VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: many people fear ai they shouldnt
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 90%: As the rise of artificial intelligence continues to reshape modern society, debate surrounding the relationship…
As the rise of artificial intelligence continues to reshape modern society, debate surrounding the relationship between human capability and machine intelligence has moved to the forefront of public discourse. In his New York Times opinion piece, "Many People Fear A.I. They Shouldn't", published on 31 July 2024, David Brooks contends that AI will never truly replace humanity because it cannot replicate the extraordinary complexity of the human mind. Instead, Brooks argues that artificial intelligence should be embraced as a complementary tool that enables people to become "more human." Adopting an intellectually authoritative yet optimistic tone, Brooks seeks to reassure his predominantly humanistic and liberal arts-oriented readership that their anxieties surrounding AI stem not from the technology itself, but from an underestimation of humanity's unique capacities.
Brooks opens his argument by reframing anxiety surrounding AI, presenting it not simply as a technological concern but as evidence of society's diminishing appreciation for the complexity of the human mind. Through the contrasting metaphors of the mind as a "computer" and as "its own universe," Brooks rejects the reductionist belief that human cognition can be replicated through algorithms. While the image of a computer evokes mechanical imitation and predictable information processing, the metaphor of a "universe" suggests limitless complexity, creativity and consciousness. This deliberate contrast encourages readers to reconsider the assumptions underpinning their fears of AI, positioning such anxieties as the product of an "impoverished view" of humanity. Rather than alienating his audience, Brooks appeals to their intellectual pride by inviting them to recognise the richness of human cognition beyond computation. Furthermore, Brooks employs extensive enumeration when describing humanity's ability to "love," "bond," "seek goodness," "create beauty," and "find meaning." The cumulative effect of this catalogue overwhelms readers with the breadth of uniquely human experiences, exposing AI's comparatively narrow capabilities as fundamentally inadequate. By constructing humanity as emotionally, morally and spiritually multidimensional, Brooks reinforces the notion that consciousness cannot be reduced to code, ultimately persuading readers that AI is incapable of replacing the essence of human existence.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: many people fear ai they shouldnt
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 77.5%: As the rise of artificial intelligence continues to reshape modern society, debate surrounding the…
As the rise of artificial intelligence continues to reshape modern society, debate surrounding the relationship between human capability and machine intelligence has moved to the forefront of public discourse. In his New York Times opinion piece, "Many People Fear A.I. They Shouldn't", published on 31 July 2024, David Brooks contends that artificial intelligence will never replace humanity because it cannot replicate the extraordinary complexity of the human mind. Rather than viewing AI as a rival, Brooks argues that it should be embraced as a complementary tool that ultimately enables people to become "more human." Through an intellectually authoritative yet optimistic tone, Brooks seeks to reassure his predominantly humanistic and liberal arts-oriented audience that their fears surrounding AI are both misplaced and rooted in an underestimation of humanity itself.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: many people fear ai they shouldnt
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 70%: As the rise of artificial intelligence has surged, it has prompted a widespread debate over the relationship…
As the rise of artificial intelligence has surged, it has prompted a widespread debate over the relationship between human capability and machine intelligence which has moved to the forefront of public discourse. The opinion piece “many people fear ai they shouldn’t” publish on 31st July 2024 in a New York times column by David Brooks, contends that AI will never truly replace humans because it cannot replicate the complexity of the human mind, and instead will serve as a complementary that allows us to be more human. With an intellectually grounded tone, Brooks aims to persuade humanistic and liberal arts oriented individuals who have this unnecessary fear of Ai instilled in them.
Brooks opens his argument by reframing the anxiety surrounding ai, diagnosing it as a technological concern, but as a symptom of diminishing human potential. Brooks does this through his usage of metaphors like “computer mind” or “the mind is its own universe”, he presents this as a sterile and impoverished reduction. He contrasts them together as describing the mind as a universe- unlimited, infinite,- and the computer as something which simply copies and replicates. By doing so, this makes the audience feel insulted if they hold onto this fear. Brooks is essentially accusing his readers of underestimating themselves and their brains. This is a clever manipulation as he makes the readers feels “superior” in a way if they reject the ideology of fearing AI. Moreover, brooks enumeration to depict Ai’s capability seem laughably insufficient. He is using sheer volume and variety to expose the “Impoverished view” he critisied earlier. By enumerating the diverse, instinctual and transcendental functions of the human mind, brooks creates a stark to a singular binary function of Ai. He again frames the human experience as something so impenetrable to be reduced to mere code. The cumulative effect of him listing emotional, biological and existential capabilities, brooks forces his readers to confront the impossibility of replicating human essence. Brooks uses enumeration to emphasise the irony of those who underestimate the human mind the incorrigible nature of our consciousness, he highlights that ai lacks the biological and moral capacity to “think”.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Sluiter use cinematic techniques…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Through the journey of Ayaan, an Asylum Seeker, Allies Sluiter portrays the barrier between Ayaan and the…
Through the journey of Ayaan, an Asylum Seeker, Allies Sluiter portrays the barrier between Ayaan and the Australian land as the absence of familiarness, trust and safety because Asylum seekers get horrible treatment when being found, including deportation, harm, or even death at times.
