VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'You can trust me. I am ready to help ..'…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Sophocles's 430BC tragic play Oedipus The King explores the various influences that catalyse suffering,…
Sophocles's 430BC tragic play Oedipus The King explores the various influences that catalyse suffering, particularly societal responsibilities as a King. Sophocles further partially suggests that the emotional downfall is a result of strong desire. Oedipus The King is a play, created by Sophocles to act as a competitor in an Athenian play competition. Sophocles disolays strong emotive experiences through language and theatrical conventions. Thus aided by the passionate nature of the play, Sophocles explores the causes of Oedipus's emotional and physical downfall.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral presentation about gambling…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 97.5%: Intro Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch…
Intro
Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch with your mates. Before a single player's even touched the ball, you've already seen three ads telling you the odds, pushing a bonus bet, or promising money back if your team loses the first quarter. That is not an exaggeration. That is just what watching footy looks like in Australia right now.
Gambling ads have wormed their way into every part of our sporting culture, and the damage goes way beyond annoying. Australians lose more per person on gambling than any other country on Earth, over a thousand dollars per adult, every single year. And these companies are chasing people who can't even legally place a bet yet, which is most of us in this room. So, here's my position. Gambling advertising is a deliberate strategy built by an industry that profits off addiction, and it needs to be banned. Not paused. Not phased out. Banned.
Argument 1: Normalisation
My first point is this. Gambling ads have normalised betting so completely that for our generation, watching a match and having a bet feel like the exact same activity. Odds flash up mid-game, bookies' logos sit on our favourite jerseys, and ad breaks turn into betting infomercials with a bit of footy squeezed in between.
And it's working exactly how they want it to. The Australia Institute found almost one in three kids aged twelve to seventeen have already gambled. Think about that: one in every three children. That's especially alarming because it shows betting has become normalised through sport before young people are even old enough to gamble legally. The moment they turn eighteen, that figure jumps to one in two. Last year alone, more than 900,000 teenagers gambled. That's enough people to fill the MCG nine times over. Together, they lost an estimated $231 million.
This isn't just a statistical trend; it is a lived reality. Consider the experience of many young Australians, including a close friend of mine, who started with a "harmless" two-dollar bet on the footy back in Year 11, just for a laugh with the boys. Fast forward to now, and he reckons he can't watch a game properly unless he's got money on it. That's not him being weak-willed. That's exactly what years of gambling ads are built to do: tell him that having a bet means you belong.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral presentation about gambling…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 97.5%: Intro Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch…
Intro
Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch with your mates. Before a single player's even touched the ball, you've already seen three ads telling you the odds, pushing a bonus bet, or promising money back if your team loses the first quarter. That is not an exaggeration. That is just what watching footy looks like in Australia right now.
Gambling ads have wormed their way into every part of our sporting culture, and the damage goes way beyond annoying. Australians lose more per person on gambling than any other country on Earth, over a thousand dollars per adult, every single year. And these companies are chasing people who can't even legally place a bet yet, which is most of us in this room. So, here's my position. Gambling advertising is a deliberate strategy built by an industry that profits off addiction, and it needs to be banned. Not paused. Not phased out. Banned.
Argument 1: Normalisation
My first point is this. Gambling ads have normalised betting so completely that for our generation, watching a match and having a bet feel like the exact same activity. Odds flash up mid-game, bookies' logos sit on our favourite jerseys, and ad breaks turn into betting infomercials with a bit of footy squeezed in between.
And it's working exactly how they want it to. The Australia Institute found almost one in three kids aged twelve to seventeen have already gambled. Think about that: one in every three children. That's especially alarming because it shows betting has become normalised through sport before young people are even old enough to gamble legally. The moment they turn eighteen, that figure jumps to one in two. Last year alone, more than 900,000 teenagers gambled. That's enough people to fill the MCG nine times over. Together, they lost an estimated $231 million.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral presentation about gambling…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 92.5%: Intro Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch…
Intro
Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch with your mates. Before a single player's even touched the ball, you've already seen three ads telling you the odds, pushing a bonus bet, or promising money back if your team loses the first quarter. That is not an exaggeration. That is just what watching footy looks like in Australia right now.
Gambling ads have wormed their way into every part of our sporting culture, and the damage goes way beyond annoying. Australians lose more per person on gambling than any other country on Earth, over a thousand dollars per adult, every single year. And these companies are chasing people who can't even legally place a bet yet, which is most of us in this room. So, here's my position. Gambling advertising is a deliberate strategy built by an industry that profits off addiction, and it needs to be banned. Not paused. Not phased out. Banned.
Argument 1: Normalisation
My first point is this. Gambling ads have normalised betting so completely that for our generation, watching a match and having a bet feel like the exact same activity. Odds flash up mid-game, bookies' logos sit on our favourite jerseys, and ad breaks turn into betting infomercials with a bit of footy squeezed in between.
