VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “I wanted to feel close to her, to feel…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 92.5%: In his magical realist novel Flames, Robbie Arnott interrogates the nature of connection—not simply as a force of…
In his magical realist novel Flames, Robbie Arnott interrogates the nature of connection—not simply as a force of comfort or kinship, but as a fragile and volatile current that can both heal and harm. While the novel ultimately affirms the importance of authentic relationships, it also exposes the costs of connection in a society structured by masculine control and emotional repression. Through the interwoven stories of siblings, lovers, and strangers, Arnott critiques the patriarchal desire to possess or define intimacy, revealing how the very pursuit of closeness can unravel identity, autonomy, and even nature itself. Although Flames concludes with moments of reconciliation, Arnott invites readers to reflect on the social and emotional sacrifices embedded within the pursuit of intimacy.
Arnott presents the struggle to form lasting, meaningful relationships through female characters whose emotional labour fosters healing and transformation. The evolving connection between Nicola and Charlotte is grounded not in obligation, but in mutual admiration and understanding. Nicola’s initial inability to approach Charlotte on the farm is not a failure, but a reflection of deep emotional investment—a silent persistence that ultimately earns Charlotte’s trust. In the climactic moment where Charlotte confronts Levi, it is Nicola who both protects and supports her, physically shielding Charlotte and later allowing herself to be soothed by her sister’s touch. Their bond transcends traditional familial roles, marked by reciprocity and shared strength. As Charlotte reflects, “I wanted to feel close to her, to feel like she and I were almost interchangeable,” Arnott illuminates a form of connection that dissolves individual ego, offering instead a collective identity rooted in love and resilience. In portraying their relationship, Arnott celebrates a femininity that resists possession and instead embraces quiet solidarity, reinforcing the idea that true connection arises from presence, patience, and respect.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Discuss the interplay between wealth and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Ghost Wall, a 2018 novel written by Sarah Moss, follows Silvie Hampton on a re-enactment of Iron Age Britain in the…
Ghost Wall, a 2018 novel written by Sarah Moss, follows Silvie Hampton on a re-enactment of Iron Age Britain in the early 1990s. Within the novel, Moss highlights the complex differences in individuals created as a result of their financial status as well as the effect of this on their relationships. Firstly, Ghost Wall highlights the fact that differences in wealth can result in conflicts of control and power, both over one's life and the lives of others. Alongside this, Moss shows that individuals of a similar class may develop closer relationships with one another than with those of a separate class. Lastly, Moss' Ghost Wall also depicts the negative emotional and psychological effects that being of a lower class or being less wealthy than others may have on an individual.
To begin, Moss demonstrates with Ghost Wall the potential for conflicts of power and control to arise between individuals of different classes and levels of wealth. Moss depicts this through the interactions between Bill Hampton and Professor Jim Slade. Bill comes from a lower-class background, and Moss implies that he received no formal tertiary education to solidify this idea. Silvie tells the university students that her father is a "bus driver", and attributes her family's presence at the re-enactment to Bill's hobby-like passion for ancient British history. Professor Slade, on the other hand, is a professor at a university in England's south, and Moss portrays him as being significantly wealthier than the Hamptons. She achieves this through Silvie's internal monologue; Silvie predicts that, while Slade is at the re-enactment, his family has "gone off somewhere nice... France or Italy probably". With this, Moss highlights the difference in wealth between Bill and Professor Slade, which she then uses to create a conflict between them. At one point in the novel, Silvie reflects upon her father's sometimes erratic behaviours and concludes that "the thought of those other men who were paid to walk the places [Bill] loved and write the ideas he could have had" while, as Alison states, he was "stuck behind the wheel all day", is one of the potential explanations for his deep-seated anger. Moss highlights with this that financial differences between individuals can result in jealousy and internal conflict. In addition, Moss demonstrates how this can 'bubble over' into hostility towards those perceived as being better than oneself. She achieves this in Ghost Wall with the inclusion of an argument between Bill and the Professor, in which they are discussing the purpose of Hadrian's Wall. When Bill argues that the ancient British "put the wind up" the Romans, enough so that the Wall was built, Slade deflects his point by stating that it was actually "much more of a symbol than a military necessity". At this, Silvie noted that her father's "face darkened", which suggests that he both resented the idea that the Professor had access to more historical knowledge than he likely ever would, and that he was particularly close-minded in regards to others' interpretations of historical events. Silvie regarded this conversation between the men as them "fighting about talking", which Moss uses to solidify the idea that the class differences between individuals can culminate in conflict. Overall, Moss' Ghost Wall implies that both internal and external disputes can form as an effect of differences in wealth between individuals.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: to what extent is justice served in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: First performed at the Dionisia festival in 429 BCE Athens, the tragic Theban play ‘Oedipus the King’ challenges…
First performed at the Dionisia festival in 429 BCE Athens, the tragic Theban play ‘Oedipus the King’ challenges the traditional ideas of the serving of justice relating to individuals being punished for morally corrupt behaviour. The playwright contends that there are many different forms of justice which are served to the many, however only those who hold a profound belief in freewill can escape justice through death. Primarily, Sophocles champions the appointment of leaders who do not seek power but are given it by the people as this justly awards those with admirable qualities. Moreover, through the unjust nature of leaders being punished for events beyond their realm of control, Sophocles laments leadership as ultimately it is the onus of a leader to be punished on behalf of the community they represent. Despite this, Sophocles concedes that justice can be evaded by those who undermine the authority of the divine through agency, however this can only be achieved in death. As such, the playwright urges his audience to view the different capacities in which justice can be achieved, so when their fate is achieved, they can reflect on why their predestination was their justice. Not quite sure of some of the phrasing here?
