VCE · Text Response
Text Response: i. To what extent do you agree that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, ‘Oedipus the King’, written for the Dionysian festival of 429 BC, is a didactic…
Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, ‘Oedipus the King’, written for the Dionysian festival of 429 BC, is a didactic exploration of the paradoxical interplay between choice and pre-determined fate. Sophocles does not show a clear distinction between good and evil throughout the play rather exemplifies how individuals portray both good and bad characteristics throughout the play is constantly changing. This is made evident through individuals who are initially seen in a positive light yet varies later on including; the pantheon of gods, those who speak the truth and Oedipus who Is applauded for his devotion however this same devotion is what depicts him as evil. Sophocles exposes the that not one person is solely good or bad but a mixture highlighting the extent of human limitations.
Sophocles magnifies the continuum of good and evil that the gods display. This is made plausible through the chorus’ initial cries for help amidst the plague that symbolizes morale and spiritual corruption. “god of the headdress, gleaming gold, I cry to you”, emphasizing the need for the gods in times of hardship including the plague. This is symbolized through the reference to “gleaming”, emblematic of the motif of light which signifies the need for clarity and revelation to conquer this plague and overall amend the corruption that these individuals have caused. By making use of the cries to the gods relates to the Ancient Athenians socio-historically as they too exemplified immense deference to the gods in times of need particularly a similar situation when they had experienced a plague early into the Peloponnesian wars further evoking a degree of angst and understanding of what the chorus is suffering. Moreover, this same requirement for the gods in times of distress can be made clear through the stage direction “enters CREON… his face shaded with a wreath”. By referencing the “laurel wreath” demonstrates peity to Apollo, showcasing their looking to apollo in times of hardship. Additionally, this wreath is embedded with a variety of colours and berries which suggests a sense of hope recognized by the Ancient Athenian viewership. However the use of “shaded” introduces a subtle layer of deceit and ambiguity portrayed by the gods, foreshadowing the potential of something bad to come from the news provided by Creon “banish the man or pay back blood with blood”. Additionally, this introduction of deceit and evil amidst the divine power of the gods is accentuates through the use of the sphynx outside of aristotles unity of time, place and action upon Oedipus’ recount of how “[he] stopped the sphynx with no help from the birds”. The sphynx is a mythical creature associated with the guarding of sacred places of change, particularly where Oedipus is changed to fulfill the prophecy. By the sphynx allowing only Oedipus to solve the riddle this magnifies the capricious nature of the gods and the perfidy of fate. The use of the sphynx symbolizes incest seeing as it is a product of incest itself further foreshadowed, by her dangerous sexualized femaleness allowing the Ancient Athenians to recognize the initial corruption “overwhelmed by a black see of terror”. Sophocles demonstrates the omnipotent gods in a positive light initially, where he later exposes them as somewhat evil.
Not only do the gods show a mixture of good and evil but so does Oedipus through his determination. Initially, Oedipus’ determination to uncover the truth “I would be blind to misery not to pity the people kneeling before my feet”, showcasing through the use of dramatic irony Oedipus’ intentions being pure whilst simultaneously foreshadowing Oedipus’ conviction becoming the “man of misery” and no longer being able to see physically “see no more”. This
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: i. To what extent do you agree that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, ‘Oedipus the King’, written for the Dionysian festival of 429 BC, is a didactic…
Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, ‘Oedipus the King’, written for the Dionysian festival of 429 BC, is a didactic exploration of the paradoxical interplay between choice and pre-determined fate. Sophocles does not show a clear distinction between good and evil throughout the play rather exemplifies how individuals portray both good and bad characteristics throughout the play is constantly changing. This is made evident through individuals who are initially seen in a positive light yet varies later on including; the pantheon of gods, those who speak the truth and Oedipus who Is applauded for his devotion however this same devotion is what depicts him as evil. Sophocles exposes the that not one person is solely good or bad but a mixture highlighting the extent of human limitations.
Sophocles magnifies the continuum of good and evil that the gods display. This is made plausible through the chorus’ initial cries for help amidst the plague that symbolizes morale and spiritual corruption. “god of the headdress, gleaming gold, I cry to you”, emphasizing the need for the gods in times of hardship including the plague. This is symbolized through the reference to “gleaming”, emblematic of the motif of light which signifies the need for clarity and revelation to conquer this plague and overall amend the corruption that these individuals have caused. By making use of the cries to the gods relates to the Ancient Athenians socio-historically as they too exemplified immense deference to the gods in times of need particularly a similar situation when they had experienced a plague early into the Peloponnesian wars further evoking a degree of angst and understanding of what the chorus is suffering. Moreover, this same requirement for the gods in times of distress can be made clear through the stage direction “enters CREON… his face shaded with a wreath”. By referencing the “laurel wreath” demonstrates peity to Apollo, showcasing their looking to apollo in times of hardship. Additionally, this wreath is embedded with a variety of colours and berries which suggests a sense of hope recognized by the Ancient Athenian viewership. However the use of “shaded” introduces a subtle layer of deceit and ambiguity portrayed by the gods, foreshadowing the potential of something bad to come from the news provided by Creon “banish the man or pay back blood with blood”. Additionally, this introduction of deceit and evil amidst the divine power of the gods is accentuates through the use of the sphynx outside of aristotles unity of time, place and action upon Oedipus’ recount of how “[he] stopped the sphynx with no help from the birds”. The sphynx is a mythical creature associated with the guarding of sacred places of change, particularly where Oedipus is changed to fulfill the prophecy. By the sphynx allowing only Oedipus to solve the riddle this magnifies the capricious nature of the gods and the perfidy of fate. The use of the sphynx symbolizes incest seeing as it is a product of incest itself further foreshadowed, by her dangerous sexualized femaleness allowing the Ancient Athenians to recognize the initial corruption “overwhelmed by a black see of terror”. Sophocles demonstrates the omnipotent gods in a positive light initially, where he later exposes them as somewhat evil.