And it's working exactly how they want it to. The Australia Institute found almost one in three kids aged twelve to seventeen have already gambled. Think about that: one in every three children. That's especially alarming because it shows betting has become normalised through sport before young people are even old enough to gamble legally. The moment they turn eighteen, that figure jumps to one in two. Last year alone, more than 900,000 teenagers gambled. That's enough people to fill the MCG nine times over. Together, they lost an estimated $231 million.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral presentation about gambling…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 87.5%: Intro Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch…
Intro
Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch with your mates. Before a single player's even touched the ball, you've already seen three ads telling you the odds, pushing a bonus bet, or promising money back if your team loses the first quarter. That is not an exaggeration. That is just what watching footy looks like in Australia right now.
Gambling ads have wormed their way into every part of our sporting culture, and the damage goes way beyond annoying. Australians lose more per person on gambling than any other country on Earth, over a thousand dollars per adult, every single year. And these companies are chasing people who can't even legally place a bet yet, which is most of us in this room. So, here's my position. Gambling advertising is a deliberate strategy built by an industry that profits off addiction, and it needs to be banned. Not paused. Not phased out. Banned.
Argument 1: Normalisation
My first point is this. Gambling ads have normalised betting so completely that for our generation, watching a match and having a bet feel like the exact same activity. Odds flash up mid-game, bookies' logos sit on our favourite jerseys, and ad breaks turn into betting infomercials with a bit of footy squeezed in between.
And it's working exactly how they want it to. The Australia Institute found almost one in three kids aged twelve to seventeen have already gambled, a number that jumps to half the moment they turn eighteen, a statistic that is especially alarming because sport is one of the main ways young Australians are repeatedly exposed to betting promotions, normalising gambling long before it is legal. Over 900,000 teenagers gambled in the past year alone, enough people to fill the MCG nine times over, spending an estimated $231 million between them.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: oral presentation about gambling…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 90%: Intro Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch…
Intro
Picture this. It's Friday night, the siren's about to go for the first bounce, and you're on the couch with your mates. Before a single player's even touched the ball, you've already seen three ads telling you the odds, pushing a bonus bet, or promising money back if your team loses the first quarter. That is not an exaggeration. That is just what watching footy looks like in Australia right now.
Gambling ads have wormed their way into every part of our sporting culture, and the damage goes way beyond annoying. Australians lose more per person on gambling than any other country on Earth, over a thousand dollars per adult, every single year. And these companies are chasing people who can't even legally place a bet yet, which is most of us in this room. So, here's my position. Gambling advertising is a deliberate strategy built by an industry that profits off addiction, and it needs to be banned. Not paused. Not phased out. Banned.
Argument 1: Normalisation
My first point is this. Gambling ads have normalised betting so completely that for our generation, watching a match and having a bet feel like the exact same activity. Odds flash up mid game, bookies' logos sit on our favourite jerseys, and ad breaks turn into betting infomercials with a bit of footy squeezed in between.
And it's working exactly how they want it to. The Australia Institute found almost one in three kids aged twelve to seventeen have already gambled, a number that jumps to half the moment they turn eighteen. Over 900,000 teenagers gambled in the past year alone, enough people to fill the MCG nine times over, spending an estimated $231 million between them.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Argument analysis
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 70%: As mental health concerns arise specifically amongst youth, the question is whether current interventions…
As mental health concerns arise specifically amongst youth, the question is whether current interventions towards youth mental health show any improvement. Dr Lucy Foulkes published an opinion piece on The Guardian, May 21, 2025, contending youth mental health programs show little improvements and carry negative implications, thus those who are genuinely struggling should be given priority. Dr Foulkes persuades readers in a measured and urgent tone to abandon universal lessons in favour of struggling teens support, and for policymakers and parents to push for a change in approach to further support the youth.
Lucy Foulkes opens her piece by presenting imagery of a child who is visibly struggling mentally, hanging his body by only a fence representing his mental state showing a call to help for children like him with mental health deteriorating. Foulkes utilises the picture to highlight the children who should be prioritised rather than teaching “en masse”, when mentally struggling kids can then benefit from the school mental health programs. She aims to engage parents by creating a sense of sympathy through her anecdote. Foulkes intends to inform parents that this rising issue applies to both their children and a school’s students. Subsequently, she reinforces her credibility by stating her profession as a psychologist. She presents herself as trustworthy and comprehensive, giving more reasons to the reader to listen to what she has to say. Through concession, Foulkes acknowledges how it is a seemingly solid approach in an unbiased tone, proving her argument as fairly constructed and well researched. Foulkes then debunks the false assumption rather than opening with criticism, intending to lower the reader’s guard to maintain their focus before she lays out the evidence backing her argument.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Price: Greatest Country on earth,…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 70%: The recent final results of the vote for House of Representatives, where The Australian Labour Party, a…
The recent final results of the vote for House of Representatives, where The Australian Labour Party, a progressive party, beat the other parties by a landslide, has sparked debate about whether Australia is truly the greatest country on earth, as Angus Taylor claims. His opinion piece, “Price: Greatest Country on earth, Angus? Not if you live in Victoria,” published in the Herald Sun on the 20th of February, 2026, adopts a criticising tone to argue that Australia’s national pride is declining, and political leaders like Angus Taylor are boasting and bragging while the country is actually declining. Targeting an audience of traditional and conservative readers, the author intends to instill urgency about the decline of the country’s national pride and values.