Sophocles lauds leaders who initially do not seek leadership but are rather elected due to the merit of their character in prioritising civic responsibility over personal desires. Sophocles utilises Creon, the titular protagonist’s brother in law to explore this ideal wherein during his agon with Oedipus Sophocles orchestrates Creon to ask “how could kingship please me…?”. Indeed, this rhetorical question characterises Creon to be an individual who does not possess the innate ambition to attain power. Despite his desire for leadership, Sophocles imbues Creon with admirable qualities that would make him a benevolent leader. Primarily this can be seen in episode one during Creon’s agon with Oedipus, wherein Creon stands up for the ideal of justice. Sophocles demonstrates this through Creon's statement “don’t convict me on sheer unverified surmise”. This appeal to justice highlights Creon’s strong sense of justice where one should be convicted on evidence rather than hearsay. Herein, the condemnation of guilt being based on hearsay will resonate with the Athenians as they had a justice system which consisted of jury based trials. Thus, they will feel comforted in the just nature of their society. Not only does Sophocles augment Creon to believe in justice, the playwright characterises him as devoted to his city, Thebes. In episode two where Creon is lamenting Oedipus’ conviction of him to the leader, the brother in law mourns that “there is nothing worse: Branded a traitor in the city”. Sophocles use of such a hyperbolic statement underpins Creon’s character as one dedicated and loyal to his city. The Athenians will respect this trait of Creon as Ancient Athens was often at war with other Poleis and thus loyalty to one's state was extremely sacred. As such Sophocles champions those who are intrinsically loyal to their city even when the city is prosecuting them unjustly. Ultimately, Sophocles concedes that the culmination of such benevolent traits is what ordains kingship rather than due to one's birthright. This can be witnessed through Oedipus’ agon with Tiresias where Sophocles allows him to state “the crown the city gave me”. Indeed the metaphor of the crown symbolises his royal title of king, hence allowing Sophocles to divulge that leadership is granted to those who possess the characteristics of a sound leader, instead of inheriting it without proving oneself. Here, Sophocles champions states such as Athenians are a democracy where statesmen are elected by the people meaning that individuals must prove themselves a valuable leader before they are given power. Through the character arc of Creon and the use of Oedipus’ revelation of how he became king, Sophocles concludes that when individuals are placed in positions of power due to their characteristics instead of their desire, justice is served as they will act to allow the city to prosper.
As Sophocles’ play progresses how leaders are served justice of behind of their people is explored, where initially the punishment seems unjust however Sophocles laments that such suffering is inevitable for leaders. In the prologos of the play, Sophocles constructs
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Despite all the sadness and trauma in her…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: In many semi-autobiographical narratives with elements of bildungsroman, trauma often reflects both a source of…
In many semi-autobiographical narratives with elements of bildungsroman, trauma often reflects both a source of dread and a catalyst for reflection for individuals. In Vicki Laveau-Harvie’s non-linear memoir, The Erratics, trauma is presented as an enduring and erratic force that isolates and destabilises individuals, yet ultimately enables reflection and emotional resolution. The instability and volatility of trauma is mirrored through structure, tone, and nature in order to reflect the unpredictable ways in which trauma manifests. Additionally, purposeful disconnection from family and oneself act as both a wound and a source of protection as confrontation has the potential to worsen the prolonged effects of trauma. Finally, trauma allows individuals to heal through reflection and inner peace, rather than forgiveness, as the impact that trauma has is potentially lifelong.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent is Shirley Jackson’s novel…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: While Shirley Jackson's 1962 short gothic novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ appears to reject…
While Shirley Jackson's 1962 short gothic novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ appears to reject traditional values, it ultimately reinforces them by subjecting its female characters to the traditional expectations of the time.
On the surface of the novel, Merricat is found taking on the traditional tasks of the male in the household, she is the one to go to the village and she also has peculiar interests like “history books” and “death cup mushrooms” which were very un-feminine for the time the story was set. For many readers, it seems Jackson has created a progression in the stereotypes around women yet she just as readily juxtaposes this by the role Constance plays within the story. Constance is fully isolated to the house and has the roles of gardening and cooking within the Blackwood household. This contrasts with Merricat as Constance just as readily obeys the traditional expectations of women at the time being shown when at the beginning of the story there weren't any men within the household to boss her around except for Merricat who was playing man of the house. Through this, Jackson shows the audience that despite attempts, women are blindly still subjected to the typical standards from the 1960s and by having Merricat reject traditional standards yet boss Constance around, it is solidifying the fact that there isn't any progression for the women at the time. Constance’s subjection to the traditional roles of a woman are further explored through the jars of preserves she has “worked all her life” to create and carry on the legacy of the Blackwood women. Constance's dedication to these jars explores how despite there not being male dominance in their household, she still feels like she needs to continue on what the women before her have done and continue completing the traditional 1960s tasks of a woman. Through this aspect, Jackson proves that women can’t overrule men and even when it isn't necessary, women often still feel the gruelling need to obey traditional tasks and values of time. Merricat claims these jars of preserves will “stand here forever” and this conveys Jackson's message that the preserves will stand in the Blackwood house forever but so will the traditional expectations and values of women.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: According to Oliver, what is necessary for…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: In Oliver's poetry, allowing for enjoyment in life based on one's own desires is celebrated as a necessity for a…
In Oliver's poetry, allowing for enjoyment in life based on one's own desires is celebrated as a necessity for a meaningful life. In 'Sunrise', Oliver emphasises the individuality of life's enjoyments through expressing how "you can/die for an idea" the people who have done so, brilliantly creating an unforgettable 'cry of light'. Through this metaphor, Oliver allows the readers are able to grasp onto the all-consuming effects of intense passion in life as it offers both guidance and purpose. Through this, Oliver praises those who live their life according to their own devotions. Oliver
extends on this in the poem ‘Stanley Kunitz’ where she explores the realisation of the dedication and hardwork her role-model contended with in order to produce the work that he did. Oliver describes in a garden, watching Kunitz "on his knees/cutting away at the diseased, the superfluous, [and] / coaxing the new". Despite the physical strain of this, Oliver states he is "willing to labour like that on the mortal wheel". The symbolic nature of this tending to a garden mirrors the dedication and commitment that arises from partaking in something for enjoyment. Through this willingness to endure diligent work in the name of passion, Oliver upholds life's
enjoyments as a necessity which provides meaning.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In High Ground, survival often comes at…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: More than a denunciation of colonial violence, Stephen Johnson's 2020 neo-western film 'High Ground' interrogates…
More than a denunciation of colonial violence, Stephen Johnson's 2020 neo-western film 'High Ground' interrogates the tension between survival and moral integrity, suggesting that to do more than merely survive, one must confront and reconcile these two binaries. Johnson condemns the adoption of reductive moral roles to justify ones trauma, highlighting the tragedy of being shackled to restrictive moral frameworks. Moreover, Johnson impugns the moral standing of those who reluctantly hide behind a guise of virtue, castigating the acceptance of the status quo. In spite of this, Johnson commends those who successfully navigate the need for personal resolution with the desire to be moral, presenting compromise as the only path towards personal progress.
