VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Individuals can be both villans and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Wilder explores how the trauma of being a victim can corrupt the moral compass, transforming the exploited into a…
Wilder explores how the trauma of being a victim can corrupt the moral compass, transforming the exploited into a manipulative predator. This intersection is most poignatly seen in Max Von Mayerling, whose transition from a "promising young director" to a subservient "servant" represents the ultimate corruption of the self, as he was disregarded when the "talkie" arrived. He than gave up his name, career and his dignity to serve Norma as he "discovered he was the one he made her a star," demonstrating his victimhood stems from a misplaced, tragic loyalty. However, by assuming the role of "servent", he does not just serve Norma, he acting manipulates her reality seen through the example of fake fan mail. Max tells Joe "dont look too closely to the postmarks," sustaining her star status, thereby becoming a co-conspirator in her madness. Through Max's devotion, Wilder suggests that the trauma of being discarded by the industry does not
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: It's a concept on Play
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: “Come on! Why don’t you try doing this jump?” You’re not going to stack! Surely!” One of my friends Parv called…
“Come on! Why don’t you try doing this jump?” You’re not going to stack! Surely!” One of my friends Parv called out from the side of the dirt track. We were all filled with dirt and grime around our body, shovels hard stuck of dirt and an ice cream container filled with dirt water all alone below a eucalyptus tree. My 10-year-old instincts looked upon the steep and voracious jump waiting for me to soar up high, but my nerves kicked in apprehension pondering of the intricate miscalculations and mishaps it would lead me to. I incessantly refused to my mates playing it safe from the missed opportunities it led from a regrettable injury. But the ravenous desire and anticipation all my friends had to make this jump enthralled me to mount my bike and take it far and beyond than ever. Every time I practiced my jumps, the bike didn’t even land downwards onto the slope but overshot it with greed as if the bike wanted to
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Ogawa use dystopian…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: As an acclaimed author of the 20th century and post-war Japan, Yoko Ogawa bemoans society’s capitulation to…
As an acclaimed author of the 20th century and post-war Japan, Yoko Ogawa bemoans society’s capitulation to authoritarian values of oppression and surveillance. In her 1994 novel, “The Memory Police”, Ogawa explores the silent acquiesce of an eroding society. Throughout the novel, Ogawa questions the extent of which society is controlled by authoritarian forces, ultimately utilising features of dystopian fiction to criticise various power figures and societal processes, particularly systemic erasure. From the outset of the novel, Ogawa laments the substantial loss society confronts as a result of oppressive power and harrowing societal processes instilled by authoritarian forces. Further, the novel’s dystopian features showcase the complicity that society exhibits as result of their subservience to the power of erasure and societal methods that are docile to erasure. Yet/However, Ogawa’s novel also simultaneously utilises dystopian features to reveal a flourishing human connection stemming from this oppression of power and societal processes.
Initially, Ogawa harnesses features of dystopian fiction to affirm her criticism of authoritarian power, and the oppressive processes these regimes inflict upon society. The oppressive nature of the Memory Police and the typing teacher coupled with a foreboding erasure of reality form the core of both the external narrative and the manuscript. The entrapped typist, in her dreary captivity and dwindling state is reduced to being “unable to move” as she becomes more attuned to her environment with the “only motion [being] falling…snowflakes.” The depreciating natural state of the island concurrent to an individual's own diminishment is reflected in the island becoming “nothing..except the snow that continues to…fall…”. Indeed, Ogawa’s use of dystopian fiction features harness setting as the epitome of character’s emotion as snow is metaphorically representing the perpetual emotional numbing which individuals face as result of Memory Police’s brutal force, culminating to their utterly desensitised state. Thus, Ogawa criticises the extreme to which authoritarian power and oppressive societal methods affect society, reducing them to total loss. Disregarding R’s sympathetic “hand on [her] shoulder.’ the narrator dispossesses her “arm and leg” as “not really [hers],” bleakly likening them to “just shells [and] empty skin.” The loss of the arm and leg as appendages for mobility and self-autonomy insinuates the loss of individualism, rendering the controlling force of the Memory Police more perilous. Such an overt rejection of body parts which Ogawa exacerbates with the dystopian text feature of a morbid metaphor, affirms the importance of spiritual self which is the “real [narrator]”, and without it, one’s body is despairingly meaningless and unable to form connections with others. Indeed, as the authoritarian Memory Police have stripped individuals of their autonomy, Ogawa fervently criticises their harrowing power and implemented societal processes of restriction and surveillance that ultimately erase society’s culture and individuality.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: "We are the ones who remember the…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 100%: La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase. Published 22nd of January 1983 Stephanie…
La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase.
