VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Travis has no sense of duty, no sense of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Johnson depicts how loyalties transition depending on the lens of morality, propounding that loyalty is…
Johnson depicts how loyalties transition depending on the lens of morality, propounding that loyalty is ever-changing. Johnson promptly deconstructs the way loyalty is inherently expected, in the way the opening massacre is depicted to be a tactical surrounding of the peaceful indigenous tribe. In his introduction, Travis seemingly embodies the same ominous destruction that was brought upon the indigenous, as his horse tramples and gallops into the tainted landscape. In his entrance, Johnson pays homage to Travis’ background in war; thus, depicting Travis in alignment with the destruction brought upon by colonialism. However, the author suddenly subverts Travis' character in the way he bluntly shoots the stationman, who excitedly exclaimed "did I get her?". In a concise manner, Travis' loyalties and background as a colonial power is inversed, as he displays the violence incurred onto the Indigenous back onto its vengeful perpetrators. In this way, Travis' character exists as an oxymoron toward his position and white background; subtly shown to veer further from his post and duties toward the white settlement. In his demeanour, Travis abandons his police attire, compounded by the choice to grow “hair … like a girl”. Doing so, Johnson depicts how the guilt in enduring while innocent die in Travis’ watch rids him of ties toward symbols of eurocentrism. Thus, the author contends that the expectations to blindly follow colonial dogma is dependent moral alignment.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "What will come will come" Does sophocles'…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: The phrase, "what will come will come" gives the idea that life is predestined, and is bound to occur, regardless…
The phrase, "what will come will come" gives the idea that life is predestined, and is bound to occur, regardless of human attempt to intervene. Sophocles' play, Oedipus the king explores the inevitability of fate, and how every outcome is predestined through the tragic downfall of Oedipus, in an ancient greek tragedy.
The consistent unfolding of prophecies validate the inescapable fate that is set for Oedipus' future. Through Tiresias, a blind prophet, fate is symbolised as an unavoidable event and any intervention in attempt to avoid it is impossible. Sophocles highlights what is predestined and what can be changed. Tiresias warns Oedipus, "if you love your own life, call off this search," implying the horrid consequences of Oedipus's actions for pursuing the unknown truth, illuminating themes of fate, and how it is unpreventable. Sophocles presents prophecy as a important higher power in control, such as the Oracle of Delphi, relating to Ancient Greece and the prophecies that people would seek from the oracles, priests and gods in ancient Athens. Through this, Sophocles aims to affirm the idea of the solidified fate through the greek gods and the power imbalance between the gods and Oedipus, by Jocasta's line, "No skill in the world, nothing human can penetrate the future." Human actions are only so futile, and have no effect on fated events, and Sophocles strengthens this idea of definite fate that Oedipus cannot avoid by the shepard stating "If you are the man he says you are, believe me, you were born for pain." further reiterating Oedipus' fated suffering through an uncontrolable higher power's prophecies.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'How does Born a Crime reveal the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Set during and after the apartheid regime in South Africa, 'Born a Crime', a memoir written by Trevor Noah explores…
Set during and after the apartheid regime in South Africa, 'Born a Crime', a memoir written by Trevor Noah explores that resilience is not just an act of endurance but also a transformative form of defiance and hope. Through his mothers moral faith and humor, Noah learns that survival amid the harsh apartheid system requires steely ability to overcome suffering. Noah presents his mothers resilience as a combative form of resistance that became a model for his own challenges. Noah uses humor as an emotional tool to reframe the struggle that he experiences, overcoming trauma and suffering. Noah then portrays resilience as the tool to adopt and upgrade oneself to reclaim identity and agency. Noah highlights Patricias resilience as a combative form of defiance that inspires his own approach to challenges. He references Patricias "ability to forget" the "pain", as not just literally but a unique focus that enshrines her optimism towards life. Allowing Noahs mother to have a 'keep moving forward' mentality, which helps her withstand certain challenges. Noahs praises for Patricias definite and "independent" character credits her stable foundation that provides Patricia with the initial capability to be a symbol of challenge which towers the apartheid. Among this, Noah also remembers that in moments of despair "we didn't have food" but his mother would recognise that "we had the lord". Revealing Patricias faith as a psychological barrier that would bring about a new positive mindset, which Noah thanks her for making him "stronger". Furthermore, Noah also applauds Patricias refusal to conform to the apartheid logic of hate, teaching him "to love" even if it's "dangerous". Showcasing his mothers wisdom of acceptance of all people, not wishing to mirror the same aspects of apartheid hate or separation. Noah puts those that stand above basic moral philosophies on a pedestal commemorating their unique way of defying the system. Patricias character can be contrasted with other individuals such as Abel, as she presents a more calm and quick witted faith. Compared to Abel, who becomes easily enticed to the most miniscule of circumstances, unleashing his hatred ever so quickly. Evident when after Abel "shoots" Patricia, Noah elaborates how she "walked away from death laughing". Demonstrating the miracle that was able to assist Patricia in surviving, symbolising her defiance against the brutality of the patriarchal system, where Patricia's character stands petty ethical actions within the ignorance of the police. Through his mother, Noah reveals resilience as a moral courage, a choice to meet injustice not with "bitterness" but instead compassion and optimism. Further becoming a model for Trevor's life later on, dedicating "Born a Crime" as a gift to his mother. Noah utilises humour as an emotional and narrative element to divert pain, delicately it can challenge truama and suffering. Through Noah's constant humorous retelling of his childhood in the first chapter labelled "run", he highlights how he would "hide from police" because of his "mixed race" identity. Hiding at the apartheid houndstics by facing humiliation and difficult situations into empowerment for Noah's unique storytelling utilising his comedic personality, Noah proceeds to tell about "my mother's" race being different to "my race" making it look like a "crime scene", implying the
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does the play explore the idea of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Within Ancient Greek civilizations, the idea of blindness has often been associated with ignorance towards societal…
Within Ancient Greek civilizations, the idea of blindness has often been associated with ignorance towards societal truths. Similarly, Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, explores how it is socially expected that individuals stay reverent towards divinity by accepting truth determined by fate, as a means of avoiding blindness. Those who are unable to comply with these notions are deemed as socially unaccepted, being punished for their blindness in life, while others who follow the divine are rewarded for their avoidance of blindness.
