VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'But I am the master of my own fate. I…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The human desire to dictate our lives leads to a false sense of control and the deception of others. This…
The human desire to dictate our lives leads to a false sense of control and the deception of others. This conflict is at the center of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Oedipus The King. Through his complex exploration of control, Sophocles implements a wide range of techniques to explore how illuding power may be. Firstly, Sophocles examines the illusion of control through the fulfillment of fate and prophecy. Further, he alludes to this theme by punishing those whom believe they are in control, thereby revealing their lack of power and exposing the illusion of control. Finally, circular narration is used to display the inextricable link between illusion and control.
Through the fulfillment of prophecy, Sophocles highlights how the gods are always in true control, fating unavoidable outcomes. To exemplify this, Sophocles opens with the “red waves of death” cursed upon the “vessel” of Thebes. The use of nautical imagery in this moment forebodes the tragic tone of the play and is significant because in Ancient Greek culture, seafaring represents helplessness, and echoes the natural violence of the sea. Thus, this mirrors Apollo’s wrath, a divine storm no human can command, and relates to Sophocles message that human’s aren’t the ones in control, rather the divine. Building upon this point, Sophocles pairs the setting with Apollo’s command to “drive the corruption from the land… root it out,” as the only means of freeing Thebes. Through this, Sophocles forefronts the imperative and inescapable nature of the truth, something which cannot be controlled or altered because fate is preplanned. The irony in this moment parallels Oedipus’ preconception that he is “the master of my [his] own fate,” which Sophocles juxtaposes through the irony of the king being the murderer he hunts. Furthermore, the ongoing symbolism of the “Triple roads — [where] it all comes back, the secret, dark ravine…” embodies the illusion of free will and reinforce prophecy’s inevitability. Sophocles achieves this with the “dark ravine” linking geography with moral and spiritual darkness, foreshadowing Oedipus’ downfall. Moreover, the phrase of “it all comes back, the secret” reveals Oedipus’ hamartia, relentless truth seeking, which, though motivated by reason and justice, propels him toward the very fate he seeks to avoid, and rival’s his belief that he is in control. This fosters intense dramatic irony, as the audience already knows this is the scene of Laius’ murder, the point where the illusion of choice collapses, and destiny silently triumphs. The use of the em dash in this statement also visually and rhythmically links Oedipus’ past and present with a sudden pause that intensifies suspense, drawing the audience towards Sophocles’ message that even the paths Oedipus believes he chooses are inscribed by divine design. Conclusively, Sophocles illustrates the illusion of control through the predetermined fate of individuals.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “You can’t share a country” — High Ground…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Stephen Johnson’s film High Ground powerfully explores the consequences of colonialism in Australia through its…
Stephen Johnson’s film High Ground powerfully explores the consequences of colonialism in Australia through its portrayal of dispossession, violence, and the loss of identity experienced by First Nations Australians. The film challenges the idea that “you can share a country,” revealing how the actions of white settlers during colonisation created deep divisions and lasting trauma. Through its visual storytelling, dialogue, and symbolism, High Ground exposes the devastating legacy of colonialism and the ongoing struggle for justice and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
One of the most significant consequences of colonialism depicted in the film is the dispossession of land. As Eddie tells Claire, “you can’t share a country,” encapsulating the settlers’ belief that coexistence with First Nations Australians was impossible. This belief justified the violent taking of land that had belonged to Indigenous people for generations, stripping them of their homes, autonomy, and cultural connection to Country. Claire, who attempts to help the local community, symbolises the few who tried to bridge this divide, yet even her efforts are undermined by the entrenched colonial system that privileges white settlers. The film thus portrays the land not just as a setting, but as a spiritual and cultural foundation violently severed by colonisation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Count no man happy till he dies, free of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Sophocles’ quintessential Greek classic ‘Oedipus Rex’ written around 429-425 BCE, is an Athenian tragedy that…
Sophocles’ quintessential Greek classic ‘Oedipus Rex’ written around 429-425 BCE, is an Athenian tragedy that explores the complex interrelationship between fate vs free will and the exacerbating human fallibilities that have magnified the ineluctable afflictions of the human experience. Sophocles contends to his ancient Greek audience that ‘all men must suffer their fate’, affirming the fragility of sentient existence and extoling the play’s central message that regardless of revered social standing, steadfast joy can only exist within the serene domain of death. Oedipus’ calamitous undoing renders him the physical personification of ‘misery’ and a manifestation of the unanticipated devastation that can turmoil a once glorious experience. By portraying Oedipus as both a flawed hero and a victim of circumstantial fate, Sophocles engenders sympathy from ancient audiences and manipulates the Aristotelian effect of catharsis to expel the audience of fear upon Sophocles’ depiction of human infirmity.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘In Flames, death is not the enemy.’ Discuss.
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: In his surreal novel, Flames, Robbie Arnott evinces his belief that human complexities are the greatest foe. Arnott…
In his surreal novel, Flames, Robbie Arnott evinces his belief that human complexities are the greatest foe. Arnott examines this through his depiction of isolation and human interference with nature, while further exemplifying death's natural cycle as a crucial part of one's journey. Utilising magic realism, Arnott produces characterisation that works to delineate how isolation as a manifestation of grief can be destructive to both oneself internally and externally. He further explores how human interference with nature is compelled by greed, which induces an out of balance relationship between humans and nature which Arnott orchestrates as a form of punishment. In contrast, Arnott symbolises how death is not a negative factor, but more an integral part of one's journey in terms of emotional growth and rebirth.