Published 22nd of January 1983
Stephanie Garcia
Indigenous people have been massacred for centuries all across the world. They have been subjected to all kinds of torture, inequality and disadvantages. 50 years after the events of La Matanza, an ethnocide which resulted in the deaths of around 10,000-30,000 indigenous people, no legislation has been put in place to eliminate the possibility of this happening again.
Today I have with me the daughter of the revolutionary Agustin Farabundo Marti, who was behind the uprising which led to La Matanza. Guadalupe Marti-Cortez is an accomplished author and political activist who is also a witness of La Matanza.
What was life like before La Matanza?
“It was certainly difficult. We Pipil people were not recognized as equal to the Mestizo or the Spaniards. We were seen as less than them, like we didn’t belong here. We were seen as foreigners in our own home. It was hard to deal with growing up, seeing my father come home every night after working all day, seeing the cuts and bruises…it is definitely something I will never forget. A friend of mine from when I was younger, her father worked for one of the 14 families. One night he had enough of the abuse he had endured whilst working on the coffee plantations and went to his boss. The next morning my friend received a package at the door, it contained a tongue and a letter. The letter was a warning to the workers, it threatened them with consequences if there were further revolts. However, what happened was quite the opposite.”
Do you mind expanding on what happened? Was it the uprisings?
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: "We are the ones who remember the…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 95%: La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase. Published 22nd of January 1983 Stephanie…
La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase.
Published 22nd of January 1983
Stephanie Garcia
Indigenous people have been massacred for centuries all across the world. They have been subjected to all kinds of torture, inequality and disadvantages. 50 years after the events of La Matanza, an ethnocide which resulted in the deaths of around 10,000-30,000 indigenous people, no legislation has been put in place to eliminate the possibility of this happening again.
Today I have with me the daughter of the revolutionary Agustin Farabundo Marti, who was behind the uprising which led to La Matanza. Guadalupe Marti-Cortez is an accomplished author and political activist who is also a witness of La Matanza.
What was life like before La Matanza?
“It was certainly difficult. We Pipil people were not recognized as equal to the Mestizo or the Spaniards. We were seen as less than them, like we didn’t belong here. We were seen as foreigners in our own home. It was hard to deal with growing up, seeing my father come home every night after working all day, seeing the cuts and bruises…it is definitely something I will never forget. A friend of mine from when I was younger, her father worked for one of the 14 families. One night he had enough of the abuse he had endured whilst working on the coffee plantations and went to his boss. The next morning my friend received a package at the door, it contained a tongue and a letter. The letter was a warning to the workers, it threatened them with consequences if there were further revolts. However, what happened was quite the opposite.”
Do you mind on expanding on what happened? Was it the uprisings?
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: "We are the ones who remember the…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase. Published 22nd of January 1983 Stephanie…
La Matanza: The Secret Ethnocide El Salvador Has Tried to Erase.
Published 22nd of January 1983
Stephanie Garcia
Indigenous people have been massacred for centuries all across the world. They have been subjected to all kinds of torture, inequality and disadvantages. 50 years after the events of La Matanza, an ethnocide which resulted in the deaths of around 10,000-30,000 indigenous people, no legislation has been put in place to eliminate the possibility of this happening again.
Today I have with me the daughter of the revolutionary Agustin Farabundo Marti, who was behind the uprising which led to La Matanza. Guadalupe Marti-Cortez is an accomplished author and political activist who is also a witness of La Matanza.
What was life like before La Matanza?
“It was certainly difficult. We Pipil people were not recognized as equal to the Mestizo or the Spaniards. We were seen as less than them, like we didn’t belong here. We were seen as foreigners in our own home. It was hard to deal with growing up, seeing my father come home every night after working all day, seeing the cuts and bruises…it is definitely something I will never forget. A friend of mine from when I was younger, her father worked for one of the 14 families. One night he had enough of the abuse he had endured whilst working on the coffee plantations and went to his boss. The next morning my friend received a package at the door, it contained a tongue and a letter. The letter was a warning to the workers, it threatened them with consequences if there were further revolts. However, what happened was quite the opposite.”
Do you mind on expanding on what happened? Was it the uprisings?