Not only do the gods show a mixture of good and evil but so does Oedipus through his determination. Initially, Oedipus’ determination to uncover the truth “I would be blind to misery not to pity the people kneeling before my feet”, showcasing through the use of dramatic irony Oedipus’ intentions being pure whilst simultaneously foreshadowing Oedipus’ conviction becoming the “man of misery” and no longer being able to see physically “see no more”. This
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what ways does Johnson undermine the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Amidst the wilderness of the early 20th century Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s…
Amidst the wilderness of the early 20th century Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s revisionist Western film High Ground explores distinctive notions of power upheld by the land’s residents. Through his film, Johnson subverts British settlers’ precarious, Eurocentric illusion of power, while championing the Yolngu clan’s harmony with mother nature as the authentic form of displaying community’s strength. Nevertheless, Johnson warns both groups of immeasurable consequences when resorting to brutality to assert dominance, as he asserts that achieving power through restraint and reconciliation is more effective. In essence, Johnson juxtaposes colonists’ invasive attempts at seizing control with Indigenous people’s enduring cultural resilience to encourage premeditated, respectful approaches to showcasing power.
To begin with, Johnson exposes how colonialists’ power is built upon presumed superiority and racial supremacy, which is downplayed as a brittle and delusional foundation rather than a genuine virtue. He achieves this through his adoption of photography motif, as twice in the film, settlers’ cameras are used to capture important events. When Moran prepares to take a photograph of Travis alongside Aboriginal men and a crocodile, he claims that they are the ones who “make history”, hence it is their “responsibility” to capture such a moment. Yet the inverted image when seen through the viewfinder, operated by a Westerner, is emblematic of colonialism’s distorted and self-centred perspective of history. This represents Johnson’s scathing indictment of how the 1920s British colonists’ assumed strength and righteousness are often biased and precarious. Such an indictment is further consolidated through the film title “High Ground”, which is itself a recurring symbol of superiority and authority. However, despite Travis occupying the proverbial high ground, overlooking Baywara and Gutjuk arguing in the later half of the film, he misunderstands Baywara’s “explaining” and mistakenly kills him to protect Gutjuk. This is exacerbated by the low angle shot of Baywara from Gutjuk’s point of view prior to being shot. Having been under Travis’ tutelage, Gutjuk’s western beliefs about “control” are undermined by this low angle shot and further amplified by Baywara’s question — “you think you know everything?”. Baywara’s question is further representative of Johnson’s decry about settlers’ notion regarding power and white supremacy, which is portrayed by Johnson as inauthentic and discriminating concepts. With this, Johnson encourages his viewership to question the validity of racial prejudice and Eurocentric hierachies of power, positioning them to understand that assumed authority does not equate to genuine justness nor influence on others.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Oedipus the King reveals how finding out…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: "Oedipus the King reveals finding out the truth about the past may be as dangerous as ignoring it. To what extent…
"Oedipus the King reveals finding out the truth about the past may be as dangerous as ignoring it. To what extent do you agree?"
Sophocles' Oedipus the King examines humanity's flawed pursuit of truth within a world governed by divine authority. Composed during Athen's Golden Age of intellectual confidence, the tragedy exposes the peril of human reason when corrupted by ignorance and hubris. Sophocles unveils how the search for truth, though noble in intent, becomes destructive when shaped by human imperfection. Yet, in a time where truth remains under divine control, defiance of its sacred order brings inevitable punishment and disorder to both the self and the state. Ultimately, the play suggests that redemption is found not through denial but through courageous acceptance of the truth's consequences, showing that enlightenment, though born from suffering, restores balance to the moral and natural order.
Sophocles unveils how pursuing the truth is given its dangerous nature when at the hands of human imperfection, fueled particularly by ignorance and hubris. Creon, as a direct foil character to Oedipus, illuminates Oedipus' irrationality and hubris as a leader. Creon remains rational and measured, resisting Oedipus' impulsive actions, who does not "see things as calmly and rationally" as Creon does. Creon's calm composure contrasts Oedipus' erratic search for truth, demonstrating how reasoned judgement preserves civic order while Oedipus' hubristic insistence on absolute knowledge destabilises it. By positioning Creon as the foil character, Sophocles reveals how the pursuit of truth, governed by pride and paranoia, becomes a destructive force rather than a moral one, deepening the suffering of the polis already ravaged by plague. In the same vein, Oedipus' relentless pursuit of truth exposes how his hubris transforms a moral duty into civil destruction. In Oedipus' declaration that he "must bring what is dark to light," his motives initially echo noble leadership. Yet, the compulsion to
His determination to uncover the truth rather than reason becomes an act of justice. He interrogates witnesses and his blindness deepens, his determination to expose and perpetrate the very tyranny over Creon and order. In contrast to Creon's volatility, having seeking truth, individuals and the polis. The masterpiece of dramatic irony, his outburst toward Tiresias as stone links his intellect to his belief that it outranks divine might, in mocking divine might. His refusal to making a symbolic act of rebellion that attempts to challenge chaos and self destruction.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "i became a chameleon. my colour didn't…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: framed by the repressive backdrop of apartheid era South Africa, Trevor Noah's memoir, Born a Crime delves into the…
framed by the repressive backdrop of apartheid era South Africa, Trevor Noah's memoir, Born a Crime delves into the intricacies of growing up during such a challenging time, and how Noah navigated his way through tough situations, by adapting. Throughout Born a Crime, Trevor builds on the theme of adaptation through language and education, identity and belonging, as well as the difficulties that apartheid brought in trying to change. the memoir emphasises how language and education are tools to empowerment and independence, taught to Noah by his mother Similarly, Trevor has to adapt to suit his environment , illustrating how he sometimes had to put on a facade to fit in. However, the racial discrimination under apartheid made it difficult for characters to blossom.