Arnott suggests that isolation from others as a form of grief is more self destructive than death. He constructs how Levi’s mourning of his mothers second death blinds him of his madness as a result of alienation, failing to realise ‘[he] is not well’. The use of third person limited assists the dramatic irony that the outside world is aware of Levi’s instability, however ‘[he] is not realising’. Through reading into an outside view of Levis insanity, Arnott is able to communicate to the reader the extent to which isolation influences one to be out of touch, thus representing his criticism of disconnection and lack of communication which is represented as more dire than death. The juxtaposition of Levi's internal monologue and third person limited point of view allows Arnott to construct how far removed isolation can cause one to be from logic and rationality, hence expressing his view that such disconnection poisons one's mind and causes more suffering than death. He further manifests this destruction physically, Levis' shock appearance to Charlotte scaring her as ‘he does not look healthy’, that once when ‘he [was] slender… now he is emaciated’. The physical characterisation of Levi suggests he has been ‘scraped hollow’ of any sanity due to grief. In many ways, Arnott posits that this is a fate worse than death. In similarity, Charlotte's grieving isolation after losing her mother is characterised by her physical isolation in the Tasmanian wilderness. Nicolas' third person limited view of Charlotte upon her arrival in Melaleuca expresses the dramatic irony of Charlotte unconsciously rejecting any outside world relationships, recalling how ‘she was trying to blend into the fields and snow’. Through Nicolas point of view, the reader gains perspective of the possible ‘friendship’ Charlotte's alienation is blocking her of, though such relationships could help her grieving yet at this point she decides to burn in her loneliness. Arnott insists that encouraging one's own seclusion blinds them from helpful outlets that have the ability to foster comfort and confinement, thus a loneliness more desolat than death. Furthermore, the deserted, gothic setting of melaleuca emphasises the extent to which Charlotte removes herself from the outside world. The drastic extent of Melaleuca’s distance from civilisation, where ‘no corresponding road runs in or out of it’ sees Arnott focus on the imagery of how far Charlotte will let her grief consume her to the point she completely rejects any outside help, thus her neglection of Nicolas ‘friendship’ a product of the ‘clouded’ grieving that consumes her. The third person narration of Charlotte's chapter ‘Sky’ further enhances her instability and separation from self and others as she ‘is running’ as far as she can from Levi. This is also reflected through the chapter title ‘Sky’, as Charlotte is determined to get as far away from Levi, and subconsciously proper human connection, as she possibly can. Hence, Arnotts exploration of grieving centralises the self destructive nature of allowing isolation to consume oneself is therefore a darker outcome than mortality.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The women in Jane Eyre are both physically…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Published in 1847, Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë, is a seminal work of Victorian literature that…
Published in 1847, Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë, is a seminal work of Victorian literature that challenged the zeitgeist of 19th century norms surrounding class, gender and duty. Brontë underpins the suppression of female agency as a core element to her novel, but she also illuminates how this suppression can be harnessed, and thus allow for females to have their own dominion. Brontë explores the rigid structure of the Victorian epoch that sought to stifle female expression. Brontë highlights the weaponization of religion among powerful scriptures as a tool to control female autonomy. However, Brontë simultaneously divulges that females can transcend forms of oppression through loving relationships. Ultimately, Brontë highlights how the weight of the Victorian era hindered female exploration, but she also calls upon the power of egalitarian relationships to surpass permeated stereotypes of women's role within Victorian London.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: A colonial mindset drives the conflict in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: A colonial mindset drives the conflict in "Highground". To what extent do you agree? Set in the aftermath of WW1,…
A colonial mindset drives the conflict in "Highground". To what extent do you agree?
Set in the aftermath of WW1, during a period of intense colonial expansion and conflict in Australia's Northern Territory, Stephen Maxwell Johnson's 2020 film "Highground", draws heavily on the violent post-colonial consequences of power imbalance, in which he contends, how a colonial mindset is the catalyst towards the force of conflict. In doing so, Johnson exposes how the abuse of authority fractures relationships. Additionally, he explores how vengeance perpetuates violence. Ultimately, Johnson states how reconciliation through Makarrata offers the possibility of Moral restoration. As such, he interrogates the human cost of Australia's Colonial legacy and the difficulty of healing from its historical trauma.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: vcaa aa 2023
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 75%: A group of young musicians in the Narrow Valley region have recently gained interest in more opportunities for…
A group of young musicians in the Narrow Valley region have recently gained interest in more opportunities for performances in the area. Consequently, the group shared an open letter to the Narrow Valley community across a wide range of publications. They contend that the region has plentiful opportunities of great venues that could be utilised and revamped to bring fresh interest and energy. The group aspires to garner support from the community for these projects in hopes they can bring life back into the region.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Rainbow's End is a bitter condemnation of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Jane Harrison's contemporary Australian realist play explores the effect colonisation has had on aboriginal people…
Jane Harrison's contemporary Australian realist play explores the effect colonisation has had on aboriginal people specifically in Australia during the 1950s. Harrison looks to portray the effects through the Dear family, including the racism they encountered to reflect upon the experiences of aboriginal people during this period, the sense of love and belonging that they had which was an accurate representation of what allows aboriginal communities to be close and connected, and their resilience, which is what allowed the Yorta-Yorta people, which this play is based on to make it out of these treacherous times. By depicting these central themes of the play, Harrison illustrates the ability of the aboriginal people to persevere despite many of the challenges they faced during this era of Australian history.
Harrison uses racism as a key theme in the play to explore the ramifications that colonisation had on aboriginal Australians in the 1950s. Harrison accomplishes this in Act 2 when the inspector tells Gladys that "The Aborigine needs to be absorbed into the community. But how can he be absorbed until he learns to live like us?" Harrison critiques the use of assimilationist policies which were prevalent in the 1950s such as the stolen generation through the use of the characters like the inspector, which symbolises these policies as they were used to undermine the aboriginal people and force them into the white way of life. Harrison also demonstrates racism, albeit to a lesser extent, through Errol(Dolly, I've got something to say. I want you to come away with me.) showing that even characters who mean well, still only view aboriginals like Dolly as only living 'in a humpy by the river' when Errol can promise her 'the world'. Harrison, through the use of Errol, demonstrates the effect that assimilationist policies can have, like in Errol's case, automatically assuming that his white way of life was superior to Dolly because he had all the material possessions that Dolly lacked. Ultimately, through the use of assimilationist policies, and their symbols like the inspector and characters who inadvertently come across as racist like Errol, Harrison shows that colonisation can cause racist behaviour and thinking to emerge.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what ways does Jane Eyre examine the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Underscoring the rigid hierarchies of the Victorian Era, lies the prevailing belief that women’s passion must be…
Underscoring the rigid hierarchies of the Victorian Era, lies the prevailing belief that women’s passion must be subdued in the name of principle. Set against the rigid moral codes and entrenched patriarchal values of 19th Century Victorian England, Charlotte Bronte’s retrospective novel Jane Eyre challenges this androcentric ideology, instead suggesting that true harmonious union emerges when passion and principle are balanced and intertwined. Bronte examines how Victorian social and religious institutions attempt to suppress individual passion framed as principle. However, Bronte warns against the destructiveness of passion when severed from conscience. Ultimately, the novel affirms that true integrity and love are only possible when passion and principle are set in dialogue with each other.
