VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does tessa hadleys short stories…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Hadley conveys in her short stories ‘bad dreams’ and ‘experiences’ that new experiences can lead to unexpected…
Hadley conveys in her short stories ‘bad dreams’ and ‘experiences’ that new experiences can lead to unexpected transformation. Hadley suggests this through her female protagonists and explores the differences of transformation for different characters. She conveys that transformation can occur in diverse ways and each person goes through unique experiences that change their outlook on the world. Hadley portrays through her characters in both stories that experience occurs at unexpected times and often happens privately before manifesting outwardly. Hadley’s use of female protagonists specifically relates to the time periods she is showcasing and explores the traditional roles of women that prevent them from truly exploring their identities.
Hadley presents transformation as beginning with a moment of disturbance, symbolised by the daughter’s nightmare and the overturned furniture. The nightmare is not just a passing fear, but a powerful moment where the child is subconsciously confronted by the concepts of mortality and death. The true effect of this revelation is evident when the daughter is ‘’full of horror’’ when she wakes up. The daughter's act of creating chaos in the living room symbolises her first steps of transformation as she breaks out of character from the innocent shy girl she is described to be. Hadley uses the dream to symbolise the girl’s first encounter with complex, adult concepts particularly mortality, suggesting that even young children can grasp heavy and confronting ideas which can significantly impact their outlook on the world and lead to transformation. Her fear of becoming ‘’mundane’’ like the character Susan in her book frightened her. Which is Hadley’s way of portraying the effect of gender roles to young girls in the 1980s. by showcasing the girl's love for literature and knowledge is overshadowed by her responsibilities as a girl in society. Hadley captures this shift with sensitivity,
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Rainbow’s End is about the impact of human…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Jane Harrison’s play Rainbow’s End explores individual and collective life experiences in order to foster the…
Jane Harrison’s play Rainbow’s End explores individual and collective life experiences in order to foster the audience’s understanding of humanity. By examining three generations of Indigenous women, Harrison seeks to rouse empathy in the audience towards the Aboriginal situation, and hence heighten awareness of the universality of fundamental experiences such as connection, empowerment, and anguish. In doing so, the play consolidates what it truly means to be human.
Harrison delves into relationships as a catalyst for transformative human experiences. Gladys is characterised as relentlessly optimistic, yet her narrative arc highlights the complex experiences of an unforgiving and hostile environment. The hopeful naivety of Gladys is epitomised by her dream sequences, such as her dream of having “won two prizes” in the Pick-A-Box quiz show, showcasing her profound idealism which is contrasted against Nan’s cynical and sarcastic comment that “[she’d] like to see [a black contestant]” on the program. In this way, Nan is crafted by Harrison as a literary foil to Gladys, with her pessimistic character serving to reinforce the optimism of Gladys. This is epitomised by Nan’s hopeless exclamation that the bank is “never going to give [Dolly]” a job, with the word ‘never’ demonstrating an endless and unchanging belief in the futility of seeking ambitious opportunities. Conversely, Gladys maintains an optimistic outlook even in the face of Nan’s cynicism by questioning “why should [Dolly’s] address stop her in life?”, revealing how Gladys’ relationship with Nan catalyses her desire to be even more firm in her hopeful mindset. Moreover, Dolly and Errol’s relationship also functions as a catalyst for hopeful transformation. Nan’s dream sequence of “wedding bells and confetti” in the conclusion of the play foreshadows Errol and Dolly getting married, which is indicative of harmonious race relations and the achievement of unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals. This ending parallels the recurring song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, with the lyrics stating that “dreams really do come true” showcasing how experiencing connections with other people can empower individuals to attain their dreams.
Education is presented as a human experience that can shape one’s sense of self in an immensely positive way. Despite Gladys’ illiteracy, she is depicted as extremely knowledgeable, emphasised through her ability to quickly respond to the ‘Pick-A-Box’ question of “what is the more common term for an ocular contusion?” with the correct answer of “a black eye”. This reference to a ‘black eye’ may be symbolic of Gladys’ Indigenous outlook on the world, which, when accentuated through education and literacy, is able to empower the Aboriginal population. For example, Gladys’ experience with the inspector, who condescendingly encourages her to “inform [herself]”, generates her realisation that as an Indigenous woman she has the right to demand justice for her people; her passionate exclamation that “this is [her] land” thus epitomises how kn
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does Sunset Boulevard…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Sunset Boulevard, a film noir masterpiece written by Billy Wilder presents a condemning portrayal of Hollywood as a…
Sunset Boulevard, a film noir masterpiece written by Billy Wilder presents a condemning portrayal of Hollywood as a place defined by exploitation and hopelessness. Through the utilisation of various characters throughout the film, Wilder critiques the industry as they perceive actors as a commodity to be consumed for profits. Through the blurring of reality and illusion, Wilder reveals the Hollywood system which seduces victims into a cycle of self-destruction. Alternatively, Wilder argues the Hollywood system can create a product which condemns immorality and prioritises emotions over profit.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent are all the characters from…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Set amidst the golden age of Hollywood , Billy Wilder uses Sunset Boulevard to closely examine how individuals…
Set amidst the golden age of Hollywood , Billy Wilder uses Sunset Boulevard to closely examine how individuals become entrapped in their pursuit for success in Hollywood. Furthermore Wilder examines how this entrapment can have devastating impacts on an individual. However, Wilder also analyses how some planets are not truly entrapped, but are rather blinded by their desires and emotions.