Johnson polemically chastises those who don archetypical moral roles in a world of complexity on the Australian frontier. Through the use of a war framed wide-shot, featuring Travis standing as Eddy slumps on a bed, as the composition is bisected by a tent pole, Johnson evinces the moral relativism on the colonial frontier. In this, Johnson illustrates how reductive notions of binary morality bind those traumatised by war, where Eddy, the one who had to "watch [head's] explode" is forced into an antagonistic self-perception by endless comparison to the impossible standards of Travis, "the nice one". Being perpetually reminded of Travis's moral power by his frequent reception of instructions to "put it down" throughout the film renders Eddy trapped by a negative self-image, enabling him to internalise that "it's [his] fault, all of it." With this reductive identity, Johnson showcases his proclivity for violence through a zoomed in shot of his face as he holds Gutjuk by the neck demanding to "tell [him] what he fucking [knows]!" In this use of blocking, Johnson elucidates how Eddy has adopted Moran's ideology that "you can't share a country" in an attempt to reconcile his guilt as a part of the colonial machine by accepting an identity as a bruiser for Moran, vehemently seek to justify his past crimes. As a result of this, Johnson's deployment of diegetic buzzing flies frequently appearing in conjunction with Eddy's screen presence portends his inevitable death as a result of his inability to confront his past. This culminates in the denouement of the film, where even in death Eddy is depicted as unable to escape the violence he uses to resolve his moral dissonance by the rope tied around his shoulder tethering him to his pistol. Through this leveraging of props, Johnson unveils the manner in which Eddy sacrifices his moral integrity to survive existential confrontation with an identity as a "bad [man]", a tragic causality of binary thinking perpetuated by the colonial institution.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Rainbows end portrays authority figures…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: In Jane Harrisons play rainbows end, the story follows the lives of an intergenerational family consisting of 3…
In Jane Harrisons play rainbows end, the story follows the lives of an intergenerational family consisting of 3 main protagonists: Nan Dear, Gladys and Dolly. The play explores the difficulties and challenges First Nations people have faced, as well as revealing how they navigate these hardships as a result of the colonised policies in the 1950's. Harrison further dwells into how authority figures can impact First Nations views, exploring how First Nations were controlled and finally revealing how connection to culture was lossed as a result of colonisation, especially assimilation.
Harrison portrays powerlessness in identifying personal views and beliefs, drawing importance to how authoritive figures can shift percieved values. The phrase "where they take our babies away" by Nan is evident of facing social injustices. Symbollically taking away children through authoritive force is a common occurence during the 1950's, knownly referencing to the stolen generation. As a result of stolen children, Harrison demonstrates how views become tainted, as a result of traumatic experiences, revealing Nans growing fear and distrust to authorities. Reflecting how many First Nations have endured during times of active colonisation, leading to critical views in their perspective. Harrison furthers expands on this idea when Gladys asks " Why do we have to prove they lived like "whitefella's" - this rhetorical question is indicative of assimilationist policies, forcing First Nations to abadon their culture. This reveals the helplessness the First Nations have had in deciding their lives, as a result of authoritive figures prompting them to leave the cultural backgrounds for return in basic rights. Here, Harrison demonstrates how Gladys, Nan (First Nations) people viewed the systemically unjust conditions in the 1950's, presenting both of their views as critical and in disbelief as led by being poorly treated as Indigenous women. As First Nations were conformed to ideologies, Harrisons play "Rainbows End" embodies the mistreatment they have faced, resulting in disempowerment. With the author depicting how Authoritarian figures can critically impact how people percieve things.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Rainbows end portrays authority figures…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Jane Harrison's play 'Rainbows End' is a play that follows the lives of an intergenerational family of Nan,…
Jane Harrison's play 'Rainbows End' is a play that follows the lives of an intergenerational family of Nan, Gladys and Dolly. Harrison explores the challenges and difficulties, how social injustices have led to unequal opportunities, how colonisation controls their life as well as expressing how inequality and misstreatment can disintergrate.
