HSC · Critical Study of Literature
Critical Study of Literature: analysis on Shakespeare…
HSC Critical Study of Literature essay scoring 85%: Shakespeare explores trends and standards involving beauty in sonnet 130. In the end poking fun at…
Shakespeare explores trends and standards involving beauty in sonnet 130. In the end poking fun at dramatic love poetry. Sonnet 130, 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun' written by Shakespeare explores Love poetry during the romantic period. Love poetry is usually dramatized emphasising on how the muse is enchanting and mesmerising, setting standards of pale skin, light eyes, flowy hair. These stereotypes created high expectations, and the same repetitive poetry. Shakespeare writes sonnet 130 to communicate that Beauty is not what makes you truly love someone and shares his mistresses flaws to the audience. His mistress presumably the dark lady, is compared to the standards at the time, her eyes lack warmth and colour, her skin lacks life, her breath reeks and her voice does not compare to music. Yet as the poem progresses he enmities his love for her "I love to hear her speak, yet i know that music hath a far more pleasing sound" He shares that even though she may have her flaws, he still loves what she does, how she does them, how she looks. at the end of the sonnet during the rhyming couplet the sonnet shifts (volta) "and yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare"... this creates and adds to the true meaning of love he is sharing with the audience, his love does not need to be the most beautiful nor a goddess. Love is not something material and shake spear pokes fun and shames love poetry writers that set such standards, His love is rare as a goddess. He
HSC · Critical Study of Literature
Critical Study of Literature: not so much as an essay but…
HSC Critical Study of Literature essay scoring 72.5%: LITERATURE REVIEW Throughout history and literature, the internalisation of rigid masculine…
LITERATURE REVIEW
Throughout history and literature, the internalisation of rigid masculine constructs has habituated men to equate worth with control, hence fostering a pervasive saviour complex. Over time, these gendered power imbalances perpetuate and thus seek to justify the systemic oppression of women. By examining critical essays alongside Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles, this literature review aims to expose and redress the reality of how men, driven by Freudian anxieties, project their own insecurities onto women. For example, both John Burt’s ‘Irreconcilable Habits of Thought in A Room of One’s Own and to The Lighthouse’ and Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ expose the societal pressure for men to repress their emotions, highlighting the subconscious efforts of men to subjugate their human vulnerabilities. Ultimately, this review aims to reveal the hypocritical stereotypes upheld by society, whereby it not only oppresses female autonomy but also confines men to harmful stereotypes.
Peters, R. S. (1956). Freud’s Theory. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 7(25),
4–12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/685932
To establish my understanding of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, R S Peter’s critical essay on Freud’s theory provides a comprehensive outlook on the psychological defence mechanisms that underpin male anxieties. Historically, Freud’s theories emerged during the 1890s as a radical departure from traditional psychological interpretations. These theories, such as Repression, Projection and Equilibrium were developed in order to understand the ‘hidden’ mechanisms driving human behaviour. In doing so, Freud established key connections between the Id and Ego, highlighting the crucial role the mind plays within daily interactions. In his essay, Peters identified Equilibrium as a key mechanism that reveals how the male psyche navigates through internal conflicts by externalising it onto other factors, namely women. Through his examination of the state of equilibrium, Peter highlights the crucial role it plays in preserving psychological stability, “Human beings like other organisms tend to preserve a state of equilibrium”. Here, this notion can be exemplified in Woolf’s concept of material stability within A Room of One’s own, where she argues that women have been systematically denied material conditions such as money and the physical space to produce literature. Similarly, by examining Miller’s The Song of Achilles through Freudian lenses, the novel exposes the fragility of the heroic code; whereby Achilles is required to suppress his feminine emotions to uphold an externally validated identity. Therefore, when evaluating Peter's analysis of Freud’s theory, this process has deepened my understanding on the males’ pursuit of psychological equilibrium, which paradoxically introduces the suppression of female autonomy, thus exposing the complexities behind the saviour complex; that being, the confinement of both genders within toxic societal standards.
Burt, J. (1982). Irreconcilable Habits of Thought in A Room of One’s Own and to The Lighthouse. ELH, 49(4), 889–907. https://doi.org/10.2307/2872903
HSC · Close Study of Literature
Close Study of Literature: The Truman Show invites…
HSC Close Study of Literature essay scoring 80%: Peter Weir’s film critiques a contemporary society that increasingly relies on the constructed reality…
Peter Weir’s film critiques a contemporary society that increasingly relies on the constructed reality of the media. Instead of allowing us to develop genuine relationships, the media holds power over the audience, subjecting them to constant surveillance while controlling their attention. By being exploited for entertainment and made to feel fearful, Truman has lost his freedom and sense of self. To find his authentic self, he must take a risk to escape the manipulation of Seahaven and search for his true identity. This leads us to ask: In a world built on lies, what is truly real, who actually holds power over our lives, and do we have the courage to escape?
