VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Look at this street. All cardboard, all…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: The creation of the 1950’s film “Sunset Boulevard” set in the Film Noir era, critiques the authenticity of the…
The creation of the 1950’s film “Sunset Boulevard” set in the Film Noir era, critiques the authenticity of the glamorous fame in Hollywood's industry. Billy Wilder illuminates the underlying theme of a disillusioned fantasy and contentment only to be met with disappointment in the end. Luring in passionate youth, to eventually disappear from the cameras and screens. Wilder illustrates a metaphoric portrayal through the background scenes of movie sets and Norma Desmond's house, a depiction that the glamorous lives shown through movies and film sets do not always showcase the true nature of an audience's unrealistic expectations. Hollywood curates a false identity for vulnerable youth, manipulates an unchecked world of greed and desire by promising fame and glamour that comes back with unimaginable consequences. Wilder's searing warning that everything is not as it seems is depicted from an unappreciative approach to those behind the camera. It seems only those
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Oh, wake up Norma… The audience left…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Through the bleak aesthetic of film noir, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard navigates a world in which delusion is…
Through the bleak aesthetic of film noir, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard navigates a world in which delusion is deeply embedded in the construction of identity, blurring the perilous boundary between survival and self-destruction. Wilder unearths how delusion entraps individuals into sustaining a false sense of identity that functions as both a psychological safeguard against irrelevance and a force that deepens personal and moral confinement. In a similar vein, Wilder cautions that delusion can further deteriorate relationships by distorting relationships into cycles of control and reliance, eroding authentic connection. Ultimately the film serves as an instrument for Wilder to condemn the morally bankrupt fabric of Hollywood and that despite the risks delusion is necessary to preserve one's identity.
Wilder draws attention to how delusion entraps individuals into physical and psychological confinement, preventing self awareness and reinforcing a false sense of identity. This is exemplified through Norma’s mansion, seen as being “Stricken with a kind of creeping paralysis out beat with the rest of the world”. The exterior of the house is shown as dilapidated and run down - the pool, a symbol of previous wealth and status, now rendered a relic of its former glory - mirroring the stardom of Norma Desmond and how she has been abandoned from the spotlight of Hollywood. In comparison, the interior of her house brims with memorabilia from her past portraits and pictures, desperately clinging on to the belief that “ [ she is ] big! its the pictures that got small”. Trapping her in both space and memory, Revealing her delusion of relevance of current society in Hollywood. Wilder reinforces her delusion through Joe’s stark admonition, “Oh, wake up Norma… The audience left twenty years ago. Now, face it,” highlighting the peril of refusing to confront reality. Wilder uses her mansion to simultaneously represent her physical and psychological confinement to condemn the false sense of identity incessantly fuelled by delusion. Likewise, Max actively enables Norma’s delusion, dedicating his life to shielding her from reality and sustaining the illusion of her stardom, admitting, “ I made her a star, I cannot let her be destroyed.” Though Max’s actions were previously perceived as well-intentioned, here Wilder signals toward a more sinister side of his enabling - exposing how Max embodies a sense of ownership and lacks to view the autonomy within Norma and rather sees her as a reflection of his past success .Subsequently, this is shown when Max would “run the projector machine” , acting as a physical and metaphorical director fuelling her delusions - taking complete l/authority over Norma’s life trajectory. In essence Wilder uses Sunset Boulevard to serve as a vehicle to emphasize how delusion ensnares individuals into both physical and psychological entrapment and how this containment sanctions stability in a false sense of identity.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: : While not a religious text, Orbital is…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Since humans first looked to the stars in the night sky they have pondered on the celestial lights and woven divine…
Since humans first looked to the stars in the night sky they have pondered on the celestial lights and woven divine mythologies about them, subsequently every culture on Earth has creation stories which all take a similar form and place a ‘divine creator’ those ‘heavens’ out of human reach. Essentially human fascination with the stars led them to become ‘the worshippers of gods [and] the tellers of time’ (p.112). Samantha Harvey has given this uniquely human narrative a contemporary makeover with her elegiac novella, Orbital (2023). By drawing on Classical Mythology, Western Philosophy and Christian Theology to frame her novella, she transcends those ancient mythologies of divine creation to meditate on the fragility of life on earth today. In Orbital, her primary focus is to explore humanity's connection to something greater than gods / God because those ancient mythologies can no longer guide humanity’s stewardship of, and relationship with, the Earth in a time when those ‘heavens’ are now within reach due to human space travel and space exploration. Instead of focussing on religion, or the nihilistic retreat from religion, she is exploring humanity’s essential spiritual connection with and reliance on the Earth itself and the unknown universe beyond. She contends that with a backdrop today of rapid climate change, environmental degradation, wealth inequality and political instability – humans are facing an urgent reckoning brought on by their hubristic and greedy behaviours. Harvey invites her readers to challenge their own assumptions about what is truly important to ensure survival of life on Earth, encouraging all to draw on both art and science when making decisions which create a legacy for future generations. More broadly, she hopes her readers will draw on the innate virtues of humanity which unite and protect life on earth, such as empathy and kindness, rather than focus on the vices of humanity which divide and destroy, such as hubris and greed. In doing so, she invites people to unite and protect their deep spiritual connection with the ‘home’ planet as well as those mythical stars beyond which ignited the initial spark of human imagination and religion in ‘our orbit’. Harvey exposes the legacy of hubris and ‘godly view’ (p.69), which culminated in vast environmental degradation, wealth inequality and political instability which has in turn given rise to an angry planet. The ‘typhoon’ symbolises the retributive power of the planet’s wrath. The earth is personified by Harvey to warn that it has run out of patience with the humans who are mistreating her. Harvey’s denunciation is focussed on those people who have failed to notice the problems caused by their hubris and greed because they are egotistically focussed on