VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus is an admirable man. Do you agree?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his…
Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his impulsive temperament and hubris ultimately render him an unadmirable man. In the prologue, Sophocles originally frames Oedipus as a compassionate and decisive leader, as he affirms to the people of Thebes that "you can trust me" and that they now have "me to fight for you". His unwavering self-assuredness in his ability to cure the problems of the Athenian people, portrays Oedipus as a stable and reliable individual, qualities celebrated in a leader. Oedipus' admirability is further amplified through his dedicated inquisition for truth and justice. After receiving the Oracle of Delphi from Creon, with Apollo instructing him to "drive out the pollution", Oedipus instantly promises to "bring it all to light myself", ensuring that the full truth will be unveiled. Later, Oedipus' curse on the
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus is an admirable man. Do you agree?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Athenians for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice,…
Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Athenians for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his impulsive temperament and hubris ultimately renders him an unadmirable man. In the prologue, Sophocles originally frames Oedipus as a compassionate and decisive leader, as he affirms to the people of Thebes that "you can trust me" and that they now have "me to fight for you". His unwavering self-assuredness in his ability to cure the problems of the Athenian people, portray Oedipus as a stable and reliable individual, qualities celebrated in a leader. Oedipus' admirability is further amplified through his dedicated inquisition for truth and justice. After receiving the Oracle of Delphi from Creon, with Apollo instructing him to "drive out the pollution", Oedipus instantly promises to, "bring it all to light myself", ensuring that the full truth will be unveiled. Later, Oedipus' curse on
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘What was lost in the collapse: almost…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Emily St John Mandel presents how perspectives can shift after undergoing a major traumatic event within society…
Emily St John Mandel presents how perspectives can shift after undergoing a major traumatic event within society through her novel Station Eleven, a non linear story that follows how interconnected lives before and after a devastating flu pandemic explore how art, memory, and human connection can sustain society beyond its collapse. The author critiques the way individuals act in the post collapse world, revealing whether or not they allow themselves to see elegance in a world where everything is lost. Through the perception of the beauty in art, Mandel demonstrates how creativity can help characters to maintain their will to endure hardships during the post collapse world. Moreover, the novel captures how strong connections are built when faced with adversity, accentuating the beauty in the form of friendship. However, the novel challenges this through the villainisation of Tyler Leander, in response to the trauma of the pandemic, he finds the worst in himself and instead finds beauty in the idea of power, control, and dominance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Shakespeare presents marriage as…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The Age Opinion Piece Following the Australian Federal Police's decision to charge Victoria Cross recipient, Ben…
The Age Opinion Piece
Following the Australian Federal Police's decision to charge Victoria Cross recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith, with alleged war crimes committed during his service in Afghanistan, debate has intensified over whether Australians should continue to honour one of the nation's most decorated soldiers. In his opinion piece, Waleed Aly adopts an initially measured and critical tone before becoming increasingly reassuring and ultimately patriotic to argue that Australians must stop viewing the Ben Roberts-Smith case through a political lens and instead place their trust in the justice system. Writing for the predominantly progressive readership of The Age, published on 10 April 2026, Aly seeks to convince readers that respecting due process and preserving confidence in Australia's legal institutions is far more important than engaging in partisan debate. Aly encourages readers to view impartiality as both responsible and essential to national unity.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard is more than a critique…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 92.5%: Billy Wilder's scathing film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the hidden darkness of Hollywood, and how it…
Billy Wilder's scathing film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the hidden darkness of Hollywood, and how it impacts individuals' identities, ambitions and personalities. Despite its inherently critical nature, Sunset Boulevard deconstructs the experiences faced by individuals in their pursuit of success and of their identities. Through his critique of Hollywood's commercial values, Wilder exposes the industry as an exploitative system that commodifies those who fuel its success, discarding them once they are no longer profitable. Building on this critique, Wilder examines how individuals construct illusions to preserve their sense of identity and sustain their pursuit of success, ultimately warning that detachment from reality can lead to self-destruction. However, moving beyond condemnation, Wilder acknowledges cinema's power to offer escape and fulfillment, affirming that artistic integrity and creative expression create a more authentic sense of identity than fame or commercial success.
