Prepare an essay in response to the topic:

"Fiction enables us to explore a world we might not have otherwise known. How successful do you think the novel you have studied does this? Refer to its setting, characters and themes."

Did Cue for Treason open up a world you might not have otherwise known?

How much is Cue for Treason a fiction? Does Trease strive to be realistic? Why?

"How successful" = give a rating of degree: fully, partially, to some extent, not at all & WHY.

Setting
What do we learn about Elizabethan England?
What settings did Trease open up for you that you did not know about before?
Remember to note not just physical settings either, refer to the psychological setting the air of suspense and treason too.

Make a list of the novel's major characters.
How well did you get to know them?
What did they tell us about their world?
From whose point of view were characters described?
Did you sympathise with Peter Brownrigg? Share his fears, hopes?
Were you introduced to a range of classes and characters? Why?
Is this a psychological novel, i.e., is it a study of motives and a particular world view?
Being an historical novel, are these characters recognisable today?

What are Trease's themes?
How has he presented them?
Do they present a critique of Elizabethan society?
Are they pertinent to us today?
Is his craft of writing successful enough that they emerge clearly?
Without a PLAN OF THE ESSAY do not start writing. The plan must precede the essay and answer the question set.

 Sample response, another sample

G. Smith, 1996

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Sample essay outline

"Fiction enables us to explore a world we might not have otherwise known. How successful do you think the novel you have studied does this?" Refer to its setting, characters and themes.

Fiction enables us to explore authors' worlds whether they are real or imaginary. It offers windows to authors' imaginations, such as futuristic worlds in science fiction, social criticism as in Charles Dickens' fictions set in Victorian England or patriotic nostalgia as in Geoffrey Trease's fictional reconstruction of Elizabethan England in Cue for Treason (1940). In every case, it must be remembered that fiction is by definition not factual; it is the product of someone's imagination at play.

One major test of a fiction's success is realism; we ask: is this novel realistic? A highly regarded fiction tells us something new, it relates to the world we inhabit and it offers a distinctive view upon that reality. Uncritical reconstructions of a society are mere descriptions or naive history, fantastical views are merely imaginary and personal but effective fictions throw more light upon humanity and tell us about ourselves. In this essay I shall assess how successful Cue for Treason is and to do so I shall analyse its setting, characters and themes.

Cue for Treason celebrates the beauties of rural England and the intrigues of Elizabethan society. Trease has a strong sense of historical setting with geographical features, place names and historical characters abounding. His characters journey through various well described land- and city-scapes............. Trease does this successfully by ..............

Trease's novel also focuses on character and opens doors of understanding on English history and tradition. His central character, Peter Brownrigg, is the informed narrator, a picaresque observer and adventurer ................ Trease's characterisations successfully ..............

Cue for Treason also celebrates powerful themes such as nationality, free-thinking, royalty and loyalty. . These themes are quite successfully developed ..................

My view is that in Cue for Treason Trease is not critical enough; it smacks of propaganda. . . . .

G. Schafer

Trease's reconstruction of Elizabethan England in Cue for Treason despite some technical slips quite successfully entertains us even in the 21st century. Discuss.

OR

A work of historical fiction should be rated as successful not on its sales or popularity, but on its realism and relevance to the readers' lives. How successful are any novels of historical fiction you have read in class recently?

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