Trevor Noah celebrates language and education as a powerful tool for connection and survival. Throughout the memoir, language is used as a tool for Trevor to navigate his way though life, using his knowledge on languages, taught by to him by his mother Patricia, as an advantage. When Noah is put in challenging situations, he is able to adapt in order to overcome them, such of when he is thrown into jail. Instead of giving up and accepting defeat, Trevor utilises his strengths by becoming friends with the man in prison whom everyone was afraid of. He realises that "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." the symbolism of language is a tool reiterates how Noah is able to adopt to different social settings through language. Patricia, Noah's mother, teaches trevor this crucial life skill to help him navigate his challenges as a coloured boy. His profound sense of adaptation is passed on from his mum who "used language to cross boundaries, handle situations, navagate the wold." The textual feature of code switching by Trevor and Patricia emphasises adaptability and humanises story by conveying a sense of realism, which enables readers to feel closer to complex social dynamics. Furthermore, Trevor learns "that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language, " the metaphor of bridge" carries Symbolic weight representing a link between different racial groups with language as a connecting force. Through Noah's experiences of growing up os a mixed boy in south Africa, readers understand the strength Trevor inherits from his mother, and how this crucial tool of language and education enables him to adopt to different environments.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “I made her a star. I cannot let her be…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Billy Wilder’s noir melodrama Sunset Boulevard serves as both a satire, with its unrelenting mockery of Hollywood’s…
Billy Wilder’s noir melodrama Sunset Boulevard serves as both a satire, with its unrelenting mockery of Hollywood’s vanity, and a dark tragedy exposing the human cost of fame. Set against the ruthless landscape of post-war Los Angeles, the film critiques Hollywood’s exploitation of its stars and their complicity in their own downfall. Through the decaying figure of Norma Desmond and the predatory systems that sustain her delusion, Wilder exposes how the pursuit of stardom transforms people into their own captors.
Wilder portrays celebrities to be the architects of their own isolated and obscure lifestyle as they relentlessly pursue fame. Former silent film star Norma Desmond’s decline is symbolised through the setting of her “neglected house.” When Joe first arrives, Wilder’s panning shot reveals the mansion’s crumbling exterior, where dying palm trees and faded walls visually echo Norma’s fading fame and isolation from the modern world. This decay symbolises how the obsessive pursuit of stardom can trap individuals in self-imposed confinement, unable to face a reality that has moved beyond them. Norma's house interior mirrors its outer decay, a space "so crowded with Norma Desmonds." Wilder uses the abundance of self-portraits throughout her living room to reveal how narcissistic fixation imprisons celebrities within an illusion of eternal fame, frozen in an unchanging reality where they are perpetually in the spotlight. Similarly, Norma's companions, the "wax works," are fellow discarded silent film stars. By describing them as "wax," Wilder portrays them as frozen relics, lifeless remnants of a forgotten era. Wilder critiques how celebrities cling to fame's dehumanizing effects, revealing how these formerly celebrated figures have become static monuments trapped in nostalgic deterioration, unable to adapt or accept new identities.The scene speaks to the broader obsession with fame and the lengths people go to in order to remain relevant, resonating in today's social media-driven culture where influencers and celebrities often struggle to maintain public attention.Utimately, Wilder reveals how years of isolated obsessive vanity is what leads to celebrities’ destruction. Joe describes Norma as "Miss Havisham in her rotting wedding dress," a figure "taking it out on the world because she'd been given the go-by." This intertextual reference to foreshadows Norma's corrosive isolation, born from abandonment by the industry, her admirers, and finally Joe. Throught this, Wilder indicts celebrities for grounding their worth in others' validation rather than authentic self-acceptance, illustrating how such dependence guarantees their inevitable self-destruction.Wilder, thus, makes it apparent that stars are the masterminds of their own downfall as they refuse to move on from the past.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "High Ground explores the tension between…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Set in a post World-War 1 Australian society, Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s revisionist western High Ground tells the…
Set in a post World-War 1 Australian society, Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s revisionist western High Ground tells the story of a post-colonisation Australia recounting its violent past. Johnson explores the relationship between justice and revenge through suggesting that at the absence of justice for Australia’s Aboriginal people leads to the desire of revenge. Johnson also implies the line between justice and revenge can often be unclear, while condemning the latter.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "We are so happy". Shirley Jackson's "We…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle draws readers into a world where is nothing as it seems.…
Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle draws readers into a world where is nothing as it seems. Ambiguity, secrecy, and the clash between public perception and private reality pulse at the heart of the novella, echoing the anxieties of 1950s society. Filtered through the idiosyncratic and unreliable narration of Mary Katherine Blackwood, the text presents the insularity of the Blackwood world. Jackson's gothic tale reveals how alienation and the cyclical nature of persecution become weapons of social exclusion, leading to detachment, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Through the exhaustion of ideas, Jackson suggests that liberation may come at a cost, but freedom of the soul will ultimately conquer the barriers imposed by society.