Price opens by calling out Angus Taylor’s tendency to brag about Australia being the greatest country in the world, but ignoring that the country’s values are declining. He discusses Taylor’s eagerness to “snatch the leadership” from Sussan Ley, and “talk about immigration and shutting the door” on several groups of people and communities, but no actions regarding either of these claims is to be seen. The author is hinting at the ineffectiveness of Taylor in taking actions on the claims he makes, suggesting that it is now in the hands of the conservative audience, who truly do care about the country’s pride and traditions, to reintroduce the country’s values into everyday life, and show their pride in the country. Alongside questioning “are we brave enough to admit” that who is ‘an Aussie’ needs to be redefined and that the country needs to reconsider how many people, and who should live here, suggests that Taylor himself, needs to admit that these things need to be changed before he can claim that Australia is the greatest country on earth. This is done to instill urgency to act within the audience, and ensure that, unlike Taylor, they are actively working to ensure that the country’s pride and values are upheld.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘The Haunting of Hill House is a novel…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, suggests that family life is oppressive and an…
Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, suggests that family life is oppressive and an environment where only superficial bonds are made. Jackson critiques how family life reduces women to servitude rather than valuing them as members of the unit and demonstrates how this can leave women with persistent trauma that affects their future life and capacity to function in society. However, the novel ultimately presents that the crux of the injustice in the novel lies within the patriarchal societal structures of 1950s America. Overall, Jackson conveys that the oppression of domesticity and society as a whole are totalising and inescapable.
Jackson depicts a domestic setting as a unit in which women are used for service, rather than one in which love and connection thrive. The fact that the “only person who [Eleanor] genuinely hated” was her sister, now that her mother was dead, reflects the lack of meaningful connection between Eleanor and the members of her nuclear family. The word “hate” connotes extreme disdain and contrasts the common perception that family life fosters love. Moreover, Theodora’s omission of her surname in her self-introduction as “just Theodora” reveals how she never felt a connection with her family and was easily able to cut them off. Her surname symbolises her ties with her family, so her ability to completely disregard it illustrates that a woman’s domestic setting does not allow women to form bonds of love or feel a sense of connection. Moreover, the lack of male presence in Eleanor’s household, which mirrors Jackson’s husband’s own aloofness, presents how the responsibilities and oppression of domestic life lie with the women, whereas the men are not confined and are free to do as they wish. Eleanor, “a woman of thirty” had spent her whole life living with a family, yet was still craving a sense of belonging upon coming to hill house. Her statement that she “[is] home”, reveals that she had never felt belonging at her real home despite having lived there for many years. Jackson crafts this sense of irony in which only after escaping from her childhood home is she able to experience a sense of home to emphasise the inability for family units to fulfill such purposes. Overall, Jackson critiques how a domestic setting oppressed women by burdening them with responsibilities whilst not gifting them any sense of belonging or purpose.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Is graffiti vandalism or art?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Good morning Glen Eira council members, residents, and community representatives. My name is Raghav, and I stand…
Good morning Glen Eira council members, residents, and community representatives. My name is Raghav, and I stand before you today as a young leader who cares deeply about the safety, pride, and future of our neighbourhood. We are here in Glen Eira — our home, our streets, our shared responsibility — and what happens to this place affects every one of us.
Graffiti is vandalism. It is not harmless. It is not creative expression. And it is certainly not “urban art” when it is sprayed across shopfronts, fences, playgrounds, train stations, and public property without permission. When someone marks a wall that does not belong to them, they are not expressing themselves — they are choosing to damage the very community that gives them a place to live. Every tag is a reminder that someone decided their voice mattered more than everyone else’s safety and pride.
In Glen Eira, graffiti is a constant battle. Council officers remove 70–90 incidents every single week, only for tags to reappear within hours. Residents in Glen Huntly, Carnegie, and Ormond report vandalism so often that they struggle to keep up with the rapid reoccurrences. Imagine waking up every morning wondering what part of your neighbourhood will be damaged next. This is not creativity — it is a cycle of destruction that drains hope from the people who call this place home.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: The cherrypicking of ‘Australian…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 60%: Published on the progressive website of ‘Women’s Agenda’, on the 2nd of March, 2026, Angela Priestley’s opinion…
Published on the progressive website of ‘Women’s Agenda’, on the 2nd of March, 2026, Angela Priestley’s opinion piece, ‘The cherrypicking of ‘Australian Values’ to conveniently overlook equality, compassion and respect’ sternly exposes peoples tendency to ‘cherry-pick’ some core Australian values, while failing to mention other values that are also clearly listed in the australian values statement. The author exposes this behaviour in relation to recent political events, to an audience that would be progressive leaning and interested in the perspectives of women.
Priestly opens her opinion piece by mentioning the increasing tendency, in which people are picking and choosing Australian values that they want to support. Clearly making note of politicians recent tendency to “throw about” Australian values instills concern and distrust between political leader and the audience, raising the question of whether political leaders are trully supporting the values of this country, or whether they’re simply using certain values when it best serves their intentions. This is a strategic choice by the author to maintan the readers attention, as they become interested in exposing that politicians such as Angus Taylor are only promoting and speaking about values that they personally agree with, and leaving out the values that they do not care for.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: THIS IS ORAL PRESENTATION
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 97.5%: Madam Speaker [Smile Nod] As a member of this parliament, but also (small pause) a voter, tax payer and a…
Madam Speaker [Smile Nod]
As a member of this parliament, but also (small pause) a voter, tax payer and a citizen of this country ; I have the right to ask, which side does Australia actually take, not politically, (pause) legally.