Bronte presents Victorian era religious and patriarchal connections as oppressive of individual passion under the false veneer of virtue and principle. At Gateshead, Jane is disempowered and dehumanised under the guise of submissive principle, the lady’s maid crying that she has “shocking conduct… to strike a young gentleman” and told to “sit… and think over your wickedness”, she is punished and expected to be silent and not speak against injustices despite her being struck first. Mr’s Reed’s classist disdain, framed as principle is seen through Miss Abbots statement that Mrs Reed has “kindly allowed[ed] you to be brought up with them”, however in reality Mrs Reed treats Jane with cruelty and vindictiveness. This reflects Bronte’s critique of Victorian principle that expected women to be passive and submissive under the notion of principle and morality, even when they are unjustly treated. The oppressive familial tie is crystallised in the red room, with “pillars of mahogany” and “crimson cloth” where Jane is punished for her defiance. The space itself evokes gothic confinement, its claustrophobic richness and spectral chill acting as a physical manifestation of the oppressive family tie that represses Jane’s passion under the notion of morality. The looming incorporeal presence of the household patriarch Mr Reed who “had been dead nine years”, serves as a gothic motif of haunting, a spectral reminder of inherited inescapable authority that binds her even through death, thus the familial connection becomes one of entrapment, indefinitely oppressing her passion under the guise of principle. This is further seen through Jane’s view of her reflection being “half fairy, half imp” a disdain that symbolises how passionate women who oppose the oppressive principle of the Victorian era are demonised and marginalised. However, Jane recalls “resisting all the way”, and her outburst to Mrs Reed that “I am not deceitful if I were I should say I loved you” marks the beginning of Jane’s resistance to oppressive patriarchal structures that would suppress her passion. Brontë’s use of dual narrative voice allows her to critique Victorian social institutions by presenting both the raw, instinctive passion of childhood and the tempered, analytical perspective of adulthood. The child Jane’s fiery denunciation of John Reed as being “like the Roman emperors” erupts from an unfiltered sense of injustice, embodying a passion that refuses to submit to the arbitrary hierarchies of Gateshead. Yet the mature narrator’s reflective admission that “I had drawn parallels in silence” reframes this childhood outburst, revealing how such moments, trivialised by the powerful as mere petulance, carry profound significance when revisited through the lens of principle and social awareness. Through this oscillation between innocent observation and retrospective critique, Brontë exposes how Victorian society sought to discipline female passion under the guise of moral principle, measuring women’s worth by their class, obedience, and submissiveness. This moment, situated within gothic frameworks of haunting and imprisonment becomes a formative node in the novel’s bildungsroman arc, the first major suppression of Jane’s burgeoning selfhood. This pattern is continued at Lowood, where Brocklehurst upholds a regime of religious hypocrisy that represses passion under the guise of religious virtue. Brocklehurst’s insistence that the girls’ curls be “cutoff” that they be “children of grace” functions as an excision of youthful passion, a marker of the broader excision of independence expected of women under the patriarchal religious connection of the Victorian era. Despite Jane’s protest that the girls have “insufficient clothing to protect” them from the “severe cold,” Brocklehurst insists this deprivation will prevent them from forming “habits of luxury and indulgence.” His outrage that “bread and cheese has been” served twice in a fortnight is likewise couched in a moralising rhetoric of rendering the girls “hardy, patient, and self-denying.” However, these deprivations serve to starve not only their bodies, but their youthful passions, warmth, hunger, and vitality are recast as sins to be disciplined out of them. Yet Brontë’s description of his own daughters, “splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs,” lays bare the hypocrisy of such supposed virtue: passion and pleasure are not renounced, merely reserved for the privileged. Through Brocklehurst, Brontë critiques how Victorian religious morality weaponised ‘principle’ to suppress female appetite, spirit, and independence, while cloaking patriarchal control in the language of piety. Jane herself is publicly denounced in front of the school as a “liar”, not for sinfulness, but for the passionate truth she asserted against Mrs Reed, further marking how hypocritical religious institutions seek to subdue and repress female passion under the false veneer of principled morality. Thus, Bronte illustrates oppressive familial and religious connections as being suppressing of female passion and independence under the guise of principle and virtue.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent are female characters…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: To what extent are female characters marginalized in Oedipus the King Sophocles Oedipus the King retells the…
To what extent are female characters marginalized in Oedipus the King
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. While female characters sometimes attempt to assert agency, their influence is constrained by male superiority and divine authority. In the Prologue female characters appear to assert power though acts of denying the gods, demonstrating they are not fully marginalized. Womens perspectives are both ignored and ultimately dismissed highlighting how patriarchal authority maintains divine order in Thebes.
Despite living in a patriarchal society, Sophocles suggests that women are not wholly marginalized due to temporary control. At the beginning of the play Thebes is plagued by a miasma where 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." By personifying death via vivid imagrey Sophocels sets the tone of the city suffering and consumed by darkness. Likewise, Jocastas dramatically ironic statement that "the land (is) so sick" demonstrates her awareness of the city's suffering. While her voice carries insight, it is suffocated by male authority and societal expectation. Thus, Sophocles presents Jocastas limited influence to his Athenian audience as a warning that even those who possess knowledge are powerless when constrained to societal hierachies. Furthermore, Jocastas involvement in abandoning her infant son on a 'barren trackless mountain' when he 'wasn't three days old' highlights how women were not entirely powerless. By giving Jocasta this choice, the playwright provides her with significant power, the only female in the play with such authority. Her decision to try outwit the gods and prevent the completion of the prophecy that her son must 'make love with (his) own mother' and 'shed (his) fathers blood with (his) own hands' highlights how women could exercise power, although it is not encouraged. While her choices ultimately leads to tragic consequences, Sophocles highlights that female characters are capable of action, emphasising that marginilisation is not absolute.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Crafting Texts - Protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: I remember the day Australia poured gasoline onto the flames. Our country had irrevocably executed…
I remember the day Australia poured gasoline onto the flames. Our country had irrevocably executed destruction. They said it was for our economy. They said coal was our inheritance and oil, our birthright. They said the Paris Agreement was a chain around Australia’s neck, but I’ve seen the fire burn not just forests but futures.