Jackson shapes the psychological landscape of seclusion as it functions simultaneously as a sanctuary and a prison. The Blackwood house serves as both safety and confinement, particularly as a fortress "cut off from the rest of the town", but also as a site of psychological stagnation. Through Mary Katherine (Merricat)'s eyes, the house is a "castle", Jackson uses this as a motif to conjure images of fairy-tale protection, however, the defensive architecture of the house is marked by "walls" and "locked doors", mirroring the sisters' emotional barricades. Jackson's use of spatial ambiguity reflects the binary nature of seclusion. The sisters' routines and rituals of cleaning and preparations within the house reinforce this sense of sanctuary, providing comfort and a sense of control. The impact of the fire comes at no cost to this refuge, as it results in the sister's becoming more at peace as they "are so happy" to finally be rid of exterior disturbances from the tormenting villagers. Their twisted fairy-tale ending is posed by Jackson to present the idea that happiness can be found in unorthodox situations, implying that it is the mind that acts as a true blockade to the road of liberation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Johnson’s High Ground is a story about…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: The truth behind Australia’s colonisation has been uncertain and manipulated until recent years. Stephen Maxwell…
The truth behind Australia’s colonisation has been uncertain and manipulated until recent years. Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s 2020 film High Ground sheds light on the truth of Australia’s colonisation after centuries of uncertainty. Johnson crafts each character with their own sense of honesty and truth, displaying societal views towards the numbers of massacres and dark acts committed during colonisaton. Johnson represents honesty as a burden to some, a choice between morality and convenience, while also presenting the truth as a way of life for others, an uncompromisable principle. On the other hand, Johnson portrays the manipulation of the truth as a tool to rewrite history for those who benefit from it, all in an attempt to reveal Australia’s unsettling but true history.
Johnson conveys honesty as a struggle for many, in a time where the frontier massacres were almost normalised, several characters grapple with what they believe to be true, versus what they believe is right. Travis exemplifies this, in the very first few scenes of the film the audience is put into his perspective through the point of view shot of the rifle lens, shortly combined with several close ups of his face as he watches in horror of the massacre occurring. The use of the camera techniques characterises Travis as empathetic, illustrating his awareness of how morally unjust the situation is. However back at the outpost when Claire interrogates Travis of what happened, he remains silent, another close up of Travis’ face is used, emphasising his struggle with his conscience, as his feelings of guilt prevail over his sense of honesty. Johnson purposefully uses these angles to portray the characters’ angst, highlighting the importance of honesty, and the consequences in not doing so.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus the King suggests that humans are…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Oedipus the King suggests the humans are powerless against fate. Do you agree? Sophocles Oedipus the King retells…
Oedipus the King suggests the humans are powerless against fate. Do you agree?
Sophocles Oedipus the King retells the legend of Oedipus presenting him as the quintessential tragic hero who elicits profound pity and fear from his Athenian audience through his eventual self inflicted downfall. Sophocles contends that humans have little control over divine will, but how they respond to their predestined fate is a matter of choice. In the Parode the playwright demonstrates how attempts to resist divine will ultimately leads to greater destruction. Sophocles explores how the blind pursuit of the truth enables fate to be revealed and once revealed, leadership is justly enacted.
The playwright cautions against denying divine authority, as doing so will only lead to pain and suffering. In the Prologous, Thebes is plagued by a miasma and the city is suffering immensely with citizens lamenting that "Thebes is dying." Here, the emotive language used by the Chorus reflects the depth of their despair as they refer to their home as the "city of death" and speak of how "black death luxuriates in the raw wailing misery". Moreover, Jocasta's dramatically ironic statement that "the land (is) so sick" speaks to the playwrights determination to signal to his Athenian audience that the loimos is a punishment from the gods, for the Thebans not seeking justice to find the individual responsible for the previous king Laius' regicide. Furthermore, the length to which Jocasta and Laius went to try outwit the gods is seen when Jocasta reveals that their infant son was abandoned on a 'barren trackless mountain' when he 'wasn't three days old'. Here, Jocasta and Laius' attempt to thwart the prophesy that their son 'must make love with (his) own mother' and 'shed (his) fathers blood with (his) own hands' is highlighted. In doing so, Sophocles intends to warn his Athenian audience who may have been questioning the gods during the Peloponnesian war that disregard of divine will only leads to greater devastation and suffering. This is emphasized through the messager's declaration that Oedipus
was "the life that rose up to destroy" Laius. Thus, the playwright demonstrates the inescapability of fate and how attempts to defy the divine authority only leads to greater destruction.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Not understanding or accepting our…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Introduction Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground (2020) is a powerful and unsettling exploration of Australia’s…
Introduction
Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground (2020) is a powerful and unsettling exploration of Australia’s colonial history, dramatizing the devastating consequences of cultural misunderstanding and prejudice. Set in Arnhem Land in the early twentieth century, the film portrays the violent clash between European settlers and Indigenous Australians through the intertwined journeys of Travis, a disillusioned former sniper, and Gutjuk, a young Aboriginal man caught between two worlds. Johnson’s narrative reveals that the root of conflict lies not in inherent differences, but in the inability — or unwillingness — of individuals and societies to recognise, respect, and reconcile those differences. Through its depiction of fear, guilt, and mistrust, High Ground asserts that understanding and acceptance are essential to healing both personal and national wounds.
Body Paragraph 1: Colonial arrogance and misunderstanding
At the heart of High Ground lies the colonial belief in cultural superiority — a refusal to understand Indigenous law, land, and identity. The film’s opening massacre sequence immediately establishes this ignorance as the foundation of violence. When Sergeant Moran orders the killing of an Aboriginal clan, it is not a calculated act of war but a catastrophic overreaction born of fear and miscommunication. The settlers’ failure to perceive the clan as fellow human beings transforms misunderstanding into atrocity. The cinematography — wide, panoramic shots of the Northern Territory landscape juxtaposed with the sudden, jarring violence — symbolises the colonisers’ blindness: they see the land’s vastness, but not its people’s humanity. Johnson thus exposes how ignorance becomes institutionalised as power, creating a cycle of domination and revenge.