In an Ancient Greek society, Sophocles illustrates the social expectation that individuals are to be reverent to the divine, specifically truth determined by fate to avoid being blind. Within the text, Sophocles portrays Delphi, a metaphorical representation of divine message, as having “gold vaults” to demonstrate its surface value and importance in determining what is true or not to the chorus, a representation of Ancient Greek society. In this way, the idea that divine authority distinguishes what is true or not is emphasized, whereby individuals are encouraged by wider society to accept their prophecies to not be blind. Likewise, the society of Thebes is depicted as having the “truth” being “learned” from prophets and oracles, thus highlighting the absolute authority that divinity commanded when determining what was to be followed or not. As such, to be a viable Ancient Greek citizen, it is expected that individuals stay reverent and obedient to the divine, being accepting of their fates and thus being able to see what is right, which is the truth. Additionally, the chorus expects that all individuals “serve” under the “commands of Lord Apollo” as a means of showcasing their respect and obedience towards the gods. By doing so, individuals are perceived as being reverent, and hence, displaying an active decision to avoid being blind to social incompatibility. Furthermore, during times of struggle, individuals are expected to “hear” from the “voice of gods” as a means of seeking guidance. In doing so, it is displayed that they seek truth determined by the gods, and thus, are able to not be blind by society’s standards. Sophocles demonstrates that in order for individuals to not be blind, they must seek truth determined by the divine order.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘conceal me what I am.’ How does…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: In Shakespeare's romantic comedy play 'Twelfth Night', first performed in the early 1600s, the ambiguity of…
In Shakespeare's romantic comedy play 'Twelfth Night', first performed in the early 1600s, the ambiguity of identity and the conventions they reside in are challenged by Elizabethan society. The deceptive nature of mistaken identities and outward perception is exposed by Shakespeare, demonstrating the fragility within physical identities. Through the performance of self-confidence and climbing social ambitions, Shakespeare condemns those that incorrectly base their identities off selfish ambition. Shakespeare challenges the ambiguity of gender roles within Elizabethan society, and the constraints, critiquing the fragility of distorting reality through a changed identity. Shakespeare reveals identity as fragile, unstable, and dependent on illusion, demonstrating it is not an unchangeable truth, but a performance shaped by others perceptions and social expectations.
Shakespeare presents identity as a fragile performance constructed through illusion and maintained by the perceptions of others, regardless of inner truth. Through Viola's disguise and dramatic irony, Shakespeare exposes how identity functions as a theatrical performance with the notion of "conceal me what I am", exposing the paradox of survival being reliant on suppressing ones authentic self. By positioning identity as reliant on physical characteristics, Shakespeare critiques the dependence on outward appearance to define an individual, revealing how the fractured personal authenticity due to social expectations. Similarly, the mistaken identities that drive the comedic elements of 'Twelfth Night' highlight the trouble in perception distorting the truth. In Orsino's exclamation "one face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!", the comic misunderstanding dismantles the notion of stable identity, with the interchangeability of an individuals association of identity with their identity being tied to their external appearance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Hog-Eye, turn that light back where it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, is a film noir which explores the impact of the shift between the…
Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, is a film noir which explores the impact of the shift between the silent film era and the talkies in the 1950s (30 years later). Whilst Sunset Boulevard challenges traditional gender expectations, it also reinforces them. Wilder’s use of character interactions, film techniques, characterisation, and choice of dialogue all represent his view that at that time, males had the most power in Hollywood. The quote “Hog-eye turn that light back where it belongs.” said by director Cecil B DeMille, orchestrates that the film industry was run by men.
