How do I remember all the critics when writing my A-level essays? There's so many to learn!

First of all, don't panic with critics. Not only are they usually not the highest weighted part of the mark scheme, but they are supposed to be included at A level in your answers to show the examiner you can argue a point well, rather than test your memory. You don't need to worry about getting the quote exact, but rather just focus on what it is they are saying, if you miss a couple of words or jumble up the sentence in the exam, if it still makes sense and says a similar thing, you should be fine. Obviously try not to completely change it, and of course I would advise against completely making them up, but again, it is not a memory test. Your focus in exams should be on what you think about the text, not on remembering hundreds of critics verbatim (exactly). Focus on collecting a small group of critic quotes you can apply to essays and actually understanding the point, rather than memorising so many and stressing yourself out.Secondly, if you really struggle with quotes then you don’t have to use them! Remember you can use many different types of interpretations: plays, films or even comments in your class discussion. You could also consider how different groups may interpret the text, for example feminist thinkers. If it is relevant to the discussion, and you engage well with these opinions, you should be fine. A good example would be: ‘feminists critics suggest that the book unfairly portrays women compared to men, this is a strong/weak interpretation because… (provide evidence). You will notice no quotes! If you can use quotes, great, but you will notice they are not the be all and end all and it is much better just to show you are aware that there are varying opinions.