Body Paragraph 2: Personal conflict — Travis and Gutjuk
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In ‘Born a Crime,’ Noah suggests that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Treavor Noah’s memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, explores the difficulties and complexities initiated by the apartheid of…
Treavor Noah’s memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, explores the difficulties and complexities initiated by the apartheid of South Africa, through the lenses of being raised as a mixed-race individual at that time. Hurdles are implemented by the oppressor; however, those who leap passed them rather than accepting them, are establishing resistance. Through Patricia’s defiance of apartheids expectations, alongside the ideas of adaptability and humour to withstand oppression. Furthermore, it is Patricias emotional and spiritual strength which is the base of her ability to persist.
Patricia defining her own path, goes against the expectations of the systematic oppression. The development of the apartheid is to keep the racial and social hierarchy in check; being so precise and intricately planned out to where Treavor refers to it as “perfect racism.” However, it does not work on Patricia, “She never let the system tell her what to do.” Patricia refuses to act as a pawn piece to their chessboard. She sees oppression as an inconvenient obstacle, rather than an insurmountable barrier. Thereby she insists on defining the life she wants, rather than accepting the one forced upon her.
Despite the rulings against her, she still proceeds to have a baby with Robert, a European man, simply because she wants to. Granting herself the privilege of choice, which… Her carrying through with having a ‘coloured’ baby, is the epitome of resistance against the apartheid; as the core operation of the system is to segregate the races, therefore, her having a baby which mixes the races is a slap in the face to the apartheid’s segregation. The many obstacles placed for parents of coloured children, convinced them to leave south Africa. However, when Trevor asked his mother she replied, “Because I am not Swiss...this is my country. Why should I leave?” This comparison between Patricia and the other parents shows how the rulings of the apartheid worked on them as it pushed them to leave. However, did not work on Patricia, as
There were many obstacles that came with having him, however throughout the book she…
By persisting through all these obstacles, acting as his maid, keeping him inside the house, jumping out of a car is enforcing the pathway she is taking… by denying the rules they are trying to impose on her, it is a silent protest. As she is not for the rulings, instead doing what she wants, which happens to be against the rulings… resistance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Section A Prompt: Not understanding or…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: The misunderstanding and unacceptance of differences defines the cause of conflict. The belief of understanding…
The misunderstanding and unacceptance of differences defines the cause of conflict. The belief of understanding differences extends beyond respect; it reflects the support for the past and present community and its culture. Johnson reveals the denial of differences remains the target of conflict in ‘High Ground’. The film High Ground is set in the 1930s in the Arnhem Land region of Northern Australia by Stephen Maxwell Johnson serves as an exploration of the acts of injustice towards Aboriginals. Johnson reveals that cultural differences and a lack of understanding contribute to conflict between people from different backgrounds. Ultimately, Johnson exposes how Australian colonisation was built on racism and cultural erasure. Thus, Johnson highlights the misuse of violence to attempt resolving conflict.
Johnson reveals that cultural differences and a lack of understanding contribute to conflict between people from different backgrounds. In the film, a consult between Moran and Darrpa occur when Moran states ‘In this country...’ following by Darrpa’s instant disruption ‘My Country’ displaying the frustration Darrpa holds, this interaction between Moran and Darrpa reveals that Moran still does not acknowledge that this country belongs to the first nations people, Johnson reveals the lack of acknowledgement towards cultural understanding results to conflict between parties. Throughout the film ‘High Ground’, Eddy is chosen to abuse the use of slurs towards the Indigenous with slurs such as "black bastard" and "coons". These words symbolize the disregard, ignorance and outright mockery some colonists exhibit regarding First Nation cultures, highlighting the lack of understanding for others culture. Later in the film, Gutjuk attempts to pass of tips from Travis to Gulwirri to ‘stay on the high ground’. This triggers Gulwirri saying ‘you think like a white man’ reflecting frustration from Gulwirri as both cultures settle traditions differently, Johnson explores that one is averse towards understanding another’s culture rather than being open to learn from. Ultimately, Johnson demonstrates to the audience that when people disrespect and fail to acknowledge cultural differences, it results towards conflict between different cultures.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How is love perceived as superficial and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Written on the cusp of the seventeenth century, William Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will,…
Written on the cusp of the seventeenth century, William Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, explores the chaotic interplay of love, desire, and human folly in a world of disguise and mistaken identity through his use of dialogue. Within this festive yet deceptive landscape, Shakespeare reveals to his audience how love frequently defies logic, driven by impulsive desire and surface appearances rather than genuine emotion. While Viola embodies measured, rational affection, most other characters succumb to or are motivated by excessive and superficial passions, revealing Shakespeare’s portrayal of love as both irrational and performative, a satirical reflection on human vulnerability in the pursuit of desire.