themselves and their ‘fake stars [which] they’re going to put in space in the shape of company logos (p.51). Harvey implies that it is ‘a hubris so almighty it’s matched only by its stupidity’ (p.53) because ironically, whether the wealthy like it or not, there is currently nowhere to ‘flee’ to (p.39) to escape the planet’s wrath. In the text, it is ‘Pietro, the mind’ (p.19) who represents the empathetic thinkers on earth as he laments the hopelessness of the situation for those like the fisherman and his family who are at ‘typhoons’ mercy. Through this Harvey censures the wealthy, calling them ‘farcical’ because all they are is ‘louder, bigger, more ostentatious, more unscrupulously wanting of the play of power than those around them’ (p.74). Thereby implying that the danger for all humanity is that the powerful are following their own dreams and care little for the dreams of the poor who are ‘first in the firing line’ (p.57). The irony here is that those dreams of ascension into the heavens began when humans first looked at the stars and now those dreams are damaging the earth which initially conceived them. However, to further mimic the complexities of life, Harvey invites her readers to contemplate the interplay between hubris being both a ‘blessing and also [a] curse’ (p.73). The ‘blessing’ being the human ability to ‘dream’ big because humans have always sought to ‘understand life through perceptions and dreams and art’ (p.6) making up stories about the gods in the heavens to steward human morality. The ironic ‘curse’ is that ‘without the planet there’s no life’ (p.8) to steward. Harvey reminds us that humans are the frail species, they ‘sail at [an] in-between distance of low earth orbit, [our] half-mast view’ (p.29), humans perceptions of power are inconsequential to the universe, the only power humans actually have is over their own behaviours on earth. When humans misuse that power then everyone and everything that relies on the earth suffers. The earth is personified as both a ‘mother’ and a ’lover’ for humanity implying that the earth wants to protect humanity, but, like a parent, it now needs to teach its egocentric children a lesson about humility. The irony is that the childlike humans do not realise this and they keep hubristically looking to the mythologies they created in their own image, instead of looking to ‘mother Earth’ for guidance. Moreover, in the face of natural disasters, the poor feel powerless and consequently put their faith in religion as they ‘shelter behind the altar’ (p.134) for protection, but deep down the wealthy know that ‘if their shields were to fail they’d be cooked’ (p.90) as
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Merricat is both the victim and the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Introduction In Shirley Jackson’s Gothic novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the narrator Mary Katherine…
Introduction
In Shirley Jackson’s Gothic novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the narrator Mary Katherine (Merricat) Blackwood is a complex character who defies simple labels. While Merricat is undoubtedly a victim of the village’s cruelty and her family’s strict rules, Jackson suggests she is also a dangerous villain who uses violence to maintain control. Ultimately, Merricat is a figure driven by a toxic need for isolation, proving that she is as much a threat to her sister’s freedom as the villagers are.
Body Paragraph 1: Merricat as the Victim (The Village)
Jackson first establishes Merricat as a victim of a hostile and prejudiced society. Every time Merricat leaves the "castle" to go into the village, she is met with animosity and harassment. The villagers’ "dark breathing" and the children’s cruel rhymes like "285, take a check at the sugar bowl" show that Merricat has been ostracized for years. This constant bullying pushes her further into her world of "magic" and "spells" as a way to cope with a world that hates her. In this sense, her "villainous" behavior is a direct result of being a victim of social cruelty.
Body Paragraph 2: Merricat as the Villain (The Poisoning)
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: No one has free will in Oedipus the King.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: Under a looming cloud of divine prophecy, the idea of free will traps the characters in a state of ‘half-agency’.…
Under a looming cloud of divine prophecy, the idea of free will traps the characters in a state of ‘half-agency’. ‘Half-agency’ is defined by the freedom of characters within the confines of their fate. Sophocles explores this liminal space through the consequences of Oedipus’s actions during this state. “O triple roads - it all comes back, the secret, dark ravine, and the oaks closing in where the three roads join…” Sophocles leverages imagery to evoke a sense of entrapment in his Athenian audience, mirroring the inescapable nature of fate felt by the characters. The “triple roads” serve as a symbolic site of ‘half-agency’. Oedipus’s choice to engage in ‘ego-driven’ rage against the travellers precipitates the fulfilment of his destiny. Seemingly an act of free will, Sophocles delineates how fate is the destination, but Oedipus’s own hamartia is the engine that drives him toward it. Sophocles marks the anagnorisis through the exclamation of “It all comes back”,
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Debra Dank use storytelling…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The way stories are told reflects the values of the culture they come from. Western literary traditions often…
The way stories are told reflects the values of the culture they come from. Western
literary traditions often privilege linear narratives, individual heroism, and progress
through conquest, reinforcing colonial ways of understanding history and identity. In We
Come With This Place (2022), Debra Dank challenges these colonial constructs through
her use of Indigenous storytelling conventions grounded in Gudanji ways of knowing. By
employing cyclical narrative structures, centring Country as the storyteller, and
privileging collective rather than individual identity, Dank disrupts dominant Western
literary expectations. However, as the text is written for a largely non-Indigenous
readership, she also strategically engages with recognisable Western narrative tropes in
order to ensure effective truth-telling. Through this balance, Dank challenges colonial
storytelling while remaining accessible to her audience.
One of the primary ways Dank challenges colonial constructs of storytelling is through
her rejection of linear time. Western narratives typically follow a chronological structure
that values progress and resolution, reinforcing ideas of development and conquest. In
contrast, Dank structures her text around cycles that reflect Aboriginal Songlines and
Dreaming. These stories exist across time, place and body, rather than moving forward
towards a single conclusion. Dank explains that Gudanji stories, or kujiga, “live inside
each other, as well as out there across our country, and inside our bodies” (p. 11),
rejecting the Western separation of past and present. By using fragmented vignettes
instead of a continuous plot, Dank challenges the colonial assumption that history is
fixed or complete. This cyclical storytelling asserts the ongoing presence of Indigenous
culture and undermines colonial myths such as terra nullius, which positioned
Indigenous Australians as belonging only to the past.
