VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Feature Article: Our Future with…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 87.5%: Our Future with Robots - 2018 NHT With the growing ubiquity of robots and automation in our lives, there has…
Our Future with Robots - 2018 NHT
With the growing ubiquity of robots and automation in our lives, there has been significant debate surrounding the notion of robots coexisting with humans in our everyday lives. In a reproachful yet objective feature article titled: “Our Future with Robots”, a well-known writer on social concerns, John Jones, emphasises that robots and humans cannot coexist because of the capacity for technological innovation to displace humans from their rightful place in society. Targeting the readers of a daily newspaper, the feature article, alongside a visual, aims to encourage readers to demand legislation against robots and automation. In response, Ashley O'Hara published a letter in the newspaper the following day, shedding light on the benefits of AI and discrediting Jones’ argument in a vehement yet rational manner, imploring readers to approach the future with an open mind.
From the outset, Jones appeals to the importance of human autonomy, overlaying a humanitarian argument in which they establish the gravity of the situation, detailing the “problem in the increase of automation in our workplace and homes”. By strategically placing such an argument first, Jones immediately bolsters the dangers of transhumanism, drawing upon the connotations of relentlessness and assault from the word “bombardment”. In doing so, Jones immediately positions the readership to look upon robots and automation with skepticism, since they could pose a threat to human livelihood. Reinforcing this, Jones imbues the audience with a sense of fear through the cold, procedural element of robots “perform[ing] surgical procedures” evoking a mechanistic approach to human wellbeing, unnerving readers by eliminating emotional care from medical treatment. Indeed, by juxtaposing the inhuman characteristics traditionally associated with robots with the hospitality and tenderness experienced during surgery, Jones implies that having faith in robots to enhance our lives and wellbeing could even result in death. Thereafter, Jones briefly acknowledges the potential that robots may have in enhancing our wellbeing, noting that “we all like the idea of a robot cleaning our house for us”. In doing so, Jones bolsters their ethos by portraying themselves as someone who has considered other facets of the debate, appearing as a holistic and objective individual to the newspaper readers in their argument to allay their potential scepticisms against Jones. Jones appeals to the human need for privacy, detailing how robots can “retain and share our later affairs”. Indeed, Jones leverages the forceful and unwelcoming connotations of the word “prying” to suggest that robots have the potential to completely invade our lives and personal details which could lead to unwanted locations. Compounding this, Jones’ extended metaphor, involving the use of “Big Business”, then “science fiction novel come to life” and “Big Robot is watching!”, functions to warn the audience who reads the newspaper and are likely to read widely, about the dystopian threat that faces humanity if we espouse robots into our everyday lives. Evidently, by making an implicit reference to a well-known dystopian novel, Jones’ extended metaphor suggests to the audience that advocating for transhumanist ideals means humanity tending towards dystopia. Hence, Jones elevates the audience’s feelings of fear and apprehension for the future, positioning them to acknowledge the writer’s forthcoming points with greater proclivity.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "There's nothing tragic about being 50,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: In the “popcorn business” of the burgeoning Hollywood Industry, it is only natural that youthfulness and beauty…
In the “popcorn business” of the burgeoning Hollywood Industry, it is only natural that youthfulness and beauty are cornerstones of the industry’s production of cinematic success. In his 1950 film noir Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder castigates the deeply ingrained valuation of beauty in the Hollywood industry, to which women across generations are subjected, and which they must internalise and conform to as a means of “making it” in the industry. Extending this, Wilder tentatively critiques the ageist double standards imposed in the industry, where older men seemingly thrive despite age, with many reaching their prime in the later years, whilst women such as Norma are scrutinised and eventually discarded upon their failure to satisfy such superficial standards. Ultimately, Wilder turns the lens to the audience of the time, inviting them to reflect on their complicity in sustaining the objectifying milieu rooted in satisfying their demands for youthfulness on the screen.