In the first scene, the director includes a long shot camera angle of Ayaan walking alone in the desert. Through the focus on the empty environment and Ayaan being the small person moving, Sluiter conveys the vulnerability and lack of power in Ayaan and the sense of danger and isolation that Ayaan is under to the viewer. The framing demonstrates the presence of Ayaan being in a foreign country creates disconnection, as she has minimal knowledge of her surroundings.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Regeneration, homecoming proves…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Pat Barker’s historical novel Regeneration exposes the devastating psychological fissure of the First World War,…
Pat Barker’s historical novel Regeneration exposes the devastating psychological fissure of the First World War, contending that the romanticised dream of homecoming is entirely illusory because the combatant discovers that both he and the domestic sphere have altered beyond recognition, transforming repatriation into a secondary form of exile. Although the surface of civilian life promises an idyllic sanctuary of healing and restoration, Barker unmasks a grim psychological reality where the threshold of the home becomes a site of estrangement rather than asylum. Finally, the narrative reveals that this alienation is absolute, as the permanent alteration of both the civilian populace and the returning soldier shatters any possibility of genuine reintegration, leaving the traumatised individual permanently adrift in a society that refuses to comprehend his fractured reality.
Barker locates the sustaining fiction of the trenches in an idealised fantasy of domesticity, the dream of an unchanged home that keeps the combatant sane amid the horror. Portraying the domestic sphere not merely as a physical location, but as an internalised emotional anchor, she designs it to preserve sanity against the onslaught of mechanised warfare. Capturing this through the haunting perspective of the mute officer, the author figures his mutism as a physical manifestation of repressed trauma, yet his inner life remains tethered to a pre-war identity. Noting that this mute individual had effectively "left home when I was five" to enter the rigid, emotionally sterile pipeline of British boarding schools, the novel offers a biographical detail that highlights how the concept of home was already an elusive, mythologised construct long before the outbreak of hostilities. Operating as a vital psychological defence mechanism, this distant memory of domestic stability fuels the soldier's desperate "decision to return" to a state of perceived innocence and safety. Moving beyond the singular trauma of mutism, Barker extends this reliance on domestic mythology to the broader military hierarchy, framing the medical apparatus of Craiglockhart War Hospital as a mechanism designed to facilitate this impossible restoration. Cast as a surrogate paternal figure, the psychiatrist bears a therapeutic mandate to render the psychologically fractured soldier "fit to return" to civilian life, an ironic phrase that masks the institutional objective of combat reclamation. Collapsing under the weight of wartime reality, this administrative desire for domestic rehabilitation exposes the state's true intention: not the preservation of the individual, but his eventual "return to France" to rejoin the industrial slaughter. Converting the comforting myth of a domestic haven into a coercive tool of the state, this cyclical process ensures that the soldier remains trapped between the physical terror of the frontline and the psychological manipulation of the home front. Consequently, this initial, desperate clinging to the fantasy of a welcoming homeland sets the stage for a devastating psychological rupture when the physical return is finally attempted.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral speech on anti immigration protests
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 77.5%: What does it mean to be a true Australian? If you had asked that question in the 1800s, many people would…
What does it mean to be a true Australian? If you had asked that question in the 1800s, many people would have described a aboriginal or Torres strate islander person, the first people of this land. If you had asked that same question in the 1900s, many people may have pictured someone with fair skin, sun tanned from the Australian climate and perhaps with long hair. Today however, there is no single image of a “true Australian”. Australia has become one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, and being Australian is not defined by appearance, ancestry or background. A true Australian can be anyone who calls this country home and contributes to its community. So why would anyone feel the need to protest against diversity?
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The Memory Police suggests that oppression…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police is a dystopian sci-fi novel which acts as an allegory for the dangers of…
Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police is a dystopian sci-fi novel which acts as an allegory for the dangers of succumbing to political oppression. Throughout her novel, she demonstrates how while people do rise as a result of purposeful intimidation, it's secondary to passivity from the affected population. She does this through the idea that people are in fact afraid and feel powerless, but also due to people forgetting their core values, and their failure to commit to passing on tradition is why oppression takes charge.