Rainbows End portrays the hindered ability to direct ones future, with people in power having autocratic control. This can be evidently seen in the interaction of Gladys and the Bank Manager, where she nervously holds the pen, with the goal of getting Dolly a job. Through this, this reveals that Gladys is illiterate not knowing how to read or write. This illiteracy is evident of the inequality First Nations face, as it is indicative that these communities weren't taught the fundamental life skills, putting them as disadvantaged, ultimately further linking to how colonised policies limit First Nations growth and success. With Harrison revealing how people in power have the ability to control lives of those who are powerless. To further build on this point of being disadvantaged, this is further expressed through the use of the encyclopedia, with 'celestial music' being heard. Through the use of the encyclopedia, and stage directions this demonstrates how First Nations idolised any opportunities they could get, seeing the encyclopedia as a 'holy being', Gladys' achievement of the encyclopedia further alludes to how difficult it was in First Nations gaining a mainstream education, ultimately symbolic of their limitations, impacting their ability to grow. Here Harrison highlights how as a result of colonised policies and authoritative control, she explicitly shows how First Nations were significantly impacted, having limited opportunities. Thus informing people how autocratic control can dictate people who are powerless.
In addition to unequal opportunities, Harrison shines light on how human degradation in an individuals ability to shape their own lives is diminished through authoritarian force. This authoritarian force can evidently be seen where Nan recounts her story where 'they forced us to leave cummergunja" despite cummergunja being her home and safety. Here it is symbolic of the ensuing displacement that occured in the 1950's, with the authoritive figures essentially killing them out of their homes. Through the usage of Nan's displacement it further reveals how First Nations had no choice in any scenario, portraying the idea of powerless - through Nans conforment to authoritive figures control, it is further of the injustice colonised policies, aimed at purposely dislocating and harming their communities. This idea of lives being controlled is further established with Gladys's goal for Dolly aiming to give her "what she didn't have", is evident of the opportunities reinforcing the idea of authoritarian force. This establishes Gladys' life as a child
Text Response Redraft
In Jane Harrisons play rainbows end, the story follows the lives of an intergenerational family consisting of 3 main protagonists: Nan Dear, Gladys and Dolly. The play explores the difficulties and challenges First Nations people have faced, as well as revealing how they navigate these hardships as a result of the colonised policies in the 1950's. Harrison further dwells into how authority figures can impact First Nations views, exploring how First Nations were controlled and finally revealing how connection to culture was lossed as a result of colonisation, especially assimilation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Rainbows end portrays authority figures…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Jane Harrison's play 'Rainbows End' is a play that follows the lives of an intergenerational family of Nan,…
Jane Harrison's play 'Rainbows End' is a play that follows the lives of an intergenerational family of Nan, Gladys and Dolly. Harrison explores the challenges and difficulties, how social injustices have led to unequal opportunities, how colonisation controls their life as well as expressing how inequality and misstreatment can disintergrate.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Before God and before men”, Pablo Vicario…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold", written during the 20th century encapsulates a…
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold", written during the 20th century encapsulates a small coastal Colombian town, struggling to survive and uphold it's rigid traditions during civil wars and soon after WW2. Centralising the story around Santiago Nasar; a wealthy, young and proud Arab man --- who is slaughtered in broad daylight --- Garcia shines the sacrificial and destructive and destructive idea of honour, in a town caged by such cultural roots. Portraying honour to overtake love, and even destroy lives, while simultaneously illustrating the consequences of rejecting honour and ultimately the town itself. Marquez creates a living town thriving on honour, and shows this slow death as honour is grusomely stripped away.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Sunset Boulevard depict and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Wilder’s use of camera techniques throughout the film enables him to visually depict what illusions manifest as…
Wilder’s use of camera techniques throughout the film enables him to visually depict what illusions manifest as and their effect on one’s life. Early on in the film, as Joe stumbles onto the grounds of Norma’s “grim sunset castle”, the audience’s first view of Norma is captured through a long shot camera angle, capturing Norma within her house, the view of her obscured by window blinds as shse calls out “You there!”. This camera shot symbolises both Norma’s mental and physical seperation from the world outside her home, and unawareness of a world that has moved on from her past fame and successes. In this Wilder visually depicts someone stuck in their own delusions and represents this through Norma’s confinement to her home. Therefore Wilder condemns the act of remaining in a deluded state and confining one’s self to a false reality. Later, as Joe and Betty Schaefer walk through the sets of Paramount Pictures, a wide camera shot captures painters painting clouds onto walls of the sets on the street as Betty describes the setting as “all
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "We are going to be very happy".…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Shirley Jacksons 1962 gothic fictional novel 'We have always lived in the castle' is a wide depiction of how…
Shirley Jacksons 1962 gothic fictional novel 'We have always lived in the castle' is a wide depiction of how individuals battle their personal struggles to ultimately liberate themselves. The novel communicates that Merricat and Constance do achieve their freedom in some aspects. While Jackson showcases how individuals escape patriarchal control, and vilify prejudice, in some respects, she emphasises how some individuals remain entrapped in their gender roles.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Sunset Boulevard’ represents a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Wilder’s 1949 film noir melodrama ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is an insight into Hollywood’s illusory nature in the…
Wilder’s 1949 film noir melodrama ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is an insight into Hollywood’s illusory nature in the post-war era, presenting the ‘dream factory' as an industry that sells aspiration, yet discards many of its participants as soon as they are no longer crucial to the industry. Despite Hollywood presenting itself as a place of limitless opportunity and creative nourishment and freedom, Wilder exposes the darker realities it holds, with the fragility of fame, the exploitation within its power structures, and the emotional and personal destruction it leaves behind.