Throughout the film, certain characters challenge traditional gender expectations in a range of alternate ways. At the beginning of the film, Norma Desmond, once Hollywood’s most beloved star, meets script writer Joe Gillis who she later on commands to complete a range of tasks including script reading, going shopping with her, romantically dancing with her and ultimately filling the void of her significant other. Wilder draws attention to Norma’s claw-like and predatory hands and the leopard print present in her costume. The leopard print is portrayed mainly when she is with Joe, representing the way she has him caught in her trap, and the power dynamic between the pair. In addition to this, Norma’s former husband, Max Von Mayerling, gives up his main role as a film director to serve her as a personal butler, representing a reversal of typical gender expectations where the man wouldn’t change his life for a female. Max explains to Joe that he “discovered her when she was eighteen” and that he “made her a star”, demonstrating his willingness to change his life for Norma. This moment clearly shows how Max reverses traditional gender roles. Instead of being the powerful, career-driven man, he gives up his position as a successful film director to serve Norma as her butler. His decision to dedicate his life to caring for her demonstrates loyalty and emotional sacrifice, traits that were typically expected from women at the time. Rather than focusing on his own success, he chooses to support Norma completely, challenging the expectation that men should always be dominant and in control. Essentially in Sunset Boulevard, Norma holds major control and power over Joe, demonstrating that the woman in the relationship is the most dominant, and Max gives up his career to serve as a butler for a woman, both challenging gender expectations.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Least here we do things our own way- no…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Rannu's End Practice Paper Plannin Yasmin . M 'Least here we do things our way - no one breathing down our necks!'…
Rannu's End Practice Paper Plannin
Yasmin . M
'Least here we do things our way - no one breathing
down our necks!'
Home is central to identity in Rainbows End
To what extent do you agree?
Rainbow's End a play written by Jane Harrison is set in the 1950's rural Australia, the play explores how home has a direct link to the way a person views themselves in some scenarios. It presents how from the physical place of home is able to set the views and perspectives a person has on themselves and on where they fit into the world. As well as this Harrison also demonstrates that the home made by the people one's surrounded by can also effect one's perspective on how they live and act. Lastly it is also shown that the home a person is brought up in, isn't representative of themselves & how they want to live at all.
In Rainbow's End Jane Harrison displays how home is able to create and shape a persons views, helping discover their true identity. Characters throughout the play are represented by their home by it being able to shape their place and purpose within the community. When Nan Dear expresses that the Murray River is her home as she exclaims she was "born there, and by crikey I'm gonna die here". Suggesting the deep connection she was with her place of birth, it can be seen as a place that helped her grow and become the strong, resilient woman she is now. In relation to this sense of belonging is also illustrated when Gladys claims "I'm not an interloper - I belong here - this is my land". The statement portrays the love and connection to country Gladys is able to give her something to fight for, helping her find her powerful and resilient personality. Additionally minor characters such as Nancy Woolthorpe is also another example how home
heavily influences identity. Nancy , a white character which grows up in a white prejudice community against Aboriginals has seen to heavily influence her identity. Her nasty comments towards Dolly at the ball is an example how growing up in a prejudice place has caused a prejudice mindset. As shown through several characters, Harrison was able to suggest how the physical place of home is able to direct how a person creates their place in a social hierarchy is able to influence the way they live.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Rainbows End depicts the impact of racism…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The First Nations play 'Rainbow's End' by Jane Harrison follows a family of three indigenous women as they…
The First Nations play 'Rainbow's End' by Jane Harrison follows a family of three indigenous women as they traverse the difficulties of day-to-day life in an emerging White society. Set in 1950s Australia, an era of discriminatory policy and deeply entrenched racism towards the indigenous population, the play explores the notion that racism destroy First Nation confidence and general psyche. However, it also asserts that, despite facing immense amounts of discrimination, through communal support indigenous individuals can seek self-empowerment.
The effects of discrimination directly contributes to the destruction of indigenous self confidence. The racist White society presented in the play demonstrates the denigration of Indigenous self worth. Although not appearing significantly throughout the play, the subtle reveal of Aunt Esters character to be "at the cork trees, drinking with the goomies" due to the forceful snatching of her children highlights the ruin of Indigenous confidence as a direct consequence of discriminatory policy such as the Stolen Generation. Harrison also alludes to the notion that the racism faced by the First Nation population denigrated them from individual to collectives that are rendered helpless with no choice other than resorting to alcohol. The destruction of Indigenous confidence extends as far as to youth highlighted by Dolly's concern of 'what will happen to Errol?' in the climax with Cher I. Not only is Dolly's question directed to Errol but also the audience who Harrison tasks with deciphering the consequence of Errol's choice which intentionally reveals the struggles and mindset of the youth, who rather than confidently attend a social gathering, are forced to question their legitimacy. Thus, demonstrating the immediate and ingrained effects of discrimination on First Nation's Peoples' confidence.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘…language even more so than colour…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Born a Crime, a memoir writter by Trevor Noan about growing up In Past Apartheid South Africa explores how his…
Born a Crime, a memoir writter by Trevor Noan about growing up In Past Apartheid South Africa explores how his colour, and use of language created peoples perceptions of him while showcasing that despite preconceptions based off appearance, you can still become your own person with your own identity. Trevor Noah explore aso demonstrates why language over colour was a deciding factor in his treatment growing up in South Afvica, and indicative of his. future success.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: What does Jackson suggest about the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: In a world where societal inclusion is determined by the acceptance of tradition, where those who do not abide by…
In a world where societal inclusion is determined by the acceptance of tradition, where those who do not abide by societal standards experience great adversity - both from external and internal factors - Shirley Jackson's 1962 gothic novel 'We Have Always Lived in The Castle' depicts the struggles of individuals who are exposed to the pressures of conventional expectations of post-war American society. Through societal norms and the alienation of the other, Jackson examines how tradition offers individuals little room for independence and prosperity. However, Jackson ultimately maintains that people are not bound to uphold these norms and may still flourish by reclaiming these conventions in order to embrace order and agency over one's life.