The announcement broke on a humid Tuesday. Everyday hum of chatter and coffee cup clatter filled the campus café as I sat, knee deep in Year 12 slavery. Then, silence. Heads all turned to the TV mounted in the corner.
“Prime Minister Talbot has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement”.
Devastation hit me like a tidal wave. The promise, though meagre, was something, and had been unceremoniously discarded like a scrap of rubbish. Talbot didn’t just withdraw from the treaty. He withdrew from reason. Withdrew from responsibility. Withdrew from the very soil we stand upon.
Outside, the air was thick, not just with the heat, but with disbelief. The sun hung like a warning. Talbot smiled, smug and rotten, filled with the pride of believing the world belonged to him. A man who was truly relentless.
The next month he taxed windfarms. Then, he slashed renewable investments. Then, carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions once again were treated as infinitely expendable product.
“No more needless red tape!” He said, live on the telly, raising his fists in triumph.
This was not leadership. This was mercenary.
I stepped foot into the throng of fervent protestors, converging onto the steps of the Melbourne Town Hall. The streets echoed chants of the horrified, demanding accountability. Signs of wrath rose above the masses.
“There is no Planet B”
“Denial is Not a Policy Mr Talbot”
“My Grandkids say Thanks a Lot (Sarcastically)”
It wasn’t just about climate models or carbon limits anymore. It was a betrayal of our country, our future, our truth. In assembly of unequivocal rage, we became one. The energy in the air was electric with voice of passion, a solidarity that transcended age, religion, sex or ethnicity. United by our shared belief that Earth was not a commodity to be exploited, we persisted, we forged legacy. Thousands stood questioning in disbelief how a country so powerful and promising, capable of profound innovation, progression and compassion, could be in the hands of someone so disregarding of the very ground we stand upon. We were unstoppable, ready to roar.
But amidst the noise, a quieter ache. Grief. Grief, of the world I was losing, of the one I grew up in.
I remember the gentle rustle of the gum trees and little kids giggling. The endless blue of the summer sky. The kind and comforting breeze. The birds in their rightful habitat orchestrating symphonies. Nature in all its encapsulating magnificence was my playground. This is our home. We cannot drink oil and eat coal. We cannot breathe money. The idea of denying this
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Crafting Texts - Protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: I remember the day Australia poured gasoline onto the flames. Our country had irrevocably executed…
I remember the day Australia poured gasoline onto the flames. Our country had irrevocably executed destruction. They said it was for our economy. They said coal was our inheritance and oil, our birthright. They said the Paris Agreement was a chain around Australia’s neck, but I’ve seen the fire burn not just forests but futures.
The announcement broke on a humid Tuesday. Everyday hum of chatter and coffee cup clatter filled the campus café as I sat, knee deep in Year 12 slavery. Then, silence. Heads all turned to the TV mounted in the corner.
“Prime Minister Talbot has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement”.
Devastation hit me like a tidal wave. The promise, though meagre, but something, had been unceremoniously discarded like a scrap of rubbish. Talbot didn’t just withdraw from the treaty. He withdrew from reason. Withdrew from responsibility. Withdrew from the very soil we stand upon.
Outside, the air was thick, not just with the heat, but with disbelief. The sun hung like a warning. Talbot smiled, smug and rotten, filled with the pride of believing the world belonged to him. A man who was truly relentless.
The next month he taxed windfarms. Then, he slashed renewable investments. Then, carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions once again were treated as infinitely expendable product.
“No more needless red tape!” He said, live on the telly, raising his fists in triumph.
This was not leadership. This was mercenary.
I stepped foot into the throng of fervent protestors, converging onto the steps of the Melbourne Town Hall. The streets echoed chants of the horrified, demanding accountability. Signs of wrath rose above the masses.
“There is no Planet B”
“Denial is Not a Policy Mr Talbot”
“My Grandkids say Thanks a Lot (Sarcastically)”
It wasn’t just about climate models or carbon limits anymore. It was a betrayal of our country, our future, our truth. In assembly of unequivocal rage, we became one. The energy in the air was electric, a solidarity that transcended age, religion, sex or ethnicity. United by our shared belief that Earth was not a commodity to be exploited, we forged legacy. We stood questioning in disbelief how a country so powerful and promising, capable of profound innovation, progression and compassion, could be in the hands of someone so disregarding of the very ground we stand upon. We were unstoppable, ready to roar.
But amidst the noise, a quieter ache. Grief. Grief, of the world I was losing, of the one I grew up in.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “We Have Always Lived in the Castle…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Introduction First published in 1962, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle operates within the…
Introduction
First published in 1962, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle operates within the gothic tradition to explore the paradoxical nature of isolation. Set in a decaying estate on the fringes of a hostile village, the novel follows sisters Merricat and Constance Blackwood, who withdraw from society after their family is poisoned. Through Jackson’s manipulation of unreliable narration, domestic imagery, and spatial symbolism, isolation is portrayed as both a shield and a trap—offering protection from public violence while simultaneously nurturing psychological stasis. Jackson does not romanticise seclusion, but neither does she wholly condemn it. Instead, she probes its ambivalence, revealing that isolation may offer safety and identity, but at the cost of growth and connection.