Set in the whimsical world of Illyria, Shakespeare first reveals love’s superficiality through Count Orsino’s indulgent fantasies, contrasting them with Viola’s rational and sincere devotion. Orsino’s yearning for Olivia is so exaggerated that his “appetite may sicken”, emphasising the performative nature of his emotions. He is infatuated not with Olivia herself but with the idea of being in love, his poetic excess reflecting Illyria’s mood of playful unreality. His self-indulgent melancholy becomes comic to the audience, particularly because his love is unrequited, while Viola, who truly loves him, is ironically sent to “woo” Olivia on his behalf. Viola’s rational self-control highlights the sincerity that Orsino’s passion lacks. Her concealed affection is rational and constant: she serves Orsino loyally despite her own feelings, revealing emotional restraint rather than impulsive infatuation. Her heartfelt declaration, “Make me a willow cabin at your gate,” captures the instinctive sincerity of her love, while her confession, “I am all the daughters of my father’s house, and all the brothers too,” signals both self-awareness and sacrifice. Through this juxtaposition, Shakespeare critiques love’s irrational tendency to elevate fantasy above truth, suggesting that only reasoned affection, as shown by Viola, endures beyond illusion.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: how does charlotte bronte explore moral…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Set against the bleak moors and rigid moral codes of Victorian England, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre transcends the…
Set against the bleak moors and rigid moral codes of Victorian England, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre transcends the bildungsroman form to interrogate how moral integrity and personal autonomy emerge under systemic constraint. Through a fusion of Gothic symbolism and psychological realism, Brontë critiques the patriarchal and social hierarchies that confine women while redefining virtue as an act of self-determination. In tracing Jane’s evolution from subjugation to self-possession, Brontë asserts that ethical choice and interior consciousness constitute the truest forms of freedom. Her Gothic intensity exposes the oppressive weight of hierarchy and the tension between passion and principle that shape moral and emotional growth. Ultimately, Brontë challenges the limitations of her society while affirming the transformative power of conscience, autonomy, and self-realisation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “By then, I’d started concocting a little…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Set in the 1950s, beneath the glamorous façade of Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard exposes the…
Set in the 1950s, beneath the glamorous façade of Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard exposes the widespread inauthenticity and moral corruption within the film industry. Wilder presents a world in which individuals frequently abandon their integrity in pursuit of fame or success, highlighting how Hollywood fosters an environment where self-interest thrives at the expense of morality. Many characters cope with this harsh reality through self-deception, which only hastens their downfall. However, while moral decay is pervasive, Wilder does not suggest that morality is entirely absent. Instead, he acknowledges and celebrates the few individuals who manage to uphold their values amidst the corruption. Therefore, while Sunset Boulevard strongly critiques the lack of morality and integrity in Hollywood, Wilder ultimately presents a more nuanced perspective—revealing that although most are consumed by the industry's moral decay, a select few are able to resist it.
Wilder's depiction of the deceptive nature of Hollywood, where exploitation is rife, highlights how individuals often pursue personal gain at the inherent expense of morality. Within this cutthroat industry, the pressure to succeed compels individuals to compromise their values and integrity. When Morino reassures Joe that “the best things are written on an empty stomach” after Joe appeals for a loan, Wilder critiques the industry’s tendency to normalise the mistreatment and commodification of struggling creatives. Similarly, the exclusive golf course setting, reminiscent of Sheldrake’s private office, reinforces Hollywood’s hierarchical structure, exposing how those outside the elite inner circle are routinely exploited—a perspective Wilder offers to challenge the illusion of equal opportunity. As a result, individuals are often forced to abandon honesty in order to progress. This is exemplified in the contrast between Joe’s internal narration, which dismisses Norma’s screenplay as “tripe” filled with “melodramatic plots,” and his outward praise, calling it “great” and “fascinating.” This juxtaposition reveals Joe’s own inauthenticity, driven by his desperation for financial security. The symbolism of the chimpanzee, who “dances for pennies,” further reflects Joe’s role as a performer exploited for survival, reinforcing the transactional nature of success in Hollywood and the cost to personal integrity. Moreover, Max’s choice to perpetuate Norma’s delusions, telling her she is still “the greatest star of them all” because he “made her a
star”, exposes his own ego-driven motivations and descent into moral compromise. This is
intensified by his symbolic playing of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, a piece from a bygone era, and driving of the Isotta Fraschini, which fuel Norma’s illusions of grandeur and detachment from reality. Through these examples, Wilder powerfully conveys how Hollywood's celebrity culture, driven by overwhelming selfish ambition, encourages individuals to abandon their authenticity and embrace moral decay in order to further their own agendas.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a tragedy that questions whether justice truly governs the human world or whether…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a tragedy that questions whether justice truly governs the human world or whether fate renders all human action meaningless. While Oedipus and others appear to receive punishment for their actions, Sophocles ultimately presents a more complex vision of moral order—one in which human blindness, pride, and ignorance lead to suffering that cannot simply be called “just.” Through irony, imagery and dramatic structure, the playwright suggests that divine justice may exist, but it operates according to a standard far beyond human comprehension.
From the opening scenes, Oedipus presents himself as a ruler devoted to justice. He proclaims his determination to “banish” or “kill” the murderer of Laius, promising Thebes that “whoever he be, I shall fight for him as for my own father.” Sophocles uses this public declaration to frame Oedipus as both protector and judge, yet it is this same declaration that seals his downfall. The dramatic irony of his words—that he unknowingly curses himself—reveals Sophocles’ view that human justice is limited by ignorance. Oedipus’ punishment, blinding and exile, therefore cannot be seen as merely “deserved.” Rather, it arises from his failure to perceive his true identity, a failure shared by all mortals trapped within the bounds of fate. The play’s relentless irony exposes the fragility of human reasoning and the impossibility of attaining true justice in a world ruled by divine prophecy.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "This is my law. It comes from the soil.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: HIGH GROUND "This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How…
HIGH GROUND
"This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How does High Ground challenge the concept of British Justice?
Steven Maxwell Johnson's 'High Ground' is a visual apotheosis of the tensions and conflicts between the Indigenous Australians way of life, in Makarrata with Arnhem land, and the European colonial forces vehement belief in the wrongfully placed superiority of the British monarchy, thereby the pursuit of 'justice' in High Ground is founded on opposing polarities of belief, further perpetuating a cycle of violence disrupting the indomitable equilibrium of the land itself. Johnson underscores the contrasting ways of life, in order to interrogate the corrupt version of Australian history which is tainted by the racially prejudiced British colonial forces. Particularly through the characters of Gutjuk and Travis and the leaders Darrpa and Moran, Johnson challenges the erroneously tarnished Australian Indigenous history, by exposing how British law is founded on domination and deceit.
