Should I pick an obscure text for my English Literature EE?

Not for the sake of it. Obscure texts often lack the critical scholarship you need to cite for Criterion C. Originality comes from your research question and angle, so a well-known text with a fresh RQ usually scores better.

Does the text matter more than the research question?

No. The RQ-and-text combination is what counts, and the RQ is where originality lives. Write your research question first — the text alone is not the question.

Can I do my English EE on a graphic novel?

Yes, but it adds visual analysis as an extra layer to manage within 4,000 words. It's doable if the text is rich and your RQ is narrow, but expect more to juggle than with a novel.

How to Choose the Right Text for an English Literature Extended Essay

Choosing your text is the first big decision in an English Literature EE, and most students get the instinct backwards. They reach for the densest, most ambitious, most obscure text they can find, hoping it makes them look smart. That's rarely what wins.

The right text isn't the most ambitious

It's the one that's original, personally interesting to you, and connects to a strong, emotive global issue. Examiners reward students who clearly have something to say — not students who picked a difficult text to look impressive.

Four things to actually weigh

1Density of literary techniques — how much is the text actually doing on a language and structural level?
2Existing critical scholarship — you need to cite for Criterion C, so a text no one has analysed is much harder
3A narrow enough RQ that you can deeply analyse it in 4,000 words
4Your supervisor's enthusiasm — they write the report and read your essay through their own lens, so this matters more than students think

"Overdone" isn't the problem you think it is

A popular text can feel overdone — but it's overdone in high school essays, not in EEs. In the Extended Essay, originality comes from your research question and your angle, not from the obscurity of the text. A well-known novel with a strong personal arc and a current global-issue framing (consumerism, mental health, identity) often beats a niche text you picked just to be different.

Tip

Graphic novels are a valid choice, but they add visual analysis as a whole extra layer to manage inside 4,000 words. Possible, but harder — go in with your eyes open.

Whatever you choose, write the RQ first. The text alone isn't the question — the RQ-and-text combination is.

Key Takeaways

Pick the text that's original to you and tied to a strong global issue, not the densest one
Weigh technique density, available scholarship, RQ scope, and supervisor enthusiasm
Originality lives in your RQ and angle — not in an obscure text
Graphic novels add a visual-analysis layer that's harder to manage in 4,000 words
Write the RQ first; the text alone is not the question

Free guide

Your RQ does the heavy lifting. See strong research question patterns across subjects.

See RQ examples