Ogawa begins by definitively establishing that a key reason why authoritative governments thrive is through harnessing fear to enforce conformity (even if that fear is not from them). From the opening of the novel, Ogawa illustrates the shame associated with being someone who remembers through the narrator's mother. The fact objects such as 'perfume' are 'hidden' away despite the current absence of the Memory Police demonstrates the societal pressure to blend in with others, and the fear of scrutiny, even without the risk of punishment. It's only once the mother 'receives a letter' and 'disappears' does the risk of being someone who remembers become realised. Ogawa utilises this first chapter before the current day to reinforce her point that authoritative governments thrive and harness existing fear to push forward their own agenda, and poses the question that if people who remembered were not afraid to discuss it and go against the grain, would the Memory Police been so powerful? The illustration of the Memory Police building on existing fear as they brutally kidnap people and ‘bystanders turned to look disapprovingly, they were afraid of creating a disturbance.’ Here, Ogawa directly draws a parallel between societal disapproval and fear, use of the word 'disapprovingly' clearly insinuates that these bystanders are against both the actions of the Memory Police, but also to an extent against the actions of the people being kidnapped. In either direction, it leads to the Memory Police being able to continue their pursuit of power as people are afraid to intervene and either face disapproval from peers, or ‘draw the attention of the Memory Police.’ Finally, Ogawa doesn't discount the real danger people face as a sensible reason to go into hiding. She explores loss both through the direct ‘removal’ of objects, but also through the more subtle 'vanishing' of people, such as R. R's moving into the 'safe house'...’beneath a rug’ illustrates a key turning point in the novel where while people such as R or the Inui family do openly disapprove of the disappearances and previously did so openly — such as in R's office's lobby, are now ‘forced into hiding out of fear’ for their life. Whilst Ogawa does demonstrate the risk of going into hiding as furthering progressing authoritative regimes, she ultimately shows she agrees with the decision as R survives. Ultimately, Ogawa decisively warns that implicit societal disapproval fosters an environment where people are afraid to speak up, enabling authoritative forces to take charge and force those who aren't to be so.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Background Information: The nation’s…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 72.5%: The concern for Australia's future has prompted a group of young Australian leaders to host the summit Vision…
The concern for Australia's future has prompted a group of young Australian leaders to host the summit Vision 2050, inviting the country's wealthiest people. Billie Pearce, an entrepreneur and one of the organisers of the summit, has given a speech to the powerful and influential guests in an optimistic voice, encouraging them to build their legacy through contributing to Australia.
From the outset, Pearce employs a sincere and upfront tone, applauding the efforts of her guests in achieving their wealth and power. Through referring to her listeners as the "brightest minds" and "most accomplished," Pearce begins by positioning them to view themselves as influential and powerful individuals who have "earned their place in leading the country." However, the sense of honour and accomplishment is then immediately undercut as Pearce reveals that it is those who "made a difference" that are remembered in history. Following with the imagery of the names of individuals engraved onto different places in the community. Pearce destabilises the notion among the wealthy, that they have solidified their name in history through their financial achievements, instead accentuating that it is those who contribute have a positive impact on the community that are truly remembered.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘In Hollywood, careers are fleeting.’ To…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 100%: Set in post-war America during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies, Billy Wilder’s scathing film…
Set in post-war America during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies, Billy Wilder’s scathing film noir ‘Sunset Boulevard’ exposes Hollywood as an industry where corruption and immorality is prominent and often required for success. Sunset Boulevard suggests that success in Hollywood is difficult to achieve and often ephemeral, however, individuals with immense authority and profitability can have solidified careers in the industry. Wilder suggests that unrealistic and dynamic societal standards that are enforced in Hollywood cause careers to be unstable. This instability causes working-class careers to be inherently unfulfilling and undervalued. Contrarily, individuals at the top of Hollywood’s hierarchy are able to have permanent careers in the industry due to large impact and power.