To reveal the violent hypocrisy underlying British law, Johnson's opening sequence immediately establishes the natural order of lore that governs Indigenous life. The wholesome moment of young Gutjuk and Baywara plucking ephermis, with Baywara teaching him about his totem - "Your name is Gutjuk, means hawk" - embodies the harmony between man, soil and spirit of the Yolngu mob. The serene environment and diagetic sounds of birdsong position Indigenous natural law as balanced and just, in harmony with the land. Yet this harmony is shattered by colonial intrusion and violence. The initial massacre becomes the catalyst which permanently fractures lore and law. The settlers swiping away flies and wiping away sweat, symbolising their disconnection from land they claim to rule, reinforces the contrasting ways of life and a justice of British law which is a mechanism for domination, enabling violence while erasing accountability. Through this initial contrasting relationship to the land, Johnson elucidates to Australian audiences how much of the country's history is based in brutal violence of British authorities under the guise of justice.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sophocles suggests the central exploration…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the central exploration of blindness in the face of pride is explored.…
In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the central exploration of blindness in the face of pride is explored. Sophocles suggests that pride in the age of preordained fate is ultimately rendered fruitless and can only be the cause of one’s eternal suffering. However, through the female perspective of Jocasta, Sophocles illustrates how one’s downfall and blindness to their own fate can be orchestrated by self-regard and attachment to free will. Ultimately, Sophocles highlights how perhaps it is both fate and pride that can cause even the most honourable and intelligent to be blind to their own shortcomings. As such, Sophocles suggests to his audience that they must resist pride and its consequences, but that ultimately, the gods and their divine will shall prevail, in spite of individual intellect or honour.
Prophecy serves as a central catalyst in Oedipus the King with fate overruling any sense of individual volition within characters, their actions holding no power to overcome destiny. The oracle of Delphi’s pronouncement that Oedipus will “make love with [his] mother and shed [his] own father’s blood” is presented as an immovable force driving the play forward to its inevitable conclusion. Both Laius and Oedipus try to outmanoeuvre this fate, with Oedipus abandoning his assumed home in Corinth in attempt to avoid the prophesied patricide he is destined to commit. Yet, this action ironically sets him on a path closer to his true father, whom he “cut down at a place where three roads meet”. In the symbolism of the triple crossroads, Sophocles may be indicating the convergence of the vain efforts of Laius, Jocasta and Oedipus to avoid fate, their vanity meeting at this fateful place. The irony of this outcome is captured in Oedipus’ righteous determination to avenge Laius’ death, declaring “I will fight for him as if he were my father”. Oedipus, unaware of his true lineage, aligns himself with the very prophecy he seeks to evade, demonstrating the inescapability of fate. The audience, fully aware of Oedipus’ true identity, watches this irony unfold with increasing tension. The dramatic irony not only amplifies the tragic dimensions of Oedipus’ actions, but reinforces Sophocles’ philosophical view, in accordance with ancient Greek values, that destiny is immutable. The chorus, who serve as the voice of cosmic truth and public sentiment, pronounce “no man can escape his destiny” thus, cementing the notion that the gods’ will is inescapable and that hubris can blind even the most intelligent and honourable people.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "This is my law. It comes from the soil.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: HIGH GROUND "This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How…
HIGH GROUND
"This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How does High Ground challenge the concept of British Justice?
Steven Maxwell Johnson's 'High Ground' is a visual apotheosis of the tensions and conflicts between the Indigenous Australians way of life, in Makarrata with Arnhem land, and the European colonial forces vehement belief in the wrongfully placed superiority of the British monarchy, thereby the pursuit of 'justice' in High Ground is founded on opposing polarities of belief, further perpetuating a cycle of violence disrupting the indomitable equilibrium of the land itself. Johnson underscores the contrasting ways of life, in order to interrogate the corrupt version of Australian history which is tainted by the racially prejudiced British colonial forces. Particularly through the characters of Gutjuk and Travis and the leaders Darrpa and Moran, Johnson challenges the erroneously tarnished Australian Indigenous history, by exposing how British law is founded on domination and deceit.
To reveal the violent hypocrisy underlying British law, Johnson's opening sequence immediately establishes the natural order of lore that governs Indigenous life. The wholesome moment of young Gutjuk and Baywara plucking ephermis, with Baywara teaching him about his totem - "Your name is Gutjuk, means hawk" - embodies the harmony between man, soil and spirit of the Yolngu mob. The serene environment and diagetic sounds of birdsong position Indigenous natural law as balanced and just, in harmony with the land. Yet this harmony is shattered by colonial intrusion and violence. The initial massacre becomes the catalyst which permanently fractures lore and law.
The settlers swiping away flies and wiping away sweat, symbolising their disconnection from land they claim to rule, reinforces the contrasting ways of life and a justice of British law which is a mechanism for domination, enabling violence while erasing accountability. Through this initial contrasting relationship to the land, Johnson elucidates to Australian audiences how much of the country's history is based in brutal violence of British authorities under the
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Life is full of pain. Let the pain…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In Trevor Noah’s non-chronological memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, the adversities that the characters endure, ranging from…
In Trevor Noah’s non-chronological memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, the adversities that the characters endure, ranging from systemic racism to domestic violence, shape their identities and capacity to endure in an apartheid and post-apartheid society in South Africa. While characters, like Trevor and Patricia, use pain as a tool for resilience and hope, others, like Abel, are defined by their pain, emphasising the effects of hardship.