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: Using your main studied text and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ…
Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ conventions of the coming-of-age genre to integrate and explore Sigmund Freud’s concepts of repression and the unconsciousness and its impact on human nature, how mentors and society influence individuals and their view on sexuality, and how innocence can be corrupted with the wrong intentions.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a novel that explores major psychological concepts on the subconscious through the protagonist’s experiences to drive his character development while maintaining simplicity. These concepts come from a highly regarded psychologist Sigmund Freud, in particular, his theory of repression and the subconscious. The protagonist ‘Charlie’s’ repressed childhood memories of trauma and sexual abuse become the basis for his psychological struggles and anxiety. This manifests as screen memories that substitute for the true repressed event, as throughout the story he talks about how “[he] feel[s] very unsettled” and is “not sure [he’ll] be okay.”. This demonstrates clearly how Charlies repressed trauma is resurfacing as unease. These traumas act as a catalyst for growth while also allowing for the genre convention of self- discovery to be presented as a necessary means to excel.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ while not a typical coming of age story, carries many of the genre conventions found within. Repression can be found within Wilde’s writing, but unlike Charlie’s repression leading to his growth and evolution of character, the contrary is portrayed through Dorian as he experiences decadence. As “The picture has revealed to him his own body’s corruption”, Dorians repressed guilt becomes externalised and made plausible to the character himself, although he maintains his ignorance of the consequences by repressing his “wild terror of dying” that was now founded. As this novel doesn’t portray growth but the moral decline instead, it subverts the convention of self-discovery as a means to display it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: Using your main studied text and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ…
Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ conventions of the coming-of-age genre to integrate and explore Sigmund Freud’s concepts of repression and the unconsciousness and its impact on human nature, how mentors and society influence individuals and their view on sexuality, and how innocence can be corrupted with the wrong intentions.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a novel that explores major psychological concepts on the subconscious through the protagonist’s experiences to drive his character development while maintaining simplicity. These concepts come from a highly regarded psychologist Sigmund Freud, in particular, his theory of repression and the subconscious. The protagonist ‘Charlie’s’ repressed childhood memories of trauma and sexual abuse become the basis for his psychological struggles and anxiety. This manifests as screen memories that substitute for the true repressed event, as throughout the story he talks about how “[he] feel[s] very unsettled” and is “not sure [he’ll] be okay.”. This demonstrates clearly how Charlies repressed trauma is resurfacing as unease. These traumas act as a catalyst for growth while also allowing for the genre convention of self- discovery to be presented as a necessary means to excel.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ while not a typical coming of age story, carries many of the genre conventions found within. Repression can be found within Wilde’s writing, but unlike Charlie’s repression leading to his growth and evolution of character, the contrary is portrayed through Dorian as he experiences decadence. As “The picture has revealed to him his own body’s corruption”, Dorians repressed guilt becomes externalised and made plausible to the character himself, although he maintains his ignorance of the consequences by repressing his “wild terror of dying” that was now founded. As this novel doesn’t portray growth but the moral decline instead, it subverts the convention of self-discovery as a means to portray it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: Using your main studied text and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ…
Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ conventions of the coming-of-age genre to integrate and explore Sigmund Freud’s concepts of repression and the unconsciousness and its impact on human nature, how mentors and society influence individuals and their view on sexuality, and how innocence can be corrupted with the wrong intentions.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a novel that explores major psychological concepts through the protagonist’s experiences while maintaining simplicity. These concepts come from a highly regarded psychologist Sigmund Freud, in particular, his theory of repression and the subconscious. The protagonist ‘Charlie’s’ repressed childhood memories of trauma and sexual abuse become the basis for his psychological struggles and anxiety, which manifest as screen memories that substitute for the true repressed event, as throughout the story he talks about how “[he] feel[s] very unsettled” and is “not sure [he’ll] be okay.”. This demonstrates clearly how Charlies repressed trauma is resurfacing as unease. These traumas act as a catalyst for growth while also allowing for the genre convention of self- discovery to be presented as a necessary means to excel.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ while not a typical coming of age story, carries many of the genre conventions found within. Repression can be found within Wilde’s writing, but unlike Charlie’s repression leading to his growth and evolution of character, the contrary is portrayed through Dorian as he experiences decadence. As “The picture has revealed to him his own body’s corruption”, Dorians repressed guilt becomes externalised and made plausible to the character himself, although he maintains his ignorance of the consequences by repressing his “wild terror of dying” that was now founded. As this novel doesn’t portray growth but the moral decline instead, it subverts the convention of self-discovery as a means to portray it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: Using your main studied text and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ…
Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ conventions of the coming-of-age genre to integrate and explore Sigmund Freud’s concepts of repression and the unconsciousness and its impact on human nature, how mentors and society influence individuals and their view on sexuality, and how innocence can be corrupted with the wrong intentions.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a novel that may appear to tend to less refined audiences and topics, instead, explores greater concepts through the protagonist’s experiences. These concepts come from a highly regarded psychologist Sigmund Freud, in particular, his theory of repression and the subconscious. The protagonist ‘Charlie’s’ repressed childhood memories of trauma and sexual abuse become the basis for his psychological struggles and anxiety, which manifest as screen memories that substitute for the true repressed event, as throughout the story he talks about how “[he] feel[s] very unsettled” and is “not sure [he’ll] be okay.”. This demonstrates clearly how Charlies repressed trauma is resurfacing as unease. These trauma’s act as a catalyst for growth while also allowing for the genre convention of self- discovery to be known.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ while not a typical coming of age story, carries many of the genre conventions found within. Repression can be found within Wilde’s writing, but unlike Charlie’s repression leading to his growth and evolution of character, the contrary is portrayed through Dorian as he experiences decadence. “The picture has revealed to him his own body’s corruption, and he was filled with a wild terror of dying”. This extract from the novel portrays how the portray externalises Dorian’s repressed guilt. As this novel doesn’t portray growth but the moral decline instead, it subverts the convention of self-discovery as a means to portray it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: The stories in this collection show that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: The knowledge we possess forms the basis of how we identify ourselves. Tessa Hadley’s short story collection Bad…
The knowledge we possess forms the basis of how we identify ourselves. Tessa Hadley’s short story collection Bad Dreams and Other Stories details the lives of several women throughout a range of time periods as they undergo experiences which profoundly affect who they are. Through a range of literary devices and textual evidence, Hadley contends throughout that whilst knowledge can be a powerful catalyst for personal growth, those who choose to recoil from it may remain unchanged. Hadley’s protagonists undergo multiple physical experiences which lead to a new perspective on their existence. Furthermore philosophical revelations particularly surrounding death clearly alter characters’ identities, should they choose to embrace it. Despite this, many feel unprepared for the newfound knowledge and remain untransformed.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt: Using your main studied text and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ…
Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ both employ conventions of the coming-of-age genre to integrate and explore Sigmund Freud’s concepts of repression and the unconsciousness and its impact on human nature, the loss of innocence, sexuality, mentors and their influence on individuals and society.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a novel that may appear to tend to less refined audiences and topics, instead, explores greater concepts through the protagonist’s experiences. These concepts come from a highly regarded psychologist Sigmund Freud, in particular, his theory of repression and the subconscious. The protagonist ‘Charlie’s’ repressed childhood memories of trauma and sexual abuse become the basis for his psychological struggles and anxiety, which manifest as screen memories that substitute for the true repressed event, as throughout the story he talks about how “[he] feel[s] very unsettled” and is “not sure [he’ll] be okay.”. This demonstrates clearly how Charlies repressed trauma is resurfacing as unease. These trauma’s act as a catalyst for growth while also allowing for the genre convention of self- discovery to be known.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ while not a typical coming of age story, carries many of the genre conventions found within. Repression can be found within Wilde’s writing, but unlike Charlie’s repression leading to his growth and evolution of character, the contrary is portrayed through Dorian as he experiences decadence. “The picture has revealed to him his own body’s corruption, and he was filled with a wild terror of dying”. This extract from the novel portrays how the portray externalises Dorian’s repressed guilt. As this novel doesn’t portray growth but the moral decline instead, it still bounces off the convention of self-discovery as a means to portray it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: I’m we have always lived in the castle…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Shirley Jackson’s Gothic novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’, explores the constructs by which individuals…
Shirley Jackson’s Gothic novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’, explores the constructs by which individuals are shaped, In the text individuals can be seen as being influenced by fear of others different to oneself. However, the desire for power and control is equally as influential on the behaviours seen in the text. Conversely, much of these ideas can be linked to the restrictive societal roles and expectations of the 1950s. Thus, Jackson indicates that individuals in the text are not motivated by any single construct, rather a variety of challenges stemming from the pressures of society.
In the text, Jackson expresses how characters are motivated by fear of others who differentiate from one’s own values and lifestyle. Jackson’s creation of the Blackwood vs village dynamic uses the the barrier (“fence”) separating the Blackwood family from the rest of the world, isolating them within their own bubble of safety. During the years prior to the murders, the Blackwoods were known to “keep their house pretty well locked up”. This portrays the discomfort the Blackwoods felt in the presence of “common people” and Jackson highlights the self-imposed isolation as a result of the lower classes. In contrast, Jackson depicts the villagers’ fear of the Blackwoods, while mostly part of a reaction resulting from the murders, this fear was always present. A Dunham’s reaction to “lifting the broken step” showed a hesitation to confront John for his payment. His reaction in front of a young girl showed confidence in his power but beyond that Jackson shows his continued anger, “scowling”, but fear of the conflict between the villagers and Blackwoods prevented further action.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: ‘Speak up’
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: The morning was aggressively bright. It was the kind of Saturday where the air smells of freshly mown grass and…
The morning was aggressively bright. It was the kind of Saturday where the air smells of freshly mown grass and expensive espresso. In our tiny suburb, we liked to tell ourselves we were a family, that we would look out for each other.