Dank also challenges colonial storytelling through her refusal to adopt the traditional
Western ‘hero’s journey’. Rather than focusing on an individual protagonist who
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The characters in Oedipus The King are…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Sophocles’ 5th century BCE classical Athenian tragedy “Oedipus The King”, explores the contextual nature of the…
Sophocles’ 5th century BCE classical Athenian tragedy “Oedipus The King”, explores the contextual nature of the inevitability of fate and its importance towards the drama. Sophocles contends that the attempt to escape fate proves it futile, and rather leads to its fulfilment. The playwright demonstrates this through the irony of the character’s failed attempts to escape prophecy, the symbolic contrast between sight and blindness, and the relentless investigation for truth leads one into the turmoil of their own fate.
Sophocles employs dramatic irony to demonstrate how the attempt to circumvent prophecy is the key that leads to its fulfilment. In an Ancient Athenian society, the words of an Oracle were sacred, as they were believed to be messages from the gods, meaning defying these words would lead to catastrophic consequences. After hearing the prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi that Laius and Jocasta’s son would “strike [Laius] down” and “couple with his mother”, they “fastened his ankles” and abandoned him on Mount Cithareon to die. This act of infanticide is what separates Oedipus from his family lineage, allowing him to mature as a “stranger”, who would inevitably kill their father at the crossroads. Through this, Sophocles demonstrates how the act of cruelty has no impact in the face of fate, warning an Athenian audience that the more that one fights to circumvent it, the more they contribute to its materialisation. Moreover, the symbolism of the crossroads serves as a physical manifestation of the inescapability of fate. Oedipus, believing that fate can be avoided, runs away from Corinth to ironically encounter Laius. This moment represents how one can believe they are making a choice out of freewill, yet the “paths” depict the endless alleys leading to a predestined fate. Sophocles' choice of placing the murder at the crossroads symbolises the illusion of free will, suggesting that for ‘a prisoner of fate’, all roads lead to the same preordained ‘cell’. Ultimately, the characters attempt to outmanoeuvre prophecy by physical displacement proves that they are prisoners whose every step towards supposed ‘freedom and safety’ lead to their inevitable demise.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Sophocles' play reminds his audience that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Oedipus the King, a tragic play written by Sophocles, illustrates the religious and moral beliefs of ancient Greek…
Oedipus the King, a tragic play written by Sophocles, illustrates the religious and moral beliefs of ancient Greek society, exploring how divine authority, fate, and human limitation shape suffering within a tragic world governed by the gods. Sophocles showcases the pointlessness of denying the will of the Gods. This is evident throughout the play as the characters’ ability of free will is limited. Additionally, knowledge of the truth can lead to fulfillment of fate. Finally, attempting to deny the will of the Gods can lead characters to receive punishment not only from the gods.
Sophocles portrays free will as limited to the boundaries of fate and is seen through attempts to escape destiny. When the Oracle told Oedipus about his fate, he “heard all that and ran”. This conveys the king’s attempt to run away and escape his fate. Sophocles’ use of irony, which ultimately led Oedipus to fall into his fate, reminds the audience of the power of the gods. Oedipus showed relentless determination to find the truth by forcing the shepherd to “talk with pain”. This portrays the extent to which the king wanted to escape his fate by bearing the truth. Thus, Sophocles highlights that the efforts to escape fate through free will will not overturn the will of the gods. Furthermore, Oedipus aims to save Thebes from the plague and claims he is “ready to help” the people. Thus, highlighting the pride that Oedipus has and his self-confidence to save Thebes from the plague. Sophocles presents Oedipus’ hubristic personality through this and highlights how his attempts to save Thebes led to his own downfall. Sophocles showcases how the free will of Oedipus is refined due to his destiny through his attempts to escape fate, as well as wanting to save Thebes.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: examine how love is portrayed as a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Examine how love is portrayed as a destructive force within Sunset Boulevard. In Billy Wilder’s 1950 film Sunset…
Examine how love is portrayed as a destructive force within Sunset Boulevard.
In Billy Wilder’s 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, love is presented as a contradictory phenomenon, having the potential for both destructive and positive consequences. Industry adoration of young stars is presented as a profound danger due to the lurking threat of a downfall from fame, and even ostensibly sincere love such as that Max has for Norma and that Norma has for Joe result in destruction such as delusion and loss of independence. However, love is also presented as a shining light in the dark, providing hope, passion, and creativity.
Hollywood’s infatuation with young stars is presented as a destructive force when the stars are eventually cast out from the industry. The character of Norma Desmond is a representation of the lives of numerous real-life faded silent-film stars, highlighting the dangerous consequences that can result when stars are no longer considered appealing to the industry. A common analysis of Norma’s name is that it is a combination of the names of silent film star Mabel Normand and director William Desmond Taylor, where Mabel Normand was a hugely popular silent film actress whose film career declined after she lost industry favour, and William Desmond Taylor was a famous silent film director whose unsolved murder was heavily
sensationalised by the media and exploited by the industry. This name choice is therefore a reflection of how the industry quickly turns on the stars that it was once infatuated by, leaving them to fade away in obscurity or exploiting them for industry benefit. Hollywood lifted Norma to a position of stardom so immense that “men bribed her hairdresser to get a lock of her hair”, a level of fame that Norma is depicted as trying to preserve. This is epitomised by the unsettling number of old photographs of Norma that she displays in her mansion as well as her privately screening her older silent films, creating a sense of claustrophobia within hermansion that is symbolic of the suffocation of aging stars by the industry, ungracefully abandoned once the industry no longer sees them as appealing. The fact that the photographs and films depict her in her heyday represents Norma’s inability to move on from a time where she was loved by the industry, highlighting the dark side of Hollywood’s infatuation with young stars by presenting the damaging consequences of the withdrawal of industry love and attention. Furthermore, the tango theme composed by Franz Waxman for Norma’s character was based on a scene in the film where Norma talks about dancing the tango with Valentino, a reference to real-life silent-film star Rudolph Valentino. Basing her theme entirely around this memory is an auditory reflection of Norma’s refusal to move on from the past where she was a beloved star within the industry. However, in the final scene where Norma descends the staircase in a state of complete delusion, her earlier tango theme becomes darkly distorted and transforms into a grotesque parody of traditional film ending music. This dark subversion represents the dangerous consequences that have resulted from the industry’s infatuation with Norma and then the subsequent abandonment of her once she lost her appeal, therefore highlighting the potential for love to be a force of destruction.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Orbital human life is portrayed as…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: The 2023 novel Orbital, written by Samantha Harvey examines the varied perspectives of six astronauts as they…
The 2023 novel Orbital, written by Samantha Harvey examines the varied perspectives of six astronauts as they navigate not only physical challenges of living in space but the perspective shift that occurs as they can do nothing more than observe life on earth from a distance. While Harvey presents individual lives as inevitably fleeting and subject to the ailments of mortal life humanity itself will last longer than each of us therefore we have a responsibility to care for the earth's life so it can continue to protect us.