Firstly, Wilder examines how characters become entrapped as a result of their pursuit of fame and success in Hollywood. Wilder presents the entrapment of Joe at the beginning of the movie, when he is in debt and hopelessly typing away at his typewriter. This shows Joe's commitment or rather obsessive compulsion to "make it big" in Hollywood. However during this pursuit of fame and success, being entrapped emotionally by his drive to become successful in the movie business. Wilder furthermore explores the unhealthy nature of his entrapment, with Joe committing crimes just to escape the "smirking delight" of the doubters at his original job. Showing how Joe's commitment has turned into an illogical obsessions which keeps him entrapped in this endless pursuit of success in Hollywood. Wilder further examines how this entrapment even extends to the most successful individuals. During Joe's meeting with Sheldrake, Wilder specifically chooses a high-angle shot and ulcer medication on Sheldrake's table to depict how even these high status individuals within the industry are equally vulnerable as others. Through this, Wilder juxtaposes the audiences idealistic views of Hollywood with the harsh reality to depict how entrapment subtly lurks at every corner of Hollywood.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Trevor Noah's memoir Born a Crime explores…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Set against the backdrop of apartheid and its aftermath, Trevor Noah's memoir, Born a Crime, illuminates how South…
Set against the backdrop of apartheid and its aftermath, Trevor Noah's memoir, Born a Crime, illuminates how South Africans experience suffering both during and after the fall of apartheids oppressive system. Noah explores how apartheids racial categorisation instigated a system of suffering by enforcing segregation and denying identity. Moreover, Noah illustrates how South Africans suffered not only under the systematic oppression of apartheid itself, but also due to the violence and conflict between tribes that raised from the systematic division. Furthermore, Noah exposes how even after apartheids fall, South Africans continued to suffer through economic inequality that was forced upon their community.
Noah explores how apartheid’s racial classification system created profound suffering through forced separation, identity denial, and the psychological trauma of being rendered “illegal.” Noah opens his memoir with legal epigraphs quoting apartheid statutes: “Any European male who has intercourse with a native female…shall be guilty of an offence.” The stark, dehumanising language of law immediately reveals how the state intruded into the most intimate areas of life, criminalising love and family. Noah underscores this intrusion when he writes, “A half-white, half-black child who violated any number of laws – I was born a crime,” encapsulating the psychological burden of existing as evidence of an offence. For mixed-race children, suffering came not only from social rejection but also from internalising the sense of being unwanted by the state itself. Noah reflects more broadly that “the genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other,” showing how apartheid weaponised division and inflicted long-term trauma by teaching South Africans to distrust one another. The juxtaposition of historical documentation with personal anecdotes allows Noah to highlight the human cost behind bureaucratic language. Through these strategies, he conveys his view that apartheid caused not only physical suffering but also deep psychological wounds, and he values the importance of exposing these systems so that such suffering is neither minimised nor forgotten.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: → What does Oedipus the King suggest about…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: In Oedipus the King, Sophocles explores the effects of pride and certainty, specifically the dangers that it can…
In Oedipus the King, Sophocles explores the effects of pride and certainty, specifically the dangers that it can create when left unchecked. This is exemplified through Oedipus, whose persistent demand of knowledge of his past to save Thebes from Apollo’s curse ultimately leads to the loss of his marriage, royalty and sanity, making him the victim of his own determination. Sophocles simultaneously commends the courage to pursue truth while exposing the ruinous impacts this very journey can lead to when hubris and need for clarity interfere. Within this message, Sophocles condemns this very pride for fostering ignorance and arrogance. Ultimately, Sophocles explores how self-conceitment when left unchecked can foster hubris that blinds individuals to truth and fate, suggesting how it leads to violence, suffering, and ruin.
To begin the play, Sophocles valorises the pursuit of certainty as a courage and righteous journey. The Athenian audience is poised to laud Oedipus’ kingship through his selfless acts to protect the very city that he leads. Beyond his willingness to find Laius' murderer, to “bring it all to light”, he reveals his emotional connection to the city as he “grieves” for them and their “pain”. In empathy for his city, Oedipus “wept” for their loss and for their safety, and it is this compassion that drives him to uncover the truth for his city. Through this, Sophocles cultivates an image of Oedipus as a selfless and honorable leader that will search for certainty and complete accuracy as a means to protect the very city that he leads. In this image, the audience are framed to see not only Oedipus as a righteous leader, but as his search of truth as a courage act that should be commended as an achievement that offers service to his community. In this context, the Chorus holds Oedipus in a similar accord, seeing him as a leader that they can “implore” and “bend to”, adding to the audience's positive outlook on Oedipu. Sophocles introduces Oedipus as a character that is held as a respected and honorable leader to commend the courageous act that he is setting out to do, and undisturbed by pride and an obsession with accuracy, it is an admirable pursuit.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Lisa is the real hero of Rear Window. Do…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In a world where society’s patriarchal structure was the norm, the sudden shift of women adopting more male-centric…
In a world where society’s patriarchal structure was the norm, the sudden shift of women adopting more male-centric roles was confusing many during the 1950s. The Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, directly addresses these concerns and puts them at rest as he believes that women can fill spots where men can’t. To progress as a society Hitchcock suggests that we have to adapt and accept the change of women taking more masculine traits. The master of suspense uses Lisa Fremont as a medium to convey his message to the audience presenting her as the hidden hero of the film, as she represents the shift of gender norms during the 1950’s as she is portrayed as not only as a spectacle but also a courageous, brave and pushes the narrative forward. Although she is taking action and subverting from these traditional gender roles, her decisions makes her seem as if she is only taking these to please Jeffries, meaning she is still adhering to the male dominated structure. Ultimately, Hitchcock presents a complex portrayal of gender, one that embraces the evolution of women’s roles, yet reveals how deeply embedded male dominance remains within social and romantic structures especially within the dynamic between men and women.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: All who deserve it are justly punished in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: 2024 exam In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it are justly punished. In the polytheistic world of Ancient greece…
2024 exam
In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it are justly punished.