The Magnitsky Law which commenced on 8th December 2021, is a targeted human rights (small pause) and anti-corruption legislation that empowers governments to impose extra-territorial sanctions - such as travel bans and asset freezes - on foreign individuals or entities responsible for grave human rights abuses or significant corruption.
Now [Raise voice] , We as a nation persistently claim to stand by the ‘rule-based-order’. But that so-called (small pause) ‘order’ [use two fingers to denote inverted commas] that we so happen to follow, appears to be an option menu on the war crimes we act against based on ‘who’ [use two fingers to denote inverted commas] committed it, rather than the crime itself.
Right now [Raise voice] , The International Criminal Court - The ICC - has recently issued arrest warrants 2026, for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes and severe violations against humanity while the ICJ - The International Court of Justice - continue to consider allegations under the (very small pause) genocide convention. Arrest warrants are issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for grave crimes against civilians, and Australia’s response, (small pause) well minimal. (small pause)
[Raise Voice] How exactly has our (point to yourself) nation responded to this situation. Well, Australia’s sanctions system appears to operate in a selective manner, or you can say…. (small pause) [face expression] ‘a political fashion’. Australia has placed target sanctions on ‘just’ two far right Israeli ministers by the names Ben Gvir and Smotrich for [enthusiasm] ‘inciting violence’. Meanwhile they sanction over 230 Iranian individuals, listed Iran’s revolutionary guard as a state sponsor of terrorism and expelled Iran’s ambassador. Let me tell you Madam (small pause), does this systemic favoritism not overthrow our moral values as a nation?
Now, I want to make it very clear [use hands with the gesture], many of those sanctions against the Iranian Regime are indeed justified due to their actions. But the favoritism, undeniable!. When Iran commits brutality, Australia responds swiftly and comprehensively with no problem. When Israel continues to commit several humanitarian war crimes, the response is cautious (small pause), minimal (small pause), delayed (small pause) and sometimes non-existent………. [say slowly to emphasise]
This issue doesn't just regard foreign policy, but legal integrity, and MY [point to yourself] (small pause) yours [point to them], and everyone's [move face outwards] taxes continue to fund this systemic erosion which actively corrodes our legal and moral values as a nation. (say slowly for structure (end to Intro/Hook)
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5 second pause for structure (argument 1) ] [walk slightly to a different spot or turn around just to signal this is a next argument]
So ,what does this selective use of the Magnitsky law actually cause and impact us as a nation worldwide you may ask?
Well let's look at the purpose of law. The rule of law is a principle of democratic governance ensuring all individuals, institutions and the government themselves remain accountable to a set of principles. A key principle of a law is equality and fairness - in other words, everyone is treated under the same law regardless of their wealth, political power, or status. This ensures no one is above the law (use fingers to signal above), typically those in power and a higher hierarchy, ensuring everyone's rights are preserved.
So how [RAISE VOICE] could our nation possibly betray that, Madam? We tell everyone Australia follows the ‘rule based order’. But if the government can pick and choose when this law is applied based on ‘who’ did it, it's no longer a rule based order, but a PR-stunt.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: THIS IS ORAL PRESENTATION
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 95%: Madam Speaker [Smile Nod] As a member of this parliament, but also (small pause) a voter, tax payer and a…
Madam Speaker [Smile Nod]
As a member of this parliament, but also (small pause) a voter, tax payer and a citizen of this country ; I have the right to ask, which side does Australia actually take, not politically, (pause) legally.
The Magnitsky Law which commenced on 8th December 2021, is a targeted human rights (small pause) and anti-corruption legislation that empowers governments to impose extra-territorial sanctions - such as travel bans and asset freezes - on foreign individuals or entities responsible for grave human rights abuses or significant corruption.
Now [Raise voice] , We as a nation persistently claim to stand by the ‘rule-based-order’. But that so-called (small pause) ‘order’ [use two fingers to denote inverted commas] that we so happen to follow, appears to be an option menu on the war crimes we act against based on ‘who’ [use two fingers to denote inverted commas] committed it, rather than the crime itself.
Right now [Raise voice] , The International Criminal Court - The ICC - has recently issued arrest warrants 2026, for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes and severe violations against humanity while the ICJ - The International Court of Justice - continue to consider allegations under the (very small pause) genocide convention. Arrest warrants are issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu and former defence minister Gallant for grave crimes against civilians, and Australia’s response, (small pause) well minimal. (small pause)
[Raise Voice] How’ exactly has our (point to yourself) nation responded to this situation. Well, Australia’s sanctions system appears to operate in a selective manner, or you can say…. (small pause) [face expression] ‘a political fashion’. Australia has placed target sanctions on ‘just’ two far right Israeli ministers by the names Ben Gvir and Smotrich for [enthusiasm] ‘inciting violence’. Meanwhile they sanction over 230 Iranian individuals, listed Iran’s revolutionary guard as a state sponsor of terrorism and expelled Iran’s ambassador. Let me tell you Madam (small pause), does this systemic favoritism not overthrow our moral values as a nation?