Throughout the novel, Harvey examines the inevitably fleeting nature of human life by highlighting death as an ever present possibility. Harvey's early descriptions of the astronauts being “shot into the sky on a kerosene bomb” underscores the violence and risk inherent in space travel, suggesting that human advancement is inseparable from mortal danger. By emphasising that they are 'shot' upward, Harvey implies a recklessness and a lack of control, positioning humanity to blame for placing itself in proximity to death in the pursuit of 'more.' In this way, mortality is not merely an external threat but a consequence of 'man's hubris.' Aboard the ISS, the astronauts exist in a space where survival is precarious, emphasised through the metaphor that 'some metal' stands between them and 'the void' with death being described as 'so close.' The novel's setting in space reinforces how fragile the human body is when removed from Earth, with life dependent on only a thin barrier; a 'void' referencing not only the physically empty space but the coldness and terrifying vastness that being in 'raw space' is especially for humans. Harvey repeatedly refers to the ISS station as the astronauts’ 'life support,' which when coupled with the nine-month span of living in space, underscores their complete dependence on this artificial system for survival. The repetition of 'nine months' evokes gestation, casting the spacecraft as a metallic womb in which they are sustained yet confined as they 'weightless[ly] drift' defenceless and vulnerable. The astronaut's prolonged enclosure highlights the fragility and temporariness of their existence, reinforcing the idea that while life in orbit is sustained, it is never secure and Harvey constantly reminds readers of their inevitably fleeting life despite the lengths we take to prolong it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Oedipus the King act as a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Written in 429 BCE, during the uncertainty of the Peloponnesian war, Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus the King explores…
Written in 429 BCE, during the uncertainty of the Peloponnesian war, Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus the King explores suffering as a sign of moral disorder in a world governed by the gods. Through the persistent search for truth, which ultimately uncovers the devastating reality of the mystery, Sophocles invites Ancient Athenians to reconsider willful ignorance and disrespect to the gods, suggesting that ignorance and excessive pride leads to the fragmentation of society. Sophocles attempts to warn Athenians, through critiquing hubris, disrespecting natural order and ignorant leadership. In doing so, Sophocles ultimately warns readers against believing that they are superior, and encourages them to display humility by encouraging introspection.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "The Blackwood family's isolation is both…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Introduction In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson shows that the Blackwood family’s isolation is…
Introduction
In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson shows that the Blackwood family’s isolation is both protective and destructive. While separating themselves from the village shields Merricat and Constance from ridicule and danger, Jackson also reveals how this seclusion warps their perception, traps them in trauma, and prevents personal growth. The sisters’ isolation may give them a sense of safety and control, but Jackson presents it as ultimately unsettling and psychologically damaging. Through the novel, isolation is shown as both a gift and a curse.
Body Paragraph 1
Jackson presents isolation as a way for the Blackwoods to protect themselves from the village’s cruelty. The villagers mock them with the rhyme, “Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea? Oh no, said Merricat, you’ll poison me.” This chant shows how suspicion and fear have turned into ritualised cruelty, leaving the sisters vulnerable to constant humiliation. Within the estate, Merricat reassures herself, “I could not help thinking that we were safe here, safe.” The repetition of “safe” emphasises that while isolation brings comfort, it also highlights how fragile that security is, as it must be constantly repeated to feel real. Even Constance recognises the pressure of public scrutiny, admitting, “Someday I’ll go.” Jackson uses this line to show that isolation is not entirely chosen; it is a response to fear and shame, suggesting that retreating from society can protect the sisters physically and emotionally, but it comes at the cost of choice.
Body Paragraph 2
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Several of them would have protested if…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: George Orwell’s 1945 allegorical novella Animal Farm is based on the Russian Revolution and depicts how tyrannical…
George Orwell’s 1945 allegorical novella Animal Farm is based on the Russian Revolution and
depicts how tyrannical leaders are capable of controlling the populace through the use of fear
and ignorance, which entrenches oppression. In Animal farm, the use of fear is highlighted to be
one of the main methods of oppression in order to control the masses. Although, the use of
exploiting the animal’s illiteracy allowed ignorance to prove effective in indoctrinating the
populace. However, without the use of propaganda, oppression would not have been as easily
possible. Whilst fear and ignorance did lead to the animal’s subjugation, Orwell demonstrated
how it was propaganda which ensured the animals continued compliance, allowing for
tyrannical leader’s regimes to thrive.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: POSSESSING POWER DOES NOT NECESSARILY…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: POSSESSING POWER DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO HAVING ABSOLUTE CONTROL. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THIS TRUE. Directed by…
POSSESSING POWER DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO HAVING ABSOLUTE CONTROL. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THIS TRUE.