In the polytheistic world of Ancient greece where there was the rising debate between mans own intelect and reverance to omnipotent dieties, Oedipus the king by Sophocles argues that not everyone who deserves punishment are justly punished. Although there are those reverant to the gods decrees and try to do right by the polis that are threatened, yet there are those ignorant to their prophecy which only compels them closer to their downfall. Ultimately those who fail to acknowledge divine authority are punished.
Sophocles in the tragic play advances the notion that even those with good intentions are still threatened. Creon from the plays outset is a man with reason, with his always first instinct to go to the gods to consult Apollos oracle and retell their commands, "Apollo commands us" however he who acts with sophrosyne for the best outcome of the polis, a characteristic which the athenian audience would value is punished by Oedipus. Oedipus contrary who acts out all at once like the typical athenian mase orders to Creon, "I want you dead", a punishment for someone that had done no wrong to Oedipus and as a result fractured their relationship in the royal house. A reminder to the audience to always be rational in their decisions and take accountability not to make hasteful decisions with no basis.
Indirectly Oedipus punishes his own polis through his failure to see beyond his own sense of self, "you pray to the gods let me grant your prayers." a Dramatic irony is employed by Sophocles as the audience is aware of the ancient myth and will know he is the sole cause of the plague and is a burden unleaded casted over the city of Thebes. Sophocles also explores that punishment was not also deserved through the conflict between Oedipus and Tiresias, who tries to alert Oedipus, that his "great good fortune" was also his "ruin" indicating to Oedipus that his own horrible truth was predetermined concept, and that his fate itself was a punishment foreshadowing although he acted with true intention.
cast upon him by the gods. Through this Sophocles indicates to the Athenian audience the power of fate and the destruction it may provide through irreverence.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “…she wanted in a sudden passion to break…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Tessa Hadley's anthology of English short stories Bad Dreams and Other Stories illustrates how moments of sudden…
Tessa Hadley's anthology of English short stories Bad Dreams and Other Stories illustrates how moments of sudden passion rarely have lasting effects. Hadley suggests how once a woman pursues her desires it is not what they believed it would be. She also hints how strong passions is not effective in the long term. Overall Hadley warns about the consequences of short-term desires.
Hadley brings to light how once a woman gets the opportunity to pursue her desires it is not what they had expected to be. In the first story of the collection 'An Abduction', Hadley demonstrates how Jane's strong desire for sex with Daniel fuelled by the fact that she perceives him to be "the best looking of the three boys" leads her to feel regretful of her actions in her adult years as she reflects on her past with her therapist. This realisation conveys Hadley's message that these sudden moments of passion are often short-lived and unmeaningful, as it is revealed that at the end of the story if she and Daniel ever "crossed paths again, he would not even remember." This can also be represented through 'Experience' where Laura unsuccessfully tries to pursue Julian, her friend Hana's ex-partner. Laura goes as far as to "dress up in Hana's lavish clothes" in order to seduce Julian but he makes an excuse that he has plans with his children. Laura then feels embarrassed and realises that "she didn't even find him attractive anyway", and it was all due to her sudden craving for an experience of some sort to satiate her temporary desires. Hadley therefore shows how bursts of desire does not necessarily correlate to a positive outcome.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Wealth can be both a shield and a curse…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: By the end of the text, Jackson’s female characters emerge triumphant, forging a new world for themselves and…
By the end of the text, Jackson’s female characters emerge triumphant, forging a new world for themselves and illustrating how the only way to escape the toxic social hierarchies of 1960s America is to escape the financial system entirely. After the fire, both Merricat and Constance exclaim that they “are so happy”, symbolising the peace and satisfaction that only complete isolation could bring them. Despite the fire having destroyed the Blackwood’s belongings, the remains of their estate still protects them, with Merricat reimagining “Our house was a castle, turreted and open to the sky. Here the “castle” metaphor highlights how the sisters' inherited wealth will still act as a fortress-like refuge from the lowerclass and their ill-intentions. The author therefore positions privilege as a necessity, shielding the Blackwoods from the poor against all odds. The
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent are the lives of the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Written in 1962, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle explores the limitations placed upon the…
Written in 1962, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle explores the limitations placed upon the aristocratic Blackwoods as a result of the patriarchal and formal society they live in. Narrated by the psychologically damaged mind of Merricat, Jackson explores how unrelenting gender roles and rigid social norms lead to a bleak society in which the identity of individuals are suppressed. Ultimately, Jackson works to not only condemn the harsh patriarchal norms societies are based upon, but also demonstrate that liberation and freedom can be achieved through a rejection of these conventional societal values.
