Fictions et réalités

In English, present the American Dream as a founding myth of the United States: explain briefly what it is, name its key images, and show what values it conveys — and how it can both inspire people and hide a harsher reality.

1. 01Define the myth and its origins

   Open by stating what it is: « The American Dream is a founding myth of the United States: it is the belief that, in America, anyone — whatever their origins — can succeed through hard work, courage and determination. It is closely linked to the country's image as a 'land of opportunity'. » Naming it as a myth (not a fact) is the key move.

2. 02Name the key images

   Give the recurring figures: « Its central image is the 'self-made man' who rises 'from rags to riches', along with the idea of the frontier — a new land waiting to be conquered. The Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants is one of its most powerful symbols. »

3. 03Bring out the values and function

   Interpret, do not just describe: « This myth conveys the values of hope, equality of chances and individual effort. It unites a nation of immigrants around a shared promise and explains why people from all over the world have come to the United States. »

4. 04Show how it both inspires and hides

   Add the critical, nuanced layer: « However, the myth also hides a harsher reality: not everyone has the same chances, and social inequalities, racism or poverty can block the dream. The American Dream therefore both inspires people and masks the obstacles that many of them face. »

Résultat : Une bonne réponse définit l'American Dream comme un MYTHE fondateur (et non un fait), en nomme les images clés (self-made man, from rags to riches, the frontier, la Statue of Liberty), en dégage les valeurs et la fonction (espoir, égalité des chances, unir une nation d'immigrants), puis ajoute la nuance critique (le mythe inspire mais masque les inégalités réelles). L'anglais reste clair et structuré (B2), avec le lexique du récit (a founding myth, to convey values, to embody).

In English, explain the difference between a traditional hero and an anti-hero, using examples from the English-speaking world, and say why anti-heroes have become so popular in modern fiction.

1. 01Characterise the traditional hero

   Start with the classic figure: « A traditional hero, such as a superhero like Superman or Captain America, embodies clear values: courage, justice and self-sacrifice. He fights villains, overcomes great dangers and serves as a role model. The public is meant to admire and look up to him. »

2. 02Characterise the anti-hero

   Contrast with the modern figure: « An anti-hero, by contrast, is the central character of a story but lacks these heroic qualities. He or she is ordinary, flawed and often morally ambiguous, making mistakes and acting for selfish or doubtful reasons. Many recent novels, films and series build their plots around such characters. »

3. 03Explain why anti-heroes are popular

   Give the interpretation: « Anti-heroes have become popular because they feel more realistic and 'relatable': a flawed character resembles us more than a perfect one. They allow fiction to explore the grey areas of human behaviour, where most real choices are made, rather than a simple fight between good and evil. »

4. 04Conclude on fiction and reality

   Tie it back to the axis: « In this way, the shift from heroes to anti-heroes shows how fiction moves closer to reality. By giving us imperfect characters, modern stories hold up a more honest mirror to who we are. »

Résultat : Une bonne réponse caractérise le héros traditionnel (valeurs claires, modèle : Superman, Captain America) et l'anti-héros (ordinaire, imparfait, moralement ambigu), explique pourquoi l'anti-héros séduit (il est plus réaliste et 'relatable', il explore les zones grises) et conclut sur le rapport fiction/réalité (la fiction se rapproche du réel en offrant des personnages imparfaits). L'anglais reste clair et nuancé (B2), avec le lexique de l'analyse (to embody, flawed, morally ambiguous, relatable, a role model).

You have studied George Orwell's '1984'. In English, present the world it imagines, identify its mechanism of control, link it to a real fear, and explain what warning the novel sends to the reader.

1. 01Present the imagined world

   Set the scene: « '1984', written by George Orwell in 1949, imagines a totalitarian society ruled by a single Party and its leader, 'Big Brother'. The State controls every aspect of life: citizens are watched at all times through 'telescreens', and the slogan 'Big Brother is watching you' is everywhere. »

2. 02Identify the mechanism of control

   Name how the power keeps control: « The regime controls people through fear, surveillance and the manipulation of truth. It rewrites history, invents a controlled language ('Newspeak') to limit thought, and punishes any independent idea. Control is total because it reaches even into the citizens' minds. »

3. 03Link the fiction to a real fear

   Make the bridge to reality: « Although it is fiction, the novel reflects very real fears: the rise of totalitarian regimes in the twentieth century, mass surveillance, propaganda and the loss of individual freedom. Words like 'Big Brother' and 'Orwellian' are now used to describe real-world surveillance. »