Directed by Billy Wilder, the noir and gothic horror film, ‘Sunset Boulevard’ was released in 1950, it provided insight towards the evolution from silent films to audio. Wilder presents authority causes total control through manipulation of one’s psyche through decades of deceit, and the concept of ambition and how when obsessed enough, can control one’s life, yet when the backbone of the power is wealth and money, it does not carry enough strength for control.
Wilder exhibits that when one is deceptive enough to earn false trust, he earns full control. This was highlighted through the manipulation of Max Von Mayerling. In dim lighting and close shot, Max admits to Joe Gillis about his past with Norma, and how he went from being the one who ‘discovered’ her to her first husband, and after their divorce, her personal butler. He justified his demotion with his care and love for her, ‘I found everything unendurable without her.’ Through the dim lighting used, the dark contrast on Max’s face symbolises Max’s dark past and gives a more sadistic approach to guilt trip Joe, aiding in the lie of him loving her. The truth is he was her biggest fan; however, he also was one of the few causes of her mental health deteriorating. He’d regularly send her fake ‘fan-mails’ to deceive her into believing she is ‘still big’ so she would not learn the harsh reality of how ‘30 million fans have given her the brush.’ Max seems innocent to preserve her happiness, however psychologically it is ruining her as she gets ‘moments of melancholy,’ yet Max never takes her to a therapist to help her, instead he feeds her ‘lies and more lies’ to build on her delusions. In the end when the delusion got to her of how much of a ‘star’ she is, she killed Joe. It was implied that Max called the police as there was no one else near the property nor knew about the murder. Before her arrest, once again Max deceived her into believing she was about to record the first scene of her new film ‘Salome’ when in reality she was getting arrested. Max controlled her as a director from when she was young, to her last moments of freedom as a butler. Hence, Wilder illustrates decades of dishonesty; complete control is achievable.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Jackson use the town's attitude…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Across literature, although communities strive to maintain an image or harmony and order, they are often shaped…
Across literature, although communities strive to maintain an image or harmony and order, they are often shaped by underlying conflict and contradiction that influence how difference is perceived and policed. The world in which Jackson creates not only discusses issues within itself but mirrors those of the issues of her time. The world is inherently complex, and individuals within it must navigate a place shaped by conflict, tension and contradiction. Through her neo-gothic novel, Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, mirrors these ideas (name them) alongside the heavy affairs of the time. Jackson establishes a world that feeds off envy and hatred, mirroring that of the society around her, utilising the antagonistic relationship between the insular Blackwood family and the surrounding village as a microcosm for the inherent cruelty of human society. Jackson reflects this through the town's abhorrence of the Blackwood family, not simply through distaste but deeply rooted in fear of the other and a need for social conformity. Furthermore, Jackson utilises the collapse of society into a predatory mob to critique the fragility of civilisation and human nature. Finally, Jackson critiques the performative nature of communal guilt, demonstrating how the construction of local folklore serves to exculpate the townspeople from the reality of their own atavistic cruelty.
Jackson utilises the village’s pervasive hostility toward the Blackwood family to expose a society that prioritises rigid conformity and surface-level normalcy over the acceptance of those who exist outside the traditional social order. By positioning Constance and Merricat outside the expectations of marriage, domestic contribution and social participation, the villagers cast them as aberrations whose very existence threatens the illusion of social order. Jackson filters this antagonism through Merricat’s visceral depiction of the town as “dingy” and infected with “rot,” transforming communal prejudice into a moral decay that festers beneath the village’s façade of civility. In contrast, the “fine china” and ritualistic order of the Blackwood estate symbolise an alternative self-contained world that refuses assimilation. The villagers’ resentment of the family’s inherited wealth and isolation reflects a broader societal tendency to demonise those who resist economic and social conformity. Jackson further reinforces this division through stark binary imagery that separates the “rotten” town from the enclosed estate, illustrating how communities construct ‘otherness’ to preserve their own fragile identity. By reducing the Blackwoods to the subject of mockery rhymes and gossip, the villagers trivialise tragedy and legitimise cruelty, revealing how collective prejudice transforms suspicion into sanctioned persecution. Thus, Jackson uses the towns sustained hostility to critique a society that sustains its cohesion not through compassion, but through the exclusion and dehumanization of those to refuse to conform. Whilst the villagers’ hostility towards the Blackwood sisters exposes a society that prioritises rigid social standards above empathy, the community’s readiness to embrace figures who reinforce conventional authority further underscores its obsessive investment in restoring a controlled and recognisable social order. Jackson reinforces this critique through the town’s immediate acceptance of Charles, whom they openly “liked” and with whom they conversed “easily.” These seemingly casual affirmations reveal how swiftly society rewards those who embody familiar structures of masculine authority. His effortless assimilation is sharply juxtaposed against the villagers’ enduring resentment of the sisters, exposing the conditional nature of communal patriarchal approval. Jackson positions him as a symbolic restoration of patriarchal order, a “ghost” of the sisters’ dead father whose presence signals the reassertion of male dominance within the household. His greed and desire for control are not condemned but implicitly encouraged, suggesting that moral corruption is acceptable when it reinforces traditional hierarchies. By privileging a “normal” villain over “abnormal” victims, the villagers expose the hypocrisy underpinning their supposed moral concern. Jackson, therefore, critiques a broader societal impulse to “fix” unconventional women by reinstating patriarchal control, revealing that what the community truly fears is not immorality but female autonomy. Through this disparity in treatment, Jackson demonstrates how societies preserve their sense of order by rewarding conformity to gendered power structures while punishing those who exist outside them.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Poor strangers….they have so much to be…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Shirely Jackson's novel, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ written in 1962, explores the justification of one's…
Shirely Jackson's novel, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ written in 1962, explores the justification of one's fear as a result of the patriarchal and cruel social norms. The novel signifies the strict, conformist, and patriarchal, and consumerist culture of 1950s America. Therefore, Jackson endorses individuals who use their fears as a means of protection, rather than others who dwell upon their fears out of envy and resentment. To begin with, Jackson demonstrates that individuals used their fear as a disguise for their jealousy and greed, critiquing that it is unreasonable for those who acted out of envy due their fear of the other. In continuation, Jackson embodies those who use their sense of unease as a means of protection against the patriarchal society. In addition, justifying those who seclude themselves from the insular community is a means of protection against the cruel society. Ultimately, the novel warns individuals of the dangers of harboring their fear.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard shows that the pursuit of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Billy Wilder’s 1950’s noir film, Sunset Boulevard, paints a cautionary tale of the perilous journey of upholding…
Billy Wilder’s 1950’s noir film, Sunset Boulevard, paints a cautionary tale of the perilous journey of upholding Hollywood’s facade of perfection and eternal stardom. This is explored through Hollywood deceiving stars entrapping stars into an illusion of ageless success, the moral destruction that arises from pursuing sold dreams of success and wealth, and the extensive lengths stars go to in order to reach Hollywood’s unattainable expectations. Wilder disdains the destructive and delusive world that Hollywood constructs by veristically showcasing the costs of fame that Hollywood masks from audiences.