Jackson depicts both the women of the village and the Blackwood family as being restricted by expectations of conformity through their formal and rigid interactions with the world. During Mrs. Wright and Helen Clark’s ‘dutiful’ visit to the Blackwood house, Merricat notices Mrs. Wright’s ‘trembling’ hands and her ‘hesitat[ion] over the plate’ offered by Constance. The visibly fraught state of Mrs Wright highlights the social obligations she must fulfil, despite any legitimate concerns for her personal safety, for the sake of social formalities. Jackson expands on this in their mother’s portrait, which was ‘looking down’ on Constance, symbolising both the social duties she has inherited from her mother, despite her agoraphobia, while also highlighting the spirit that now lives on in Constance’s body, forcing her to embody her mother’s spirit. However, Jackson also explores the limitations of social duties through Mrs. Wright’s ‘timid’ demeanour when she is given the chance to take a ‘glance’ at the Blackwoods’ infamous dining room. Her morbid curiosity, only surfacing in the confines of the house, serves to emphasise the identity Mrs. Wright must hide in the face of general society, her meek demeanour highlighting her awareness of the fact the actions are deemed unacceptable to greater society. Therefore, through Mrs. Wright’s and Constance’s prevailing social duties, Jackson underscores the oppressive nature of social etiquette created by rigid societal norms.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Requiem for a beast suggsest that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: However, Ottley also highlights how the journey to restoration may be tormenting but conceivable, endorsing the…
However, Ottley also highlights how the journey to restoration may be tormenting but conceivable, endorsing the value of reconciliation through confrontation of the past and storytelling. Ottley’s placement of the multi-voiced and layered narrative structure emphasises the importance of given voices to the silenced. This is done by his decision to start and end the novella with the elder’s voice, a way for him to restore what was taken away from the victims of the stolen generations. Through this, Ottley demonstrates how healing starts and ends, breaking the cycle of silence and exemplifying the value of how reconciliation requires listening to those who were silenced first. Moreover, Ottley uses mythology as symbolic storytelling in the traditional sense to continue the Aboriginal practice, specifically mentioning the ending of the minotaur. Theseus having been saved from the labyrinth
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Norma is the true victim of Sunset…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: As a forgotten star cast away by Hollywood, Norma Desmond succumbs to a world that fails to be “a little patient…
As a forgotten star cast away by Hollywood, Norma Desmond succumbs to a world that fails to be “a little patient and a little kind”, despite her victimhood. Aligning with its noir style, Sunset Boulevard takes a cynical view of its Hollywood setting, revealing the superficiality and vanity of the star system that the industry established. Although she is rarely depicted sympathetically, the morally ambiguous cast of characters meddles in the unconventional femme fatale’s sense of reality, complicating the true culprit behind her tragic ending.
Wilder condemns Hollywood’s preoccupation with outward appearances by depicting the horrors of its by-product, manifested in the character Norma Desmond. Norma’s obsession with beauty is an extension of her ultimate goal for “a return” to “the screen”. Wilder sets up Norma’s motivations and beliefs early in the film as the audience witnesses her watching her own silent films and living in a “house so crowded with Norma Desmonds”, indicating her attachment with the past to be of an abnormal, neurotic degree, as narrated by the cynical noir protagonist, describing the obsession as “plain crazy”. Norma’s attachment to her past self, her past face, is contextualised by the silent-film era she belonged to, where actors “didn’t need dialogue, (they) had faces.” Desperate for stardom, Norma Demond’s efforts to relive the past lead her to retain the belief held “in the crazy Twenties” that an actor’s stage presence is inseparable from her face. Norma’s pursuit of beauty culminates in the gothic horror-esque montage of her “merciless series of treatments”, where the faceless individuals manipulate and probe at Norma, heightening the sense of discomfort in the audience. Joe negatively frames the treatments as militaristic, commenting on how the “army of beauty experts” had “invaded her house”. A low-angle, low-key lighting shot of Norma’s bandaged face in the subsequent scene further unsettles the audience by positioning her to appear intimidating, likening her to a Frankenstein monster. Wilder accuses Hollywood of creating the gothic monster Norma becomes, trapped in a system that deems her unworthy of the spotlight due to her appearance. To Norma, the torturous treatments are necessary for her return to the role of Salome, as she falls victim to the beauty standards set by Hollywood.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The world that exists by the end of We…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 100%: The overbearing social dogmas that underpinned the milieu of the 1950s to 60s America restricted liberty and…
The overbearing social dogmas that underpinned the milieu of the 1950s to 60s America restricted liberty and prioritised conformity to convention. In her seminal neo-gothic fiction, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, novelist Shirley Jackson devises two sisters burdened by the gendered strictures and class conscious attitudes of their society, who breach the norms of their community by embracing a life of fantasy, love, and femininity. Ultimately, Jackson suggests that in a world that values capitalistic ideals over love and peace, individuals can only achieve these idealised states by rejecting what society holds sacred.
In a world characterised by strict social standards and a tendency to persecute individuals who seek to defy them, Jackson presents how individuals can use fear and fantasy to transcend its confines and achieve an idealised relationship to their community. Through her use of dialogue, Jackson displays how the villagers mythologise themselves by weaponising society’s fear to abnormality, in turn rendering them immune to its oppressive intentions. After the conflagration consumes the Blackwood mansion and the villagers ransack it, the sisters live in a “castle, turreted and open to the sky.” In this ‘castle’, a gothic symbol of power, the sisters are integrated into the “tall tales” of the villagers, who tell stories that the sisters “eat the little girls,” prompting a father of the village to not “want the kids going near” the house. Here, the sisters use the villagers’ fears of abnormality and eccentricity against them to protect themselves from the destruction and tyranny that they represent, in turn forging an idealised world where the sisters can live beyond the suppressive actions of the villagers. Through this, Jackson suggests that entreating into a world of fantasy that represents everything society rejects is a potent way of achieving a utopian state. Similarly, Jackson presents how fear can be used as a tactic of forging a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between individuals and the broader community. Through her use of symbolism, Jackson underpins how women can transfigure the relationship they have to members of their society through the fear the sisters are able to evoke within the village people. Due to the apprehension associated with the sisters and the threat of their retaliation, the villagers give offerings of food to them, such as the mother who gave them an offering with the message, “he didn’t mean it, please” after her child sung the twisted nursery rhyme, “‘Merricat, said Constance, would you like a cup of tea?’” on their doorstep. Particularly, Merricat cites that they are “the largest church supper” the village has ever had, emblematising the sisters’ deification and reverence by their community. The importance of this worshipping is vividly rendered in Merricat’s haunting statement that people should “bow [their] heads” to her or they will “be dead”. Here, Jackson depicts how the sisters are able to forge an idyllic world where the villagers dote on them and sustain them, which fulfils the desire for power that Merricat yearns for for much of the novel. In doing so, Jackson posits that women can exploit the fear they induce in society for breaching social convention to achieve their desires, in turn bettering their circumstances.