In his initial critique, Wilder highlights how Hollywood's obsession with youth and beauty has become internalised by women. Upon entering Norma’s mansion, Joe is surrounded by portraits of her younger self filling the room, drawing attention at the extent to which Norma clings to an idealised image of her past. Indeed, the suffocating mise-en-scene entailing her own images reifies the psychological toll of Hollywood’s fixation on youth, as Norma finds comfort and identity in the time she was valued. Wilder extends his condemnation with Norma’s visceral desire to return to the screen as “Salome”, a biblical femme fatale symbolic of beauty and seduction, reflecting her internal desire to return to her youthful days of adoration by Hollywood. The pervasiveness of such ideals is evident in younger women too, with Betty’s decision to “fix” her “slanted nose” reflecting her willingness to undergo physical sacrifice to meet Hollywood’s rigid standards. However pragmatic Wilder portrays her to be, the rhinoplasty scars Betty harbours from a series of failed acting auditions physicalises the internal wounds inflicted by trying to please the unpleasable Hollywood machine. This shared internalisation ultimately culminates in Norma’s declaration “I’m ready for my closeup” - a camera shot commonly cognised to epitomise beauty in the silent era now trapping Norma in a delusion of revitalised relevance. In doing so, Wilder laments how the industry’s obsession with youthfulness permeates across generations, ensnaring even the minds of those who are yet to be deemed “past their prime”. Wilder’s critique is telling of the emotional cost of an industry which prizes surface over substance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: The characters in Flames learn…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 100%: In Flames, Robbie Arnott suggests that genuine learning is neither triumphant nor comfortable; it arrives only…
In Flames, Robbie Arnott suggests that genuine learning is neither triumphant nor comfortable; it arrives only through loss, failure and destruction. Arnott argues that true understanding requires surrender — to grief, to the natural world and to cycles beyond human control — and he stages this truth across character, form and setting. Through Levi’s embodied collapse, Karl’s vocational dispossession and Allen’s prophetic isolation, Arnott shows learning as a corrosive, reshaping force rather than a moment of mastery. Formally, the novel’s shifting focalisation, diaristic fragments and elemental imagery convert inner rupture into public action and altered perception. This essay will demonstrate how Arnott uses language, narrative perspective and landscape to dramatise learning as a process of relinquishment, revealing how loss remakes identity and compels characters to reckon with realities they cannot command.
Arnott frames learning as the painful product of guilt and irrevocable consequence, insisting that characters often discover what they need only after they have lost what they wanted. Allen’s trajectory shows this most starkly: his slaughter of the wombats initiates an ecological and moral collapse that he cannot reverse, and the resulting culpability corrodes his reason until ritual and paranoia replace stewardship; Arnott stages this through escalating diction and the diary form so that private justifications harden into public madness. Conversely, Levi’s education is quieter but no less severe — his obligations as protector are fractured by Jack’s fire and obsession, and Arnott stages Levi’s recognition through bodily language, shifting him from “calm and timid” to “not well” and finally “retching,” a movement that literalises internal shame and forces a reckoning with responsibility. In both arcs Arnott refuses tidy redemption: consequences are material (killed animals, ruined land), psychological (guilt, collapse) and social (estrangement), and the lessons learned are about humility rather than mastery. By weaving mythic motifs, animist belief and stark realism, Arnott teaches that life, death and landscape are inseparable and that human arrogance must give way to ecological humility.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Playing my part Stimulus: “All…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 100%: Who are we if not performers? And what is living if not performing? Would you squeal at spiders if no one was…
Who are we if not performers?
And what is living if not performing?
Would you squeal at spiders if no one was watching?
Would you smile just for yourself?
We perform joy, fear, ambition, and restraint. We rehearse our dreams, improvise our failures, and revise our identities. Life is not just a stage—it’s a rehearsal room, a costume closet, a script still being written.
The biggest stage we’ll ever stand on is our own life. From the moment we arrive, we’re cast into roles we didn’t audition for. We eat and grow so our parents feel fulfilled. We study and work to contribute to society. We love and sacrifice so others don’t have to. We perform not just for applause, but for approval, for belonging, for survival.
And yet, there are moments—rare and fleeting—when the mask slips. When we step out of the costume stitched by expectation and into something raw, unfiltered. These moments feel like freedom. But are they? Or are they just another act, one we’ve convinced ourselves is authentic?
As children, play was instinctive. We didn’t perform for anyone—we simply existed in joy. A cardboard box became a spaceship. A puddle became an ocean. Raindrops weren’t acid—they were racers, sprinting to the ground. The world was magical because we hadn’t yet been taught to explain it. But knowledge came, and with it, complexity. We learned the rules of the stage. We learned to smile on cue.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Topic: ‘Inner conflict can manifest in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Essay: In Flames, Robbie Arnott presents inner conflict not as private psychology but as an animist force that…
Essay:
In Flames, Robbie Arnott presents inner conflict not as private psychology but as an animist force that reconfigures perception, identity and place. Through bodily diction, fractured focalisation and symbolic landscape, Arnott stages grief and purposelessness so that they literally reshape what characters see and do — from Levi’s somatic collapse to Karl’s vocational dispossession and Allen’s prophetic delusions. This essay will show how language, form and imagery make internal rupture visible and often strange.