Body Paragraph 1: Jackson frames isolation as a constructed sanctuary through narrative voice and spatial metaphor
Jackson presents isolation as a deliberate act of self-protection, achieved through the psychological architecture of Merricat’s narration and the spatial enclosure of the Blackwood home. The narrative voice—filtered entirely through Merricat’s childish, stylised diction—reconstructs reality to suit her need for security. Her magical rituals, like “nailing the book to the tree” or burying “silver dollars” as protective charms, are not just quirks but mechanisms of control, asserting dominion over a world she perceives as threatening. Jackson’s use of an unreliable narrator blurs fantasy and reality, immersing the reader in a consciousness where isolation is not only necessary but sacred. The house, described as their “castle,” becomes a metaphorical fortress, distancing the sisters from the external world and its cruelties. This symbolic geography mirrors Merricat’s inner world—orderly, rigid, and static. Through this interplay of voice and setting, Jackson suggests that isolation can be a psychological refuge, constructed to defend against trauma, especially in a society that punishes female transgression.
Body Paragraph 2: However, isolation breeds psychological deterioration, revealed through stagnation and character contrast
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Scenario 2: Birdwatching Instructions…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 75%: In the 'Wildlife Chat' podcast by the city museum, Willow Nguyen contends that birdwatching is a rewarding,…
In the 'Wildlife Chat' podcast by the city museum, Willow Nguyen contends that birdwatching is a rewarding, accessible hobby that benefits both the environment and the individual, and everyone (especially teens) should give it a try. Shifting in tone from a friendly to an encouraging tone, Nguyen blends persuasive strategies such as inclusive language, statistics, anecdotes as well as an overall, friendly, conversational tone to inspire teenagers to engage with conservation by participating in birdwatching and attending the museum's event. Addressing Australian teenagers' while appealing to values of environmental responsibility, youth empowerment, curiosity and learning, as well as connection and belonging - the piece seeks to reshape teenagers' understanding of bird conservation in Australia. The accompanying visuals - the first depicting a parrot on a tree branch of blooming flowers, symbolically suggesting harmony and coexistence between wildlife and nature, mirroring Nguyen's message that humans and nature can thrive together through respectful engagement like bird watching. The second visual is an image showing a teenage girl wearing a backpack and holding binoculars, standing in a forest and gazing upward with a smile as sunlight falls across her face, symbolically conveying curiosity and discovery, and youthful optimism and enlightenment, as well as connection with nature. Both visuals strengthen the argument by virtually celebrating the beauty of nature and the joy of engaging with it.
Nguyen begins with a friendly tone that establishes rapport with her teenage listeners. Using colloquial language and self-deprecating humour to dismantle the barrier between expert and audience, ensuring her later appeals to conservation feel accessible rather than instructive. By greeting her audience with a relaxed salutation like "Hi all," her relaxed register subtly guides her teenage listeners to feel included and at ease. Her approach using colloquial phrasing a playful, self-mocking humour when she introduces herself as "your friendly neighbourhood teenage science nerd" fosters trust and engagement, positioning Nguyen as a peer rather than a lecturer, which makes her later conservation and mindfulness appeals feel approachable and worth listening to.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Born a Crime is a story of overcoming…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Trevor Noah’s memoir “Born a Crime,” explores the passionate and often violent pursuit of overcoming adversities…
Trevor Noah’s memoir “Born a Crime,” explores the passionate and often violent pursuit of overcoming adversities and limitations displayed by different individuals, each with their own undesirable situations. The memoir showcases how Apartheid led to many individuals, including Noah himself becoming barricaded from society, forcing them to endure countless hardships and adversities. Throughout the memoir, Noah consistently showcases the risky actions taken by both him and his mother in the pursuit of freedom regardless of how undesirable their situations may be, this solidifies overcoming limitations as Born a Crime’s central theme.
Noah’s journey of overcoming the limitations of his mixed heritage is a central core of Born a Crime. Being born to black and white parents, Noah’s very existence was illegal under the arbitrary marriage laws of Apartheid, as he recalled: “I was proof of my parents' criminality.” This would force Noah to grow up in the absence of his father, while simultaneously having to constantly live in fear even with his mother as he recalls: “I couldn’t walk with my mother either.” Noah’s mere existence from the very beginning of the memoir posed as a significant limitation emphasising how overcoming limitations is a core theme of Born a Crime. Furthermore, Noah’s mixed heritage would repeatedly plague him throughout his growing years, with a notable example being in regards to his relationship with other coloured people. From the very beginning, Noah would emphasize his pride of being black as he exclaims “I was proud of my afro, and I loved speaking African languages.” This however, would go directly against the views of other coloured people, who were “brainwashed by the Apartheid government into believing that black people were the ones holding them back.” As a result, a stark divide was created between Noah and other coloured people, who viewed Noah as either a “bushman” or a “high class,” depending on whether they hated his “blackness” or “whiteness.” Due to his parents ethnic backgrounds, Noah’s mere existence from the very beginning posed as an undesirable limitation as the circumstances of Apartheid would separate him from his father and force a stark divide from other coloured people. These experiences solidify the theme of overcoming limitations as the core aspect of Born a Crime.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Scenario 2: Birdwatching Instructions…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 65%: In the 'Wildlife Chat' podcast by the city museum, Willow Nguyen contends that birdwatching is a rewarding,…
In the 'Wildlife Chat' podcast by the city museum, Willow Nguyen contends that birdwatching is a rewarding, accessible hobby that benefits both the environment and the individual, and everyone (especially teens) should give it a try. Shifting in tone from a friendly to an encouraging tone, Nguyen blends persuasive strategies such as inclusive language, statistics, anecdotes as well as an overall, friendly, conversational tone to inspire teenagers to engage with conservation by participating in birdwatching and attending the museum's event. Addressing Australian teenagers' while appealing to values of environmental responsibility, youth empowerment, curiosity and learning, as well as connection and belonging - the piece seeks to reshape teenagers' understanding of bird conservation in Australia. The accompanying visuals - the first depicting a parrot on a tree branch of blooming flowers, symbolically suggesting harmony and coexistence between wildlife and nature, mirroring Nguyen's message that humans and nature can thrive together through respectful engagement like bird watching. The second visual is an image showing a teenage girl wearing a backpack and holding binoculars, standing in a forest and gazing upward with a smile as sunlight falls across her face, symbolically conveying curiosity and discovery, and youthful optimism and enlightenment, as well as connection with nature. Both visuals strengthen the argument by virtually celebrating the beauty of nature and the joy of engaging with it.