Indeed, in a society haunted by the spectre of the archetypal Nuclear family, Jackson presents how women can recalibrate their definition of, and respect for, traditional notions of family, in order to achieve a Prelapsarian state devoid of burdens. Wielding a motif, Jackson lauds how the Blackwood sisters defy familial legacies that suppress their autonomy and self-determination, and subsequently, their quality of life. Mother’s portrait, which was always “watching over” the sisters in the drawing room, is a pivotal motif in the novel that represents domesticity and conformity to gendered conventions. Prompting the sisters to keeping the drawing room “shining and silky”, and thus, retain domesticised rituals fundamental to the subordination of women, after the fires, the sisters close the drawing room door and “never [open it]” again. Here, Jackson presents how the sisters emancipate themselves from the intergenerational burdens enforcing complicity to traditional expectations of womanhood, in turn allowing them
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Merricat,” she said, smiling at me, “look…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 100%: The overbearing, unflinching gendered strictures of 1950s and 60s America formulated the archetypical ‘nuclear…
The overbearing, unflinching gendered strictures of 1950s and 60s America formulated the archetypical ‘nuclear family’, a model that deprived women of their agency and control for a life of domesticity and servitude. In her proto-feminist gothic novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson delineates the methods of subjugation through which the patriarchy keeps women ensnared into a life of conformity. Ultimately, Jackson presents women who dismantle the gendered dogmas that suppress their way of life and retreat into a world of fantasy and female freedom to unveil the importance that women transcend patriarchal definition.
In a world where class-consciousness and strict social norms create a domineering pressure to conform, Jackson depicts the power of embracing fantasy and creativity as a means of liberating women from the limitations of their oppressors. Through her use of symbolism in the form of sympathetic magic, the novelist conveys how women cultivate belief systems to achieve agency in a world where they have been systematically deprived of it. In response to Charles’ overbearing patriarchal presence that stifles the idyllic feminine world the two sisters made for themselves, Merricat uses sympathetic magic, “smashing” Charles’ mirror and burning his pipe in the bin to symbolically expunge his presence from the house. Particularly, the symbolism of her pouring water on Charles’ bed as if to literally wash his presence from it depicts how her use of sympathetic magic enables her to reclaim autonomy and reject Charles’ presence from the house when her supplication for him to “please go away” was unsuccessful. Through this, Jackson praises the creative means that women can use in order to reclaim some sense of agency when men seek to immobilise them and paralyse them in a life of domesticity, whilst encouraging her readership to understand the lengths women are pushed to when they are systematically disenfranchised through patriarchal measures.
As well as the more proximal familial circumstances, Jackson likewise conveys how women can control their own circumstances through fantasy to inoculate themselves from the oppressive tendencies of society at large. Through symbolism, the writer depicts how the sisters mythologise themselves in order to evade the malignant members of society that ostracise them for their difference. Rather than embracing a life of conformity as the villagers wish, the sisters reject social norms and become a part of the village’s “tall tales”; after a village kid sings the old nursery rhyme at their doorstep, “‘Merricat’, said Constance, ‘would you like a cup of tea?’”, a note appears the following night, “He didn’t mean it, I’m sorry”. By embracing a life of ‘monstrosity’ through retreating into the darkness of their “castle”, the sisters become emblems of fear for the villagers, in turn enabling the sisters to have power over them; in turn, they maintain their life by supplying food to their door in fears of retaliation. Here, Jackson displays how the utter rebellion against socio-ideological values can turn women into fearful symbols that command submission from those around them, inverting the power dynamics and enabling women to reclaim the control over their life. Thus, she implores her female readership to liberate themselves from the fear of ostracism, and instead embrace a life of abnormality and deviance.
Likewise, Jackson explores how women’s refusal to conform allows them to enfranchise themselves and reclaim their autonomy. Through her characterisation of Merricat, the novelist conveys how women’s refusal to relinquish their identity allows them to garner both agency and dignity. Merricat’s eccentric and idiosyncratic personality, such as when she buried “silver coins” under their
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: all characters in sunset boulevard allow…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: individuals from reality. Max undeniable love and devotion towards Norma is intertwined with his past and…
individuals from reality. Max undeniable love and devotion towards Norma is intertwined with his past and adoration as Norma was his creation "I discovered her when she was eighteen" and made her a 'star' which he cannot let to be 'destroyed' endorses her illusionary beliefs that she is a still in demand star. In hollywood her career was faded and when her role was unable to experience the loss as Max constantly deceives her to maintain her happiness. Norma went to Paramount studios and receiving warmly welcome from father like figure Cecil. B. DeMille, studio lights bathe her in nostalgic warmth. Her salome script "Yeah... It has a good things in it" being pleased by him "if its possible" Demille stating if there is possibility to work with Norma giving gentle compliment and even reassurance. His sadness framed in soft lighting and sustains her (Norma) fantasy of a grand comeback. DeMille unintentionally feeds her delusion proving her protective relationships can entrap. In the climatic shot where Norma bandaged and take center stage while Joe is seen blurred in the background, Wilder illustrates the power dynamics in their relationship. Norma injures proof of her 'suicide' attempt while he considers sympathy, his choice to come back, despite the risks, indicates a comeback giving up of his own control by going back into motion to embrace the role of Norma's lover and closely friend. This visual arrangement emphasize her love and dependance into a trap Wilder portraying relationship in Sunset Boulevard less as a source of support and more as a prison of obligation to show the impact of hollywood's life and their relationships.