Wilder illuminates Hollywood's exploitative nature through his criticism of the industry's capitalist values. The film suggests that the industry mistreats its members, often leaving them struggling. Wilder's characterisation of Joe as a struggling man desperate for success in Hollywood who "grinds out 'two original stories a week'," and his conversation with his financial advisor who says "the finest things are written on an empty stomach" highlights the relentless nature of Hollywood to new or unsuccessful writers. The metaphor of Joe's "empty stomach" being his chance for success suggests that Hollywood forces individuals to struggle financially in their pursuit of success, highlighting the industry's prioritisation of financial gain over the well-being of those in it. Hence, Joe's frequent production of stories suggests that he is unable to create meaningful work due to the pressure to be profitable. Similarly, Hollywood discards and mistreats previously successful stars of the industry such as Norma, who is described as being "a million years old" and no longer "belonging" in the spotlight. Her rejection from the industry as she ages past its beauty standards further illustrates the commodification of people in Hollywood, suggesting that once individuals are no longer deemed profitable, they are discarded from the industry. Through this, Wilder critiques society's unforgiving beauty standards and their overarching role in success in Hollywood. As a result of this commodification, individuals are left to struggle mentally, symbolised by the absence of locks on doors in Norma's Mansion. Wilder's allusion to Norma's depression adds complexity to previously successful Hollywood stars, suggesting that their lives after success are often unhappy and unfulfilled as a result of the destructive standards of the system. Thus, Wilder excoriates Hollywood's relentless treatment of individuals who are deemed unsuccessful or unprofitable, exposing its prioritisation of monetary gain over the treatment of those who fuel its success.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘I am no bird; and no net ensnares me…”…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre is a literary classic exploring the intersection between Gothic and Romantic…
Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre is a literary classic exploring the intersection between Gothic and Romantic conventions through the Bildungsroman of eponymous heroine, Jane Eyre, as she seeks freedom from societal bounds. Central to Jane Eyre is the pursuit of personal freedom from restrictive institutions, though Bronte concedes that such institutions do have a place in ensuring personal survival. Bronte employs marriage as a form of hinderance to Jane achieving personal freedom. Moreover, the ever-present notion of religion is a driving force of Jane’s desire for autonomy. Yet, Bronte acknowledges that although personal freedom is important for young females, these institutions can foster happiness rather than compromising it. Ultimately, Bronte complicates the ability for women in Victorian England to attain personal freedom without complying to some social confines.
Foundational to the novel is the social duty for women to marry, framed by Bronte as a constraint on women’s personal freedom. Indeed, through “the Honourable” Blanche Ingram, Bronte is able to encapsulate how marriage is sometimes the only option for women to survive. While she is “beautiful” and with “noble features”, Bronte reveals she has very little power and is simply “waiting to be sought”. Here, Bronte comments on the lack of leverage females have in Victorian society; Blanche’s life has simply amounted to seeking a husband, reducing her to depend on a man and largely preventing her from pursuing any sense of freedom. However, while she believes she can find financial freedom through marrying Rochester, it is evident she will simply become tethered to the pursuit of a man who does not love her . This notion of restriction even before marriage is further evinced to Bertha Mason, as a “maniac” who lives isolated on the “third story”. This setting of the “room without a window” and a “low black door” emblematise prison-like conditions, reflecting the confines of marriage. This is further reinforced through Bronte’s detailing of Bertha as “shaggy” juxtaposed to Blanche, who is “dressed in pure white” and as “brilliant as her jewels” physically presents the dichotomy of freedom between the married and unmarried woman; implying that once married, women are at the mercy of their husbands. Bronte further extends this contrast between the two characters by reducing Bertha to the androgenous pronoun, “it”, linguistically removes Bertha’s personhood and completely reduces her. It is through this that Bronte reflects the way patriarchal marriage erases female freedom, and she has had to bear the burden of Rochester’s “mistake’ of marrying her; she is now societally rejected as she is considered less pure than the other women, such as Blanche. In doing so, Bronte condemns the commodification of women in a patriarchal society advancing her view that a marriage dictated by social convention becomes a mechanism of female erasure than fulfilment.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "She was worried that she was overstepping…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In The Stain, Tessa Hadley explores how gender, class and societal values shape behaviour through moments of…
In The Stain, Tessa Hadley explores how gender, class and societal values shape behaviour through moments of restraint rather than open conflict. Marina’s fear that she is “overstepping the mark” establishes a society governed by unspoken rules, where moral action is complicated by social position. Hadley suggests that inequality is sustained not through cruelty but through hesitation and the desire to remain polite and feminine, as per social constructs.
Hadley presents a feminist perspective through her construction of Marina, whose anxiety is directed inward rather than expressed openly. Rather than acting decisively, Marina becomes increasingly concerned with how she might be perceived, worrying that intervening would be socially inappropriate, by doubting whether “she [knows] where to draw the line” or behaving inappropriately. This constant self-questioning highlights how women are conditioned to regulate their behaviour, prioritising emotional restraint and social harmony,
Marina’s tendency to “[put] him off gently, smiling, laughing” reflects a broader expectation that women should preserve harmony, regardless of whether they feel uncomfortable. Hadley reinforces this by noting that she “is imaginatively empathetic”.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “By then, I’d started concocting a little…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Billy Wilder’s scathing film noir ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950) explores the hidden bleakness of Hollywood and the…
Billy Wilder’s scathing film noir ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950) explores the hidden bleakness of Hollywood and the industry’s ultimate deterioration of its community’s integrity, hope and sense of reality. Wilder suggests that although Hollywood is ultimately constructed on deceit and immorality, honesty and morality still exists in the background of the industry. Sunset Boulevard implies that most people in Hollywood’s actions and ambitions stem from an immoral desire for financial and personal gain. Furthermore, Wilder’s film illustrates how in Hollywood, deceit is normalised and rarely seen as immoral, despite its destructive consequences. Conversely, Wilder shows that some individuals in the film industry strive to produce quality films to seek wholesome fulfillment and morals rather than for monetary gain.