Nguyen begins with a friendly tone that establishes rapport with her teenage listeners. Using colloquial language and self-deprecating humour to dismantle the barrier between expert and audience, ensuring her later appeals to conservation feel accessible rather than instructive. By greeting her audience with a relaxed salutation her relaxed register subtly guides her teenage listeners to feel included and at ease. Her approach using colloquial phrasing a playful, self-mocking humour fosters trust and engagement, positioning Nguyen as a peer rather than a lecturer, which makes her later conservation and mindfulness appeals feel approachable and worth listening to.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Poor lady, she were better love a dream.”…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Love, in William Shakespeare’s Elizabethan time as now, is hardly simple – remaining a force capable of bringing…
Love, in William Shakespeare’s Elizabethan time as now, is hardly simple – remaining a force capable of bringing delight and despair, exposing the instability of human emotion. In his comedy Twelfth Night, playwright Shakespeare transforms the festive world of Illyria into a stage where unreturned love and mutual love intertwine. Shakespeare investigates both reciprocated and unreciprocated love thoroughly, to reveal how passion, though uplifting, often blinds the heart and distorts truth. Through the folly of unreturned affection, the emotional paradox of disguise, and Act five’s resolution portraying true love, Shakespeare explores unreciprocated and reciprocated love as a complex interplay. Ultimately, this interplay of returned and one-sided love reveals the human capacity to find authentic connection, not by avoiding illusion, but by navigating through it.
Shakespeare begins by satirising the irrationality of unreciprocated desire, revealing how it can distort perception and consume those who fall victim to it. Orsino’s opening dialogue, “if music be the food of love, play on”, immediately establishes love as indulgence, satirising Orsino as the play’s archetypal Petrarchan lover whose affection is “better” off loving “a dream”, as Viola says about Olivia’s affection. The metaphor of “love” as “food” also showcases Orsino’s love as appetite rather than empathy to the audience. This performative suffering suggests his longing for Olivia is more a self-gratifying “indulgence” in courtly love rather than a genuine connection. When he describes “fancy” as “so full of shapes… high [and] fantastical”, he elevates imagination above reality, implying that his passion depends more on fantasy than knowledge of the woman he desires. Furthermore, Olivia mirrors this self-deception. Her misplaced affection for Cesario leads her to impulsively “send a ring” after him despite clear rejection, a gesture that makes her blindness to truth almost comical. Viola’s observation that one may “catch the plague” of love so quickly captures how easily it destroys and infects reason. Shakespeare’s decision to parallel Olivia’s and Orsino’s delusions reveals the universality of folly; noble birth or intellect does not spare one from emotional blindness. Within Illyria’s world of festivity, love becomes a form of madness that both entertains and wounds, demonstrating how the illusion of unreciprocated passion may lead to a more authentic understanding of oneself.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 65%: The Victorian government’s decision to allow recreational duck shooting, while other states have banned it, has…
The Victorian government’s decision to allow recreational duck shooting, while other states
have banned it, has re-ignited tensions among advocates and those who condemn it.
Writing in The Guardian (23/9/20), Peter Witt’s opinion piece appeals to his left-leaning
readership by accusing the government of ignoring the wishes of voters, experts and even
its own union representatives. Kerrie Allen, representing Regional Victorians Opposed to
Duck Shooting, presents a rational argument citing the economic and social impacts of duck
shooting as she attempts to persuade Warrnambool Standard readers the Premier has a
moral obligation to urgently review its duck shooting policy.
Witt begins by contextualising the importance of the previous weekend, a time when
some of the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. He provides a number of examples of
activities that Victorians had been “hanging out to do”. He then lists activities people
weren’t allowed to do – attend the gym, see a film, breakfast in a café, dinner at the pub –
all activities Guardian readers would have been yearning to do. He then contrasts these
disallowed activities with: “you could blast harmless ducks out of the sky with your mates.”
Through this juxtaposition of banned activities that cause no harm, boost the economy and
bring joy to many, Witt positions readers to see how absurd and inconsistent the
government restrictions were. Given many readers would have felt the effects of these
lockdown measures, they would be perhaps more angry that duck hunting was allowed.
Witt then seeks to portray the government as a body that has ignored expert advice
on the issue. He does this by providing anecdotal evidence of a poor turn-out on the
opening weekend of the season: “the only thing more scarce than the shooters were the
ducks”. While readers may not be alarmed by poor shooter turn-out, Guardian readers, with
their strong interest in environmental issues, would be concerned about shooting being
allowed with a low duck population. This anger would be compounded when Witt details
expert advice from “one of the world’s leading experts on birdlife” who warned the
government of “decimated numbers after the fire season” “was ignored”. Finally, and
perhaps most disturbing of all, the government instead “took the word” of Game
Management Authority (GMA). To explain how horrendous a mistake this was, and to give
uninformed readers insight into GMA’s credentials, Witt analogises: “listening to advice…
from GMA… is akin to advice on the impact of smoking from Phillip Morris.” In doing so,
Witt portrays the government as failing the people it is meant to represent by ignoring
highly-credentialed experts and instead appeasing a group that has a vested interest in the
issue.
Witt spends the next two paragraphs outlining the damage done due to duck
shooting, to help push his argument that it is surprising the government would support such
destruction. He cites “piles of rubbish, including plenty of grog bottles”. His commonsense
statement, “I would have assumed that alcohol and firearms were not a good mix” –
something all readers would agree with – is used as a precursor to the inflammatory: “but in
Victoria, the Government seems to think they
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Wilder explore the relationship…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: By the 1950s many silent era movie stars struggled to maintain a career in Hollywood after the introduction of…
By the 1950s many silent era movie stars struggled to maintain a career in Hollywood after the introduction of “talkies.” This was observed throughout Billy Wilders career as a writer within the post-war film industry informing many aspects of his 1950 film noir ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ Suggesting that dependency reduces autonomy giving away individuals power allowing them to be easily changed. This impacts how people live, act and see the world.