Hollywood is all about fame, beauty and power whoever pursue it only as a career remains distance from entrapment. While betty walks around the studio lot with Joe he says "Look at this street. All cardboard, all hollow, all phony. All done with mirrors..." "I like it better than my street". She acknowledges the artifice of the hollywood industry and understands how it pressures individuals to change themselves, however she embrace it as she pursues a career in the industry. Wilder uses natural and soft lighting for betty to highlight her transparency in hollywood's world of toxic glamour. In the scene where betty works in the paramount studio or meet joe, in the aisle is lit with a clean, natural glow rather than the heavy dark shadows and a high chiaroscuro just like for Norma. This realistic lighting reveal betty living in the moment far away from the deluded angry world of hollywood. Sheldrake the producer in hollywood industry rejects Joe "Baseball picture" as he listen briefly and dismisses it with
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard demonstrates how easy it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Billy Wilder’s film, a satiric rendering of Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard portrays the faltering movie business as a…
Billy Wilder’s film, a satiric rendering of Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard portrays the faltering movie business as a time where “forgotten star[s]” struggle to maintain their relevance, illusions of grandeur replace reality, and desperation leads to manipulation and exploitation. The manipulation that unfolds behind Hollywood’s elusive façade highlights the coercive power individuals wield over others for self-preservation; however, in doing so, they unwittingly fall prey to manipulation themselves. Notably, Wilder depicts Hollywood as an industry that has fostered a system where individuals must utilise deception and exploitation to manipulate others in order to secure their status or to survive. Additionally, Wilder has considered Hollywood’s culture as a perpetuated cycle where the manipulator is oblivious to the deception they are being exposed to. Yet, the relentless pursuit of self-preservation that Wilder has illustrated in Hollywood often drives individuals to manipulate others, yet this struggle for control ultimately comes at a profound cost.
Wilder portrays Hollywood as a cutthroat industry where individuals are driven to deceive and exploit others as a means of securing their status or merely surviving. Norma Desmond, a former silent movie star, embodies ruthless self-preservation on screen as she clings to her fading fame by deceiving and exploiting those around her. When Norma meets Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, Joe recognises Norma as a silent movie star who “used to be big”, in which Norma demands that “[she] is big, it’s the pictures that got small”. Norma sees this as an opportunity to lure Joe, through providing him financial stability, to exploit him into believing that she is the same as “her celluloid self” and that how she is perceived in the outside world is wrong. The manipulation that Norma conveys on Joe, highlights the consequences of being a young star in Hollywood, as Norma denies reality and yearns to keep her status where “[she’s] a star” alive. This practice of exploitation and manipulation that has been created by Hollywood’s harsh industry is also seen through the need for others to manipulate in order to survive. Joe, a struggling screenwriter drowning in debt, “[comes] up with a plot of [his] own”, indulging in Norma’s delusions in exchange for the financial compensation that his job as a never brought him. Joe justifies his financial exploitation of Norma insisting that “all [he] wanted was a job”, when Joe knew that by accepting Norma’s offer, he could manipulate her into believing that “[he is] pretty expensive” because he knew that she would pay anything to be on the big screen again. Wilder demonstrates the ruthless tactics less fortunate individuals who experience financial hardship forced upon by Hollywood will exploit and deceive in order to survive. Wilder reveals through the pattern of deceit and exploitation how Hollywood’s relentless pursuit of success forces individuals into corrupt situations to maintain their stature and sustenance.
Wilder depicts Hollywood's culture as a relentless cycle in which individuals seen as manipulative are merely acting out to the exploitation they themselves endure. Max Von Mayerling, once a respected film director, now serves as Norma Desmond's butler who is devoted to not "let[ting] her be destroyed" as he "made her a star". With the introduction to the talkies in Hollywood, Norma's career as an actress comes to a forced end, with Max ending his career out of guilt and loyalty. This guilt urges Max to continue to play the role as Norma's director, ensuring that Norma believes she is still a beloved star by shielding her from reality. Wilder conveys Max as Norma's director through mise-en-scene, intently placing Max a few feet away from Norma - out of the frame, just as a director would stand a few feet away when directing a film. Max's deception has successfully led Norma to believe that she is still a star of Hollywood, receiving "fan
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Sunset Boulevard, the characters are…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: In Sunset Boulevard, Wilder highlights the performative nature of the Hollywood industry to warn against the…
In Sunset Boulevard, Wilder highlights the performative nature of the Hollywood industry to warn against the compromise and loss of identity required to be successful. Wilder vehemently implicated this through indicating the yearn for fame and success in characters, willing to do whatever it takes to be seen by Hollywood, the moral degradation as a result of wanting to be accepted by the Hollywood star factory. Additionally, the effect of always performing and the idea of true identity and individualistic values of characters being taken over. Therefore, the tragic ideals of characters in Hollywood being made to ‘always perform’ lead to Sunset Boulevards overall destruction of character’s moral integrity and lives.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The family is the problem in 'We Have…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ explores the inequalities created by…
Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ explores the inequalities created by traditional family structures and the inescapable fear and paranoia they produce. She highlights how the rigid mid-century nuclear family model contributes to class conflict, social unrest, and female oppression, whilst also emphasising its impact on individuals, especially through Merricat’s narration.