Wilder reveals that many people in Hollywood act upon their selfish financial needs, rather than working with morality and integrity. His film suggests that many people sacrifice honest relationships and authentic, meaningful filmmaking for material gain. The mise-en-scene of the opening scene, where Joe is seen sitting on his unmade bed in his bathroom while trying to write scripts, “two a day,” which “didn’t sell,” demonstrates the hidden struggles of most people who try to succeed in Hollywood. Through this, Wilder critiques the harsh nature of Hollywood as an industry, illustrating the difficulty it takes to succeed in Hollywood. The messy state of Joe’s bedroom mirrors his psychological state, alluding to the stress put on individuals who are trying to succeed in the industry. This also suggests that Hollywood’s unforgiving environment often forces individuals to prioritise self-preservation through rushed, unthoughtful work over taking time to create quality films. Wilder builds upon this idea through Joe “concocting a little plot of [his] own” as Norma offers him a place to stay and a job as an editor for her script ‘Salome’ which he calls “bad writing.” Joe’s prioritisation of a “plot” over being honest with Norma and telling her the script isn’t good highlights the normalisation of deceit in Hollywood, and the tendency of individuals to prioritise their selfish desires rather than honest filmmaking. Hence, Wilder warns against the pervasive manipulation in Hollywood. As a result of this deceit and immorality, people’s relationships are inauthentic, illustrated through Wilder’s construction of Norma and Joe’s transactional relationship and the symbolism of the gold cigarette case that Norma gives to Joe as a gift. Their rocky power dynamics in their relationship highlights that many partnerships in Hollywood are dependent on the individual needs of their members, such as Norma’s desire for validation and Joe’s desire for financial security, rather than genuine attraction or love. The gold cigarette case symbolises the prominence of manipulation through opulence and money in Hollywood. Thus, Wilder uses their dynamics to critique the systemic destruction of pure relationships in Hollywood that stem from immoral desires and manipulation. Sunset Boulevard aims to disprove the glamorous, desirable face of Hollywood and criticises the commodification of relationships in capitalist societies.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does The Memory Police suggest that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 95%: Yoko Ogawa’s 1994 dystopian novel ‘The Memory Police’ set on an unnamed island where objects, memories and…
Yoko Ogawa’s 1994 dystopian novel ‘The Memory Police’ set on an unnamed island where objects, memories and eventually aspects of human identity are erased, reinforcing the notion that memories play an important role in giving life meaning. Through the systematic disappearances, the oppressive rule of the Memory Police and the relationships between characters, Ogawa suggests that memories are fundamental to preserving identity, sustaining human relationships and enabling the possibility of hope. Ultimately, the novel argues that without memory, people become disconnected from themselves and others, leaving life empty and devoid of purpose.
Through the oppressive presence of the Memory Police, Ogawa argues that human agency and meaning cannot exist in a society where the past is being actively and forcefully dismantled. Ogawa emphasises the systemic nature of this erasure through R, who observes that “the island is run by men who are determined to see things disappear”. This suggests that the loss of meaning is not a natural process, but a deliberate act of historical suppression. By forcing the disappearance of material objects, the Memory Police ensure that the meaning those objects once provided, such as the joy of birdsong or the fragrance of a rose, is permanently stripped from the citizens’ collective memory. Furthermore, as this meaning is no longer permitted in public life, it must be hidden away. R describes the secret room where he preserves his memories as being “like a cave floating in the sky”. This imagery suggests that while the room is a sanctuary for memory, it is also a place of isolation. The fact that the meaning of the past can only exist in a space that feels as though it is “floating” and disconnected from reality highlights the tragedy of the island: to remember is to be removed from the world. Ultimately, Ogawa suggests that a life of meaning becomes an impossibility when nature refuses to allow the past to be grounded in the present.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Sophocles show leadership is flawed?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: The classic Greek Oedipus the King depicts the governing system of the Thebes as problematic. Set against the…
The classic Greek Oedipus the King depicts the governing system of the Thebes as problematic. Set against the plague stricken Thebes, Oedipus, as the king of the state, initially attempts to handle the crisis; his effort, however, raises more questions about his background and legitimacy as ruler, eventually leading to his downfall. Through the play, Sophocles not only depicts the Thebe’s ruling system as problematic through Oedipus’ absolute power and lack of recognition from the god. Opening with the scene in which Oedipus is being worshipped by the masses due to their desperation towards the disaster, Sophocles also implies the flaw of the Thebans for their dependence on other people. Written in 428 BCE Athens, a state known for its democracy politics. At the same time, the state has been under Pericles’ rule for decades with cults developed around him. Through the tragedy, Sophocles aims to make his Athenian audience realise the fact that their leadership has been developed beyond the system the state relied on and hence calling for restoration.