Jackson condemns how society's cruel perception of unconventional leaves individuals to turn to isolation as a survival mechanism between painful interactions with the outside world. Explored through Merricat's correspondence with the village, Jackson illustrates how the isolation of the Blackwood sisters comes as a result of the torment and suffering experienced at the hands of the village people. From the onset, Merricat's vivid description of the "little horrified laugh" echoed by the villagers as she grocery shops reveals the cruel nature of the townspeople that provoke and jeer her while she is simply trying to complete a mundane task. Jackson's employment of the word "horrified" connotates the detestation the villagers associate with Merricat, illustrating their collective tendency to dehumanise the Blackwood family and perceive them as outsiders. Jackson thus critiques post-war American society's inclination to perceive women that lack subservience to conventiality, contributing to their ostracisation. Jackson furthers this notion through the inclusion of the children chanting a song of Constance asking Merricat if she would "like a cup of tea?". This not only reaffirms the hostility of the villages, but also depicts how such cruelty is perpetuated through younger generations. Reflecting on the 1690s New England fascination with witchcraft, Jackson shadows a similar segregation and laments the hopelessness of ever escaping such cycles of ostracisation of women that do not conform to strict societal confines. Merricat's fear of the villagers "swerving" when she crosses the road and her own hatred of the "unchangingly grey" village betray how her and Constance's initial isolation is based on fear rather than agency. In symbolically illustrating the cruel perception of society, Jackson affirms how society takes power over women that are 'othered' and forces them into separation from the broader world. As such, Jackson attests how societal perception, often fueled by hatred, can strip individuals of agency and control, confining them to the strict boundaries of public opinion and resulting in its victims behaving based on fear rather than self-actualisation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "I wanted to feel close to her to feel…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: "I wanted to feel close to her. To feel like she and I were almost interchangeable." Discuss the role of connection…
"I wanted to feel close to her. To feel like she and I were almost interchangeable." Discuss the role of connection in Flames.
In his magical realism novel Flames, Robbie Arnott presents connection as a defining element of human existence, shaping identities, morality, and survival. Through his characters who navigate relationships with people and nature, Arnott demonstrates that connection can act as a restorative force, guiding individuals towards purpose and healing. Simultaneously, Arnott asserts that it may operate as an ethical compass, directing individuals towards moral integrity and balance. However, Arnott exposes the dangers of excessive attachment, revealing how dependence on connection can distort judgment and inflict harm.
Throughout his novel, Arnott portrays connection with ones surroundings as a restorative force, suggesting that harmony with nature enables individuals to reconcile loss and rediscover purpose within the cycles of life and renewal. After the death and subsequent reincarnation of his mother, missing his connection with her - Levi's mental state begins deteriorating substantially. Despite his facade of "genuinely getting over [his mother's] death", Arnott exposes Levi as an unreliable narrator in the chapter 'Grove', and through a third person narration, asserts that "Levi is not well".
Here, Arnott sheds a light on the struggles - deeply emotional and psychological - that an individual may face after the loss of connection. By semantically staging the struggles Levi experiences, so that emotion becomes behaviour, Arnott epitomises the deep psychological turmoil one may face due to a severence of connection, transforming Levi's "calm and fluid" state to the stark, physical register of "retching;". This progression from adjectives to a violently corporeal verb literalises "inner collapse;" displacing psychological description with visceral action, dramatising the effect of disconnection to a state of mental illness. However, Arnott suggests that reconnection with one's surroundings may act as a healing force, most evident when Levi embraces the help from his close one's and gives way to 'a single, ragged sob'. Arnott employs this dramatised description of Levi's condition to bolster the notion that connection may allow individuals to heal - in Levi's case, accept and finally face directly his grief rather then repress it. Arnott extends this idea by examining how through his reconnection to the cultural world and the ocean which he has always 'repressed', Levi was able to find purpose that 'bellowed inside of him' and 'has kept him afloat ever since'. Thus, Arnott symbolises the reconnection between the two as a deeply restorative force, which asserting that connection with nature allows individuals to heal the fractures within themselves. The ocean embodies
emotional release and reconciliation in lewis life, reconciliation with all that came before him, ever suggesting that through immersion in the natural world, one can recover purpose and inner peace.
Building on the idea of renewal, Arnett extends the role of connection beyond personal restoration, presenting it as an ethical foundation that fosters empathy, kinship, and moral awareness, guiding individuals towards integrity and a just coexistence with both humanity and the natural world. The connection between Karl and his soul embodies this motif. Arnett portrays the soul as a moral compass to Karl, exemplifying how through their connection, Karl was able to start building a life for himself, and a family which he loved.
Employing alliteration, Arnett presents the connection between the two as "sharp and sudden", which goes to reinforce the meaningful connection between them, for Karl was able to find the "other half he was born without", instructing that he was in a position in which he desperately required such connection - a force with the power to change his perception of masculinity. Arnett demonstrates, that through his soul, Karl was able to open up about his "feelings and notion of love", and finally start to build himself a family, which goes to suggest that the connection with his soul provided Karl with an emotional foundation - rejecting toxic masculin habits such as the "repressal of emotions", and fostering a sense of kinship and empathy.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Why do character harbour secrets
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Part A: "He Held something which, some knowledge or intimacy, which made her life seem shallow by comparison" Why…
Part A:
"He Held something which, some knowledge or intimacy, which made her life seem shallow by comparison"
Why do Hadley's characters Harbour secrets?