Jackson’s novel presents the family as a major cause for class conflict and social tensions. The Blackwood family has an extremely private nature, particularly when guarding their wealth and class. Jackson uses the family’s house as a symbol of their wealth, as Mrs. Blackwood claims that “the highways (are) built for common people” … “and my front door is quiet”, highlighting the family’s own paranoid protection of their wealth from envious judgement. This fear is proven to be justified, as the villagers’ resentment leads to violence and destruction in the novel’s climax, particularly of symbolic items such as Constance’s harp and Mrs. Blackwood’s drawing room. Even after the death of most of the family and the symbolic death of patriarchal influence within the household, Merricat’s class anxiety continues, as she claims that “the people of the village disliked that we always had plenty of money”. She maintains the strong division between the private and public sphere, which strengthens the social tensions within the town. Despite her and Constance’s attempt to reject wealth and relieve themselves of its isolating effects, further suspicion is caused as they deviate from the norm. Jackson presents a conflict from which there is no escape, even through complete separation from society or destruction of symbols of wealth such as the Blackwood house.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: • "You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Wilder initially highlights the systems and structures that hold women to impossible ideals, often driving them to…
Wilder initially highlights the systems and structures that hold women to impossible ideals, often driving them to delusion when they can’t maintain the perfect image. This is highlighted through the closeup shot of Betty, representing the deluded lifestyle of stars in Hollywood, working towards individuality by exclaiming the “ pictures should say a little something.” The framework highlights Betty’s determined, but meek views of Hollywood and her impact on the film industry, being delusional into thinking she can bend the rules to create a unique film in cutthroat Hollywood. Additionally, Norma’s delusion can be highlighted through her lack of ability to accept the truth, similar to Betty in believing she has a chance to be submerged into the fantasies of Hollywood once again. This is represented through the confronting midshot of Norma at Paramount studios, highlighting her aging and fading features in the fast paced film industry. Her exclamation, “Without me, there wouldn’t be any Paramount studios” evokes how she was disposed of by The Hollywood star factory as soon as she came of age, and also remained in her delusions at the hope of returning to her former glory. Furthermore, the extent of delusion and the disposable nature of Hollywood is represented through Demille’s treatment of Norma, by coldly stating “Turn the light back to where it belongs,” after Norma’s unannounced visit to Paramount studios. The acting and mannerisms of DeMille highlight his dismissive behaviour towards Norma, recognising her once fame, but finding her useless and unnecessary in the current stage of film. As an old mentor for Norma, he recognises her tragic fate, being disposed of by the industry and left to live in her past delusions of success as a cover to her relentless reality. Furthermore, Wilder reveals that society does not value older women, and brutally disposes of them when they are past their ‘prime’.
This is highlighted through the symbolism of Betty’s nose job, being her way of becoming involved in Hollywood and its unrealistic standards for females. Betty’s delusions about the idolised Hollywood allowed her to believe she would be successful in the film industry if she underwent surgery to fix her appearance, though she was dismissed
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Rainbow's End critique…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: 1950s Australia was a period characterised by white hegemony, a time in which Indigenous people were deprived of…
1950s Australia was a period characterised by white hegemony, a time in which Indigenous people were deprived of their land and forced to assimilate into white society with the overall purpose of eradicating their culture from existence. Jane Harrison’s hopeful yet melancholic play, ‘Rainbow’s End’, is a fictional yet historically accurate piece that celebrates the unsung heroes of history – the women who were the backbone of the household and powerful inciters of change, and “signals a possible beneficial future” for the Indigenous community. Her work explores the lives of three Koori women in the Flats, utilizing their complex dynamics to delve into the ways in which collective effort and identity intertwine amidst the backdrop of racial segregation. The playwright condemns Australia’s cruel exploitation of Indigenous culture, whilst unveiling the crimes against women that have been concealed and erased from public knowledge. However, she also praises the resourcefulness and ability of Indigenous Australians to adapt during hardships. Therefore, while Harrison chastises the brutality and lack of sensitivity displayed by white Australians towards the Indigenous community, she honours the immense perseverance of First Nations people that transcends past the historical setting of the play and continues to be felt in contemporary society.
In ‘Rainbow’s End’, Harrison thoroughly delves into Australia’s oppression of Indigenous people, attacking how Indigenous culture is disregarded or otherwise exploited for entertainment. Throughout the play, radio announcements regularly occur, advertising the Ajax cleanser that “contains bleach” and “polishes so bright”, which harbours undertones of colourism. These seemingly attempts of product marketing symbolise the propagation of white ideals, representing the way in which assimilation is implicitly forced upon the Indigenous community, with the infiltration of the “whiteness” in mass media emphatically showcasing the abolishment of their culture, which was deemed a societal impurity. Thus, Harrison weaponizes the Ajax advertisements to underscore the invisible rhetoric of white supremacism that was prevalent in society, revealing the forceful absorption of Indigenous people into the white community. However, the playwright presents a darker side to this mistreatment, revealing that the white Australians did exhibit recognition towards Indigenous culture, but only when it is profitable to do so. That is, after the Queen’s visit, a historical event explored in the play, the royal couple is described to be learning “how to throw a boomerang” on national television. Harrison employs this scene to showcase how Indigenous culture is being appropriated for the sake of public entertainment, intentionally emphasising how little the white community respected the First Nations community as an equal. Therefore, in the play, Harrison heavily laments Australia’s neglect and lack of proper recognition of the Indigenous community.