Through Oedipus’ interaction with other characters, Sophocles reveals the flaw of letting leaders hold absolute power that could lead to paranoia. For example, over his agon with Creon when accusing him for plotting against him. Despite Creon’s appeal to logical thinking, Oedipus persists in his own judgement as when “[his] enemy moves against [him] quickly, [he] must move[s] quickly too, [he] must.” Through the use of repetition of the word “must”, Sophocles highlights Oedipus’ determination to act as he believes he is racing against time for maintaining his throne. As a leader with absolute power, Oedipus’ position often provokes people’s jealousy, making it at risk of taking over by others. This, however, develops Oedipus’ paranoia and his persecution on innocent people. As Oedipus is being questioned “what if [he] is wholly wrong”, he simply responds that “No matter, [he] must rule.” Through Oedipus’ authoritative tone, Sophocles illustrates the tyrant features that are present on Oedipus. His immediate response “no matter” indicates his dismissal of his duty. His insistence on maintaining his position as ruler implies his addiction to power due to his resolution of safeguarding it under any conditions. Back in the 4th century BCE in Athens, the political system was designed to ensure power was shared by every citizen. By depicting Oedipus as a tyrant, Sophocles explains the fact that power without separation would inevitably develop into tyranny driven by both fear and addiction by the ruler. While creating catharsis, Sophocles suggests to his Athenian audience to cherish their democracy. Hence, The leadership of the Thebes is presented as problematic for its authoritative feature.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Power is a burden not a privilege. Is this…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King consistently revealed the harsh brutalities that come with power throughout the play,…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King consistently revealed the harsh brutalities that come with power throughout the play, but also the benefits and privileges of members with great power experience. Power creates responsibility and commitments that some are not capable of, and it can also create status which blinds people from realising their fate. However, the status it does come with creates a hierarchy system where members worship individuals with great power, acting as an ideal lifestyle and a great privilege.
Oedipus the King consistently epitomised the responsibility of being an individual with greater power, and the pressure that is created as a result. At the start of the play when the priests ‘prayed to [him]’ (Oedipus) to save a barren Thebes, it immediately demonstrated the pressures that came with the king's status. Sophocles uses the plague as an example to demonstrate the difficult task ahead, which to highlights the hardships that come with power, and the never-ending issues arising. To further evaluate the responsibility, they believed ‘he cannot equal the gods’, illustrating the task at hand was something only the gods could fix, but instead the pressure was poured on himself. This conveyed the message that the citizens of Thebes could not directly interact with the gods they worshipped, and as a result relied on Oedipus as the next best resort, creating immense workloads on Oedipus as he had to supposedly bear the weight of divine expectation. Furthermore, the flaw of power was that one had to stay true to their commitments. When Oedipus commanded that Laius’s killer would ‘be banished from Thebes’, it created a promise to the public that the murderer would be gone, and the city would heal from the plague according to the prophets of Apollo. Ironically, the anagnorisis revealing Oedipus himself was the killer resulted in self-banishment with Creon’s command, and this was the final step in his downfall. Ultimately, Sophocles epitomised the harsh brutalities that came with power, through the tragic circumstances of Oedipus.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: This is for the Presenting Argument SAC. I…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: "Australian Society is united through our shared values" That is the official line from the department of home…
"Australian Society is united through our shared values"
That is the official line from the department of home affairs. But, if we look at the history of our country - a graveyard of discarded values ranging from the White Australia Policy to the Stolen Generations, it's clear that these values are just a semantic vacuum. They aren't a foundation for unity; they are a rhetorical shell which the powerful fill with whatever meaning is politically convenient.
If a set of values can be completely inverted in a single lifetime, why should we believe that today's values unite us, and are here to stay?
Let's take a moment to examine a few of the "values" that we share. They include "mateship", "a fair go for all" "mutual respect" and "respect for the law".
But, my question to you is, when did these values become Australian?
When the Eastern States of Australia were ravaged by floods, 27 people lost their lives, and over 20,000 homes were flooded. According to Bill Shorten, this is where he saw what "he loves most about this country - Australian spirit". Mr Shorten claims that Aussies were doing everything to help their neighbours. From "shovelling muck" to "providing a shoulder to cry on".
But, let's be real. Helping a neighbour, whose house is underwater isn't an Australian trait. It's just a human one.
Do we really think that when disaster strikes nations around the world, people just stand around without helping each other because they don't have 'Australian Spirit'?
When a Tsunami hit Japan, we saw a nation of volunteers working in silence to rebuild.
Helping a neighbour isn't 'Australian Spirit', it's Human spirit
We are taking a global baseline and trying to claim it as a local invention. If our 'values' are just generic requirements for being a good person, then the term 'Australian Values' becomes a semantic void. It's a title that sounds like a foundation, but holds no specific meaning.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent is Medea a play about the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Euripides presents Jason’s hubris as the primary catalyst for tragedy, illustrating how his pursuit of 'social…
Euripides presents Jason’s hubris as the primary catalyst for tragedy, illustrating how his pursuit of 'social reputation' leads to a blind disregard for the 'sacred oath' that once bound his family. Throughout the events of the play, Jason attempts to justify his actions of betrayal as logical, arguing that it will ensure that his family would “live comfortably”. He uses pragmatic language to frame himself as a man focused on his family and their future, stating that the intention of his marriage was to “make [them] safe” and to “provide security for [their] family”. These words are an attempt to present his betrayal as a necessary action to benefit the safety of his family; however, Jason’s true desires lie within his overwhelming obsession with his own reputation and kleos, solidifying a glorious future for himself. Euripides constructs an agon between Medea and Jason, demonstrating the clash between the pride of the two characters. In this debate, Jason highlights his desire to
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: It is vital to pursue knowledge in Oedipus…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King portrays the importance of knowledge in ancient Greek society, but also the harsh…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King portrays the importance of knowledge in ancient Greek society, but also the harsh realities and tragedies it can unveil. Knowledge was power, and was believed to be the solution to everything, and it also helped build up status for members creating a hierarchy system. However, some knowledge can be detrimental and best if locked away, as it can ruin people’s lives and completely change one’s perspective of their surroundings.