Wilder explores how Hollywood deceives people into an illusion of eternal fame, even if ones’ time has passed. Furthermore, Norma is presented in a mid-body shot of herself surrounded by portraits from the days of her silent film glory, being “afraid that it would remind her that her time had passed”. This reveals how Norma is lured into a fantasy that she is still in the spotlight, even though the world had moved on from “yesterday’s glamour queen” and Norma is rather, living in the shadow of a version of herself that no longer exists, as indicated by the portraits being placed on a higher level than Norma. This alludes to Max “feeding her lies” whilst she is not looking “too closely at the postmarks” and truly believing that she still receives “fan letters every day”, providing Norma with a false sense of hope that she is still living in a time of success and youth. Hollywood figures like Max are presented to be ‘protecting’ Norma, by curating the illusion-driven world that she is entrapped in, however this poses consequences of completely disconnecting with reality. Throughout Joe’s stay at Norma’s self-museum, the mansion is demonstrated as decaying, through a close-up shot of the deteriorating ceiling and a rat-infested pool that had been “stricken with a kind of creeping paralysis” and is “crumbling apart in slow motion”. Wilder's depiction of Norma’s mansion symbolises her refusal to accept that her time of fame has passed, alongside the consequences of mental and emotional destruction like her mansion. Throughout Sunset Boulevard, Wilder exposes the gap between promise and reality by Hollywood feeding into misconceptions of eternal fame, whilst supposed success is blindly fading into emotional and mental decay.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "You are the curse, the corruption of the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Oedipus the King, a tragic play written by Sophocles, illustrates the religious and moral beliefs of Ancient Greek…
Oedipus the King, a tragic play written by Sophocles, illustrates the religious and moral beliefs of Ancient Greek society, exploring how divine authority, fate and human limitation shape suffering within a tragic world governed by the gods. Sophocles positions the audience to reflect on justice and punishment throughout the play. This is evident through how fate brings justice and punishment upon characters inevitably. As well how the truth becomes a punishment in itself. Additionally, how justice can lead to self-punishment and responsibility.
Sophocles highlights how the destiny of Oedipus is predetermined, which leads to the king being punished for his wrongdoings. In the play, once Oedipus found the truth, he cried out, exclaiming how “Apollo ordained [his] agonies”. This positions Apollo as a powerful God who set this path out for Oedipus through fate. Sophocles conveys how Oedipus was led through his destiny to kill his father and marry his mother, which allows the audience to question whether the justice and punishment were deserved. Additionally, once Oedipus learned about his fate in Corinth, as soon as he “heard all that, [he] ran”. This conveys how Oedipus’ destiny was already pre-arranged, and no matter his attempts, he would always end up falling into the lines of fate. Thus, Sophocles illustrates to the audience the attempt of Oedipus to flee Corinth to run away from his destiny and therefore the fairness of his punishment. Finally, in the play, the king shows his worries about the “prophecies [he] feared” when talking to Polybus. This highlights the lingering worry for Oedipus because of the prophecies that were told to him. Therefore, the writer portrays that Oedipus did not want to fulfil his destiny, which encourages the audience to query the validity of the justice served against him. Sophocles provides an opportunity for the audience to reflect on the punishment of Oedipus because of the his willingness to escape his fate and the penalties that were bound to occur.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “High Ground argues that knowing one’s…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Intro – The film High Ground by Stephen Johnson, released in 2020 and set in 1930’s Arnhem Land criticizes the…
Intro –
The film High Ground by Stephen Johnson, released in 2020 and set in 1930’s Arnhem Land criticizes the mutual cultural disconnection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Johnson explores this through characters who undergo personal transformation. Furthermore, Johnson suggests that characters must recognise and remain connected to their culture in order to reclaim their identity. Lastly, High Ground enforces multiple elements of conflicts between belonging, culture and identity. Johnson comments on and dissuades the still prevalent form of racism and loss of culture within today’s modern society. He aims to raise awareness in order to fight this level of disinformation and ignorance.