Trevor’s mother, Patricia Noah, demonstrates how hardship can be life-changing, shaping strength and resilience in a patriarchal society designed to oppress, particularly Black, women,. Rather than conforming to the illogical laws of apartheid, Patricia chooses to have Trevor in an act of defiance and love, highlighting how she is able to thrive despite her challenges of being a Xhosa woman in South Africa. Noah frames this act not just as defiance, but also as a form of self-determination against a system that was intended to alienate her. In doing so, Noah highlights how self-determination can resist systemic oppression through emphasising Patricia’s resilient nature and ‘stubbornness’ throughout the memoir. Noah portrays Patricia as a ‘deeply religious woman’, whose strength is rooted in her faith, a belief that ‘if God is with me, who can be against me?’, serves as her primary source of reassurance and hope. Rather than being discouraged by poverty and an abusive marriage, she learns to survive and refuses to be defined by ‘ridiculous ideas of what black people couldn’t or shouldn’t do’, expressing how hardship ‘sharpened’ her, rather than breaking her, inspiring Trevor to succeed as an individual and defy the racial conformities established in an apartheid society.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How do the characters in Oedipus the King…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, explores the distinct strategies individuals undertake to navigate their…
Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, explores the distinct strategies individuals undertake to navigate their harrowing circumstances. Hailed as the saviour of Thebes, Sophocles
exemplifies relentless courage in Oedipus’ pursuit of truth, yet further reveals how his
ostensibly admirable intellectual prowess and self-confidence gradually reveal a hubristic
streak in his pursuit which propels him towards self-destruction. Sophocles juxtaposes Oedipus’ fervent quest for self-knowledge with Creon's calm and rational demeanour in the face of undignified accusations, presenting him as a figure of stability and reason who upholds decorum despite the potential danger facing him. Meanwhile, Sophocles highlights Jocasta’s precarious position as a female ruler in patriarchal Greece, with the destruction of her and her family’s dignity ultimately culminating in her desperate and fatal decision to escape an intolerable fate. Through these divergent responses to crisis, Sophocles not only delineates the strengths and flaws of each character but further invites the audience to reflect on the broader human struggle against fate and its demands.
Faced with the prospect of losing his crown, Sophocles explores how Oedipus’ relentless
pursuit of the truth reveals both his courage and his fatal hubris. Heralded as the saviour
of Thebes, Oedipus’ early dialogue boasts of the ‘flight of [his] own intelligence’, contrasting
his dynamic intellectual capabilities and courage in defeating the Sphinx’s riddle against the
supposedly fruitless augury of prophets. As such, Sophocles frames Oedipus’ readiness to boast of his own accomplishments as a positive, yet precarious attribute, as Sophocles’ contemporary Athenian audience may have viewed self-confidence in one’s own abilities as an unanimously positive trait whilst a modern audience may more readily recognise the potential hubris in his inflated self-confidence. It is this tenuous self-confidence that fuels Oedipus’ courage in pursuing the truth, no matter the consequences, and is, as Sophocles presents, simultaneously the root of his ultimate downfall. As Oedipus draws nearer to his tragic fate, he is only further compelled to uncover the truth in a way that shows a courageous and even dignified commitment to the pursuit of self-knowledge. In spite of his ‘blind’ lack of self-awareness and heated accusations levelled against Tiresias and Creon earlier in the play, Oedipus is even willing to jeopardise his authority to rule if it means discovering the truth, as shown in his attempts to reassure Jocasta of her protection from the fallout of his discoveries: ‘Even if my mother turns out to be a slave, and I a slave, three generations back, you would not seem common’. However, Sophocles’ irony reveals that it is perhaps Oedipus’ single-minded courage that leads him to destroy the lives of those closest to him, with his ‘honourable’ demeanour degraded by his supposedly pragmatic willingness to resort to torture the old shepherd simply to extract useful information. Sophocles thus warns of how how mindless courage in the pursuit of truth may degrade both the dignity of others and oneself, as individuals begin to seem more like obstacles than beings worthy of humanity and calm, rational understanding. Ultimately, however, Sophocles emphasises Oedipus’ remarkable courage and tenacity in the face of rising stakes as the play’s plot develops.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Oedipus the king, all who deserve it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Athenian tragedy titled ‘Oedipus the king’ written by Sophocles (c.420 BCE) examines the art of punishment for…
Athenian tragedy titled ‘Oedipus the king’ written by Sophocles (c.420 BCE) examines the art of punishment for people’s wrong doings. Sophocles presents the idea that all those deserving of punishment are justly served with it. More specifically, he explores the destruction of Oedipus, the incest committed by a mother with her son and the failure to escape fate. Thus, Sophocles aims to convey the message that all actions are served with consequences.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oliver's poetry promotes nature as a way…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Not only does Oliver reveal inherent joy in nature, but also shows that nature can become a way to overcome…
Not only does Oliver reveal inherent joy in nature, but also shows that nature can become a way to overcome despair and hardship in order to seek a happier life. In Wild Geese, the speaker begins with a definitive end-stopped line, “You do not have to be good.”. Through this, the statement is prestated as a firm proclamation, allowing humans to recognise their tendency to chase perfection and thus are encouraged to accept their flaws. Oliver does not disregard the human struggle but rather encourages them to “tell..about despair”, acknowledging the inevitability of despair and thus offering a space of healing. She then again references the innate instinct of humankind by speak of “the soft animal of your body” with the word “soft” evoking feelings of comfort, empathy and self-love. In doing so, Oliver shows