Wilder’s film exposes how Hollywood’s ever-changing beauty standards cause individuals, particularly women, to be disposable in the industry. Sunset Boulevard illustrates the commodification of females in the industry for their attractiveness, leading to success that declines with age and shifting beauty norms. The high angle shot of Norma, a washed up silent film star, in the spotlight at DeMille’s studio as a worker tries to “get a better look at” her, and DeMille telling him to “put that light back where it belongs,” highlights that Norma only “belonged” when she was young and beautiful, rather than aged. Through his symbolism of the spotlight, Wilder aims to demonstrate the temporary nature of fame due to unforgiving beauty standards. The depiction of Norma undergoing a montage of gruelling beauty treatments in preparation for “cameras that would never turn” highlights the immense effort it takes to maintain success in Hollywood as a woman. Her tragic character, deluded and depressed due to her forgotten career as an actress in Hollywood, exemplifies the harsh treatment of females who no longer fit beauty standards in the industry. Norma’s preparation for her inconceivable film further demonstrates her self-destruction caused by her disposal from her past career. This suggests that Norma’s deluded state is misunderstood, and that her declined mental health is a result of her ephemeral success in the film industry. Wilder reinforces the damaging nature of beauty standards in his characterisation of Betty, a foil to Norma, who was once an aspiring actress and got surgery after not getting a role because the casting directors “didn’t like [her] nose,” demonstrates the difficulty of launching a career in Hollywood due to unrealistic, overly enforced beauty standards. Despite the initial depiction of Betty as a love interest archetype, reinforcing her undeniable attractiveness, Wilder uses her nose to symbolise the idealistic expectations of the industry for women. By positioning Betty and Norma as foils, yet still both victims to the gruelling, damaging beauty standards of the film industry, Wilder transforms their individual hardships into a systemic critique, exposing how these ideals damage identity and careers.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: This is a oral presentation on the…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 90%: The cost of a roof This time last year I spoke on the cost of living, the price of groceries, the bills, and…
The cost of a roof
This time last year I spoke on the cost of living, the price of groceries, the bills, and the everyday struggle to keep your head up. And most importantly rent and how aussies are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Today the median house price in our cities has hit over a million dollars. But this isn't an accident of the housing market, it's a self-inflicted crisis. It's the result of decades of choosing to treat homes like banks and a business instead of homes for people. For our generation, the "Australian Dream" isn't a goal anymore. It's a life sentence of rent.
We're told that if we work hard, we'll get ahead. But data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare or (AIHW for short) shows a different daunting reality, homeownership for people aged from 25-35 is plummeting. And there's a simple reason. Our legal and tax system, through specific policies like Negative Gearing, has rigged the game. The Sydney Morning Herald recently pointed out that tax breaks have been a 'losing streak' for the public for nearly a century. We have created a system where it is legally more profitable for an investor to buy their fifth home than for a family in Dandenong to buy their first, creating a situation where the law rewards wealth over people's work.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does The Memory Police…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Ogawa implies that memory is fundamental to autonomy, moral judgement and the resistance individuals can mount…
Ogawa implies that memory is fundamental to autonomy, moral judgement and the resistance individuals can mount against authoritarian regimes. Ogawa highlights the disconnect citizens of the island face from their own individual agency and decision-making. This erosion of self is a direct result of the unreasonable surveillance and punishment the Memory Police enforce, which ultimately removes the islanders' ability to challenge their oppression. The Memory Police transform the idea of remembrance into a criminal offence, accentuating the lack of autonomy citizens are provided and thereby removing their ability to resist injustice. The narrator describes the Memory Police as “men who are determined to see things disappear,” a description that highlights the regime's unreasonable authority by framing their actions not as a duty, but as a personal, obsessive mission to erase existence itself. Ogawa’s lexical choice of “determined” illustrates the relentless nature of the Memory Police and their lack of moral judgement in comprehending the mass erasure of a functioning society. They weaponize the act of retention, systematically stripping away objects to ensure the islanders become “accustomed to these losses.” Furthermore,
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does The Memory Police…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Ogawa implies that memory is fundamental to autonomy, moral judgement and resistance individuals hold over…
Ogawa implies that memory is fundamental to autonomy, moral judgement and resistance individuals hold over authoritarian regimes. Ogawa highlights the disconnect citizens of the island face through individual agency, decision making and their ability to challenge the oppression they face through the unreasonable surveillance and punishment the Memory Police. The Memory police transform the idea of remembrance into a criminal offence accentuating the lack of autonomy citizens are provided in order to remove their ability to repress injustice. The Narrator describes the Memory Police as “men who are determined to see things disappear” highlighting the unreasonable authority the Memory Police exercise upon the islanders. Ogawa’s lexical choice of “determined” illustrates the relentless nature of the Memory Police and the disconnect between their moral judgement to comprehend the mass erasure of a functioning society. Subsequently, The Narrator claims that the actions of the Memory Police “deteriorate” the
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: write a diasporic fiction story.
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: a bowl of rice and a ceramic plate I am the first daughter. i am the second. i sit down at the table and flip…
a bowl of rice and a ceramic plate
I am the first daughter.
i am the second.
i sit down at the table and flip my phone face-down, breathing in the steam from my bowl of warm white rice. my hands gloss over the surface of the marbled black table as i pick up the cracked rice spoon and begin to poke the rice, the spoon gripping the grains with certainty.