Wilder contrasts Betty’s hopeful ambition in Hollywood with Norma’s tragic decline and loss of identity to emphasise the cost and eventual outcome of dedicating yourself to a destructive and unforgiving industry. Expectations held for those entering the competitive film industry were highly unrealistic. However, Betty’s eagerness to make her way into writing resulted in her acceptance of these standards and altering her appearance. Betty’s nose job serves as a symbol of the alterations one must make to conform to Hollywood’s perfect image. This dramatic modification was a result of the pressures the industry maintains, and Betty knew it was her only option if she wanted to progress, as she "[doesn't] want to be a reader [her] whole life, [she] wants to write”. Betty approaches the discussion with Joe of how she “fixed” her nose with a nonchalant tone, casually eating an apple; distributing her attention and adding to her air of detachment from the issue as she tells her experience of Hollywood rejection conversationally. Betty’s experience is an observation on Hollywood’s impossibly high expectations on the appearance of the people within its industry. By contrast, Norma is a direct example of the effects that Hollywood can have on a person’s mental wellbeing. Norma’s state of delusion as she believes that “[she] is big, it's the pictures that got small” is a direct illustration of the impact the industry has on a person’s identity. As Norma expresses this belief about the film industry, the shot centres her face close up, with an undercurrent of suspenseful and ominous music (what makes the music ominous - particular sound, instrument etc.) playing in the background as she speaks with dramatic emphasis, as if she is acting for a camera; an audience. This acts as a symbol of Norma’s inability to let go of her past as a silent film actress. (what is her identity now- how has affected her life/what are the consequences) Both Norma and Betty are representations of what Hollywood’s ‘dream factory’ truly brings out in a person, unable to create perfect pictures for its audience without darkly impacting those involved, and whether they can accept the harsh realities of the industry is up to the person.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: It is the resistance to his own fate that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: The Greek Tragedy, 'Oedipus the King', first performed in 429 BCE in Athens and crafted by playwright Sophocles,…
The Greek Tragedy, 'Oedipus the King', first performed in 429 BCE in Athens and crafted by playwright Sophocles, Oedipus the King explores the moral questions surrounding individual freewill and preordained fate. Written in the Golden Age of Athens, which saw Athenians as the embodiment of civilisation, eudaimonia (cohesive society) and arête (moral excellence), Sophocles uses theatrical conventions like the Chorus and Oedipus as an allegory for Athenian excellence, to educate the Athenian audience on leadership and its complications. However, human responsibility or choices made in the face of divine intervention, prompts the audience to reflect on Bernard Knox's comments regarding "ethical dimensions for moral responsibility." In doing so, the play suggests Oedipus' downfall is not just bound by his futile attempt to escape his predetermined fate, but his abhorrent and hubristic actions which contributes to his fall from "greatest of men" to become the human embodiment of the "source of corruption." Thereby, Sophocles invites his Athenian audience to acknowledge the importance of humility and cautions against the "tragic consequences of hubris."
Sophocles outlines the powerful warning to Athenian and modern audiences exposing Oedipus' self-serving agendas, the paradox of attempting to resist fate and challenge destiny can ultimately lead to the fulfillment of it, causing a once intelligent riddle solver to be unable to solve the riddle of his own life. Oedipus' excessive pride, ignorance and arrogance is exhibited in the early stages of the play which contributed to his dismissive nature of his fate. Sophocles' meticulous precision shapes the narratives progression through structural conventions, contrasting the prologue with the exodus establishing the stakes and foreshadowing the tragic advents for Oedipus. Once the "greatest of men," described in stage directions as "majestic" to reflect his power and reverence of people, juxtaposed to reveal his downfall to a blind man who's committed a "catalogue of horrors." The magnitude of Oedipus' downfall portrayed as a "visual and emotional spectacle" according to academic Dr Helene Foley, thereby creating a cathartic experience through fear in the audience regarding the dangers of human capacity for hamartia. Oedipus' knowledge of his prophecies inflicts his tragic fall as it prompts him to act upon his preordained fate. His hubris blinds him of his freewill actions fulfilling his prophecies. The resistance to his own fate can be seen when "the greatest of men's" hubris results in an incapacity to confront the horrifying truth, dismissing Tiresias' visions as "filth" and "absurdities" Sophocles creates this narrative that Oedipus' boastful nature and hubris contributes to his metaphorical blindness as the "best of men" for "solving riddles" mocks and criticises Tiresias for the riddle of his life as "murk." Consequently, Sophocles utilises the motif of sight and blindness acting as a warning of unchecked ambition creating moral blindness and ignorance for the truth. This prompts the audience to question that a resistance to fate can be compounded by the notion of true insight as Oedipus' hamartia creates a barrier between what he can and can't control, affecting his judgement.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does Sunset Boulevard…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: The 1950 American melodramatic film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' explores the dominance of power and how it is…
The 1950 American melodramatic film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' explores the dominance of power and how it is expressed upon others for personal gain. Billy Wilder illustrates that 'Sunset Boulevard' criticises a world of exploitation where individuals seek advantages to fill holes in their lives. Norma Desmond subconsciously aspires to return to relevancy and manipulates Joe to fullfill her needs of whom also exploits Norma for financial stability. Although the film challenges the practice of individuals extorting others, Wilder critiques Hollywood as the superior entity of manipulation.
Wilder exposes the harsh truths of extorting desperate individuals from a position of power. Norma Desmond a former silent film star has become out of favour of a pragmatic industry prioritising youth. She is presented with Joe Gillis to writes her script of her acting as Salome, where she demands to "put it back". Wilder highlights Norma as a vindictive woman manipulating Joe to carry out her work to get back into Hollywood. The framing of Joe inferior to Norma paints an image of power, where Norma dominates and extorts Joe for editing her script. Wilder reveals that Hollywood is a system of exploitation leaving stars desperate for a return that they use others. The chilling final scene exposes the consequences of manipulating others as Norma is stuck living in the past, mistaking her arrest for a "close up". Wilder critiques Norma for exploiting Joe to return to relevancy as she is succumbing to the camera lense that created her career. The use of blur to Norma demonstrates illusion taking over her life, fulfilling the ultimate critique of others as Norma completely loses herself. Wilder underlines that Hollywood destroys individuals that exploit others for their own personal gain.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In flames, Robbie arnott express that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: "A man couldn't hunt it alone, and a seal couldn't either, but together they could kill a beast twice as heavy as…
"A man couldn't hunt it alone, and a seal couldn't either, but together they could kill a beast twice as heavy as the two of them combined." Flames suggests that for humans to succeed they must cooperate with nature. Discuss.