I was standing on my deck, the ceramic mug warming my palms while I watched Mateo. He lived at Number 42. Every weekend, he was out there, his hands starting to stain as he carefully tucked new flowers into the dirt. He always wore that same faded yellow football jersey and a pair of old run sneakers. When he saw me, he always gave that short wave a quiet acknowledgement between neighbors.
Just before I went back inside, a black van rounded the corner. It didn't speed. It cruised heavily , casting a long shadow over the sun. It pulled up to Mateo’s fence with a growl.
Four men stepped out. They didn't look like people; they looked like FBI with vests, heavy boots, and the word ICE plastered across their backs like a warning. They moved with a cold aggression.
“HANDS UP! FACE THE WALL! DON’T MOVE!”
The shouts shattered the Saturday peace like a brick through a window. I saw Mateo drop his trowel. The metal “clink” as it hit the driveway sounded like a gunshot. He didn’t fight. He just looked... exhausted.
Then, the street came alive.
Doors started clicking open. Mr. Hen from Number 44 stepped out, his face turned red with shock. The young couple from Number 46 ran to the edge of their lawn.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Mr. Hen shouted, his voice trembling. "He’s been here for years! He’s a good man!"
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: The time of our lives Stimulus…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 100%: Eyes on the conductor. Lips pressed against the mouthpiece. He raises his hands, signalling to the ensemble…
Eyes on the conductor. Lips pressed against the mouthpiece. He raises his hands, signalling to the ensemble that play is imminent. Up. The moment, although it must have only been a second or two, stretches on eternally. Down. Time warps to 128 bpm, the speed of the piece “A Night in Tunisia”. First the piano, then the trombones, then the cello and finally my fellow trumpeters and I join the cacophony. We play, barreling toward that terrible, haunting and feared numeral … bar 28. My solo. Time takes no heed of my terror and continues rushing toward that bar of despair. Like that, it is upon us.
I rise and begin to play. Staccato. Characterised by quick short notes. Rising higher. Louder. Quick Fingers. Reaching Peak. The tension is released with a decrescendo, the brief quavers are replaced with long minims and semi-breves. Legato. Each long note is carried to the extremities of the ornate theatre, bathing the audience in the rich, resonant, brass sound. Although slower, this section requires much greater focus, every phrase must be meticulously placed and- there! An unavoidable break in the monotony of the music stave miraculously materializes, annotations, Mark’s annotations.
Suddenly, I’m back in my university Jazz department, sprinting down the hallway, trumpet case under my right arm, and I crash through the door labeled “Mr Knox’s Jazz Ensemble”. I babble, “Sir, I’m sorry I’m late, I was trying to find the–”
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: “Everywhere is walking distance if you…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: Sometimes, the most beautiful places in the world are in places where you least expect it. Far to the west of…
Sometimes, the most beautiful places in the world are in places where you least expect it. Far to the west of Australia, a land laid ingrained with sweeping mountains and saturated greens. Small, European huts lined the country side and the air felt like it had not been disturbed by human pollution for hundreds of years.
When you first think of America, you may think of big cities like Las Vegas, New York or even Toronto. You would not expect to find sweeping countryside with no trace of modern society. Vinland, as old norse tales once described it, felt like something else entirely. Not discovered, but encountered.
The huts, if you could call them that, were placed sparingly within the thick grass that lined the ground. You would walk across the land and feel the deep history in rooted into the land.
They did not feel as if they were placed there, but rather rose from the very ground. As you walked past them, you would be able to feel the smoke that carried out of the now crumbling chimneys, the faint smell of burning ash. The wood used, had began to be return to the earth. Its deep roots stretched across the huts digging it back into where it once rose.
Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
Although a simple concept at first, as you delve into its real meaning reveals itself. In Vinland, everything felt as if you were not rushed at all. Everything had been waiting for you for hundreds of years. Nothing was rushed. Nothing needed to be rushed.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How do the memory police maintain power…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Ogawa’s 1994 dystopian novel, The Memory Police, follows an unnamed narrator’s trepid navigation of an isolated…
Ogawa’s 1994 dystopian novel, The Memory Police, follows an unnamed narrator’s trepid navigation of an isolated island dominated by a mysterious authority that causes objects and memories to disappear. As these disappearances gradually reshape the inhabitants' reality, Ogawa explores the human capacity for adaptation within systems of oppressive control, revealing the unsettling ease with which individuals come to accept profound loss. As the narrative progresses, it is made evident that the authoritarian regime’s success in maintaining power and control is driven by the inhabitants of the island. However, Ogawa also affirms that the Memory Police need to constantly uphold their duties to some extent in order to preserve control.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: The prompt is writing about country,…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 77.5%: The relentless chirping from the trees above pierced through the cool mid-August breeze as Meredith stepped…
The relentless chirping from the trees above pierced through the cool mid-August breeze as Meredith stepped onto the overgrown weeds beneath her feet. The whole sky was overcast, and the end of breeding season was marked by the overprotective parents cawing sharply at anyone who strayed too close to their nests. Unease settled in her chest as her pace quickened along the rigid, rocky path, avoiding the creatures above her as a muttered curse slipped under her breath.
The familiar trail evoked memories she would prefer to forget. It was long, and the years of neglect had begun to show. Behind her, her companion Peter called out for her to wait, his voice trailing as the overgrown bushes vanished around her. Within seconds, she entered a place of complete isolation—where endless amounts of dry, parchment-like flora met the barely habitable landscape, and the only thing she could see was a world of blue waters fading into the horizon.
Peter watched her patiently as she inhaled the cool, salty breeze. She stepped down, letting the sand fill the crevices in her feet. Reaching the darker area of the sand, she noticed the vast amount of scattered, mismatched rocks that lay on the surface.
The water was closer than it had been the day before.
She didn’t step forward.
Peter sat on a large beach towel close to the pathway they had just followed, watching her hesitation before signalling for her to sit with a brief tap of his hand. Minutes passed, and he wondered where they should begin while waiting patiently, allowing her to find the right words. Meredith searched longingly into the horizon, watching as the sun reflected its orange beams onto the flat water.
A strong breeze snatched her thin t-shirt, taking her back to the cool day, colder than the present. She remembered the large brown coat she had been wearing that hugged her skin, defending her from the fierce winds that began to pick up as they reached the sand that night. They had taken the same path, running down in their bare feet with a football tucked under Meredith’s left arm. Their mother was away, leaving their father to supervise the two, granting permission for their late-night adventures.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: The US/Israel strikes on Iran cross…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 95%: "A World Without Rules" — Oral Point of View Speech Revised Draft Picture this. You are asleep. It is the…
"A World Without Rules" — Oral Point of View Speech Revised Draft
Picture this.
You are asleep. It is the middle of the night. Then: a sound. An explosion. Shattering glass. The walls of your home are blown apart. Debris from the building across the street is thrown into yours.
That is not a hypothetical. That is what a resident of Tehran described to Al Jazeera reporters on the ground, just one of tens of thousands of ordinary people caught in the middle of a war they did not start, did not choose, and cannot escape.
I am here today to argue that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran crossed both legal and ethical lines, and that the justifications offered to the world simply do not hold up to scrutiny.
Let us start with the law, because the law is not a suggestion.
Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran, most international law experts appear to be speaking with one voice. The attacks violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against states. The US and Israel produced no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to either of them. And neither brought the matter to the UN Security Council. This was a clear breach of international law.
The United States attempted to justify these strikes as self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. But look at what that actually requires. Retired Navy Captain and international law advisor Dr. Tian Shiuchen is unequivocal: under the UN Charter, there is no general right of pre-emptive use of force. A future retaliation is speculation, not an armed attack. And speculation does not justify war.
So what does imminence actually mean in law? The Caroline test sets the standard: the threat must be instant, overwhelming, leaving no other means of choice, and no time for deliberation.
Instant. Overwhelming. No time for deliberation.
There was no intelligence indicating an imminent threat from Iran to the United States. And crucially — and this is the part that still strikes me — the two countries were engaged in negotiations. According to the Foreign Minister of Oman, the mediator, they were close to reaching a deal when the United States and Israel chose to strike. Launching strikes during ongoing negotiations violates the principle of good faith under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Close to a deal. And they struck anyway.
Now let us talk about what this war has actually looked like on the ground.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: The US/Israel strikes on Iran cross…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 97.5%: "A World Without Rules" — Oral Point of View Speech Final Draft Picture this. You are asleep. It is the…
"A World Without Rules" — Oral Point of View Speech
Final Draft
Picture this.