My brother’s voice breaks the lull in conversation, his hands pushing my father’s folded newspaper off the table. His brash voice cuts through the oversaturated room. My parents easily talk over him using the harsh and fricative phonetics of Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien, each syllable vying to be louder than the last, consonants exploding with force and spittle. My brother’s voice raises, grating the wooden table that nestles my warm rice until my parents turn to look at him. He’s only asking for the soy chicken. I frown at his abrasiveness before I silently give him what he wants. My mother reminds him to finish his chiah before he leaves the table, and I dish myself another spoonful of rice before I begin to chew.
“how many minutes have you studied today?” i don’t reply. i don’t count the minutes but today i know there aren’t many of them. “i don’t understand how you spend this much time on your laptop without accomplishing anything meaningful. your procrastination is a serious issue, one day you’ll regret wasting all this time.” my mother lectures me, her words scraping across the table as they attempt to worm their way into my head. my sisters focus on eating, if their mouths are full then they can’t be asked to contribute to this conversation. i avoid eye contact and look back down at my rice. it has gone cold.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus is an admirable man. Do you agree?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his…
Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his impulsive temperament and hubris ultimately render him an unadmirable man. In the prologue, Sophocles originally frames Oedipus as a compassionate and decisive leader, as he affirms to the people of Thebes that "you can trust me" and that they now have "me to fight for you". His unwavering self-assuredness in his ability to cure the problems of the Theban people portrays Oedipus as a stable and reliable individual, qualities celebrated in a leader. Oedipus' admirability is further amplified through his dedicated inquisition for truth and justice. After receiving the Oracle of Delphi from Creon, with Apollo instructing him to "drive out the pollution", Oedipus instantly promises to "bring it all to light myself", ensuring that the full truth will be unveiled. Later, Oedipus' curse on
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus is an admirable man. Do you agree?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his…
Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Thebans for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his impulsive temperament and hubris ultimately render him an unadmirable man. In the prologue, Sophocles originally frames Oedipus as a compassionate and decisive leader, as he affirms to the people of Thebes that "you can trust me" and that they now have "me to fight for you". His unwavering self-assuredness in his ability to cure the problems of the Athenian people, portrays Oedipus as a stable and reliable individual, qualities celebrated in a leader. Oedipus' admirability is further amplified through his dedicated inquisition for truth and justice. After receiving the Oracle of Delphi from Creon, with Apollo instructing him to "drive out the pollution", Oedipus instantly promises to "bring it all to light myself", ensuring that the full truth will be unveiled. Later, Oedipus' curse on the
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus is an admirable man. Do you agree?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Athenians for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice,…
Whilst Oedipus is initially admired by Athenians for his proactive leadership and unshakable pursuit for justice, his impulsive temperament and hubris ultimately renders him an unadmirable man. In the prologue, Sophocles originally frames Oedipus as a compassionate and decisive leader, as he affirms to the people of Thebes that "you can trust me" and that they now have "me to fight for you". His unwavering self-assuredness in his ability to cure the problems of the Athenian people, portray Oedipus as a stable and reliable individual, qualities celebrated in a leader. Oedipus' admirability is further amplified through his dedicated inquisition for truth and justice. After receiving the Oracle of Delphi from Creon, with Apollo instructing him to "drive out the pollution", Oedipus instantly promises to, "bring it all to light myself", ensuring that the full truth will be unveiled. Later, Oedipus' curse on
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Standing up against tyranny
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: Fellow citizens, Today, I stand before you not as a dissenter, but as a seeker of truth in a world shrouded…
Fellow citizens,
Today, I stand before you not as a dissenter, but as a seeker of truth in a world shrouded by the illusion of perfection. The speech we heard earlier extolled the virtues of our so-called utopia, a place where order and harmony reign supreme. But I ask you, at what cost?
We are told that our society is the pinnacle of human achievement, yet our voices are stifled, our freedoms curtailed. The promise of security has become a cage, and the pursuit of uniformity has erased our individuality. We are expected to conform, to accept the doublespeak that masks our reality. "Peace" is enforced through surveillance, "harmony" through suppression, and "unity" through fear.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘What was lost in the collapse: almost…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Emily St John Mandel presents how perspectives can shift after undergoing a major traumatic event within society…
Emily St John Mandel presents how perspectives can shift after undergoing a major traumatic event within society through her novel Station Eleven, a non linear story that follows how interconnected lives before and after a devastating flu pandemic explore how art, memory, and human connection can sustain society beyond its collapse. The author critiques the way individuals act in the post collapse world, revealing whether or not they allow themselves to see elegance in a world where everything is lost. Through the perception of the beauty in art, Mandel demonstrates how creativity can help characters to maintain their will to endure hardships during the post collapse world. Moreover, the novel captures how strong connections are built when faced with adversity, accentuating the beauty in the form of friendship. However, the novel challenges this through the villainisation of Tyler Leander, in response to the trauma of the pandemic, he finds the worst in himself and instead finds beauty in the idea of power, control, and dominance.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: in relation to the text m. e.…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: After 120 days in the belly of the Queen Victoria, Meabh had arrived in the new colony. She couldn't help but…
After 120 days in the belly of the Queen Victoria, Meabh had arrived in the new colony. She couldn't help but resent the flat dry land[1] which yielded no resemblance to the green hills of Ireland to which she held a fierce native fondness for.