In his magical realism novel 'Flames', following the journey of the McAllister family in the Tasmanian landscape and weaving themes of relationships, family and grief, Robbie Arnott underscores how that individuals who cooperate with and embrace their connection to their surrounding may lead transformed purposeful lives. Through the use of personification of nature and a fragmented narrative structure, Arnott portrays nature as an all powerful force with the ability to shape lives and journeys and complements this notion by asserting that humans who cooperate with nature may find purpose and success. Nonetheless, Arnott affirms that one may also find success by cooperating and embracing those around them, and as such, suggests that cooperating and an openess to ones environment and surrounding are essential for success.
Throughout his novel 'Flames', Arnott depicts the natural environment as an all powerful force, and asserts its ability to shape ones outcomes and journeys as it wishes. Arnott supports this notion through his personification of nature. Arnott employs a combination of both personification - giving forces
that would normally remain the ability to "thrive," and "act upon their desires" - and Deification - attributing titles such as "gods" and "glorious" to their killers - in order to explore their power over humans, which in the real world, remains hidden. By shedding a light on these forces of nature, Arnott attempts to convey their powerful influence over humanity. Arnott expresses how if only the esk could "jump and spit his life onto the charred boardwalk," or even "drown humans in the gorges," and thereby seeks to demonstrate the immense influence and power nature possesses, often unrecognized by humans. Moreover, through his use of deification when referring to the characters of nature he asserts their inherent moral superiority and authority over humans. Arnott further supports this notion through the "grotesque" outcomes of those who attempted to dominate nature, a third person perspective in the chapter, 'cake.' Arnott exposes Thursten to be a "mean spirited man" who was "unpleasant and vile" towards his surroundings. Here, he seeks to provide an insight into Thursten's character, and shed a light on his treatment of his surroundings. Arnott extends this idea by lighting Thursten's desire to create vindicative justice upon nature, as he suggests to "poison the HE river," for his own personal gain. This evokes a sense of poetic justice when serving Thursten with a punishment deserving of his actions, "being besieged in [his] own home by the denizens of the river," condemning him and
and as he dies alone holding onto the fur of the god, with his body 'ripped and chewed off'.
However, without fail, Arnott lays bare how nature is not a force that can be toyed with, and poses the consequences of such attempts.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Discuss the interplay between wealth and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Sarah Moss' Ghost Wall revolves around a modern-day re-enactment of Iron Age Britain, and involves themes of…
Sarah Moss' Ghost Wall revolves around a modern-day re-enactment of Iron Age Britain, and involves themes of power, gender, and violence. With the novel, Moss demonstrates that clashes between the wealthy and impoverished may result in a fight for control, but also have the potential to be a source of strength for both parties. Firstly, Ghost Wall highlights that conflicts may arise between two equals with financial differences. Additionally, Moss suggests that, in some cases, such differences may be enlightening. Finally, Ghost Wall outlines the stark differences that individuals of a different financial status may have and the effect that this may have on their interactions.
To begin, Moss demonstrates that being wealthy can mean the difference between having control and power over others or not. This is shown in the relationship of Bill Hampton and Professor Jim Slade, and their interactions. Though Bill harbours a passion for ancient British history, he did not have access to a good education in his youth and so, as an adult, is "stuck behind the wheel all day", driving buses. Paired with his wife Alison's position as a supermarket cashier, the Hampton family can be classed as being low-income. In contrast, Professor Slade is a well-off university professor. His family's financial situation is implied when Silvie predicts that they are "off somewhere nice... France or Italy". The difference in wealth is a source of contention between Bill and the Professor, as they 'butt heads' during the re-enactment. This is highlighted by Moss in an argument between the two men; Bill's sense of nationalism is shown when he suggests that the British "put the wind up" the Romans, but when Slade argues that "the Wall was much more of a symbol than a military necessity", Silvie notes that Bill's "face darkened". With this, Moss suggests that Bill is both jealous of the Professor's position at a university as well as being set in his own interpretations of the past. This is solidified again in Ghost Wall when Silvie states that Bill "knew as much as anyone". Additionally, this statement implies that it was only because of Bill's class that he himself was not in Professor Slade's position. In all, Moss is suggesting with the parallels and differences between the two men that one's financial situation can determine the course of one's life and the extent of their control, including that over others.
Alongside this, Ghost Wall also demonstrates that financial differences between two individuals may be a source of
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “I like to think that I can keep the world…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: In her protofeminist, gothic text We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson reimagines truth as a tool…
In her protofeminist, gothic text We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson reimagines truth as a tool through which women navigate - and ultimately resist - oppressive structures of gender and power. Within a patriarchal society that isolates and vilifies female autonomy, Merricat and Constance Blackwood manipulate truth to construct a world free from male authority and ostracization. Merricat’s distorted and unreliable narration and superstitious rituals allow her to redefine and challenge truth as something malleable, granting her control over both the physical and moral order of the Blackwood home. Constance, by contrast, sustains this illusion through silence and complicity, embodying the passive femininity society expects of her while quietly subverting it. By rejecting collective “truths” imposed by the outside world, the sisters seize a fragile form of agency - one, which Jackson portrays, as not being built on freedom, but on withdrawal. Jackson thus exposes how women. denied legitimate power in a male dominated society, must reshape truth itself to survive within the confines of gendered oppression.