Through a dying, barren Thebes, Oedipus’s first thought was to send Creon to Delphi to obtain knowledge from the gods to save his beloved city. Oedipus wanted to know ‘what [He] might do or say to save our city’, showcasing his reliance on knowledge from prophets and gods to be the solution to stop the plague. The emphasis on the word ‘our’ was deployed by the Sophocles to showcase the city was everyone’s and not just Oedipus’s own. To the children and chorus addressed, this would create a treasure-like perspective on knowledge, and it was portrayed as the solution to save their city. Furthermore, knowledge is prioritised when Oedipus’s speech to find Laius’s killer takes a sudden shift in tone, when Oedipus claims the guilty ‘will escape the brunt of charge’, if surrendered. This statement was likely not true as Oedipus was a man of aggression, but obtaining the information about the murderer was so vital to him that he was willing to supposedly let the killer go free. Sophocles embedded this into his play to uproot the sheer importance of obtaining knowledge through mercy shown by a man who was an aggressor and had an extreme hubris. This further contributed to the idea that information from the gods was deemed to be the highest priority behind decision making in ancient Greek society, and the belief that the gods were always correct was evident throughout it. Ultimately, Sophocles’ play strongly epitomised the importance of obtaining knowledge, especially from the gods, as it was believed to be the solution to every problem.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'You can trust me. I am ready to help ..'…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Sophocles's 430BC tragic play Oedipus The King explores the various influences that catalyse suffering,…
Sophocles's 430BC tragic play Oedipus The King explores the various influences that catalyse suffering, particularly societal responsibilities as a King. Sophocles further partially suggests that the emotional downfall is a result of strong desire. Oedipus The King is a play, created by Sophocles to act as a competitor in an Athenian play competition. Sophocles disolays strong emotive experiences through language and theatrical conventions. Thus aided by the passionate nature of the play, Sophocles explores the causes of Oedipus's emotional and physical downfall.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘The Haunting of Hill House is a novel…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, suggests that family life is oppressive and an…
Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, suggests that family life is oppressive and an environment where only superficial bonds are made. Jackson critiques how family life reduces women to servitude rather than valuing them as members of the unit and demonstrates how this can leave women with persistent trauma that affects their future life and capacity to function in society. However, the novel ultimately presents that the crux of the injustice in the novel lies within the patriarchal societal structures of 1950s America. Overall, Jackson conveys that the oppression of domesticity and society as a whole are totalising and inescapable.
Jackson depicts a domestic setting as a unit in which women are used for service, rather than one in which love and connection thrive. The fact that the “only person who [Eleanor] genuinely hated” was her sister, now that her mother was dead, reflects the lack of meaningful connection between Eleanor and the members of her nuclear family. The word “hate” connotes extreme disdain and contrasts the common perception that family life fosters love. Moreover, Theodora’s omission of her surname in her self-introduction as “just Theodora” reveals how she never felt a connection with her family and was easily able to cut them off. Her surname symbolises her ties with her family, so her ability to completely disregard it illustrates that a woman’s domestic setting does not allow women to form bonds of love or feel a sense of connection. Moreover, the lack of male presence in Eleanor’s household, which mirrors Jackson’s husband’s own aloofness, presents how the responsibilities and oppression of domestic life lie with the women, whereas the men are not confined and are free to do as they wish. Eleanor, “a woman of thirty” had spent her whole life living with a family, yet was still craving a sense of belonging upon coming to hill house. Her statement that she “[is] home”, reveals that she had never felt belonging at her real home despite having lived there for many years. Jackson crafts this sense of irony in which only after escaping from her childhood home is she able to experience a sense of home to emphasise the inability for family units to fulfill such purposes. Overall, Jackson critiques how a domestic setting oppressed women by burdening them with responsibilities whilst not gifting them any sense of belonging or purpose.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Is graffiti vandalism or art?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Good morning Glen Eira council members, residents, and community representatives. My name is Raghav, and I stand…
Good morning Glen Eira council members, residents, and community representatives. My name is Raghav, and I stand before you today as a young leader who cares deeply about the safety, pride, and future of our neighbourhood. We are here in Glen Eira — our home, our streets, our shared responsibility — and what happens to this place affects every one of us.
Graffiti is vandalism. It is not harmless. It is not creative expression. And it is certainly not “urban art” when it is sprayed across shopfronts, fences, playgrounds, train stations, and public property without permission. When someone marks a wall that does not belong to them, they are not expressing themselves — they are choosing to damage the very community that gives them a place to live. Every tag is a reminder that someone decided their voice mattered more than everyone else’s safety and pride.