Tessa Hadley's anthology "Bad Dreams and Other Stories" explores how characters conceal their actions and past for their own self interests. Hadley illustrates how often individuals keep secrets out of shame of their past, hidden pressures or to seek personal gain. Hadley develops different everyday scenarios to showcase the many ways in which individuals keep secrets to assure the safety of themselves.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Although the film ends tragically with…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Stephen Maxwell Johnson's revisionist historical film "High Ground" is a searing interpretation of a past where the…
Stephen Maxwell Johnson's revisionist historical film "High Ground" is a searing interpretation of a past where the massacre of the Yolngu people establishes divisions and prejudice between eurocentric views and the local Yolngu people. Set in arnhem land, the 1919 massacre elicits significant response from Baywara who's retaliation against the perpetrators is motivated by vengeance. Beneath the violence, Johnson portrays a story that is ultimately concerned with endurance, awakening and truth. Through his portrayal of indigenous survival, spiritual continuity and the possibility of moral reckoning, Johnson transforms tragedy into a necessity towards healing. The film's closing silence, framed by the eternal landscape, is not emptiness, but hope.
Despite its harrowing violence, "High Ground" insists that confronting historical truth is the true foundation for hope. The opening massacre scene establishes a sense of horror and dismay, as Johnson uses silence followed with the crack of a rifle echoing throughout the gorge. The camera lingers on the aftermath of the massacre, a visual reminder that "this country's history is built on blood". This evokes the ghastly massacre as a base for hope and optimism. Further, an aerial shot is used to depict the symbolization of the colonizers godlike gaze. This captures the "high ground" as both a physical and moral superiority, as they're looking down at the people who are lower than them. Yet, Johnson flips this symbol throughout the film, transforming it into a vantage of truth instead of domination. Gutjuk's recollection of the massacre - "You killed them. All of them", forces Travis to confront the violence that has been denied for decades. Through this confrontation, Johnson demonstrates that the exposure of trauma, however painful, can act as moral restoration. Truth, rather than silence, becomes the film's first gesture of hope.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Rainbow’s End, attempts to be helpful…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Set in 1950s Victoria, a time period characterised by its white hegemony and systemic oppression, Jane Harrison’s…
Set in 1950s Victoria, a time period characterised by its white hegemony and systemic oppression, Jane Harrison’s play “Rainbow’s End” follows the lives of three generations of Koori women as they navigate their identity and self-worth in times of uncertainty. In the play, attempts to be helpful are often unsuccessful due to misunderstanding, prejudice and systemic barriers. Yet, Harrison shows hope can surface from small acts of love and solidarity, through the pride Gladys takes in her daughter, but the limits it may result in, via Nan Dear’s overprotective nature.
The government’s attempt to be “helpful” instead disadvantages Aboriginal communities. Throughout the play, there is an emphasis on providing better housing to Indigenous people, leading to the destruction of “The Flats” with the replacement of Rumbarala Housing. This crucial moment in the play embodies the destruction of not just the physical need for shelter catered for the Indigenous, but also the destruction of intimate relationships and the core values of culture and family. “It’s anything but lovable” is what is made of the Rumbarala housing, illustrating the disconnect assimilist policies can bring upon Aboriginal families who have built a familiarity and comfort within their humpies. Upon this replacement of The Flats, which aims to bring the best interest to Indigenous communities, it instead destroys the core values of what makes up Indigenous communities with its overwhelming motif of whiteness, “It's concrete, small, white and featureless”. Harrison scrutinises this moment as a drawback to Indigenous families and communities rather than a moment of progression and help between two worlds.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Gladys and Dolly are torn between the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Set in 1950s Victoria, Jane Harrison's "Rainbow's End" follows the lives of three generations of Aboriginal women…
Set in 1950s Victoria, Jane Harrison's "Rainbow's End" follows the lives of three generations of Aboriginal women who each deal with their own challenges as they navigate the division between white Australia and Indigenous Australia, in the face of racism, systemic injustice, and community. Throughout the play, Harrison challenges this notion of a divide existing between white and Indigenous Australians, and instead shows a possibility of empowerment that can arise through her character's development and theatrical symbolism.
Glady's political activism allows her to reclaim agency over her cultural heritage. Harrison first portrays Gladys as a dreamer, clinging to her desire to be accepted as an Indigenous woman in white society. "Instead of being formal, the Queen pulls her into a hug", Harrison's theatrical connventions of "dream sequences", she portray Gladys as being acknowledged and to be seen at the same societal value as a white person. Which is quickly shut down with the bitter reality that is labelled by Harrison, "The lights come back to reality" of the racist views and values white society has pressed upon Aboriginal communities. This usage of dream sequences requires audiences to understand the stark contrast between reality and the dream that Harrison is portraying in Indigenous communities. The transition from Glady's being a dreamer to becoming an activist in her own community, "We demand the right to control our own destiny", allows for empowerment to arise. As she confronts the systemic oppression faced by her community, she shifts from her desire to be valued by white society to taking pride in her Indigenous heritage, through her address to the Queen in her speech ------ "We request... no, we don't…” from accepting the racist views Aborginals face, to challenging this opression, “we demand to be heard". Harrison demonstrates how a reclaim of one's agency can occur in an environment and time where it is torn apart.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Is Oedipus a ‘good helmsman’?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Sophocles' tragic 5th-century BCE drama, Oedipus the King, portrays Oedipus with the characteristics of a good…
Sophocles' tragic 5th-century BCE drama, Oedipus the King, portrays Oedipus with the characteristics of a good helmsman; however, his fatal flaw of hubris and authoritative control casts doubt on his suitability for such a role. While he appears to lead Thebes with courage and responsibility, his inability to control his temper, have patience, and recognise his limitations ultimately undermines his leadership.