Now, I want to make it very clear [use hands with the gesture], many of those sanctions against the Iranian Regime are indeed justified due to their actions. But the favoritism, undeniable!. When Iran commits brutality, Australia responds swiftly and comprehensively with no problem. When Israel continues to commit several humanitarian war crimes, the response is cautious (small pause), minimal (small pause), delayed (small pause) and sometimes non-existent………. [say slowly to emphasise]
This issue doesn't just regard foreign policy, but legal integrity, and MY [point to yourself] (small pause) yours [point to them], and everyone's [move face outwards] taxes continue to fund this systemic erosion which actively corrodes our legal and moral values as a nation. (say slowly for structure (end to Intro/Hook)
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5 second pause for structure (argument 1) ] [walk slightly to a different spot or turn around just to signal this is a next argument]
So ,what does this selective use of the Magnitsky law actually cause and impact us as a nation worldwide you may ask?
Well let's look at the purpose of law. The rule of law is a principle of democratic governance ensuring all individuals, institutions and the government themselves remain accountable to a set of principles. A key principle of a law is equality and fairness - in other words, everyone is treated under the same law regardless of their wealth, political power, or status. This ensures no one is above the law (use fingers to signal above), typically those in power and a higher hierarchy, ensuring everyone's rights are preserved.
So how [RAISE VOICE] could our nation possibly betray that, Madam? We tell everyone Australia follows the ‘rule based order’. But if the government can pick and choose when this law is applied based on ‘who’ did it, it's no longer a rule based order, but a PR-stunt.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does the memory police…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Drawing inspiration from the rise of authoritarianism in the 20th century, Yoko Ogawa ' s dystopian fiction ‘ the…
Drawing inspiration from the rise of authoritarianism in the 20th century, Yoko Ogawa ' s dystopian fiction ‘ the memory police’ explores many themes around relationships. Ogawa portrays how loss of memory on the island can bring individuals closer together. Ogawa suggests that in the memory police, relationships give society the strength to resist. Finally, Ogawa illustrates how loss of relationships can impact one's ability to survive. Ogawa ultimately suggests that while relationships can not overpower authoritarianism, they are essential for emotional survival and provide one of the few sources of resistance within an oppressive society.
Ogawa portrays how loss of memory on the island can bring individuals closer together. Ogawa demonstrates this through the old man and the narrator's relationship. The old man and the narrator both consistently forget the disappeared items and objects, but it gives them an ‘understanding’ of each other. When R attempts to reintroduce a forgotten memory to them, the two had to ‘divide’ the word ‘between’ them, further illustrating the bond they hold as they have to rely on each other to try and remember forgotten items. The two sharing the same ‘void’ in their ‘heart’ brings them closer together, as they find comfort in each other. Ogawa celebrates the way the recurring motif of disappearance ultimately creates a special bond between individuals who can relate to each other. However Ogawa contradicts this idea through R and the narrator, as R remembers everything, whereas the narrator does not. Throughout the novel, as they ‘try’ to ‘understand’ one another, ‘nothing changes’ for either of them. This significantly weakened their relationship, as R constantly let out a ‘sigh’ whenever the narrator talked about the disappearances, creating an emotional barrier between the two. With the narrator believing R should ‘let’ his ‘memories fade’ like the rest of the community, and R not knowing ‘why’ she would ‘want to get rid of’ her memories. This concept creates significant emotional distance and a heavy lack of understanding between R and the narrator, something that suppresses their relationship from excelling. Ogawa's use of juxtaposition between the old man and the narrator becoming closer than ever through loss of memory and R and the narrator falling apart due to the loss, emphasises that memories connect greatly to emotions, and are almost essential to pursue human relationships. Ogawa exposes how loss of memory can strengthen and strain relationships.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Personal journey
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: the neon sign of the convenience store blinks pink and green across the wet pavement and it is three in the…
the neon sign of the convenience store blinks pink and green across the wet pavement and it is three in the morning in Melbourne but back home it is midnight and she is gone now but there is no heavy weight in his chest just the hum of the open refrigerator case holding rows of iced coffee and sushi rolls that look too perfect to be real food and he stands there watching his own reflection in the glass thinking how strange it is that the world did not stop spinning when the phone rang because when his mother whispered the news across the static of a transcontinental line he only felt a sudden deep quiet like the silence inside a library after everyone leaves and now he walks down the aisle with a basket containing things he does not need like a packet of spicy noodles and a blue pen because the grief everyone writes about in books is supposed to be a tearing of clothes or a howling at the moon but here under the fluorescent lights it is just a dull blankness a complete absence of color where her face should be and he remembers her small kitchen where the steam from the rice cooker always smelled like old wood and how she would sit by the window shell pea pods into a plastic basin with her wrinkled fingers moving like small birds but that kitchen is thousands of miles away across an ocean
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: write an analysis of the ways in which…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 60%: In the online newspaper ‘Australia Today’, May Tran publishes an opinion piece where she posits the idea that…
In the online newspaper ‘Australia Today’, May Tran publishes an opinion piece where she posits the idea that intergenerational living in the solution to the current housing crisis in Australia. She expresses her opinion a logical and measured tone to encourage local Australian adults to invest in multigenerational housing rather than the current housing dream of living with a single family generation.