In Glen Eira, graffiti is a constant battle. Council officers remove 70–90 incidents every single week, only for tags to reappear within hours. Residents in Glen Huntly, Carnegie, and Ormond report vandalism so often that they struggle to keep up with the rapid reoccurrences. Imagine waking up every morning wondering what part of your neighbourhood will be damaged next. This is not creativity — it is a cycle of destruction that drains hope from the people who call this place home.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does the memory police…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Drawing inspiration from the rise of authoritarianism in the 20th century, Yoko Ogawa ' s dystopian fiction ‘ the…
Drawing inspiration from the rise of authoritarianism in the 20th century, Yoko Ogawa ' s dystopian fiction ‘ the memory police’ explores many themes around relationships. Ogawa portrays how loss of memory on the island can bring individuals closer together. Ogawa suggests that in the memory police, relationships give society the strength to resist. Finally, Ogawa illustrates how loss of relationships can impact one's ability to survive. Ogawa ultimately suggests that while relationships can not overpower authoritarianism, they are essential for emotional survival and provide one of the few sources of resistance within an oppressive society.
Ogawa portrays how loss of memory on the island can bring individuals closer together. Ogawa demonstrates this through the old man and the narrator's relationship. The old man and the narrator both consistently forget the disappeared items and objects, but it gives them an ‘understanding’ of each other. When R attempts to reintroduce a forgotten memory to them, the two had to ‘divide’ the word ‘between’ them, further illustrating the bond they hold as they have to rely on each other to try and remember forgotten items. The two sharing the same ‘void’ in their ‘heart’ brings them closer together, as they find comfort in each other. Ogawa celebrates the way the recurring motif of disappearance ultimately creates a special bond between individuals who can relate to each other. However Ogawa contradicts this idea through R and the narrator, as R remembers everything, whereas the narrator does not. Throughout the novel, as they ‘try’ to ‘understand’ one another, ‘nothing changes’ for either of them. This significantly weakened their relationship, as R constantly let out a ‘sigh’ whenever the narrator talked about the disappearances, creating an emotional barrier between the two. With the narrator believing R should ‘let’ his ‘memories fade’ like the rest of the community, and R not knowing ‘why’ she would ‘want to get rid of’ her memories. This concept creates significant emotional distance and a heavy lack of understanding between R and the narrator, something that suppresses their relationship from excelling. Ogawa's use of juxtaposition between the old man and the narrator becoming closer than ever through loss of memory and R and the narrator falling apart due to the loss, emphasises that memories connect greatly to emotions, and are almost essential to pursue human relationships. Ogawa exposes how loss of memory can strengthen and strain relationships.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Ghost Wall explore power?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Humans innate lack of ability to recognise the riches of the present leads to a glorification of the past as a time…
Humans innate lack of ability to recognise the riches of the present leads to a glorification of the past as a time of divine jubilation. Sarah Moss's bildungsroman, 'Ghost Wall', warns of the dangers of idealising the past as rid of contemporary complications, alluding to the travesties of an antiquated time that are often overlooked in a search for perfection. Through a verisimilitude recreation of a bygone era, history is portrayed as ambiguous and inconclusive, leading individuals to forge zealous and destructive ideals unverified yet taken as absolute. While the past offers an escape and happiness absent from societies materialism, ultimately, obsession leaves one isolated from modernity, obstinate on neo-primitive beliefs. As such, Moss posits against illustrating a picturesque past in search of comfort, highlighting the physical and psychological degeneration that ensues when retreating to an unlived time.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Ghost Wall explore power?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Transcending from primitive roots, humans, built off a herd mentality, desire power and agency within their lives,…
Transcending from primitive roots, humans, built off a herd mentality, desire power and agency within their lives, seeking to control not only themselves but also others. Sarah Moss's bildungsroman, 'Ghost wall', highlights the duality of power, and its illusory value that induces this chase within people. Amidst a diverse, patriarchal society, control is portrayed as systemic as opposed to an attainable state, handed to someone based off marginalisations and qualities, that others may fall victim to. While it's largely apparent who ascertains it, power is rather concealed, always present yet utilised through psychological degeneration and coercion, contrary to physical apprehension. Regardless, this lingering nature can prove destructive for both parties, if one allows it to consume their sense of rationality and seep into a state of extremism. As such, Moss posits control and agency as empowering yet corruptive.