At the outset, Sophocles presents Oedipus as a responsible and proactive ruler—one who seems ideally suited to steer Thebes through crisis. In a time of crisis for Thebes, the people turn to him, and he responds immediately, stating he has already “sent Creon” to find a cure. This proactive behaviour shows he is ready to steer the “ship [that] pitches wildly.” Sophocles aligns Oedipus with the image of a helmsman who has taken initiative to guide his people out of danger. Furthermore, Oedipus takes responsibility for Thebes' suffering by becoming the “land’s avenger,” displaying a strong sense of duty. He even claims that “no one is as sick as I,” showing empathy for his people’s suffering. This selfless identification with his citizens reveals the morality of a great leader who feels their pain as his own. Thus, at this stage, Sophocles presents Oedipus as an ideal helmsman.
As the play progresses, Oedipus’ growing pride and emotional instability begin to erode the qualities that once made him seem a capable leader. He calls upon the prophet Tiresias to help uncover the murderer of Laius, determined
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: in high ground, johnson suggests that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground explores how the legacy of colonial violence continues to scar both the…
Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground explores how the legacy of colonial violence continues to scar both the colonised and the coloniser, long after the physical conflict has ceased. Set in 1930s Arnhem Land, the film opens with the brutal massacre of a Yolngu community by white settlers—an atrocity that echoes through generations. Johnson presents this event not as a closed chapter of history but as a living wound that shapes identity, memory, and belonging. Through the intertwined journeys of Travis and Gutjuk, High Ground reveals that the most enduring battles are internal: guilt, displacement, and moral conflict linger far longer than gunfire. In doing so, Johnson suggests that people’s inner struggles can be just as destructive and defining as their external confrontations.
Johnson uses the film’s fragmented, non-linear structure to mirror the fractured memories of a nation still haunted by violence. The recurring flashbacks to the massacre blur the boundaries between past and present, suggesting that the violence remains unresolved. Central to this is Travis, the ex-soldier whose internal guilt becomes more punishing than any physical danger he faces. Having participated in the massacre, he retreats from society and lives in isolation, unable to reconcile with his past. Johnson’s restrained camera work—often framing Travis in shadow or separated from others by the vast landscape—visually conveys his emotional exile. Although Travis outwardly appears composed, his internal conflict corrodes his sense of morality and identity. Johnson refuses to absolve him or label him as redeemed; instead, Travis embodies the enduring psychological consequences of complicity. His inner turmoil exposes the moral ambiguity of those who perpetrated violence, revealing that the war within the self can be just as relentless as any external one.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Better to live at random, best we can...…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: ‘Oedipus Rex’ is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in 429 BC as an exploration of the pursuit of truth.…
‘Oedipus Rex’ is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in 429 BC as an exploration of the pursuit of truth. Sophocles portrays it as a source of blasphemy against the deities, which incurs horrible punishments for Oedipus' attempts to gain insight into the divine knowledge he is blind to. Sophocles explores the search for truth as a catalyst for destruction, leading to Oedipus’ eventual downfall as he, through his arrogance, reveals his own tragic identity. Sophocles warns against the pursuit of truth as something not meant for mere mortals' understanding, which brings catastrophe for characters such as Oedipus and Jocasta as identity and order are destroyed.
In his search for the truth, Oedipus is issued several warnings by numerous people attempting to steer him away from his own prophesied calamity. Oedipus’ good intentions in aspiring to reveal the murderer of Laius are clouded by hubris. As he endeavours to “bring what is dark to light”, he brings only self-ruin ruin revealing himself as “the murderer [he] hunts”. Oedipus. Sophocles insinuates that while in the dark, Oedipus remains ignorant but still full of hope, highlighting the light as that which brings pain for Oedipus. Nearing his ultimate destruction, Oedipus seeks the knowledge of his birth, “however base [his] birth may be”. Sophocles employs Oedipus as a warning to his audience, depicting him as a self-made tragedy through his journey for the truth. While accepting the pain that may come from understanding his birth, Oedipus knows nothing of the detrimental effects it will have, highlighting his ignorance of the true cost of truth. The shepherd, aspiring to save Oedipus from his hubris-fueled descent into despair, urges him not to “cause pain for [himself] or [Oedipus]”. Sophocles utilises these characters as mediums throughout the play, condemning the search for truth as Oedipus becomes closer and closer to his spiralling downfall through the revelation of his birth.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘All of the characters in Sunset Boulevard…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In the face of struggle, individuals resort to taking advantage of others to achieve personal or financial gain.…
In the face of struggle, individuals resort to taking advantage of others to achieve personal or financial gain. Set in the post-war 1950’s, Billy Wilder-directed film noir *Sunset Boulevard* proposes a scathing social critique on the manipulative Hollywood industry. Throughout the film, Wilder accentuates how as a result of financial greed, individuals tend to resort to manipulation. Moreover, the director exacerbates how manipulation can also arise when seeking emotional solace and fulfillment, yet some individuals use deceptive tactics in order to support others. However, Wilder eventually unmasks the underlying motives to this supposed support, which are for self-fulfilment.