As her poor mother had died of sickness, her father fallen victim to the same illness some years prior, Meabh had set out to find work , where it was now abundant. Australia.
With a sorrowful goodbye to her homeland, Meabh Kelly had endured the 120 [2] long days and nights on the careless sea. At night, the hands of men groped through the darkness. In the day, as the cruel sun shone, seawater smothered her cracked lips as disease clung [3] to the scuttling rats.[4]
Sea salt stuck to her itchy skin as she arrived in Sydney harbor, her hair knotted and clumped with salt. In desperation for a warm bed and a shower Meabh set out to find work.
Not one week after arriving in the port Meabh took a position as a maid in a doctor's house. A paper had advertised the job on a newly erected lamppost; she had called the house and been hired that same day. A cab had been organized to take her to a the newly established settlement out of Sydney, a town named Cadwell.[5] [6] [7]
Dr. Allbones was a new resident of Cadwell, where his house functioned as both clinic and home[8] to him and his young wife.
When Meabh had arrived, she was surprised to see Mrs. Allbones herself awaiting her by the doorstep. "Good evening Meabh, welcome to Caldwell!”. Meabh had taken immediate notice of Mrs. Allbones feminine quality and plush persona. She didn't speak as such but cooed [9] in sweet tones, her saccharine [10] voice could put the most diligent soldier to rest[11] . At the sight of her mistress Maebh’s was reminded of the tales her mum had told her around the darkening hearth, whispering of sirens and selkies. Creatures with sweet voices and inhuman beauty.
“I'm glad you have come” Mrs. Allbones breathed in her gentle tone, “it's hard to get people willing to leave the city and come to Cadwell, and I've been oh so desperate for a good maid. It’s much more difficult to lace up a dress by yourself.” Amused by herself Mrs. Allbones let out a breathy laugh.
Mrs. Allbones prattled continuously [12] as she showed Meabh about the rooms as if there was no partitioning [13] between her thoughts and voice.
The house was a grand and new residence which had been styled in that new colonial way[14] . It stood in the center of town among the shopfronts. On the first floor was the room used to see patients where at the center of the room was a clean steel examining table while cupboards against the walls held strange and usual equipment. The study doubled as a library and each bookshelf was pushed tightly together and crammed with medical journals and a plethora of other genres. “Your welcome to read these anytime you like, I have read these myself many times over” Ms. Allbones had said with a enthusiastic lilt in her sweet voice. Meabh nodded along, she didn’t bother mentioning she wasn’t able to read.
On the second story Dr. and Mr. Allbones room was cushioned in soft hues contrasting against the hardwood furniture. It was obvious that Dr. Allbones had let his impressionable wife decorate and the room swarmed with flowery scents and pretty rugs and furnishings. Mrs. Allbones had guided Maebh through each room, all a similar shape and styled but decorated uniquely. Yet amongst all the rooms there was no nursery. How uncommon for such young newlyweds[15] Maebh had thought!
Mrs. Allbones was different from all other doctors’ wives Meabh had seen in Dublin. She lacked the churlish smirk and dismissive glance[16] that those women[17] wielded.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: in relation to the text Lady Audelys…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: After 120 days in the belly of the Queen Victoria, Meabh had arrived in the new colony. She couldn't help but…
After 120 days in the belly of the Queen Victoria, Meabh had arrived in the new colony. She couldn't help but resent the flat dry land which yielded no resemblance to the green hills of Ireland to which she held a fierce native fondness for.
As her poor mother had died of sickness, her father fallen victim to the same illness some years prior, Meabh had set out to find work , where it was now abundant. Australia.
With a sorrowful goodbye to her homeland, Meabh Kelly had endured the 120 long days and nights on the careless sea. At night, the hands of men groped through the darkness. In the day, as the cruel sun shone, seawater smothered her cracked lips as disease clung to the scuttling rats.
Sea salt stuck to her itchy skin as she arrived in Sydney harbor, her hair knotted and clumped with salt. In desperation for a warm bed and a shower Meabh set out to find work.
Not one week after arriving in the port Meabh took a position as a maid in a doctor's house. A paper had advertised the job on a newly erected lamppost; she had called the house and been hired that same day. A cab had been organized to take her to a the newly established settlement out of Sydney, a town named Cadwell.
Dr. Allbones was a new resident of Cadwell, where his house functioned as both clinic and home to him and his young wife.