Wilder presents the idea that what you are reliant on forces you to shape your lifestyle around maintaining them. He displays this within the changes that occur or have been implied to have occurred in his characters life. For example, forgotten silent movie star Norma Desmond presented as being dependent on a former image of herself. Growing up successful within the industry cemented the idea that her own value stemmed from her stardom. However, when this came to an end and “a million press agents working overtime [did] horrible things o [her] human spirit,” her value was reduced to the ghost of the star she once was. To avoid this from amplifying her suicidal “moments of melancholy,” tendencies beyond what she can survive, her and max become inclined to refuse to let go of her former image. She therefore refuses to live a normal life, almost exclusively refined to her “neglected house [that] gets an unhappy look,” that’s filled with memorabilia from her career. The fact Wilder chooses to almost never have the windows/shutters open symbolises to the audiences her unwillingness to let her lifestyle be impacted by the real-world. Evoking trapped feeling alike to the way Normas trapped in the past, overpowered by her need for a good self-image. Similarly, when struggling writer Joe Gillis takes up working for Norma, he becomes reliant on her financially giving her much control over his life. Joe by working for her gives up his apartment, eventually sacrifices contact with friend his own age and eventually forced to give up his 1943 Plymouth convertible, a prop used by wilder to symbolise his freedom and desire for success within Hollywood. Whilst Norma didn’t intentionally let the debt collectors take his car, Joe still subsequently is forced to let go of things that don’t align with her values and only have the things she is willing to afford him. Costuming of William Holdens character further reflect this as it goes from ill fitting workwear towards tighter, more classic and expensive suits chosen not by Joe but by Norma because “the lady’s paying for it.” As Joe becomes enticed to lean more into becoming a ‘kept man’ it subverts the 1950 intended audiences’ perceptions of gender norms. Prompting them to view his desperation and lack of control as improper for a conventional man of the time, Highlighting the power imbalance created from his financial situation. These link dependence with giving up of ones own power and control of the living of their own life.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Sunset Boulevard’ reveals the dark side…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Exposing the powerlessness of naïve dreams of fulfilment against the toxicity of celebrity which has seized their…
Exposing the powerlessness of naïve dreams of fulfilment against the toxicity of celebrity which has seized their hearts, Billy Wilder’s quintessentially American film ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950) poignantly unveils the dark side of fame that is inextricable from Hollywood’s allure. Compounded by the skilful overlaying of a gothic lens, this noir mystery performs as a deep meditation on the brutality of this business, and a sardonic, yet subtly sympathetic, depiction of the victims of its endless cycle of sadism. Through his intelligent blend of fiction and meta-cinema, Wilder’s iconoclastic opus emerges as a powerful vivisection of the dangerous illusions of stardom.
Personifying this complex world as a dystopian nightmare, Wilder satirically contextualises the hidden horrors of Hollywood. Immediately referencing a classic trope of film noir, a disturbing amalgamation of fantasy and sobering realism is established through the eerie posthumous narration of this ‘poor dope’, with this non-linear structure exposing this inevitable tragedy from the outset. Heightening this strange sense of unease, the foreboding non-diegetic string music of Franz Waxman’s pertinent score warns the audience of this ensuing horror. Indeed, ‘Sunset Boulevard’ itself can no longer be hopefully associated with fame and luxury; rather, its disconcerting introduction in a gutter with ‘dead leaves’ and ‘scraps of paper’ alludes to its burgeoning corruption, as literally emphasised by the titular finiteness of ‘sunset’. Ominously towering over this decrepit street, the silhouetted palm trees embody personified judges of the ‘distorted’ and ‘blown out’ stories that ‘Hollywood columnists’ weave, as fortified by the intense chiaroscuro lighting. Similarly, although swimming pools were an iconic image of glamour, the floating corpse ironically exposes that this perpetual chase of fame is a deadly enterprise. As a poignant reflection of this danger, the toxic relationship between Joe Gillis, the cynical antihero and Norma Desmond, the stereotypical antagonist of a femme fatale, is inherently doomed. This Gothic synthesis of old and new Hollywood thematically foreshadows their demise, as both are dangerously delusional, one is confined by their obsolescence, the other ensnared in the shallowness of the present. Symbolising the subordination that defines their affair, the loss of Joe’s car is a ‘matter of life and death’ that resolutely deforms him into an item of Norma’s possession, as fame is too often synonymous with prostitution. Subverting the traditional gender stereotypes of their time, Edith Head’s pertinent costumes of shared leopard print a predominant motif of Norma’s wardrobe, which is also reminiscent of her silent-era glamour illuminates the oppression that this pursuit of celebrity has manufactured. In a house with no locks, Joe is already irreparably caught in the predatory grip of Norma’s atrophic talons, and thus, by extension, trapped by the noxious allure of Hollywood. Functioning as a provocateur to brazenly ‘bite the hand that feeds him.’ Wilder controversially deplores the deceptive facade of fame through his pioneering direction.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Finding My Way Stimulus 1:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 82.5%: Away. Maybe I need to move away; away from his scent, away from his untouched bedsheets, and away from his…
Away. Maybe I need to move away; away from his scent, away from his untouched bedsheets, and away from his unworn clothes.
It’s been years since he left, yet in my mind I still await his return from work, while I keep riding in his direction. The nights now empty of him stumbling over the stairs, leaving a silence that serves as a constant reminder of his absence.
It’s time I change. Time I choose to stand my ground rather than the countless times I’ve chosen to run – run from the inevitable truth that chases me day after day. It’s time I move away from this carcass of lost memories and constant whispers telling me I'm going the wrong way.
The image of his desolate eyes stares at me from across the road – body empty, as blood pools over the bitumen.
No helmet. No jacket. Just skin and bone against the asphalt.
My fault.
My world collapsed beneath the touch of his lifeless skin. That night, guilt climbed onto the back of his bike and whispered: “This is your doing.”
The argument plays over in my mind. My words sharp enough to send him striding out the door – his gear forgotten on the table.
If I had just shut my mouth. If I hadn’t pushed him. If I had reminded him to grab his helmet.
He’d still be here.