Wilder constructs a world where greed and desire for financial success catalyses individuals to take advantage of others. Joe, the protagonist is introduced as a struggling writer as the camera pans towards his “one bedroom apartment [he] can’t pay for” while he frantically types his ‘Bases Loaded’ in a bathrobe, encapsulating his financial insecurity and unprofessional work conditions. However, despite his financial struggles being sufficed by Norma offering her largesse to be a script doctor, her eventual solace in Joe becomes a tool for his manipulation - allowing him to fabricate companionship to Norma for a life of “champagne on ice, and plenty of caviar”. Here, Wilder amplifies Joe masking his greedy desperation under the guise of love for Norma. Furthermore, the filmmaker also critiques journalists who manipulate the comfort of stars for financial gain. Hollywood gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, is initially depicted at the front line of Norma’s demise to reality as she invasively sits on her bed marketing Norma as a “forgotten star, [now] a slayer”. Wilder emphasises Hollywood and the media’s disregard and lack of sympathy for stars through Hedda’s ignorant commodification of Norma’s “state of complete mental shock”. Therefore, Wilder’s *Sunset Boulevard* criticises a greedy society that oversteps personal boundaries for financial gain.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Sophocles suggests that seeking truth is…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: In his tragic play Oedipus the King (c. 429 BCE), Sophocles explores the moral and spiritual consequences of…
In his tragic play Oedipus the King (c. 429 BCE), Sophocles explores the moral and spiritual consequences of humanity’s pursuit of truth. As one of classical Athens’ greatest dramatists, Sophocles crafts a tragedy in which a ruler’s quest for knowledge collides with the unyielding power of fate and divine law. Written during a period of plague and political uncertainty, the play mirrors Athenian anxieties about reason, piety, and the limits of human control. Sophocles advocates for truth-seeking when guided by humility and reverence for divine order, suggesting that while the revelation of truth brings pain and destruction, it ultimately leads to enlightenment and moral restoration.
Sophocles reveals that genuine insight arises only through suffering, implying that enlightenment demands humility rather than intellect. Oedipus begins as a confident ruler who believes reason can conquer fate, promising to “grant your prayers” to the people of Thebes. His determination to uncover Laius’ murderer presents him as morally courageous and selfless; yet his conviction that human intelligence can rival divine knowledge exposes fatal pride. The irony of Tiresias—blind yet able to “see the truth”—underscores that moral vision, not physical sight, defines wisdom. Only when Oedipus is physically blinded does he achieve true clarity, naming himself an “abomination” and accepting responsibility for his crimes. Through this transformation, Sophocles suggests that truth, though devastating, purifies the soul and restores moral balance. The audience experiences pity and fear, recognising that human wisdom is born through pain, not triumph.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Better to live at random, best we can...…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: ‘Oedipus Rex’ is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in 429 BC as an exploration of the pursuit of truth.…
‘Oedipus Rex’ is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in 429 BC as an exploration of the pursuit of truth. Condemning it as a source of blasphemy against the deities, which incurs horrible punishments for Oedipus and his family. Sophocles deplores the search for truth as a catalyst for destruction, leading to Oedipus’ eventual downfall. Sophocles warns against the pursuit of truth as something not meant for mere mortals, which brings catastrophe for characters such as Oedipus and Jocasta as identity and order are destroyed.
In his search for the truth, Oedipus is issued several warnings by numerous people attempting to steer him away from his own prophesied calamity. Oedipus’ good intentions in aspiring to reveal the murderer of Laius are clouded by hubris. As he endeavours to “bring what is dark to light”, he brings only self-ruin ruin revealing himself as “the murderer [he] hunts”. Oedipus, nearing his ultimate destruction, seeks the knowledge of his birth “however base [his] birth may be”. Sophocles employs Oedipus as a warning to his audience, depicting him as a self-made tragedy through his journey for the truth. While accepting the pain that may come from understanding his birth, Oedipus knows nothing of the detrimental effects it will have, highlighting his ignorance of the true cost of truth. Creon, aspiring to save Oedipus from hubris-fueled descent into despair, urges him not to continue his search for truth, urging him not “cause pain for [himself] or [Oedipus]”. Sophocles utilises these characters as mediums throughout the play, condemning the search for truth as Oedipus becomes closer and closer to his spiralling downfall.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In “The Erratics”, Vicki Laveau-Harvie…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: In “The Erratics”, Vicki Laveau-Harvie argues that we can never escape the effects of our upbringing. Do you…
In “The Erratics”, Vicki Laveau-Harvie argues that we can never escape the effects of our upbringing. Do you agree?
In her memoir, “The Erratics”, Vicki Laveau-Harvie illustrates that while one may distance themselves physically or emotionally from their upbringing, its effects are deeply ingrained. Through her trauma, the lingering spectre of her mother, and the strain on her family relationships, Laveau-Harvie demonstrates that the impact of our past is inescapable, continually influencing our present and future, regardless of the distance we try to place between ourselves and our childhood experiences.