When Meabh had arrived, she was surprised to see Mrs. Allbones herself awaiting her by the doorstep. "Good evening Meabh, welcome to Caldwell!”. Meabh had taken immediate notice of Mrs. Allbones feminine quality and plush persona. She didn't speak as such but cooed in sweet tones, her saccharine voice could put the most diligent soldier to rest . At the sight of her mistress Maebh’s was reminded of the tales her mum had told her around the darkening hearth, whispering of sirens and selkies. Creatures with sweet voices and inhuman beauty.
“I'm glad you have come” Mrs. Allbones breathed in her gentle tone, “it's hard to get people willing to leave the city and come to Cadwell, and I've been oh so desperate for a good maid. It’s much more difficult to lace up a dress by yourself.” Amused by herself Mrs. Allbones let out a breathy laugh.
Mrs. Allbones prattled continuously as she showed Meabh about the rooms as if there was no partitioning between her thoughts and voice.
The house was a grand and new residence which had been styled in that new colonial way . It stood in the center of town among the shopfronts. On the first floor was the room used to see patients where at the center of the room was a clean steel examining table while cupboards against the walls held strange and usual equipment. The study doubled as a library and each bookshelf was pushed tightly together and crammed with medical journals and a plethora of other genres. “Your welcome to read these anytime you like, I have read these myself many times over” Ms. Allbones had said with a enthusiastic lilt in her sweet voice. Meabh nodded along, she didn’t bother mentioning she wasn’t able to read.
On the second story Dr. and Mr. Allbones room was cushioned in soft hues contrasting against the hardwood furniture. It was obvious that Dr. Allbones had let his impressionable wife decorate and the room swarmed with flowery scents and pretty rugs and furnishings. Mrs. Allbones had guided Maebh through each room, all a similar shape and styled but decorated uniquely. Yet amongst all the rooms there was no nursery. How uncommon for such young newlyweds Maebh had thought!
Mrs. Allbones was different from all other doctors’ wives Meabh had seen in Dublin. She lacked the churlish smirk and dismissive glance that those women wielded.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: This os an oral
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 87.5%: Should AI tools be used in policing and surveillance in Australian cities? Five hundred dollars. Four demerit…
Should AI tools be used in policing and surveillance in Australian cities?
Five hundred dollars. Four demerit points. And a grainy, black-and-white photo of a hand on a steering wheel. Last week, my friend opened a letter from Victoria Police that claimed he was breaking the law. The catch? He wasn’t even holding a phone.
And it’s not just him. A few months ago, 22-year-old Queensland software engineer Hugo Burton also received a fine after an AI camera incorrectly detected that his passenger wasn't wearing a seatbelt properly, even though they were wearing it correctly. The mistake led to a costly and time-consuming court appearance.
This could be you or me, or any other Victorian in a driver’s seat.
Assalamualikum 12D
These cases raise questions worth asking ourselves.
Is the system ready to be deployed in our streets?
Today I will be discussing why Australia should reconsider its use of AI in policing and surveillance .
As a daily commuter myself, I strongly condemn the current use of AI surveillance across Australian cities. The evidence clearly demonstrates that these systems are still unprepared, costing us our privacy, making unfair mistakes and more importantly eroding our trust in the government.
First and foremost, AI surveillance strips us of our privacy in public places. Every day, as commuters, we move through various different places assuming that we are not being watched or tracked. Unfortunately, that's not really the case. You are being monitored in every single place, whether you like it or not, and it is being stored in some random companies database. Just because you're in public doesn't mean being tracked, catalogued, or stored in some database we never agreed to.