BP1 –
Johnson argues that Travis’s journey demonstrates that understanding one’s moral identity is essential for redemption. He rejects the ideals and actions of the white police, stating that, “I won’t make the same mistake twice,” when asked about his priorities between Eddy and Gutjuk. Through this, Johnson expresses approval of Travis’s rejection of colonial violence. Johnson highlights the regret that Travis exhibits from the massacre, criticizing the colonial ideologies of others. Moran tells Eddy, “Travis has no sense of duty, no sense of loyalty. That’s a problem.” Travis’s deserting the police force paints him as unloyal and disregarding, however he only states this regarding the colonial settlers. This acts as a stark contrast between Moran (and Eddy’s) ideologies and values to Travis. He holds the guilt from the 1919 massacre and through this comparison, Johnson both persuades the audience to connect to Travis while also encouraging the audience to despise Moran and those sharing his ideologies. A key symbol of Travis acting in pursuit of redemption is giving his gun to Gutjuk. It signifies a transfer of power from colonial powers to the Indigenous people while acting adversely to the violent colonial standards. The final act of redemption for Travis is his death. In the final standoff, Travis sacrifices himself, taking a bullet meant for Gutjuk. This sacrifice represents Travis reclaiming his moral identity, reinforcing Johnson’s argument that identity is shaped through conscious moral choices. This supports Johnson’s overall message of identity being fluid and changing throughout the film and positions the audience against the disconnection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
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VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oliver sees nature as a way to connect…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Through her portrayal of the overlooked aspects of nature, Oliver celebrates the ‘simple phenomena’ of the world…
Through her portrayal of the overlooked aspects of nature, Oliver celebrates the ‘simple phenomena’ of the world by inviting the audience to look past the appearance of the vivid landscape and find the true beauty veiled within it. In her poem, ‘The Sunflowers’, Oliver explores the notion of beauty in the natural world, by expressing that in order to find beauty, one must draw wisdom from nature and root themselves in community. Oliver’s invitation to “Come with [her]” in the starting line and throughout the poem suggests that the search for beauty is not a solo mission, but instead requires a guide to pave the way and help us look beyond the inherent limitations of individualism. Her use of personification when describing the visible form and underlying essence of the sunflowers as “burnished disks”, “dry spines” and “modest faces” further endorses the relationships we are compelled to cultivate and preserve by depicting the connection between humanity and nature. The sunflowers which are willing to “listen” and “talk” encourage readers to take the initial steps forward, engaging with nature, to reveal the deeper insights concealed beneath its surface, reinforcing when inviting the reader to “come with [them]” that finding beauty is a communal act and we need each
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘But no one ever complains.’ In The Memory…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: The preservation of the human essence is contingent upon an active refusal to surrender one’s inner truth to the…
The preservation of the human essence is contingent upon an active refusal to surrender one’s inner truth to the encroaching void of silence. In Yoko Ogawa’s dystopian novel The Memory Police, the author suggests that while the islanders’ psychological habit of accepting loss without protest functions as a desperate mechanism for physical survival, this internalized passivity ultimately poses the greatest threat to humanity by facilitating the state’s systematic dismantling of the soul. Initially, Ogawa depicts the clinical brutality of the regime, demonstrating that state power relies upon the dazed compliance of a population that has forgotten how to complain. Furthermore, the narrative portrays resignation as a vital survival tactic, suggesting that adaptation to an empty sea is a tragic necessity for those facing an inescapable fate. Finally, the author critiques the hollowing out of individual identity, warning that a society that accepts its own vanishing is an organism reduced to total nothingness. Ultimately, Ogawa issues a stern reminder to humanity that a life without the connection to one's history is not a life at all, but merely a slow descent into a state where even the most precious memories signify nothing.
Ogawa highlights the insidious nature of internalized passivity, demonstrating that the islanders' resignation facilitates the state’s quest to achieve a total dismantling of human identity. By establishing a society where "no one ever complains" about the decay of intellectual spaces, the author suggests that when a population stops questioning the loss of their reality, they become complicit in their own erasure. The Memory Police move with a "terrible efficiency" to purge the island, but they rely entirely on the inhabitants' habit of making "no much of a fuss" about their losses. This lack of resistance is a symptom of a deeper "hollowing out" of the human spirit, where the heart becomes a series of "voids" devoid of the external cues necessary for self-awareness. When objects disappear, the characters find that the remaining artifacts are merely "empty boxes" that "signify nothing," eventually leading them to accept the "vanishing" of their own bodies with the same "dazed" compliance they once showed toward ribbons or birds. By showing how the narrator becomes a "simple creature" who is "unable to elicit any feeling," Ogawa illustrates that passivity is the primary catalyst for an existential collapse that leaves the island as "nothing but absences and holes". Consequently, Ogawa reveals that the greatest threat to humanity is the psychological surrender that allows an individual to "leave things to fate," thereby granting the state the power to "force it to disappear with their own hands". Thus, the author warns that while passivity allows for immediate physical endurance, it guarantees the ultimate destruction of the human soul by rendering it a "totally empty" space
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Count no man happy ‘till he dies.” To…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Sophocles’ play Oedipus The King is one that is vividly naturalistic in its characters, yet presents a world that…
Sophocles’ play Oedipus The King is one that is vividly naturalistic in its characters, yet presents a world that is rigorously deterministic. Still, Sophocles, while wholly presenting a pessimistic vision of life’s stability, affirms how moral worth may transcend an uncertainty that is beyond the control of mere mortals. The gods’ will is presented as a mechanism in which tragedy occurs; no individual is able to master their destiny despite their struggle, both a hubristic and futile action. As a judge on the events of the tragedy, the Chorus are not only a representation of Greek societal views, but also provide a window into Sophecles’ own beliefs. Ultimately, Sophocles asserts that maintaining dignity in the face of catastrophe allows humans to rise above tragedy.
Sophocles presents a world in which human control is merely an illusion, and thus individuals who are destined for catastrophe struggle in vain. From the play’s protasis, a series of recurring nautical, ship-of-state metaphors is employed that immediately equates Oedipus with a captain of Thebes. In this way, Sophocles from the outset immediately imparts to us the notion that Oedipus, the “good helmsman”, seems to have the capacity to control the direction of his fate. However, this semblance of authority is transient; Sophocles quickly makes it apparent through a subtle dramatic irony that Oedipus is far from a master of his own destiny. His ship, the city of Thebes itself, “pitches wildly,” reinforcing a sense of uncertainty that all but affirms the ineptitude of mortals. His destiny has been ordained from the beginning, a divine decree that he has hubristically assumed he has escaped. Asserting that he had “abandoned Corinth” and confident in his own power as he had “solved the riddle of the Sphinx”, Oedipus assumes that human agency can allow one to master their future. Yet, this merely serves to entangle him further within the prophecy; his flight from Corinth is the mechanism by which his fate is fulfilled. Oedipus’ hamartia however, is not by essence his hubris or a wavering belief that one can supplant the gods’ will, but rather lies in his interactions with fate. A sense of Oedipus’ actual helplessness is conveyed by the staging, whereby Oedipus is constantly centre stage, floundering as he tries to unravel things while other characters arrive and leave with facts unknown until now. As Oedipus is condemned regardless of what he does, Sophocles demonstrates how human suffering does not stem from feebleness, but rather an unavoidable subjection to divine order.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Oedipus the King, there is always…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: In Oedipus the King, there is always someone to blame for suffering. Discuss. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King…
In Oedipus the King, there is always someone to blame for suffering. Discuss.