Exposing the stark division of humanity in modern society, Moss unveils power as institutional, gifted, not earned, to one based off a number of metrics. Opening the novel, Moss's eerie prolepsis establishes the dominion of men in a patriarchal society. Employing a feminine figure as the sacrifice, objectified as simply a "fearful body", Moss alludes to the omnipotence of men utilising women to implore their visceral rituals. The presence of the crowd, complete with "children… peep[ing] at her from behind their mothers", illustrates this helplessness of women in society, made to voyeur on masculinity dictate their livelihood. Paralleling this, the familial dynamic between Silvie, Bill and Alison is dictated largely off their gender status. Bills persistent dissatisfaction with female's "inferior plumbing" captures this systemic rule of men, antagonizing their need for extra bodily care as a sign of weakness, the connotations of plumbing objectifying them as subhuman. Alison's need to plead for sanitary protection against Bill's view that "women managed well enough.. back in the day without spending money on all" the sanitary products conveys the inherent power men capacitate from their innate benefit of requiring lesser bodily management. Bill's glorification of "women in the family… feeding babies the way nature intended", alongside the symbol of cooking wherein Alison is trapped at the camp, preparing food for the rest of the group, exacerbates the expectation of women to attend to domestic duties, while men provide for the family giving masculine figures power by creating a dependence for social and financial freedom, Moss refuting these gender norms as unjust and anachronistic, largely through Molly whom transcends them, painting men as "poor dears" from their excessive pride and inability to "acknowledge that someone else down know" something they don't. Furthermore, Moss depicts power as a commodity, controlled and distributed by those with profound tangible belongings like knowledge or wealth. The contrast between the professor and his higher-level education creates tension with Bill whom lacks a formal education. While Bill encompasses the skills required to reenact the iron age, the professors "posh" nature and textbook education, "having read a lot", gives him the authority over the group, advancing the notion that power is systematic, dependent on corporate knowledge over situational awareness. Similarly, Molly and Silvie's trip to spar extends on the leverage attained from opulence. Silvie's lack of prosperity, simply having to "see what [she] can afford", places her into a position of submission to Molly whom possess' wealth and thus power as to where they venture. As such, Moss chastises modernity and it's adulation with tangible resources and innate qualities, subverting power as given to those incapable of utilising it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does Shakespeare present…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello exposes the fragility of human nature when individuals are subjected to…
William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello exposes the fragility of human nature when individuals are subjected to jealous obsession. While Othello’s internalised racial insecurity makes him vulnerable, it is ultimately Iago’s predatory manipulation that drives his downfall, showing that internal doubt alone is not enough to cause destruction without external influence. The tragedy builds towards catastrophe because the characters are trapped by the deceptive nature of false friendship, meaning that jealous obsession becomes a force that reshapes Othello’s perception, identity, and moral judgment. Ultimately, Shakespeare presents a warning that when prejudice creates vulnerability, jealous rage can completely destroy even the most noble identity, demonstrating that jealous obsession is the true driving force behind tragedy.
Shakespeare establishes that jealous obsession begins the tragedy by exploiting Othello’s existing vulnerabilities within a prejudiced Venetian society, where identity is constructed through reputation and social perception. The audience is immediately introduced to a world governed by deep-seated biases when Iago weaponises hateful dialogue, shouting that “an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe.” The animalistic connotations and aggressive tone in the metaphor of “an old black ram” showcase the racialised suspicion embedded into public consciousness, proving that the environment actively frames Othello as inherently othered, reinforcing the conditions in which jealous suspicion operates through socially constructed prejudice.
This internal vulnerability allows false narratives to thrive, captured when Iago openly admits that “I follow him to serve my turn upon him.” This soliloquy grants Iago uncontested authority over the audience’s understanding, establishing him as the architect of deception while Othello remains a blind participant, revealing how jealous manipulation is enabled through hidden control beneath apparent trust.
To further establish this power, Shakespeare uses the convention of the soliloquy when Iago confesses that Othello “is of a free and open nature... and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.” By juxtaposing Othello’s noble trust with animal imagery, Shakespeare shows that emotional openness becomes the weakness that allows manipulation to succeed, showing how jealousy transforms trust into vulnerability.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘You do not have to walk on your knees /…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Across her collections American Primitive and Dream Work, Mary Oliver's confessional free verse poetry, employing…
Across her collections American Primitive and Dream Work, Mary Oliver's confessional free verse poetry, employing direct address and vivid natural imagery, dismantles inherited narratives of guilt and positions the natural world as a site of unconditional belonging. Whilst Oliver celebrates the liberation that comes from accepting our flawed, imperfect natures, framing peace as freely available, she ultimately insists that genuine acceptance means embracing difficulty and ugliness as the necessary preconditions for beauty, growth, and renewal. Oliver first subverts the penitential impulse, positioning acceptance of ourselves as a release from guilt and self-imposed pressure; yet she complicates this by acknowledging that accepting the world around us also means accepting a smaller life, one defined by attention and connection rather than grand ambition. Ultimately, Oliver locates peace in the willingness to celebrate the difficult and the ugly as the very things that make renewal possible. For Oliver, peace is found in accepting who we are, not who we force ourselves to be.