Through showcasing the impact of grief, Arnott exposes how identities can be destabilised by the mourning for a loss of purpose in one’s life. Arnott portrays the imprint of mourning through the characterisation of the detective being tough and careless; her actions echo more of “something brittle behind her hard face… Something breakable,” with the lack of personal element in the detective’s narrative. The author frames the overwhelming power of grief as his object of scorn, heavily on the seemingly established identity and rationale(purpose) of a person. This is further reflected through the central storyline of Levi and Charlotte's chase. Levi’s grief is staged somatically so that emotion becomes behaviour: Arnott moves the reader from “calm and timid” to the stark, physical register of being “not well” and “retching.” The progression from adjectives to a violently corporeal verb literalises inner collapse; “retching” displaces psychological description with visceral action, dramatizing grief as embodied breakdown. This bodily staging also undercuts Levi’s purpose — the text repeatedly frames his role as protector, and when that role is compromised the grief is enacted through the body rather than explained. This motif is also reinforced through the sacred bond between Karl and his seal. Karl’s bond to the sea demonstrates grief as vocational dispossession: the orca’s killing of his seal removes not only a companion but the anchor of his identity. The phrase “his other half” implies doubleness and completion, so the sea — once a space of belonging — turns into a trigger. Arnott then codes retirement from fishing as symbolic renunciation: losing the seal equals losing the labour and language by which Karl understands himself, so grief remaps vocation into void.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Playing my part Stimulus: All…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: Who are we if not performers? And what is living if not performing? Would you squeal at spiders if no one was…
Who are we if not performers?
And what is living if not performing?
Would you squeal at spiders if no one was around?
And would you smile for yourself?
Emotions, feelings, dreams, and ideation.
What is life if you have nothing to prove, to earn?
The biggest stage anyone could ever be on is our own life. We came into the world to live for others; we live our lives for everyone else, but ourselves.
You eat and grow, so your parents would feel fulfilled with themselves.
You study and work so that you can contribute to a better society.
You love and sacrifice, so your loved ones don’t have to.
And only when you are out of the rigid costume that others put on you for the stage, only when you put the act down, only when you step out of your very own skin that keeps you for your comfort, only then are you truly free.
The world is always more magical the less you understand it, when raindrops mean there’s a marathon for which droplets would reach the ground first, when a hot summer day means the sun is feeling pretty. Instead, raindrops aren’t just water but also acid, and a hot summer day only gets hotter. Sometimes I wonder if we were ever meant to know so much about the world, if we were ever meant to know so much at an age that just seems to get smaller and smaller.
When did living get so complicated?
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Framework: Protest Title: Engage…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 77.5%: There needs to be disruption for things to change. This is what I want you to take away from my speech today,…
There needs to be disruption for things to change. This is what I want you to take away from my speech today, because as I stand on this podium looking out at you, young men of 2025, I understand that you not even care about what I’m about to say. Because frankly, if our care was even as big as a mustard seed, I wouldn’t have to fight the increasing pandemic of violence against women. In a world where the first few questions that arise after hearing about a woman being mistreated by a man includes concerns like “What was she wearing?” or “What did she say to make him so mad” or even “Why was she with him anyway?”, we need to really need to be asking ourselves “Why is this happening and how can I be engaged in ensuring this never happens again?”
Globally, statistics reveal that 1 in 3 women will experience violence in their lifetime. That means approximately 33% of women have had to tolerate a man’s lack of self-control. 33% have been the victim of physical harm due to a man. 33% and possibly more are living a life where every second is a risk of violence. That’s far too much and until this number becomes 0%, our fight will not end. It's time we, both women and men, protest against the entrenched acceptance of violence, not with whispers of disapproval but with loud, disruptive demands for transformation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: High Ground explores the heavy cost of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Steven Maxwell Johnsons film High Ground examines imperial conquest and its destructive nature, impacting both the…
Steven Maxwell Johnsons film High Ground examines imperial conquest and its destructive nature, impacting both the coloniser and the colonised. Set in Arhnem land, 1919, the film waves between the lives of both First Nations peoples and the colonisers through the characterization of Gutjuk. Johnson seeks to reveal the true nature of colonisation through his uncomfortably close to the truth fictional film, in order to challenge the Australian narrative of a peaceful settlement. Through his depiction of colonial violence and the lack of morality as a result Johnson implores that reconciliation will only occur through acknowledging the foreign doctrine the colonisers brought, and the undeniable destruction along with it. Ultimately, Johnson enlightening film endeavours to expose the true historical events of colonization in order to encourage viewers to challenge systemic racial oppression and re-evaluate its ongoing legacy.