The opening scene masterfully introduces the uncomfortable idea of the constructed world, portraying how constant surveillance ensures that Truman’s most private moments are never truly his own. Weir utilises vignette shots and hidden camera angles to frame Truman’s morning routine, which instantly turns the audience into complicit spectators of his private life. This technique reinforces that in a constructed reality, there is no such thing as privacy; instead, Truman is dehumanised and treated as an entertainment product for the profit of the show and the pleasure of the audience. Weir intensifies the manipulation through Truman’s direct gaze in the close up shot into the bathroom mirror where he is pretending to be an explorer. When he quietly questions, “Tell me something I don’t know” it isn’t a loud outburst, but a moment where he is beginning to question the limited nature of his reality. This reflective moment reveals Truman’s internal struggle to find an authentic identity in a world built on lies. By spying on Truman in the intimacy of this scene, Weir effectively invites us to question the ethics of our own reality media consumption, proving that true freedom is impossible in a televisual world where Truman is controlled for commercial profit, and the constant entertainment of others.
HSC · Critical Study of Literature
Critical Study of Literature: Discuss how an…
HSC Critical Study of Literature essay scoring 62.5%: Victorian society were homogenous followers of Christian morals based on the Ten Commandments.…
Victorian society were homogenous followers of Christian morals based on the Ten Commandments. Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1996), portrays the protagonist, Dr Jekyll as an innovative doctor, who, in his quest to solve his dilemma of seeking social approval but also wanting to fulfil his evil appetite, transgresses three of the Ten Commandments. Through Jekyll's actions, Stevenson critiques the conflict between social approval and evil impulses, illustrating the destructive consequences of trying to separate them both. By understanding the religious context of Victorian England, I am better able to empathise with the shock and moral outrage that Jekyll's behaviour would have provoked among Victorian readers, enhancing my appreciation of the novella's exploration of morality, guilt, and identity.
In Chapter 6, "Remarkable Incident of Doctor Lanyon," Utterson describes Dr Jekyll as a man who is "no less distinguished for religion." This suggests that Jekyll is not only a respected scientist, but also someone well-regarded by society for his faith. However, he disobeys the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." When seeking a solution for his inner conflict, he plays God and creates a new body for himself to indulge in sins - Hyde. Furthermore, when Utterson confronts Jekyll after hearing of Hyde's behaviour in Chapter 2, Jekyll claims that "The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde," emphasising that Jekyll initially believes he has complete control over his transformation. This reflects his godlike ambition to master his dual nature, which ultimately proves to be his downfall. In the process, he places science and his experiments before God and finds the avenue to the supernatural not through religion, but through science. In the last chapter through his letter to Mr Utterson, Dr Jekyll denies the idea that his transformation is due to divine intervention and claims that the drug was "neither diabolical nor divine". In doing so, Jekyll prioritises scientific exploration over religious beliefs and God, reinforcing his belief that his experiment exists outside moral and spiritual constraints. Through Jekyll's actions, Robert Louis Stevensons aims to question whether strict moral codes lead to virtue, or if they push people to hide their true selves. Victorian readers, all of whom were Christian, would have found the idea of concealment and Jekyll's transgression of the first Commandment to be alarming and horrifying. However, as a reader from a contemporary context where science is an important aspect of our daily lives, I find Jekyll's transgression of the first Commandment to be unsurprising, and his discovery to be quite fascinating. After gaining insight into the religious context of Victorian society, I can understand the Victorians' perspectives and I am able to understand their repulsed reaction to Jekyll's transgression.
HSC · Critical Study of Literature
Critical Study of Literature: Evaluate how the artistry…
HSC Critical Study of Literature essay scoring 90%: In A Doll’s House(1879), Henrik Ibsen interrogates the constraints of bourgeois domesticity by…
In A Doll’s House(1879), Henrik Ibsen interrogates the constraints of bourgeois domesticity by exploring radical notions of individuality and the unlearning of socially scripted identities. Through a subtly crafted three-act structure that adheres to Aristotelian unities, Ibsen builds dramatic tension with precision and thematic coherence, using the domestic space as a metaphor for control, rebellion, and self-realisation. His realist and naturalist techniques deepen the play’s integrity, allowing moral dilemmas and power imbalances—particularly around gender and autonomy—to unfold with psychological realism. In doing so, Ibsen critiques patriarchal norms, confronting audiences re-evaluate the ‘assumed’ gender roles – provoking enduring questions about freedom and identity – to affirm the play’s timeless literary value in both its form and its ethical vision.