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King explores the notion of culpability as individuals navigate a world ruled by the Gods. The playwright delinates that whilst the Gods determine one’s final resolution, it is ultimately up to the individual to behave morally just in times of conflict and crisis to avoid suffering. The playwright posits that individuals in the play are victims of cosmic injustice as their fate is pre-ordained by higher powers. Despite this, Sophocles argues that excessive pride and hubris will only amplify the tragic outcomes of one’s life. Furthermore, a lack of piety will again lead to further pain and agony in an individual’s life.
Sophocles highlights how the characters are prisoners of the fate placed upon them by higher powers. When recounting Lauis’ death, Oedipus claims that “fate swooped down at his head and cut him short”. The intentional personification pf fate illustrates the perceived power the Gods have over moral humans as they can “cut down lives”. This personification is utilised by Sophocles to demonstrate the futility of their situation – how the Gods continue to rule over their lives. This is especially true of Ancient Greek society where it was highly believed that the Gods such as Apollo were able to decide the trajectory of one’s life. Hence, it is implied that the fault lies not with the individual but powers outside of their control. Likewise, the symbol of the “triple crossroads [that] all comes back” emphasises the inevitability of fate. It is used to ironically symbolise the stagnance of destiny and convey the illusion of free will. The playwright uses such symbolism to further advocate for the existence of fate and the idea that there is no one to blame for any misfortunes that occur as everything is preordained. This positions the audience to recognise the extent of their responsibility in shaping their final resolutions. They are likely to realise their lack of agency in the face of governing powers and attempt to rethink any behaviours that could defy the Gods. The Chorus is a group of men used to embody the shared views and values of Ancient Greek society. They claim that “all your lives […] have come to nothing.” Through the use of absolute language with the words “all” and “nothing”, Sophocles continues to reinforce the stagnance of destiny and illusion of free will. This language choice partnered with the characterisation of the Chorus as a caricature of views and values allows the author to clearly convey such a message to the audience viewing the play at the Dionysius festival. The audience are brought to undergo their own anagnorisis as they realise the own meekness as a society worshipping the Gods. Therefore, the playwright suggests that suffering largely is out of one’s control and the fault rests with no mortal being.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Sunset Boulevard’ reveals the dark side…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Exposing the powerlessness of naïve ‘dream[s]’ of fulfilment against the toxicity of celebrity which has ‘seized…
Exposing the powerlessness of naïve ‘dream[s]’ of fulfilment against the toxicity of celebrity which has ‘seized [their] heart[s]’, Billy Wilder’s quintessentially American film ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950) poignantly unveils the dark side of fame that is inextricable from Hollywood’s allure. Compounded by the skilful overlaying of a gothic lens, this noir mystery performs as a deep meditation on the brutality of this business, and a sardonic, yet subtly sympathetic, depiction of the victims of its endless cycle of sadism. Through his intelligent blend of fiction and meta-cinema , Wilder’s iconoclastic opus emerges as a powerful vivisection of the dangerous illusions of stardom.
Personifying this complex world as a dystopian nightmare, Wilder satirically contextualises the hidden horrors of Hollywood. Immediately referencing a classic trope of film noir, a disturbing amalgamation of fantasy and sobering realism is established through the eerie posthumous narration of this ‘poor dope’, with this non-linear structure exposing this inevitable tragedy from the outset. Heightening this strange sense of unease, the foreboding non-diegetic string music of Franz Waxman’s pertinent score warns the audience of this ensuing horror. Indeed, ‘Sunset Boulevard’ itself can no longer be hopefully associated with fame and luxury; rather, its disconcerting introduction in a gutter with ‘dead leaves’ and ‘scraps of paper’ alludes to its burgeoning corruption, as literally emphasised by the titular finiteness of ‘sunset’. Ominously towering over this decrepit street, the silhouetted palm trees embody personified judges of the ‘distorted’ and ‘blown out’ stories that ‘Hollywood columnists’ weave, as fortified by the intense chiaroscuro lighting. Similarly, although swimming pools were an iconic image of glamour, the floating corpse ironically exposes that this perpetual chase of fame is a deadly enterprise. As a poignant reflection of this danger, the toxic relationship between Joe Gillis – our cynical antihero – and Norma Desmond – the stereotypical antagonist of a femme fatale – is inherently doomed. This Gothic synthesis of old and new Hollywood thematically foreshadows their demise, as both are dangerously delusional: one is confined by their obsolescence, the other ensnared in the shallowness of the present. Symbolising the subordination that defines their affair, the loss of Joe’s car is a ‘matter of life and death’ that resolutely deforms him into an item of Norma’s possession, as fame is too often synonymous with prostitution. Subverting the traditional gender stereotypes of their time, Edith Head’s pertinent costumes of shared leopard print – a predominant motif of Norma’s wardrobe, which is also reminiscent of her silent-era glamour – illuminates the oppression that this pursuit of celebrity has manufactured. In a house with no locks, Joe is already irreparably caught in the predatory grip of Norma’s atrophic talons, and thus, by extension, trapped by the noxious allure of Hollywood. Functioning as a provocateur to brazenly ‘bite the hand that feeds him’ (Mayer) Wilder controversially deplores the deceptive façade of fame through his pioneering direction.