In response to the atrocities of colonisation, Johnson unequivocally condemns the settlers calculated violence, predominantly destructive for the First Nations peoples, but also for the colonisers themselves. Through a postcolonial lens, Johnson uncovers the horrific violence disguised under the Australian narrative and exhibits its brutality. The commencement of the film depicts an aerial shot of the rising sun on serene Arnhem land, although this shortly shifts to the abrupt synchronised starting of the colonist footsteps, whose desire to avoid “trouble” is swiftly abandoned with the impassioned cry “what are we waiting for?” through signifying the colonisers as an approaching threat, Johnson reveals the systemic brutality of colonisation, a consequence of conquest to forebodingly warn viewers of its inevitable bloodshed. Additionally, Eddie’s command “nobody shoots but him” is abruptly met with the piercing shrill of gunshots, uncovering the encompassing and possessive nature of warfare, leaving behind lasting destruction, a heavy cost of conquest. Despite the commotion of “killing a white woman”, the settlers exploitation of Gulwirri remains overlooked, revealing the racialized hierarchy of colonial justice and exposing the systemic xenophobia stemming from colonisation with a harrowing ongoing legacy. By reinforcing the brutality of violent colonial conquest, Johnson reveals the consequences on victims as well as the colonist systemic issues to encourage viewers to challenge colonisations enduring legacy in contemporary Australia.
Having established colonial brutality, Johnson asserts that conquest leads to fleeting morality and loss of spirituality. As depicted by the settlers religion as well as the First Nations deep connection to country, Johnson illuminates the consequences of colonization as deep wounds not only affecting both cultures physically but spiritually and ethically. The spiritual advisor of the colonists, John Braddock embodies the Christian image, adorned in
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Wilder shows Hollywood to be an industry…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Billy Wilder’s 1950s classic film noir, “Sunset Boulevard”, follows an aspiring b-list writer and a forgotten star,…
Billy Wilder’s 1950s classic film noir, “Sunset Boulevard”, follows an aspiring b-list writer and a forgotten star, while exposing the dark underbellying of Hollywood. Set during the Golden age era, Wilder acknowledges how Hollywood can create dreams of fame and fortune, however, he ultimately condemns Hollywood’s destructive nature of destroying people who are chasing after their dreams and those who already achieved their dreams Ultimately, Wilder intends the audience to see how corrupt Hollywood is towards people behind and in front of the camera.
Wilder underscores Hollywood does create dreams, as it has provided success and fame to those who are able to get into the industry. Norma, a famous silent actor, showcases how Hollywood was able to make her successful, through the use of Norma’s “Isotta-Fraschini” car, her pool, and her dead monkey. Wilder symbolizes these ideas as excessive wealth, over exaggerating how far rich people would spend their money on. Hence, Wilder wants the modern audience to realise the post-war economic boom has brought people to become consumerism. Wilder highlights Hollywood for giving opportunities to young actors, leading them to gain fame and wealth. This is evident through Norma, as a “lovely little girl of 17”, bringing her huge success for herself and paramount studio, as Norma emphasises “without [her], there wouldn’t be any paramount studio”. Additionally, Wilder utilises the camera panning the workers sending a message to Demille about Norma’s arrival. Giving the impression that Demille is a busy and important person that he relies on people giving him the message rather than directly. Wilder’s depiction of Demille’s and Norma’s success, portrays how Hollywood gives people hope in succeeding like them. Wilder presents this through Joe and his apartment; it's small and not fully furnitured. Wilder showcases how Joe’s desperation for a better financial state, despite the significant sacrifices he has made, demonstrates how alluring Hollywood could be. Therefore, Hollywood does give people the chance to create dreams as it gives them success and fame, but it is never a guaranteed pathway.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: discuss the ways GW portrays identity
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: The conflux of ancient sacrificial practice and contemporary gendered violence is explored through Sarah Moss'…
The conflux of ancient sacrificial practice and contemporary gendered violence is explored through Sarah Moss' novella 'Ghost Wall' enabling her to underscore characters' journey to find their sense of self - both through violent and empowering methods. Moss first condemns character development of a fabricated past in order to fill their self desire for power, along with how characters look their sense of self when under the influence of unjust power figures. Yet Conversely, Moss celebrates characters ability to explore individuality, ignoring their confined gender roles set by manipulative figures.