So, I followed him. I have ridden in his direction ever since, tracing the same route over and over, hoping it might finally make this right. If I suffered enough, If I carried enough weight, maybe I could rewrite that night.
The scent of tobacco lingers in my unchanged bedsheets from the constant chain-smoking in a desperate attempt to forget. The smoking never worked. It was always temporary – a constant effort only to never prevail.
Years spent in a haze of nicotine, chapped lips as evidence of my escapism. A mark I'll carry for life.
The confines of my room envelop me in a firm, but comforting grip – promising safety in his absence. These four walls have become my roadside motel, a place to stop but never truly rest.
I thought following his route meant staying with him. Waiting for him to walk through the door.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: It was stimulus response that had the…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: June 1998 Dear future Ellie, did we make the right choice? As I am sitting here in my living room, I can't help…
June 1998
Dear future Ellie, did we make the right choice?
As I am sitting here in my living room, I can't help but wonder whether everything will be worth it. The pain and the struggle of this world are eating my heart and soul, the invisible monster of normality attacking my own thoughts and judgments.
I am surrounded in a world where I am constantly compared to the closest girl, where only the ‘strong boys’ can help with the chairs at pack-up. To others, the constant misogyny that plagues our society and environments does not seem like a big deal. Violence and hate are pushed aside on the guidance that ‘boys will be boys’ and that ‘men can’t control their actions’.
We have a choice to conform, to be the perfect daughter, wife or mother, to be submissive and complacent while the men around us treat us as nothing more than the very dirt on their shoes. The love we receive is transactional, purely based on whether our performance, be it in the home or outside, was worthy enough to hear the very small words of ‘I love you’.
Even my friends, bright young girls destined for a future in which they desire are being led into this very trap known as submission. Relying on the men around them to basically run their own world, while they dumb themselves down and doll themselves up. Where the very idea of going to school in the morning requires hours of racing thoughts on what to wear and which boy will like what hairstyle the best.
But this choice is not only a trap, it’s a cancer that multiplies indefinitely until your whole body and mind are consumed by what men want. You are no longer dressing for self expression, you are dressing for male gaze, bearing the weight their impossible wants over your needs. To act submissive and innocent, but not too easy. To be smart but not smarter than a man because that will just embarrass and undermine them.
And then there is the second choice; rebellion. To take a stand like the many women before you to fight for equality even when your voice doesn’t feel heard. Even when you feel like you’re not doing enough. You stay disciplined, hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel where you can finally call this world home. All war comes with sacrifice and I am asking myself whether this is worth fighting for.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: writing about play
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: The Guardian I Opinion There is a tragedy against humanity unfolding, before our very eyes. Educators,…
The Guardian I Opinion
There is a tragedy against humanity unfolding, before our very eyes. Educators, parents, and policy makers should be deeply alarmed by the rapid decline of play occurring for both children and adolescence. Their freedom is being seized, their imaginations stifled and their innocence ransacked. All because of the screens YOU are providing them with. The most disturbing part? Nothing is being done about it.
As a child psychologist, I’ve spent years watching social media reshape our cognitive and emotional landscapes. But one of the most silent, least discussed casualties of this transformation is something fundamental to human development and mental health: the capacity to play. Freedom.
Play is what makes us human. Play is what makes us whole. It’s how we explore the world as children, it’s how we experiment with identity in adolescence, and it’s how we relax, bond, and imagine as adults. It is core to creativity, empathy, and resilience. Yet today, it’s quietly dying—drowned out by the scroll of curated feeds, the dopamine hit of likes, and the omnipresent pressure to perform.
In my clinic, I see it every day, firsthand. Children describe the crippling anxiety that consumes their thoughts and behaviours, keeping them up all night. When I ask them their screen time, many confess they are spending 7 hours or more on their phone DAILY! That adds up to about 2,500 hours in a year. That’s 104 days of screen time in just one year. It pains me to contemplate on the core developmental experiences a young person would miss out on in those crucial 104 extra days. But it agonises me even more to know the urgency behind this issue and not speak up about it. According to statistics, spending more than 3 hours on social media in a day puts adolescence at a higher risk of mental health problems.
A 2024 study published in BMC Public Health highlights a positive association between ADHD symptoms and problematic social media use among adolescents, noting that increased social media use can lead to heightened attention deficits over time. How is it that this detrimental emerging research seeming so unconceding to
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In We Have Always Lived in the Castle,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Heroes and villains are often thought to be one two completely different sides of the spectrum, having more…
Heroes and villains are often thought to be one two completely different sides of the spectrum, having more differences than they do similarities. However, within Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”, this idea is consistently challenged, in a world where the lines are blurred and it is difficult to identify who is the villain and who is the hero, Jackson leads the audience to understand that villainy and heroism can overlap, and be possessed by those one would not expect.
Initially, Jackson explores how those that seem to be heroes and possess heroic traits can commit acts of villainy and destruction. Utilising the tool of symbolism, Jackson uses Jim Donell and his throwing of the rock as a way to communicate this idea, working as the towns fire chief, he is made to put out the fire taking over the Blackwood mansion as it is being engulfed, with the fire “burning through its bones”. As the fire is put out, he takes off his hat saying “CHIEF”, picks up a rock and “smashed” the rock through the window of the house, inciting a riot and encouraging spectators to join him. Holding the position that many would assume to be one of heroism, this notion is subverted and once he commits his heroic act, out of obligation, he begins a riot and helps in destroying what’s left of the home, a distinct act of villainy. Jackson uncovers that villainy can be present in those thought to be heroes, something that can also be seen through Merricat, and her unreliable narration. Portrayed as the protagonist, Merricat makes herself out to be a protecter of Constance, someone who keeps her company and keeps her safe from the outside world, wanting to protect her “on the moon”, making her “safe place” one for Constance as well. However, despite depicting herself to be protective over Constance, especially from the outside village who despise her, she never admits to Constance that she is the reason why she is so hated, being the one who “put it in the sugar”. Here, Merricat and her unreliable narration, her constant omitting of facts to the audience but also to vital characters is used to indicate that despite how she seemingly Is a hero, protecting and keeping Constance, safe, she is quite the opposite.