Harrison also focuses on the silent adversities faced by Indigenous women, censuring how their sufferings are often hidden from public knowledge. A central minor character in the play is Ester, an Indigenous woman who is named but not seen. She is revealed to be with a “whitefella husband” that physically abuses her. The domestic violence she endures is not explicitly described by the playwright, but rather alluded to through the frequent “ocular contusions” on her face, mirroring the way in which physical violence from a woman’s husband was enabled and not properly acknowledged within the community of this time period. In fact, when the government later “took her boys”, Ester resorted to “drinkin’”
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Its not really your choice, is it ?”…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: “Its not really your choice, is it ?” There is a clear distinction in the film between those who have power and…
“Its not really your choice, is it ?”
There is a clear distinction in the film between those who have power and those who do not.
Discuss.
Stephan Maxwell Johnson's High Ground (2020) is a western revisionist film which challenges traditional perspectives on the nations violent colonial past. Set in the early 20th century, Arnhem land, the film directly showcases the Australian frontier wars, which were a series of tragic confrontations often erased from mainstream historical media. Through intergenerational trauma, massacres and cultural enforcement High Ground sets truthful narratives on the nations past and the resilience of the first nations people. Ultimately, Highground dichotomizes the nature of power in both the perspective of colonialism and Indigenous, displaying the contrasting conflict and seperation of how both cultures establish power.
Johnson establishes the power imbalance between both cultures, portraying the colonials as more prevelant. As the colonials execute their “peaceful exhibition”, Travis is proned on the mountain holding highground amongst the Aboriginals. Unaware, the Aboriginals are being watched through Travis scope amplifying the power that the colonials have on Aboriginals. Every move they make are on constant watch through the scope casting them as vulnerable and powerless on their own land, underscoring the judicial power the colonials hold and how the First nations people are controlled and are governed by these rights on their very own land. Johnson amplifies the magnitude of control Conolonials had against the first nations people believing that they must abide by the very same law they are governed by and have the highest authority on the land they invaded. Further expanding this notion, Johnson continues to portray this power imbalance between both cultures as Travis kills a crocodile and pulls it out of its habitat. This juxtaposes the previous scene where Gutjuk was forcefully taken taken from his land during the first massacre. This side by side comparison is used by Johnson to connect Gutjuk and his culture to the land and its fauna, symbolising their unrelenting connection with their land and its sacredness to their culture. The crocodile was executed using the scope of the rifle which represents the colonial tactics of attacking the vulenrable and powerless also evident during the first massacre. Johnson condems the Setlers for taking the land away from the first nations people and holding authority over them forcing them to abide by their laws. As the crocodile is pulled out Moran instructs the first nations people to “get down” whilst travis stays stood for a photo. Portraying a vivid image of a clear distinction between those in power, as the first nations people lay low on the ground whilst travis is stood high and tall. Travis is holding a gun whilst the first nations people have nothing but their fists, further enhancing the clear distinction of power imbalance between both cultures. The killing of this crocodile is a representation of how the colonials treat the land and its creatures– with aggression and dominance. This mirrors how they will treat the aboriginals later on, as something to control and eliminate, rather than respect and understanding. Therefore, Johnsons depiction of this power imbalanc serves to critique the brutal logic of colonial expansion and the relentless drive to disposses.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The characters in Rainbows End are driven…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: The play ‘Rainbows End’ written by Jane Harrision explores the lives of three Aboriginal women that attempt to…
The play ‘Rainbows End’ written by Jane Harrision explores the lives of three Aboriginal women that attempt to navigate the systemic racism experiences in the 1960s. Harrison exhibits how characters in the play are driven by a need for power. This occurs through characters using education, resisting social expectations and engaging in activism to establish power over their lives.
Firstly, characters use education as a means of achieving power over their lives. Dolly is completing “[her] family tree” as part of a homework assignment, its simplicity despite Dolly being in the 12th grade highlights how education for indigenous people is insignificant. Yet, Dolly’s determination to complete the assignment and persistence when asking Nan about their families past reveals that completing her “leaving certificate” and education is deemed necessary to gain power over her future. This conflicts with Nan’s realistic mindset when reiterating that Dolly would become a “Fruit Picker” and should forget any “Highfalutin’ ideas”. The song “To catch a falling star" is played in the background whilst Dolly picks fruit from a tree, symbolising the limited opportunities available to her as an Indigenous woman; with any future outside of a fruit picker far out of reach it could be considered ‘catch[ing] a falling star’. Glady’s purchasing of encyclopedias for Dolly attempts to provide her with the resources to “expand [her] possibilities” and increase knowledge, paving the way for a brighter future. Gladys relentlessly notes the importance of Dolly finishing her education and “get[ing] a job”. This suggests the ability of schooling to provide an Indigenous woman with power over their lives within a society that deems their capacity futile. Further, revealing Glady’s own deprivation of education as a child; instead becoming forced to work “as a maid” for a white family which causes her to remain illiterate until her 40s and live in a poor ‘humpy’. Thus, Harrison enforces the importance of education in achieving a successful future. Gladys takes initiative over her education when asking Errol to teach her to read. This later allows her to fluently “read any part” while presenting an Indigenous housing rights petition to a large crowd, reflecting how education provides characters with confidence to “do anything [they] set [their] minds to” and regain control over her living situation. Therefore, Harrison exhibits the importance of education for indigenous people in gaining power over their future.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The characters in Chronicle of a Death…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Exposing a world that is primarily motivated by adherence to heritage, honour and patriarchal beliefs, Gabriel…
Exposing a world that is primarily motivated by adherence to heritage, honour and patriarchal beliefs, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novella 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold' does not merely demonstrate the ramifications of a prejudicial and honour-bound society in individuals' automony but also how they are able to overcome such barriers. Fundamentally, the author postulates that male-dominated societies deprive women of agency, additionally maintaining that honour-based societies coerce individuals to enable obscene violence. Additionally, Marquez holds that individuals facing oppression or ignorance can still regain independance.