By rejecting objective truth, Merricat and Constance subvert patriarchal structures that once dictated their moral and social positions, using denial as a form of resistance against male and societal authority and creates female autonomy within the domestic sphere. Jackson’s choice to narrate through Merricat’s limited and unreliable perspective reveals how truth is subjective and malleable. Using narrative structure, Jackson’s allows Merricat to reconstruct reality to suit her own desires. By withholding key information about the family murders and presenting events through her distorted lens, Jackson demonstrates how Merricat exerts psychological and moral control over her environment, ultimately asserting control over that which is objectively out of reach. Through Merricat’s unreliable perspective, truth functions as mode through which the protagonist regains control even in light of ostracisation from the village and the imposed pressure of patriarchy, In the phrase “I like to think that I can keep the world safe in my hands”, her illusion of omnipotence is encapsulated; her belief that she can “keep the world safe “ through thought and ritual reveals how she fabricates a personal truth where she wields absolute power – a symbolic inversion of the control denied to her as a young woman in a patriarchal, violent world. Furthermore, through this, Jackson reveals how the manipulation what is objectively truth, such as that of the nature of reality, can be employed as tool to promote and protect female autonomy particularly in a world which seeks to undermine it. Furthermore, Jackson uses imagery of the isolated and fortified Blackwood estate to show how Merricat and Constance manipulate their environment control reality. The fenced gardens, dense woods, and secluded house reinforce their partially self-imposed separation from the village, symbolising how they construct a private world where female autonomy and authority are preserved. Therefore, Jackson shows that truth when manipulated acts as a prevalent form through which female autonomy is discovered in the face of the patriarchy. However, Jackson emphasises that this denial of reality breeds another mode through which truth is manipulated: Subjective truth.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does High Ground explore the nature of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Stephen Johnson's 'High Ground' portrays how characters are influenced by responsibility to allow for their…
Stephen Johnson's 'High Ground' portrays how characters are influenced by responsibility to allow for their personal motives to be met. Set in 1930s Arnhem Land, 'High Ground', explores the scathing colonial history in Australia that First Nations people fell victim to. Johnson condemns the influence duty has on colonisers, used to maintain power over the land. Johnson illustrates how commitment has influenced characters to seek justice for their community. Whilst the nature of responsibility had led to the perpetrating of violence, Johnson acknowledges that the responsibility for cultural connection of the land to be strengthened. Johnson hopes that through 'High Ground' audience will be more critical of Australia's colonial past and strive for reconciliation.
Criticising the unnecessary use of violence, Johnson condemns the influence that colonial duty had over the colonisers to utilise deception and violence to maintain power over the land. The film began with the soft chatters of the Yolngu Tribe blending in with the nature filled soundscape, illustrating how First Nations people coexist with the land. The serenity was shattered as harsh gun shots juxtaposes the soundscape. Johnson condemns the colonisers use of violence on the innocent First Nations people, unforgiving and brutal use of violence to prevent their power from being challenged by the First Nations people. The Massacre that followed soon after prompts audience to uncover the true, unforgiving nature of duty the colonisers abided by to allow for their authority over the land to be maintained. Such atrocities commited by the colonisers are hidden by the others, seen through the flipping of the photograph which demonstrates how it is 'the responsibility of those who make history, to record it'. Johnson reflects on how the influence of colonial duty had led to the utilisation of deception so that history will fit the white narrative, actively disregarding the oppression the First Nations people endured. The First Nations people were stripped from their cultural identity, wearing drably westernised clothing and being labelled as 'black bastards' revealing the assimilation and loss of identity of First Nations people - through deception, the unforgiving and violent nature of colonial responsibility has hidden as the photographs showcased how the colonisers and First Nations people side by side, portraying the extent colonisers are willing to go to maintain their power and authority over the land.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Time is a great healer. It just flows on…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Written in 1994 in Japan, Yoko Ogawa’s dystopian novel The Memory Police touches on Japan’s difficult…
Written in 1994 in Japan, Yoko Ogawa’s dystopian novel The Memory Police touches on Japan’s difficult relationship with its wartime past, particularly the censorship and suppression of Japan’s dark history during World War II from the world. While some of the residents appear to accept their fate, the novel reveals that true reconciliation is impossible in a society where memory, identity, and human connections are systematically erased. Though passive acceptance is prevalent due to the threat of state violence, causing most to surrender to the emotional and psychological consequences in the face of a totalitarian government, the novel also explores how free will can prevail through those that retain their memory of what is lost.
Due to the oppressive regime under which the residents live, the constant fear of punishment compels them to reconcile to their fate that is dictated by the memory police. In a society governed by totalitarianism, individuals are conditioned to feel inferior and navigate their lives within the rigid boundaries of a culture that promotes collective forgetting. This sense of fear which lingers within the residents of the island is reinforced via the recurring motif of the memory police, described for standing with “weapons on their hips, faces devoid of expression,” and are known for their brutal acts against those who disobey their orders. Through this visual imagery, the memory police are depicted as emotionless figures that wield all the power and control in the society they operate and constantly monitor, emphasising the notion of surveillance. Adversely, the mere thought of the memory police serves as a continual psychological threat, reminding the residents about the harsh consequences that await anyone who dares to defy authority by preserving what has been erased. This is further expressed through the residents’ fear of “creating a disturbance, of giving the police reason to notice them” if they had complained about the enforcement of the disappearances. As a result, silence becomes a survival mechanism for most residents living in a society where the government will go to any length to censor all traces of what has vanished, allowing humanity to eventually erode in the process. The impact of this fear is exemplified in the residents’ apathetic response to the disappearance of novels, where “no one made a move to extinguish” the flames consuming the books that once held knowledge and meaning. Conditioned by the constant threat of the memory police, the narrator remains silent and is confronted by their fate, allowing a fundamental part of her identity as a writer to be destroyed. The flames and burning of the books thus act as a powerful symbol of the regime’s control, illustrating how authoritarianism suppresses not only resistance, but the human desire to preserve memory, individuality, and truth. Ultimately, the psychological weight rooted in the presence of the memory police causes the residents of the island to submit to a fate shaped by silence, control, and systematic erasure of self.