4. 04State the warning

   Conclude on the cautionary message: « '1984' is therefore a cautionary tale. By pushing surveillance and propaganda to the extreme, Orwell warns us against any power that seeks to control thought and truth. The fiction does not escape reality — it holds up a mirror to it and asks us to stay watchful. »

Résultat : Une bonne analyse présente le monde imaginé (État totalitaire, Big Brother, telescreens), identifie le mécanisme de contrôle (peur, surveillance, réécriture de l'histoire, Newspeak), relie cette fiction à une crainte réelle (totalitarisme, surveillance de masse, propagande) et formule l'avertissement (mise en garde contre tout pouvoir qui contrôle la pensée et la vérité). L'anglais reste clair et structuré (B2), avec le lexique de la dystopie (totalitarian, surveillance, a cautionary tale, to warn against, to push to the extreme).

In English, discuss the idea that « the way we tell a story shapes the way we see the world ». Show both the positive power of stories and their power to manipulate, and conclude on the importance of point of view.

1. 01State the central idea

   Open with the thesis: « Stories do not simply describe reality; they shape the way we perceive it. The same event can be told in very different ways, and each version highlights some things while leaving others in the shadows. This is the power of storytelling. »

2. 02Show the positive power

   Give an uplifting illustration: « On the one hand, fiction can broaden our view and build empathy. By letting us live the lives of others, a novel like Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' makes readers feel the injustice of racism, and Orwell's '1984' gave us words to think about surveillance. Stories can change how we see the world. »

3. 03Show the power to manipulate

   Bring in the darker side: « On the other hand, the same power can be used to manipulate. Political storytelling can reframe facts, and 'fake news' can spread a false narrative. In '1984', the State rewrites the past, illustrating the warning that 'who controls the past controls the future'. A narrative is never fully neutral. »

4. 04Conclude on point of view

   Resolve with a critical lesson: « Therefore, we must always ask who is telling the story and from which point of view. Distinguishing the facts from the way they are framed is essential. All in all, stories are powerful precisely because they shape reality — which is why we must read and listen to them critically. »

Résultat : Une bonne réponse pose l'idée centrale (un récit façonne la perception du réel), illustre le pouvoir POSITIF des récits (empathie, changement de regard : « To Kill a Mockingbird », « 1984 »), montre leur pouvoir de MANIPULATION (storytelling politique, fake news, réécriture de l'histoire) et conclut sur l'importance du point de vue (distinguer fait et récit, se demander qui raconte). L'anglais vise le B2 (on the one hand / on the other hand, therefore, all in all) avec le lexique adapté (storytelling, a narrative, to shape, to frame, point of view).

Prepare a two-minute spoken answer in English to the question: « Why do we need fiction? ». State a thesis, illustrate it with two works from the axis (a myth or a hero, and a dystopia), address a counter-argument, and conclude in a nuanced way.

1. 01Reframe the topic and announce the thesis

   Open with the question: « Some people think fiction is just escapism, a way to forget the real world. I will argue the opposite: we need fiction precisely because it helps us understand reality — it gives us shared values and warns us about our own future. » Reframing as a debate is the expected B2 move.

2. 02Fiction gives us values and meaning

   Give a first illustration: « First, fiction provides the founding myths and heroes that hold a community together. The American Dream, for example, conveys hope and the value of effort, while superheroes embody courage and responsibility. Through such stories, a society shares its ideals and offers role models. »

3. 03Fiction warns us about reality

   Balance with a second illustration: « Second, fiction can warn us. A dystopia like Orwell's '1984' takes a real fear — surveillance and totalitarian control — and pushes it to the extreme, holding up a mirror to our world. Far from escaping reality, this fiction makes us see it more clearly and stay watchful. »

4. 04Address the objection and conclude

   Resolve with nuance: « Admittedly, fiction can also distort reality or be used to manipulate — a story always has a point of view. Therefore, what matters is to read it critically, asking who tells the story and why. All in all, we need fiction not to flee reality, but to understand it, to feel empathy, and to imagine where our choices might lead. »

Résultat : Une bonne prise de parole reformule le sujet en question, défend une thèse claire (la fiction nous aide à comprendre le réel), l'illustre par DEUX œuvres de l'axe (un mythe ou un héros — American Dream, super-héros — ET une dystopie — « 1984 »), intègre une objection (la fiction peut déformer ou manipuler) et conclut de façon nuancée (lire la fiction de façon critique). La langue vise le B2 : present perfect, modaux (can, should, might), connecteurs variés (first, second, admittedly, therefore, all in all) et lexique d'analyse (a founding myth, a dystopia, point of view, to warn).