Laveau-Harvie’s persistent trauma from her upbringing illustrates that despite her efforts to move beyond her past, its effects continue to shape her life. Although she appears “normal” to the casual observer, Laveau-Harvie exists in a constant and ever-present “fog” - a fog that is “impenetrable to the untrained eye”. This fog represents a lasting emotional burden that she must carry, invisible to everyone around her. It clouds her perception and experiences, causing her to “stumbl[e]” blindly at times throughout her life, “obscur[ing]” her true self. The metaphorical fog has become a defining aspect of her identity, rendering her sense of self fragmented. Furthermore, the portrayal of of Laveau-Harvie’s emotional state as being “petrified in grief” illustrates the sense of stasis she feels. She is emotionally frozen in a place of sorrow and pain, unable to completely move forward. This sense of being “petrified” highlights how her trauma has had a paralysing effect, preventing her from being free of the weight from her past. As such, Laveau-Harvie’s efforts to present a composed and stable exterior contrast sharply with her internal reality. The juxtaposition between the public image she maintains and the emotional turmoil she endures emphasises this great dissonance. Even as Laveau-Harvie builds a home away from her traumatic childhood, exemplified by her life under the “luminous skies” of Sydney, she remains tied to her past. This duality highlights the central argument of the memoir - that no matter how much she tries to distance herself from her traumatic past, its effects are deeply ingrained and continue to affect her sense of self and her daily life.
The ongoing effects of Laveau-Harvie’s childhood shows that she is never able to escape the influence of her mother. This illustrates how the toxic relationship she endured continues to shape her adult experiences. She has never forgotten her mother’s threat - that she will “get” Laveau-Harvie and her sister, and they “won’t even know [she’s] doing it.” This haunting declaration, uttered in her childhood, is a testament to the psychological power her mother wields. Even decades later, the memory of this threat lives on, occupying a significant space in her daughter’s consciousness. The fact that Laveau-Harvie is vigilant in her distrust of her mother, even after so many years, underscores the depth of the psychological scars left by this relationship. Her mother’s words are not just a memory, but a constant and lingering presence in her mind, shaping how she navigates relationships and vulnerability in her adult life. Laveau-Harvie’s recollection of this chilling promise serves as both a vivid reminder of her mother’s manipulation and her own lack of agency. Her perpetual state of hypervigilance highlights that the mother’s influence transcends their physical separation. Laveau-Harvie may be geographically distant from her mother and Southern Alberta, but emotionally, she remains tethered to these painful memories and the toxicity that marked her childhood. This suggests that her mother’s destructive presence is not bound merely by physical proximity, but has woven itself into the very fabric of Laveau-Harvie’s emotional being. Even as Laveau-Harvie tries to move on, her mother’s influence still affects her daily life, and keeps her tied to painful childhood memories.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Sunset Boulevard explore the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Billy Wilder post-war film nor, 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the devastating impacts on the 'Unforgiving…
Billy Wilder post-war film nor, 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the devastating impacts on the 'Unforgiving Hollywood Machine' on its workers. Ultimately, Wilder's film permeates his critique that the industry's unsympathetic expectations upon its 'products' ultimately leads them to psychological, moral, and physical decay.
Wilder throughout the majority of the film highlights through its dark, and corrosive tone the harsh reality that a decline in fame subsequently leads individuals of the film industry to psychological ruin. Wilder integrates the films corrosive tone through his introduction of the famous 'has-been' Norma Desmond. Highlighted in her grad mansions wide-shot – Wilder captures a physical manifestation of Norma's mental state, and career. In the mis-en-scene, Wilder's inclusion of her decrepit, unkempt home symbolizes to audiences Norma's apparent mental absence; contributing to the film noir's dark tone. Furthermore, Wilder asserts to audiences that the impact of lost fame leads individuals to psychological decline. Wilder's inclusion of intertextuality in Norma's seemingly never-ending script, 'Salome' highlights her ambition to return to Hollywood; Which, when her plan ultimately fails, leads her to total mental destruction. Illustrated in Wilders ending mis-en-scene, encapsulating in a wide-shot, Norma's piercing gaze as she transcends down her grand staircase, symbolizing to audiences Norma's literal, and metaphorical descent into madness. By showcasing Norma's 'mental plight' towards the camera's, Wilder illustrates the harsh impacts of lost fame within Hollywood; leading individuals like Norma to a mental decline amongst the industries harshness.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Theres nothing else. Just us, and the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Hollywood has long been known for its illusions of wealth and success, influencing all viewers to desire the ‘fame’…
Hollywood has long been known for its illusions of wealth and success, influencing all viewers to desire the ‘fame’ and ‘relevancy’ built within the Film industry. Billy Wilder’s film noir ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950), contends that deception is prevalent within Hollywood, luring most individuals into its dangerous nature. Set in a post-World War 2 context, amongst Americas ‘Golden Age’, Film studios like Paramount utilised a ‘studio system’ which revolved around having full control over its stars and discarding of them when they no longer deemed relevant. Wilder Suggests that all individuals will either respond to the Artifice of Cinema including the audiences “out there in the dark” by relentlessly chasing the factory dreams, depicted through the Allegory of Norma Desomond, or will use the harsh standards of Hollywood to adapt and find genuine success built off integrity. Ultimately Wilder highlights that success built off the external desires of Hollywood will lead to destructive consequences, leaving contemporary audiences to critique the corrupt morals of the Film Industry.