Oliver contends that in order to achieve freedom and happiness, humans should release themselves from the weight of perfectionism in order to generate the first step towards peace. In ‘Wild Geese’, Oliver’s direct address, ‘You do not have to be good’, releases the reader from the heavy pressure of perfectionism, illuminating how humans can only be at peace when they shed the burden of failure and imperfections. This is deepened by the metaphor, ‘You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves’, in which Oliver frames the ‘soft animal’ as humanity’s fragile, yet vital natural instincts. This contrasts with the harsh, rigid expectations of society, revealing how following our true instincts rather than synthetic instincts will allow us to nurture peace within ourselves. Furthermore, Oliver’s anaphora of ‘Meanwhile’ to describe how ‘the world goes on’ and the geese ‘heading home again’, showcases how the ongoing, welcoming rhythm of the world acts as a source of comfort rather than a dismissal of achievement, suggesting that nature offers its acceptance regardless of human emotions. Here, Oliver argues how the progression of internal acceptance to external connection will allow humans to resolve the fear of imperfections and generate peace through acceptance. This same idea is present in ‘One or Two Things’, where Oliver’s confessional enjambment, ‘for years and years I struggled just to love my life’, isolates the ‘struggled’ at the line’s end, emphasising the exhausting effort of investing in something that should come naturally, reinforcing that the struggle itself is the obstacle to acceptance. This is deepened through Oliver’s use of simile, ‘like a sharp iron hoof at the centre of my mind’, where the harshness of “iron” and “sharp” underscores how self imposed expectations become instruments of suffering. Furthermore, Oliver’s emblematic butterfly which ‘rose, weightless, in the wind’ and instructs to 'don't love your life too much’ before it ‘vanished into the world’, reinforces that peace comes from releasing rather than controlling it. Oliver insists that peace begins with accepting ourselves as we are - the desire to be perfect, to force happiness, to earn belonging through suffering, is the very wall that is blocking the path towards peace.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Fate controls every aspect of Oedipus the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In Oedipus the King, fate is presented by Sophocles as the dominant force controlling many aspects of the play,…
In Oedipus the King, fate is presented by Sophocles as the dominant force controlling many aspects of the play, while also demonstrating the limitationslimiations ofted human agency. This is primarily conveyed through the authority of the Gods which shape the trajectory of the narrative. Further, Sophocles also explores human attempts to resist or outwit prophecy, which ultimately contribute to its fulfillment. However, Sophocles acknowledges a limited form of free will in the ways individuals respond to the consequences of their fate. Ultimately, Sophocles suggests that although fate determines the course of events, human agency exists in response to what is destined.
Fate is portrayed as an overpowering and inevitable force, which ultimately governs the characters' livescourse of events. Set in 5th century Athens, the play reflects an audience that viewed the Gods as all-knowing and greater than humanity. The prophecies of the Gods dictate many major events of the play, specifically that Oedipus would "kill [his] father and marry [his] own mother". Despite his and Jocasta's efforts to escape their destiny, they unknowingly fulfill it, emphasising the chorus' assertion that "no mortal can escape his fate". As Sophocles wrote this play during a time where scepticism was emerging about the power and supremacy of the Gods, he explores humanity's questioning of divine authority through Oedipus' initial rejection of Tiresias' warnings that "[Oedipus is] the curse, the corruption of the land" and that he will eventually succumb to his fate. Tiresias is presented as a messenger of divine prophecy, at first resisting revealing the truth, asserting that "what will come will come" yet ultimately disclosing Oedipus' fate, reinforcing the idea that fate will unravel independent of human control. However, Oedipus' hubris blinds him from seeing the truth clearly, and instead of accepting the truth, he interprets it as a conspiracy of Tiresias and Creon being "so hungry to overthrow [him]". He also elevates himself to the Gods' level, asking his citizens to "let [him] grant [their] prayers," failing to recognise the difference between his fallibility and the Gods' infallibility. However, his denial and hubristic mindset does not alter the outcome of Apollo's prophecy, as his attempts to resist the truth only contribute to its fulfillment, indicating that he operates under the illusion of free will. Therefore, Sophocles presents fate as a dominant and relentless force over human lives, regardless of individual resistance or perception.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director Sean Penn examines the motivations and actions of Christopher McCandless.…
In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director Sean Penn examines the motivations and actions of Christopher McCandless. Penn initially indicates that seeking isolation grants freedom from modern society, however, he later reveals that Chris refuses to prioritise human connections as he believes they conflict with his desire for freedom. Ultimately, Penn highlights how these beliefs are flawed and paradoxically lead to entrapment while causing profound emotional damage to loved ones.
Penn initially indicates that the pursuit of isolation allows one to withdraw themselves from the expectations of a materialistic society. In the magic bus, Chris describes society as a “poison” which he must “flee to walk alone”. Penn frames society as restrictive as something one must withdraw themselves from if they wish to experience true freedom, thus celebrating Chris's pursuit of isolation early on. Later, Penn uses a montage of Chris jumping excitedly into rivers and running with horses during sunset to romanticize his solitary immersion with nature. Slowed footage and close-up shots elongate the audience's exposure to Chris's raw happiness and focus them entirely on his heightened sense of fulfillment. Chris also explains how "no phone, no pool, no pets" and "no cigarettes," lead to ultimate freedom. The director uses repetitive negative listing to convey that Chris associates true independence not with what he possesses, but with what he rejects. By listing only material possessions, Penn encourages audiences to admire Chris's dedication to simplicity and achieving personal freedom through these rejections of materialism. Therefore, Penn initially supports Chris's pursuit of seclusion by illuminating how his repudiation of civilization allows him to experience freedom and satisfaction.