aromas of the chocolate, straight to the packaging of the item. It’s up to the reader what they do with the information and how they will interpret the novel or the website.

Both texts send out a similar message and intrigue each reader differently, even if the method or objective is different. It gets the same point across.

 Paper 1 HL Sample 2.2 (chocolate)

I have decided to compare and contrast an extract written by Joanne Harris from the novel Chocolat, and an informational / promotional piece of writing from the website www.greenandblacks.com. Despite the fact that the two pieces have a different genre, they are still linked by the same theme, that of chocolate and how to produce it.

Text 1, written by Joanne Harris, and Text 2 might have the same theme but their intentions are very different. Text 1a is written more for the purpose to entertain rather than to inform. The extract is told in the first person narrative perspective, “I only use the best,” and “I never use electrical mixers.” The extract tells a story of the protagonist (main character), who has opened a ‘patisserie-chocolaterie’, and who further tells about how she produces the chocolate. In addition to that, the story is written in quite a subjective manner. Looking at the manner in which the passage is written, Text 2 has the purpose to purely inform and convince the audience. The passage really comes across as a promotional piece of text, as you read lines like “taking that extra time conching (stirring constantly in a vessel that looks like a conch shell) our chocolate to bring out the intense flavour that has become our trademark.” By using jargon (“conching”) the writer convinces the reader of his level of expertise, which in turn persuades the reader to buy the chocolate.

The way in which both texts are structured and the diction used in them is very different. But that presumably has to do with the fact that the purpose and intentions for both texts are different as well. Text 1 is a passage from a novel. It’s purpose is to entertain, and more specifically it aims at an audience who is educated and can appreciate literature. The reason why I say that is because the text is written with some complex words and it also contains some jargon. “The chocolate has to be tempered to bring it to its crystalline state, ensuring a hard, brittle surface and a good shine.” Furthermore the manner in which the passage is structured is typical of a novel. It is divided into various paragraphs and the syntax uses poetic license. Some sentences are long and flowery. Others are short and incomplete, such as “It is safe. Harmless.” Text 2 on the other hand uses less complex and poetic language. Because the purpose of the text is to sell chocolate to a large audience, it uses comprehensible diction and syntax. Text 2 is constructed in a very clear manner. It first gives a brief introduction after which a clear point-by-point procedure is described. The ‘from bean to bar’ section also uses facts and figures such as “We harvest the cocoa pods (there are around 45 beans in every pod) at their peak of ripeness." The language is very detailed and descriptive in the attempt to convince the audience of their expertise. This is similar to Joanne Harris’s choice of words: “There is a kind of alchemy in the transformation of base chocolate into this wise fool’s gold.” “Wise fool’s gold” is a metaphor for the chocolate. Here the author compares chocolate to gold. Gold is something which we value highly. By comparing chocolate to gold the author is giving the audience the feeling that they are not just reading a book about chocolate, but about something worth much more.

Furthermore the tone in both extracts is very similar. Both Text 1 and 2 talk a lot with passion about chocolate. Although I do find the tone in Text 1 somewhat arrogant or snobbish. If we read the first sentence, “Now making chocolate is a different matter. Oh, sure, skill is required. A certain lightness of touch, speed a patience my mother would never have had,” and “I only use the best.” These quotes illustrate the sense that the protagonist feels better than her mother and she is over-confident and stresses that she only uses the best. Even though Text 2 is less personal than the passage from Chocolate, it still expresses a warm feeling and tone. Their company talks with a lot of passion and love for chocolate: “Well tempered chocolate will have a lovely shine,” and “Roast the beans to develop their rich flavour.” Words like ‘lovely’ and ‘rich’ really give the text a pleasant tone.

To conclude both Texts 1 and 2 are very effective in the way they are written. Text 2 has a purpose to sell and inform and that is exactly what it does. It provides the audience with an easy to read, well-structured piece of text with onomatopoeia, like ‘snap’, to make it more vibrant and personal. Text 1, the passage from Chocolat, has the purpose to entertain and tell a story. It makes use of stylistic devices such as figurative language to make the story more visual and easier for the reader to imagine, which is very effective.