You are asleep. It is the middle of the night. Then: a sound. An explosion. Shattering glass. The walls of your home are blown apart. Debris from the building across the street is thrown into yours.
That is not a hypothetical. That is what a resident of Tehran described to Al Jazeera reporters on the ground, just one of tens of thousands of ordinary people caught in the middle of a war they did not start, did not choose, and cannot escape.
I am here today to argue that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran crossed both legal and ethical lines, and that the justifications offered to the world simply do not hold up to scrutiny.
Let us start with the law, because the law is not a suggestion.
Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran, most international law experts appear to be speaking with one voice. The attacks violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against states. The US and Israel produced no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to either of them. And neither brought the matter to the UN Security Council. This was a clear breach of international law.
The United States attempted to justify these strikes as self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Strip away the rhetoric, and the legal foundation collapses. Retired Navy Captain and international law advisor Dr. Tian Shiuchen is unequivocal: under the UN Charter, there is no general right of pre-emptive use of force. A future retaliation is speculation, not an armed attack. And speculation does not justify war.
What does imminence actually mean in law? According to the Caroline test, the threat must be instant, overwhelming, leaving no other means of choice, and no time for deliberation.
Instant. Overwhelming. No time for deliberation.
There was no intelligence indicating an imminent threat from Iran to the United States. And crucially, the two countries were engaged in negotiations. According to the Foreign Minister of Oman, the mediator, they were close to reaching a deal when the United States and Israel chose to strike. Launching strikes during ongoing negotiations violates the principle of good faith under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Close to a deal. And they struck anyway.
Now let us talk about what this war has actually looked like on the ground.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: The US/Israel strikes on Iran cross…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 97.5%: Here's the full speech with every em dash replaced by more fitting punctuation: "A World Without Rules" —…
Here's the full speech with every em dash replaced by more fitting punctuation:
"A World Without Rules" — Oral Point of View Speech
Final Draft
Picture this.
You are asleep. It is the middle of the night. Then: a sound. An explosion. Shattering glass. The walls of your home are blown apart. Debris from the building across the street is thrown into yours.
That is not a hypothetical. That is what a resident of Tehran described to Al Jazeera reporters on the ground, just one of tens of thousands of ordinary people caught in the middle of a war they did not start, did not choose, and cannot escape.
I am here today to argue that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran crossed both legal and ethical lines, and that the justifications offered to the world simply do not hold up to scrutiny.
Let us start with the law, because the law is not a suggestion.
Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran, most international law experts appear to be speaking with one voice. The attacks violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against states. The US and Israel produced no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to either of them. And neither brought the matter to the UN Security Council. This was a clear breach of international law.
The United States attempted to justify these strikes as self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Strip away the rhetoric, and the legal foundation collapses. Retired Navy Captain and international law advisor Dr. Tian Shiuchen is unequivocal: under the UN Charter, there is no general right of pre-emptive use of force. A future retaliation is speculation, not an armed attack. And speculation does not justify war.
What does imminence actually mean in law? According to the Caroline test, the threat must be instant, overwhelming, leaving no other means of choice, and no time for deliberation.
Instant. Overwhelming. No time for deliberation.
There was no intelligence indicating an imminent threat from Iran to the United States. And crucially, the two countries were engaged in negotiations. According to the Foreign Minister of Oman, the mediator, they were close to reaching a deal when the United States and Israel chose to strike. Launching strikes during ongoing negotiations violates the principle of good faith under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Close to a deal. And they struck anyway.
Now let us talk about what this war has actually looked like on the ground.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Change is unwelcome in We Have Always…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: While change is often inevitable within society, Shirely jacksons novella ‘We have always lived in the…
While change is often inevitable within society, Shirely jacksons novella ‘We have always lived in the castle’ explores how change creates a sense of fear and distraught within the community, contrastingly exploring that there can be circumstances where change can be welcomed. Jackson portrays how routine and structure is greatly preferred over changes. Reinforced by how change can often seem like an attack on an individual's routine, causing them to try to eliminate the source of change. However, Jackson depicts how change can also be adopted in circumstances where it cannot be avoided.