Tran questions whether the classic Australian housing dream is realistic, claiming that we should change it. To open her piece, Tran employs a plethora of inclusive language, using vocabulary such as ‘we all aspired’, ‘our own’ and ‘we could’ to establish a clear connection with the audience. This immediately draws the reader into the argument as the audience is given the impression that the issue is relevant to them, and that the author understands them. Additionally, Tran uses a variety of phrases and vocabulary that is associated with fairytales, such as ‘once upon a time’, ‘little piece of paradise’, ‘fantasy’ and ‘dream’ to set a light and playful tone, provoking a sense of wonder and joy into the reader. However, this is quickly juxtaposed with language that has negative connotations such as ‘outdated’, ‘unachievable’, ‘out of tune’ and ‘challenges we face’, diminishing the prior positive tone with a sense of helplessness, as the audience becomes pessimistic towards that idea of fulfilling this idea of a perfect home. This allows Tran to convince the audience that there is another solution, as they are driven to repair this ‘fantasy’. To strengthen this, Tran employs logos, stating that ‘property prices have been going up nearly twice as fast as wages’, this use of indisputable data solidifies the idea that owning a single family home is no longer realistic, encouraging the audience to seek an alternative option. This idea of finding an alternative option is assisted by an image of a looking glass hovering over some cut-out cardboard houses, symbolising the idea of looking for other options through the use of literal imagery.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Personal journey
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: A message from my father sits in the middle of a thread of ordinary reminders. It is between a note about…
A message from my father sits in the middle of a thread of ordinary reminders.
It is between a note about taking out the bins and another about a dentist appointment. I had not noticed it for a few days. When I open it, there is only a question: whether I still want to study in Melbourne.
I remember standing in the kitchen when I read it properly for the first time. The kettle had just boiled and switched itself off. Someone upstairs was moving furniture across the floor. I typed my reply while holding the phone in one hand and waiting for the cup to fill. I wrote “yes” and pressed send before the water reached the top.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Ghost Wall explore power?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Humans innate lack of ability to recognise the riches of the present leads to a glorification of the past as a time…
Humans innate lack of ability to recognise the riches of the present leads to a glorification of the past as a time of divine jubilation. Sarah Moss's bildungsroman, 'Ghost Wall', warns of the dangers of idealising the past as rid of contemporary complications, alluding to the travesties of an antiquated time that are often overlooked in a search for perfection. Through a verisimilitude recreation of a bygone era, history is portrayed as ambiguous and inconclusive, leading individuals to forge zealous and destructive ideals unverified yet taken as absolute. While the past offers an escape and happiness absent from societies materialism, ultimately, obsession leaves one isolated from modernity, obstinate on neo-primitive beliefs. As such, Moss posits against illustrating a picturesque past in search of comfort, highlighting the physical and psychological degeneration that ensues when retreating to an unlived time.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Ghost Wall explore power?
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Transcending from primitive roots, humans, built off a herd mentality, desire power and agency within their lives,…
Transcending from primitive roots, humans, built off a herd mentality, desire power and agency within their lives, seeking to control not only themselves but also others. Sarah Moss's bildungsroman, 'Ghost wall', highlights the duality of power, and its illusory value that induces this chase within people. Amidst a diverse, patriarchal society, control is portrayed as systemic as opposed to an attainable state, handed to someone based off marginalisations and qualities, that others may fall victim to. While it's largely apparent who ascertains it, power is rather concealed, always present yet utilised through psychological degeneration and coercion, contrary to physical apprehension. Regardless, this lingering nature can prove destructive for both parties, if one allows it to consume their sense of rationality and seep into a state of extremism. As such, Moss posits control and agency as empowering yet corruptive.