According to The Guardian, Clearview AI , a facial recognition software, scraped over fifty billion photos from social media platforms like Facebook. It did this without gaining permission from users and offered the resulting tool to Australian police forces for trial.In 2021, our own privacy regulators ruled this illegal and ordered the company to delete Australian’s images and to immediately stop collecting more.However there is no evidence suggesting that Clearview ever complied with the regulator and in 2024, regulator simply gave up pursuing the case stating that they lacked the necessary resources.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Shakespeare presents marriage as…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The Age Opinion Piece Following the Australian Federal Police's decision to charge Victoria Cross recipient, Ben…
The Age Opinion Piece
Following the Australian Federal Police's decision to charge Victoria Cross recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith, with alleged war crimes committed during his service in Afghanistan, debate has intensified over whether Australians should continue to honour one of the nation's most decorated soldiers. In his opinion piece, Waleed Aly adopts an initially measured and critical tone before becoming increasingly reassuring and ultimately patriotic to argue that Australians must stop viewing the Ben Roberts-Smith case through a political lens and instead place their trust in the justice system. Writing for the predominantly progressive readership of The Age, published on 10 April 2026, Aly seeks to convince readers that respecting due process and preserving confidence in Australia's legal institutions is far more important than engaging in partisan debate. Aly encourages readers to view impartiality as both responsible and essential to national unity.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: 'We're a great nation. Let's remind…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 72.5%: The Bondi massacre at the end of 2025, in which 15 Jewish people were killed, has sparked debate about who we…
The Bondi massacre at the end of 2025, in which 15 Jewish people were killed, has sparked debate about who we are as a nation, our values, what we stand for, and what we are expected to uphold as citizens. In response, McGuinness has written an opinion piece, ‘We’re a great nation. Let’s remind ourselves why that is,’ published in The Age on the 4th of January 2026. He adopts a disappointed tone to express to his moderate to progressive-leaning audience that Australia needs to rearticulate its guiding principles and redefine Australia as a nation so that there will not be a repeat of the Bondi massacre. Building a strategic sequence of arguments, the author attempts to downplay the complaints of Australian citizens compared to other countries, urging the reader to reconsider their complaints, recognise the benefits of living in Australia, and show their appreciation and gratitude through living out the values of the country.
McQuinness opens by contextualising why Australia needs to redefine itself with the example of the Bondi massacre, during which “fifteen Jewish people were slain by Islamist terrorists.” The use of negative connotations of “slain” and “terrorists,” the author is reminding the reader of the horror of that day, encouraging them to question, if Australia is a “great nation,” as mentioned in the title by McGuinness himself, and how the nation allowed this to happen, encouraging the reader to agree with the authors contention that Australia does need to rearticultate it’s values. Hence, positioning them to be more open-minded to the following arguments that the author is to present. He also uses the positive connotation of “wonderful” to characterise the good things about Australia, highlighting that when something negative happens, the public may tend to become hyper-fixated on that, but McGuinness passionately reminds the audience that Australia is a “successful” country, particularly in comparison to others, promoting the audience to be more appreciative and grateful of the country that they live in, rather than picking apart each and every flaw. The following arguments that McGuiness presents are examples of Australia’s prosperous position compared to other countries, encouraging gratitude from the reader, and giving them a reminder of how lucky they are to live in Australia.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard is more than a critique…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 92.5%: Billy Wilder's scathing film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the hidden darkness of Hollywood, and how it…
Billy Wilder's scathing film noir 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) explores the hidden darkness of Hollywood, and how it impacts individuals' identities, ambitions and personalities. Despite its inherently critical nature, Sunset Boulevard deconstructs the experiences faced by individuals in their pursuit of success and of their identities. Through his critique of Hollywood's commercial values, Wilder exposes the industry as an exploitative system that commodifies those who fuel its success, discarding them once they are no longer profitable. Building on this critique, Wilder examines how individuals construct illusions to preserve their sense of identity and sustain their pursuit of success, ultimately warning that detachment from reality can lead to self-destruction. However, moving beyond condemnation, Wilder acknowledges cinema's power to offer escape and fulfillment, affirming that artistic integrity and creative expression create a more authentic sense of identity than fame or commercial success.
Wilder illuminates Hollywood's exploitative nature through his criticism of the industry's capitalist values. The film suggests that the industry mistreats its members, often leaving them struggling. Wilder's characterisation of Joe as a struggling man desperate for success in Hollywood who "grinds out 'two original stories a week'," and his conversation with his financial advisor who says "the finest things are written on an empty stomach" highlights the relentless nature of Hollywood to new or unsuccessful writers. The metaphor of Joe's "empty stomach" being his chance for success suggests that Hollywood forces individuals to struggle financially in their pursuit of success, highlighting the industry's prioritisation of financial gain over the well-being of those in it. Hence, Joe's frequent production of stories suggests that he is unable to create meaningful work due to the pressure to be profitable. Similarly, Hollywood discards and mistreats previously successful stars of the industry such as Norma, who is described as being "a million years old" and no longer "belonging" in the spotlight. Her rejection from the industry as she ages past its beauty standards further illustrates the commodification of people in Hollywood, suggesting that once individuals are no longer deemed profitable, they are discarded from the industry. Through this, Wilder critiques society's unforgiving beauty standards and their overarching role in success in Hollywood. As a result of this commodification, individuals are left to struggle mentally, symbolised by the absence of locks on doors in Norma's Mansion. Wilder's allusion to Norma's depression adds complexity to previously successful Hollywood stars, suggesting that their lives after success are often unhappy and unfulfilled as a result of the destructive standards of the system. Thus, Wilder excoriates Hollywood's relentless treatment of individuals who are deemed unsuccessful or unprofitable, exposing its prioritisation of monetary gain over the treatment of those who fuel its success.