Moss first demonstrates how characters their desire for power through establishing their identity, by romanticising a fabricated past. Through the characterisation of Bill, and his extreme, authoritarian attitude, Moss explores how his inability to obtain present day power - his unfulfilling proletariat role as a 'bus driver' - allows him to exert dominance over the Hampton women. This is through his patriarchal figure as the security and provider for the women, thus the Hampton women are forced to abide by his synthetic ideals of the subservient position of women, akin to Iron Age societies , he forces upon the girls. Yet, Moss condemns Bill's ability to imagine a fake past, where unlike the present, he believes in the past he would obtain agency, symbolising his faux ideals and ‘claim on something’ through 'bog bodies'. Whilst the 'people' are indicators that ancient sacrificial practice was in fact real, their skin being intact, thus they are hollow on the inside are representative of Bill's nostalgia for an extremely romanticised past - all a facade for him to believe his male status and power identity would give him control. Thus, Mss illustrates Bill's identity soley shaped by a romanticised past by his constant indictment of abuse upon his own daughter. Bill's control and constant authoritarian grasp over Silvie is so extreme, that when Silvie leaves camo early to 'relive herself' , an act as universal and fundamental as a human right becomes fraught with danger, depicting Bill's invasive reach of his traditional, patriarchal control. Silvie's thoughts begin to 'flicker' as she searches for a place to hide, her visualisation of Bill catching her urinating. Her fear, which is circled around Bill's patriarchal image that Silvie would be 'consorting with men' embodies his patriarchal beliefs that Silvie's worth is bound to chastity, enabling his patriarchal control to turn Silvie's environment depicts a world of fear and disgust. Hence, Moss's depicts how characters that build her identity upon patriarchal, faux versions of the past.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Let the sun illuminate the words that…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: Sitting on the edge of the old wooden pier, I let my feet dangle above the shimmering water, letting the gentle…
Sitting on the edge of the old wooden pier, I let my feet dangle above the shimmering water, letting the gentle waves kiss my toes. The sun sets in a spectacular show, blending all shades of orange, pink, and violet—a canvas so vivid, it feels as if the universe itself is celebrating my journey. It’s moments like this that remind me how far I've come.
I often think back to my first day at school, how I felt like a misplaced puzzle piece, desperately trying to fit in. I didn’t just want to blend in; I wanted to belong. My heart ached with loneliness as I listened to my classmates’ laughter, their words slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. But instead of retreating into the shadows, I found my voice through art. It became my refuge, my way of communicating what words could not express. Each stroke of my brush was a step toward reclaiming my identity.
The day of the mural was a turning point. I remember the laughter and the way my classmates gathered around, hesitant at first, but soon enveloped in the joy of creation. We were no longer strangers but comrades in this vibrant tapestry of life. It was in that moment of collaboration that I learned the power of connection. The mural we created wasn’t just mine; it was a testament to the beauty of our individual stories merging into one.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘The actions of Oedipus are irrelevant; he…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Sophocles’ timeless tragedy Oedipus the King examines the tension between humanity’s desire to act as individuals…
Sophocles’ timeless tragedy Oedipus the King examines the tension between humanity’s desire to act as individuals and the destiny that guides our lives. In the context of Ancient Greece and the Athenian audience, it is irrefutable that Sophocles asserts the power of the gods as an inescapable force that governs human life, suggesting that Oedipus was never to avoid his fate. However, through the endeavor of his protagonist, the playwright emphasizes that one’s choices and flaws can lead to further suffering. Finally, then, Sophocles asserts that there are limits to human understanding in the face of the divine will of the gods. Ultimately, Sophocles’ presents Oedipus as a tragic figure whose flaws are deeply relevant and reveals that human agency in inseparable from the workings of fate.
Sophocles asserts that human beings are powerless against the will of the gods; fate is predetermined and immutable. He explicates the limitations of human power as '[Jocasta's] son was doomed to kill [her] husband', and that she believes that 'he never had a chance to kill his father'. The power of divinity is elucidated here - although Jocasta attempted to prevent the prophecy by ordering the murder of her son, her attempts were futile in the face of divine power, as the prophecy was fulfilled when Oedipus killed King Laius. Sophocles presents the prophecy as inescapable and predetermined to demonstrate the restrictions of humanity in the face of the gods. Moreover, Oedipus states that “What will come will come. Even if I shroud it in silence.”. Oedipus’ himself recognises that fate cannot be avoided or altered, regardless of his actions or attempts to suppress the truth. Despite Oedipus’ persistent efforts to outwit the prophecy, he ultimately fulfils it, reinforcing the tragic irony of the play. Here, Sophocles underscores the inevitability of destiny, suggesting that human agency is insignificant in the face of divine will.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Que Sera Sera". Rainbow's End argues that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Set against the racial systemic, in the 1950s, where First Nations were discriminated against in all three…
Set against the racial systemic, in the 1950s, where First Nations were discriminated against in all three generations. Throughout the play, Rainbow’s End, playwright Jane Harrison highlights the impact across the generations of those Indigenous individuals who faced constant racism and their rights were stripped away. Harrison constructs the life of Aboriginal families, by emphasising on the harsh reality through the lens of Dolly, Nan Dear, and Gladys–each encountering numerous limitations and obstacles set by the white government in rural Australia. Harrison showcases that First Nation communities tolerate the acts of the white government and accept the paternalistic policies into their lifestyle, resulting in the absence of agency–nonetheless, some Individuals of the First Nation fight for their value and rights, in spite of the oppressive authorities.