Exposing the stark division of humanity in modern society, Moss unveils power as institutional, gifted, not earned, to one based off a number of metrics. Opening the novel, Moss's eerie prolepsis establishes the dominion of men in a patriarchal society. Employing a feminine figure as the sacrifice, objectified as simply a "fearful body", Moss alludes to the omnipotence of men utilising women to implore their visceral rituals. The presence of the crowd, complete with "children… peep[ing] at her from behind their mothers", illustrates this helplessness of women in society, made to voyeur on masculinity dictate their livelihood. Paralleling this, the familial dynamic between Silvie, Bill and Alison is dictated largely off their gender status. Bills persistent dissatisfaction with female's "inferior plumbing" captures this systemic rule of men, antagonizing their need for extra bodily care as a sign of weakness, the connotations of plumbing objectifying them as subhuman. Alison's need to plead for sanitary protection against Bill's view that "women managed well enough.. back in the day without spending money on all" the sanitary products conveys the inherent power men capacitate from their innate benefit of requiring lesser bodily management. Bill's glorification of "women in the family… feeding babies the way nature intended", alongside the symbol of cooking wherein Alison is trapped at the camp, preparing food for the rest of the group, exacerbates the expectation of women to attend to domestic duties, while men provide for the family giving masculine figures power by creating a dependence for social and financial freedom, Moss refuting these gender norms as unjust and anachronistic, largely through Molly whom transcends them, painting men as "poor dears" from their excessive pride and inability to "acknowledge that someone else down know" something they don't. Furthermore, Moss depicts power as a commodity, controlled and distributed by those with profound tangible belongings like knowledge or wealth. The contrast between the professor and his higher-level education creates tension with Bill whom lacks a formal education. While Bill encompasses the skills required to reenact the iron age, the professors "posh" nature and textbook education, "having read a lot", gives him the authority over the group, advancing the notion that power is systematic, dependent on corporate knowledge over situational awareness. Similarly, Molly and Silvie's trip to spar extends on the leverage attained from opulence. Silvie's lack of prosperity, simply having to "see what [she] can afford", places her into a position of submission to Molly whom possess' wealth and thus power as to where they venture. As such, Moss chastises modernity and it's adulation with tangible resources and innate qualities, subverting power as given to those incapable of utilising it.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does Shakespeare present…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello exposes the fragility of human nature when individuals are subjected to…
William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello exposes the fragility of human nature when individuals are subjected to jealous obsession. While Othello’s internalised racial insecurity makes him vulnerable, it is ultimately Iago’s predatory manipulation that drives his downfall, showing that internal doubt alone is not enough to cause destruction without external influence. The tragedy builds towards catastrophe because the characters are trapped by the deceptive nature of false friendship, meaning that jealous obsession becomes a force that reshapes Othello’s perception, identity, and moral judgment. Ultimately, Shakespeare presents a warning that when prejudice creates vulnerability, jealous rage can completely destroy even the most noble identity, demonstrating that jealous obsession is the true driving force behind tragedy.
Shakespeare establishes that jealous obsession begins the tragedy by exploiting Othello’s existing vulnerabilities within a prejudiced Venetian society, where identity is constructed through reputation and social perception. The audience is immediately introduced to a world governed by deep-seated biases when Iago weaponises hateful dialogue, shouting that “an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe.” The animalistic connotations and aggressive tone in the metaphor of “an old black ram” showcase the racialised suspicion embedded into public consciousness, proving that the environment actively frames Othello as inherently othered, reinforcing the conditions in which jealous suspicion operates through socially constructed prejudice.
This internal vulnerability allows false narratives to thrive, captured when Iago openly admits that “I follow him to serve my turn upon him.” This soliloquy grants Iago uncontested authority over the audience’s understanding, establishing him as the architect of deception while Othello remains a blind participant, revealing how jealous manipulation is enabled through hidden control beneath apparent trust.
To further establish this power, Shakespeare uses the convention of the soliloquy when Iago confesses that Othello “is of a free and open nature... and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.” By juxtaposing Othello’s noble trust with animal imagery, Shakespeare shows that emotional openness becomes the weakness that allows manipulation to succeed, showing how jealousy transforms trust into vulnerability.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘You do not have to walk on your knees /…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Across her collections American Primitive and Dream Work, Mary Oliver's confessional free verse poetry, employing…
Across her collections American Primitive and Dream Work, Mary Oliver's confessional free verse poetry, employing direct address and vivid natural imagery, dismantles inherited narratives of guilt and positions the natural world as a site of unconditional belonging. Whilst Oliver celebrates the liberation that comes from accepting our flawed, imperfect natures, framing peace as freely available, she ultimately insists that genuine acceptance means embracing difficulty and ugliness as the necessary preconditions for beauty, growth, and renewal. Oliver first subverts the penitential impulse, positioning acceptance of ourselves as a release from guilt and self-imposed pressure; yet she complicates this by acknowledging that accepting the world around us also means accepting a smaller life, one defined by attention and connection rather than grand ambition. Ultimately, Oliver locates peace in the willingness to celebrate the difficult and the ugly as the very things that make renewal possible. For Oliver, peace is found in accepting who we are, not who we force ourselves to be.