Consequently, when individuals passively accept their fate, they are forced to endure the erasure of memory, leading to the gradual loss in their human spirit. In the novel, most residents follow the disappearances without protest, exhibiting apathy as they erase all traces of what has vanished. This conformity stems from the fear of the memory police and contributes to a meaningless existence as people begin to forget why those things which have disappeared once mattered. Even though the narrator’s late father was an ornithologist, birds soon disappear and are reduced to “small, winged creatures that occasionally flitted by,” with the narrator admitting they meant “nothing at all to [her] anymore.” The
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Trevor Noah's journey is shaped more by…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: "Born a Crime" is an autobiography by Trevor Noah on his life in Apartheid. Patricia is the center of Trevor's…
"Born a Crime" is an autobiography by Trevor Noah on his life in Apartheid. Patricia is the center of Trevor's values and is largely the catalyst of the man he becomes. Patricia was instrumental in having moral expectations for Trevor and discipling him when he would escape justice. Trevor's journey models his mothers journey during her early life for a sense of belonging. However Trevor's journey cannot only be attributed to his mother's values and sacrifices but Apartheid had an enormous effect on Trevor's journey and quality of living.
Patricia's moral expectations of Trevor and her discipline of him helped shape his journey and values at his core. Trevor and his friend Teddy were caught shoplifting. Miraculously Trevor escaped justice while his friend Teddy did not. After being let off the hook by the authorities Patricia was the one to discipline Trevor. Trevor learned a valuable lesson, this showed him that just because you can get away with something doesn't mean you should. Trevor learned that due to him being coloured he was socially invisible, this also meant that Apartheid didn't account for him. This led him to get away with many things that his mother had to discipline him for. Trevor grew fearful of his mothers discipline "I was more afraid of my mom than the police". Patricia also had moral expectations of Trevor, desperately trying to not let Apartheid shape him. Through this story Noah demonstrates that his mother was one of his greatest influences as she eloquently instilled discipline and accountability into Trevor which became a staple of his personality. Patricia nursed and helped Trevor gain morals in a system that lacked it. Patricia was determined to not let Apartheid shape Trevor, but her.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Through Oedipus the King, Sophocles…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 92.5%: Throughout the Greek tragedy, Sophocles places the will of the gods upon a pedestal as one that is absolute and…
Throughout the Greek tragedy, Sophocles places the will of the gods upon a pedestal as one that is absolute and unavoidable in the face of human knowledge and contends that going against the Greek pantheon of gods results in one’s ruination. From the inception of the play, the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi’s prophesy that Oedipus would commit patricide and enter an incestuous matrimony with his mother, Jocasta, haunts the Greek tragedy. As a result, the prophecies serve as the primary vehicle for divine will, with their inexorable fulfillment highlighting the limits of human agency. Despite Jocasta's sceptical assertion that "nothing human can penetrate the future," the accuracy of the oracles proves otherwise. The dramatic irony of her claim that "Apollo brought neither thing to pass" underscores the futility of mortal resistance to divine decree. Through the use of nautical imagery, the Chorus illustrates Oedipus as a “good helmsman” who will “steer [them] through the storm”. By depicting him as a navigator of the vessel, Sophocles underscores that he
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘What is the scene’ ‘Where am I’ How does…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, set in the 1950’s era where films evolved from the silent era, depicts Hollywood as a…
Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, set in the 1950’s era where films evolved from the silent era, depicts Hollywood as a dream machine of illusion, where not only films are manipulated, people are too. Through the personification of the illusion of Hollywood within characters within the film, Wilder displays the psychological costs of living within a fantasy. Additionally, implying that it is not only the system of Hollywood that traps people in illusions but also other people that can have the same effect. The director utilises unreliable posthumous narration of the protagonist Joe Wilder, along with numerous mise en scene techniques and layered characterisation to present to the viewers Hollywood as a world where illusion is inescapable.
Wilder implies that Hollywood - a place where accomplishment is achieved - is the central heart of illusion where dreams are manufactured and discarded as it pleases. Wilder presents the Paramount backlot as a place that is ‘drowsing in the sun’ to the audience, symbolising a once vibrant scenery of Hollywood that is now lifeless or in other words, the illusion of fame versus reality in Hollywood. This place is presented to society as a place of success and fame where dreams come true. However the reality of the great amounts of struggle daily is quickly revealed, evidenced by the desperation of struggling ‘b-list’ scriptwriter Joe Gillis. This scriptwriter, along with many others seen in Schwab's Pharmacy, and even those who were in power like ex-director Max Von De, were entrapped by the illusion of success in Hollywood and are instead living in a position where even ‘grinding out’ scripts wasn’t enough to escape financial hardship to the point where Gillis considers moving back to Ohio. This displays the harsh reality of Hollywood where struggling citizens were a common sight because only stories that are able to maintain its perceptive illusions like romance films were sold to be produced. The ‘waxworks’ including Norma were characterised as the old and no longer desirable characters of Hollywood as it progressed from the silent era to the era of ‘talkies’, this collective created no profit towards the modernised audience of Hollywood and had their spotlights moved away from them. Hollywood is thereby critiqued to be a system that is set up to create success within individuals, only if it is profitable, leaving others behind on ‘an empty stomach’ manipulating their perception of Hollywood just enough to instill a sense of faith for success. The drowsing lot, a metaphorical expression of Hollywood that underlines that the place where dreams are made is dormant, hinting that those dreams are no longer as easily attainable, blurring the line of fantasy and stardom of Hollywood and its reality.