Harrison depicts the reality of older generations that have faced numerous traumas from paternalistic policies, as many Indigenous individuals have accepted their hopeless life. By the utilisation of Intertextuality in the play, “Que sera sera” is heard initially and after–Harrison highlights the acceptance of the Indigenous individual’s fate in the presence of oppression, as they have not yet attained agency and power of their land. Additionally, Nan Dear is constructed to be fully against the idea of learning, particularly in a suppressed environment, Nan Dear expresses her hatred that “French verbs” will get Dolly nowhere in life, as she is solely a Indigenous girl accommodating in “The Flats”. Harrison showcases the lack of agency that many Aboriginal individuals have during oppression, because of their suppressed situation set by white authorities. Furthermore, Nan Dear is shown negatively impacting Dolly, as she limits her from experiencing the dance at “The Miss Mooroopna-Shepparton Ball”, where the whites gather. As expected, Nan Dear restricts Dolly as she is anxious of Errol, because of her own traumatic experience with “Clem Fisher”, who sexually harassed her at a young age. Harrison emphasises that as a result of trauma, this can be restricting for younger generations and their reach for freedom.
Ultimately, Harrison demonstrates that First Nation communities accept their limitations as they encounter numerous trauma, and are afraid to obtain agency for a greater future.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: In a progressive initiative to amplify…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 77.5%: In a progressive initiative to amplify diversity and innovation within the Narrow Valley community, numerous…
In a progressive initiative to amplify diversity and innovation within the Narrow Valley community, numerous young and avid musicians have contemplated the contemporary expansion of opportunities to showcase musical talent through a music festival. In a primarily ardent and amiable tone, the ‘Student Music Leadership Group’ presents an open letter, complemented with evocative visuals, to be published on various forms of media titled “An open letter to the Narrow Valley community, young and old, who wish to see our region rejuvenated…”. Targeting their audience of pragmatic and visionary citizens from the small rural region, the leadership groups contends that the conduction of a musical event is conducive to a more prosperous and captivating environment and implores the Narrow Valley community to incite change.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: personal jounrey
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 77.5%: The silence after the joy Happiness: The sun glistened brightly, turning the sky into a vibrant blue mixed…
The silence after the joy
Happiness:
The sun glistened brightly, turning the sky into a vibrant blue mixed with golden specs that stretched endlessly, and the warmth had turned young nine-year-old Aliza’s dark brown hair into a caramel brown. Laughter echoed in the air as she ran around her backyard having a water balloon fight with her cousins and her face glowed with a toothy smile as a balloon smacked her arm and drenched her in cold water. She only got to see her cousins twice a year so she soaked up all the joy she got from seeing them and dwelled on the happiness she felt. Her happiness was cut short by a sharp stabbing pain in her lower right stomach. A pain so sudden and intense that she doubled over, gasping for air as she clutched her right side with wobbling knees. Her vision became blurry and something as simple as breathing became hard for her. “Was I dying?”. The thought had flickered through her mind, quiet and terrifying but within moments the pain faded, not completely, but just enough for her to come back to her senses. The laughter of her cousins reached her ears again, like a lifeline pulling her back to reality . Then she remembered that she only had three more hours with them, so she shrugged the pain off and ran back, determined not to miss out on any of the fun. In that moment, joy mattered more than pain.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard suggests that in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir, ‘Sunset Boulevard’, follows a struggling screenwriter who encounters a faded star,…
Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir, ‘Sunset Boulevard’, follows a struggling screenwriter who encounters a faded star, trapped in their delusions. Narrated by a cynical and jaded protagonist, Wilder reveals the importance of ambition and self interest in Hollywood. Through his film, Wilder suggests that while having a strong desire for success in Hollywood can be achieved at times, lacking other values and morals impacts the ability of individuals to find fame in Hollywood. Wilder first portrays how a strong desire for ambition and self interest are essential to securing success in Hollywood. However, Wilder conveys that without integrity, having ambition and self interest for success in Hollywood can lead to losing one’s sense of control and autonomy. Finally, Wilder explores how without discernment, a strong ambition and self interest in Hollywood can result in a distorted sense of reality and self perception.