Oliver contends that in order to achieve freedom and happiness, humans should release themselves from the weight of perfectionism in order to generate the first step towards peace. In ‘Wild Geese’, Oliver’s direct address, ‘You do not have to be good’, releases the reader from the heavy pressure of perfectionism, illuminating how humans can only be at peace when they shed the burden of failure and imperfections. This is deepened by the metaphor, ‘You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves’, in which Oliver frames the ‘soft animal’ as humanity’s fragile, yet vital natural instincts. This contrasts with the harsh, rigid expectations of society, revealing how following our true instincts rather than synthetic instincts will allow us to nurture peace within ourselves. Furthermore, Oliver’s anaphora of ‘Meanwhile’ to describe how ‘the world goes on’ and the geese ‘heading home again’, showcases how the ongoing, welcoming rhythm of the world acts as a source of comfort rather than a dismissal of achievement, suggesting that nature offers its acceptance regardless of human emotions. Here, Oliver argues how the progression of internal acceptance to external connection will allow humans to resolve the fear of imperfections and generate peace through acceptance. This same idea is present in ‘One or Two Things’, where Oliver’s confessional enjambment, ‘for years and years I struggled just to love my life’, isolates the ‘struggled’ at the line’s end, emphasising the exhausting effort of investing in something that should come naturally, reinforcing that the struggle itself is the obstacle to acceptance. This is deepened through Oliver’s use of simile, ‘like a sharp iron hoof at the centre of my mind’, where the harshness of “iron” and “sharp” underscores how self imposed expectations become instruments of suffering. Furthermore, Oliver’s emblematic butterfly which ‘rose, weightless, in the wind’ and instructs to 'don't love your life too much’ before it ‘vanished into the world’, reinforces that peace comes from releasing rather than controlling it. Oliver insists that peace begins with accepting ourselves as we are - the desire to be perfect, to force happiness, to earn belonging through suffering, is the very wall that is blocking the path towards peace.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Fate controls every aspect of Oedipus the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In Oedipus the King, fate is presented by Sophocles as the dominant force controlling many aspects of the play,…
In Oedipus the King, fate is presented by Sophocles as the dominant force controlling many aspects of the play, while also demonstrating the limitationslimiations ofted human agency. This is primarily conveyed through the authority of the Gods which shape the trajectory of the narrative. Further, Sophocles also explores human attempts to resist or outwit prophecy, which ultimately contribute to its fulfillment. However, Sophocles acknowledges a limited form of free will in the ways individuals respond to the consequences of their fate. Ultimately, Sophocles suggests that although fate determines the course of events, human agency exists in response to what is destined.
Fate is portrayed as an overpowering and inevitable force, which ultimately governs the characters' livescourse of events. Set in 5th century Athens, the play reflects an audience that viewed the Gods as all-knowing and greater than humanity. The prophecies of the Gods dictate many major events of the play, specifically that Oedipus would "kill [his] father and marry [his] own mother". Despite his and Jocasta's efforts to escape their destiny, they unknowingly fulfill it, emphasising the chorus' assertion that "no mortal can escape his fate". As Sophocles wrote this play during a time where scepticism was emerging about the power and supremacy of the Gods, he explores humanity's questioning of divine authority through Oedipus' initial rejection of Tiresias' warnings that "[Oedipus is] the curse, the corruption of the land" and that he will eventually succumb to his fate. Tiresias is presented as a messenger of divine prophecy, at first resisting revealing the truth, asserting that "what will come will come" yet ultimately disclosing Oedipus' fate, reinforcing the idea that fate will unravel independent of human control. However, Oedipus' hubris blinds him from seeing the truth clearly, and instead of accepting the truth, he interprets it as a conspiracy of Tiresias and Creon being "so hungry to overthrow [him]". He also elevates himself to the Gods' level, asking his citizens to "let [him] grant [their] prayers," failing to recognise the difference between his fallibility and the Gods' infallibility. However, his denial and hubristic mindset does not alter the outcome of Apollo's prophecy, as his attempts to resist the truth only contribute to its fulfillment, indicating that he operates under the illusion of free will. Therefore, Sophocles presents fate as a dominant and relentless force over human lives, regardless of individual resistance or perception.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director Sean Penn examines the motivations and actions of Christopher McCandless.…
In the 2007 film Into the Wild, director Sean Penn examines the motivations and actions of Christopher McCandless. Penn initially indicates that seeking isolation grants freedom from modern society, however, he later reveals that Chris refuses to prioritise human connections as he believes they conflict with his desire for freedom. Ultimately, Penn highlights how these beliefs are flawed and paradoxically lead to entrapment while causing profound emotional damage to loved ones.
Penn initially indicates that the pursuit of isolation allows one to withdraw themselves from the expectations of a materialistic society. In the magic bus, Chris describes society as a “poison” which he must “flee to walk alone”. Penn frames society as restrictive as something one must withdraw themselves from if they wish to experience true freedom, thus celebrating Chris's pursuit of isolation early on. Later, Penn uses a montage of Chris jumping excitedly into rivers and running with horses during sunset to romanticize his solitary immersion with nature. Slowed footage and close-up shots elongate the audience's exposure to Chris's raw happiness and focus them entirely on his heightened sense of fulfillment. Chris also explains how "no phone, no pool, no pets" and "no cigarettes," lead to ultimate freedom. The director uses repetitive negative listing to convey that Chris associates true independence not with what he possesses, but with what he rejects. By listing only material possessions, Penn encourages audiences to admire Chris's dedication to simplicity and achieving personal freedom through these rejections of materialism. Therefore, Penn initially supports Chris's pursuit of seclusion by illuminating how his repudiation of civilization allows him to experience freedom and satisfaction.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Prompt: A single spark can transform a…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 95%: It all originated from a single spark. A match so faint that it was indistinguishable from its own shadow. This…
It all originated from a single spark. A match so faint that it was indistinguishable from its own shadow. This spark, however, travelled with the frantic assistance of paint thinner, which clung to the concrete prison walls like a dying breath. The distinct scent of salty rain and burnt plastic stagnated over the alienated town, a heavy, chemical shroud. Faces of cheerful children were plastered against the slabs of concrete—pleas for a future that would forever haunt my mind. It felt as though the town had calcified into a permanent state where justice was a myth and silence was the law.
“Violence is not the answer to violence!” a voice cried from the safety of the dark.
“Those offenders deserved to rot in their cells! Not to burn!”
“Find him! Catch the man who did this!”