Jackson portrays within her novella that order and routine is essential to provide a sense of safety and control for the characters. Portrayed through the Blackwood’s reluctance to “move things” and to never have anything “off by so much as a fraction of an inch”. Jackson’s use of exaggeration by stating that nothing was more than an inch off demonstrates to the audience the level structure the Blackwoods built. Depicting how change is avoided to a greater extent, as change allows for surprises which limits the perception of control. The Blackwood estate is run on autonomy with a regular routine with Merricat going to the village every “friday [and] tuesday”. Although this is a part of her weekly schedule, she “hates” these trips as it leaves a chance for the unpredictability of the outside world. When she leaves the confines of the Blackwood Estate not everything follows the same structure or routine every time. Jackson does this to create contrast between the stable and structured life within the castle, while showcasing how change and uncertainty is looked down upon within her novella. Change is portrayed as an attack on individuals' daily life and predictability, leaving them to feel weak and unsafe. Leading to structure being viewed as a safety mechanism within the novella, with any shift to routines being avoided.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: The gift of play Stimulus:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: The Gift of Play -The best card game 25/3/26 The game of the century, the one shared millions of times around…
The Gift of Play
-The best card game 25/3/26
The game of the century, the one shared millions of times around the world, the one with all ages playing, and the one that has torn families apart. It had 171 million of copies sold by 2023, with millions of more been sold since then. Created by Merle Robbins in 1971 with the purpose of bringing those together. It is of course the game of UNO. Something I am sure everyone reading has played and if you haven’t, I have some good news for you as I’ll be explaining the true rules of the game right here. The game has been out forever, I remember playing when I was only about six or seven years old, and I’m stilling playing to this day. Comment down below the age you were when you started playing, and if you remember who originally taught you the rules. As that soul gave the gift of play for us, gave us special moments with our friends and loved ones, it was the work of our childhood that led to where we are now.
While the game does come with a simple set of instructions most people don’t follow them to the exact dot, which is what makes the game so versatile. This is especially important for young kids who are only first learning. When you were younger you couldn’t play with all the special or exaggerated rules as you are only just learning. Although, that doesn’t mean some families might have started with harder or simpler rules. However, at the end of the day, the kids were still playing the same game. Working out how other people played as you grew up lead to the new rules being formed.
When you go into the rules of UNO, they can be as straight as ruler, if that’s what your happy with. However, not all rulers are stuck being straight, some can be bendy. The simple rules are pretty much obvious, the ones everyone uses. Blue cards can be placed on blue cards, the same way red cards can be placed on red cards, that’s the simple stuff.
The rulers start to bend with how most people play; they allow any colour card can be placed on any colour regarding if they hold the same symbol. Therefore, a blue six can be placed on a yellow six as they are both the number six. This rule does allow for some pain and suffering when someone places a blue two plus on top of a green two plus so now, you’re forced to pick up four cards instead of two. However, that’s what makes the game so dramatic. It allows you to yell at your friends and family in a loving way just like how lions play fight with their family, you’re doing it out of love.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: The gift of play Stimulus:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: The Gift of Play -The best card game 25/3/26 The game of the century, the one shared millions of times around…
The Gift of Play
-The best card game 25/3/26
The game of the century, the one shared millions of times around the world, the one with all ages playing, and the one that has torn families apart. It had 171 million of copies sold by 2023 with millions of more been sold since then. Created by Merle Robbins in 1971 with the purpose of bringing those together. It is of course the game of UNO. Something I am sure everyone reading has played and if you haven’t, I have some good news for you as I’ll be explaining the true rules of the game right here. The game has been out forever, I remember playing when I was only about six or seven years old, and I’m stilling playing to this day. Comment down below the age you were when you started playing, and if you remember who originally taught you the rules. As the soul gave the gift of play for us, gave us special moments with our friends and loved ones, as playing doesn’t always have to be so serious or controlled entirely by our imagination.
While the game does come with a simple set of instructions most people don’t follow them to the exact dot, which is what makes the game so versatile. This is especially important for young kids who are only first learning. When you were younger you couldn’t play with all the special or exaggerated rules as you are only first learning. Although, that doesn’t mean some families might have started with harder or simpler rules. However, at the end of the day, the kids were still playing the same game.
When you go into the rules of UNO, they can be as straight as ruler, if that’s what your happy with. However, not all rulers are stuck being straight, some can be bendy. The simple rules are pretty much obvious, the ones everyone uses. Blue cards can be placed on blue cards, the same way red cards can be placed on red cards, that’s the simple stuff.
Moving along, most people play with the rules of any colour card can be placed on any colour regarding if they hold the same symbol, therefore a blue six can be placed on a yellow six as they are both the number six. This rule does allow for some pain and suffering when someone places a blue two plus on top of a green two plus so now, you’re forced to pick up four cards instead of two. However, that’s what makes the game so dramatic. It allows you to yell at your friends and family in a loving way just like how lions play fight with their family, you’re doing it out of love.