Wilder first portrays how a strong ambition and self interest are essential to securing success in Hollywood. Set against the backdrop of 1950s American society, characterised by consumerism, many Americans desired to achieve the American dream. With this, Wilder exposes how success was not entirely impossible within the Hollywood film industry, if individuals had values of ambition. Wilder depicts this during an intimate conversation between Betty and Joe in which a two shot is used to capture her reassuring and honest facial expression. Here, Betty reveals that despite getting rejected by Hollywood even after a “nose job”, she found it “more fun” being on the “other side of the camera”, suggesting how a genuine ambition for success in the Hollywood film industry can be rewarding. By employing a highkey lighting on Betty’s face combined with the non diegetic sound of the violin’s sweet tone, Wilder mirrors Betty’s current emotional state of finding joy and success in Hollywood. In doing so, Wilder highlights the importance of having ambition and self interest in Hollywood, revealing how such values lead to success. Wilder builds on this notion through a mise en scene of Sheldrake’s office, styled with mahogany and leather, with large framed photographs of Paramount stars and an Oscar on his bookshelf. Through his office, Wilder demonstrates Sheldrake’s luxury and fame in Hollywood, suggesting how it was ultimately his ambition and self interest that allowed him to survive in a toxic film industry. By pairing this with a high angle shot of Sheldrake lying on the couch juxtaposed with Joe’s anxious posture, reinforces his untouchable status and success in Hollywood. In doing so, Wilder further demonstrates how the only values that count in Hollywood are ambition and success, emphasising that without such morals, individuals cannot secure success in the film industry.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Shakespeare presents disguise as both…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Shakespeare presents disguise as both liberating and dangerous. Discuss. Intro: More than just a festive comedy,…
Shakespeare presents disguise as both liberating and dangerous. Discuss.
Intro:
More than just a festive comedy, William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ (or What You Will) explores the nature of disguise and deception as both liberating and dangerous. Shakespeare prompts the Elizabethan audience to be aware of both the necessities and extremities of disguise. Thus, Shakespeare portrays disguise as a liberating protective tool, yet cautions that it inevitably produces disorder. Additionally, Shakespeare demonstrates how disguise can generate comedy and foolishness, whilst recognising the torment that can be inflicted upon others at that cost. Ultimately, Shakespeare illustrates the necessity of disguises being unveiled for restoring balance, order, and harmony.
P1: Mistaken Identity → Disguise as safety, but disordered.
Shakespeare presents disguise and deception as a source of safety, but warns against the chaos which can result. The shipwrecked Viola's decision to "conceal me what I am" and adopt the identity of Cesario as an "outward character,” highlighting the protective function of disguise, which allows her to navigate a patriarchal society that would otherwise limit her to the boundaries of her gender. Similarly, the "virtuous maid” Olivia adopts a material disguise by wearing a “veil,” introducing the motif of clothing as a tool of concealment. However, when Olivia becomes infected with the “plague” of love for Cesario, Shakespeare illuminates the chaos of false identities. When Malvolio delivers Olivia’s ring with claims of Cesario’s ownership, Olivia remarks in her soliloquy “I left no ring with her.” Through this, Viola realises “she loves me,” which transforms her protective disguise to the cause of the play’s central love triangle which is “too hard a knot for [her] to untie,” with the metaphor of the knot symbolising the complex nature of disguise as both liberating and dangerous. Ultimately, disguise is presented as a powerful force which can often safety and freedom, but generates confusion and unintended consequences.
P2: Disguise for comedy → but harmful
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Harrison expose the constraints…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Jane Harrison’s Indigenous play Rainbows End through the power of story exposes the restrictions of First Nations…
Jane Harrison’s Indigenous play Rainbows End through the power of story exposes the restrictions of First Nations People in 1950s Australia. Through the experiences of the three Aboriginal family of Dear Women she reveals that they lack opportunities and voice faced in a white dominated society, whilst celebrating the resilience in having ambitions when exposed to a lack of choice of their own lives. Harrison ultimately explores the importance of maintaining determination to persevere through injustices.
Through the constraints imposed on First Nations people in Rainbow’s End, Harrison reveals their social exclusion from society. Following the “well-dressed white man” inspecting the Dear Women’s household who are instilled with “nervous anxious energy”, the inspector continues to questions and dehumanisingly looks around, “pleasant but distracted”. While the women are being questioned the inspector takes little to no notice of the women whilst they act vulnerable. The comparison between the behaviours suggests the power indifference and the lack of control in the assessment report for the Government of Victoria. Their restriction is further supported when he mentions “things will change” and Gladys and Nan Dear exchange worried looks as well as the mention of assimilation rises the tension in the house. The mention of “Your whites are so white solidifies the push from white society to force the concept of “being more white” as being white is superior. Harrison aim’s to show people of colours’ lack of ability and choice to control their own situation and must be silenced to survive their dire situation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Several characters choose ignorance over…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, several characters attempt to avoid or ignore the truth because they fear the…
In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, several characters attempt to avoid or ignore the truth because they fear the consequences it may bring. However, the play shows that the truth cannot be escaped, and those who try to remain ignorant either suffer more greatly or fail to prevent fate. While some characters receive temporary relief through denial, in the end they are punished for refusing to accept reality.
Oedipus himself demonstrates the dangers of rejecting the truth. From the beginning, he insists on finding the murderer of Laius in order to save Thebes, but as clues begin to point to him, he becomes increasingly defensive. When Teiresias tells him he is the killer, Oedipus chooses ignorance, accusing the prophet of treason rather than confronting the possibility of guilt. This choice delays his self-awareness but does not protect him from his destiny. Instead, when the truth is finally revealed, Oedipus suffers even more severely. He blinds himself and accepts exile, proving that his earlier denial has only made his downfall more dramatic.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Flames, Arnott suggests that grief is…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: In Flames, Arnott suggests that grief is never straightforward.” To what extent do you agree? In Flames, Robbie…
In Flames, Arnott suggests that grief is never straightforward.”
To what extent do you agree?
In Flames, Robbie Arnott portrays grief as a multifaceted and unpredictable force, revealing how it manifests differently across individuals and situations. To begin with, Arnott elucidates how toxic societal expectations surrounding masculinity and femininity shape the ways in which men express grief, highlighting the influence of cultural norms on emotional expression. Moreover, Arnott depicts how experiences of grief vary across humans and nature, highlighting the diverse responses to loss. Although, Throughout the novel, Arnott portrays grief as a complex force, however, ultimately he demonstrates that although grief is highly subjective, it compels all individuals to act in ways that deviate from their usual behaviours.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what way does Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the…
As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the inescapable influence of destiny. Juliet's desperate attempt to assert autonomy is encapsulated in her defiant resolution to use 'this knife' to end her own life rather than submit to a forced marriage. This act builds upon the repeated foreshadowing of her death, highlighting a struggle she is destined to lose. However, this act of defiance - intended to rewrite her fate - paradoxically aligns her with the tragic destiny she seeks to avoid, with every action fulfilling her tragic prophecy. By intertwining free will and fate, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to underline destiny's all-encompassing impact,. Thus the playwright evokes pity as the audience watches characters act on incomplete information, evident when Juliet relies on Friar Lawrence's expertise which is in itself incomplete. The Friar's plan, an exercise in human agency, ironically requires Juliet to simulate 'a thing like death', thereby acknowledging fate's
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what way does Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the…
As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the inescapable influence of destiny. Juliet's desperate attempt to assert autonomy is encapsulated in her defiant resolution to use 'this knife' to end her own life rather than submit to a forced marriage. This act builds upon the repeated foreshadowing of her death, highlighting a struggle she is destined to lose. However, this act of defiance - intended to rewrite her fate - paradoxically aligns her with the tragic destiny she seeks to avoid, with every action fulfilling her tragic prophecy. By intertwining free will and fate, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to underline destiny's all-encompassing impact,. Thus the playwright evokes pity as the audience watches characters act on incomplete information, evident when Juliet relies on Friar Lawrence's expertise which is in itself incomplete. This dynamic is evident in the Friar's plan, an exercise in human agency that ironically relies on simulating what the Friar calls
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what way does Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the…
As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the inescapable influence of destiny. Juliet's desperate attempt to assert autonomy is encapsulated in her defiant resolution to use 'this knife' to end her own life rather than submit to a forced marriage. This act builds upon the repeated foreshadowing of her death, highlighting a struggle she is destined to lose. However, this act of defiance - intended to rewrite her fate - paradoxically aligns her with the tragic destiny she seeks to avoid, with every action fulfilling her tragic prophecy. By intertwining free will and fate, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to underline destiny's all-encompassing impact,. Thus the playwright evokes pity as the audience watches characters act on incomplete information, evident when Juliet relies on Friar Lawrence's expertise which is in itself incomplete. This dynamic is evident in the Friar's plan, an exercise in human agency that ironically relies on simulating what the Friar calls
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what way does Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the…
As the play continues, Shakespeare explores how individual efforts to assert autonomy are overshadowed by the inescapable influence of destiny. Juliet's desperate attempt to assert autonomy is encapsulated in her defiant resolution to use 'this knife' to end her own life rather than submit to a forced marriage. This act builds upon the repeated foreshadowing of her death, highlighting a struggle she is destined to lose. However, this act of defiance - intended to rewrite her fate - paradoxically aligns her with the tragic destiny she seeks to avoid, with every action fulfilling her tragic prophecy. By intertwining free will and fate, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to underline destiny's all-encompassing impact, evoking pity as the audience watches characters act on incomplete information.This dynamic is evident in the Friar's plan, an exercise in human agency that ironically relies on simulating 'a thing like death' to subvert fate.