VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Personal Journeys: The Philosophical…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: The Gravity of Elsewhere Sometimes I sit and ponder on how the force of gravity works. I’m no physicist, but…
The Gravity of Elsewhere
Sometimes I sit and ponder on how the force of gravity works. I’m no physicist, but the complex aspect of gravity always seems to intrigue me. How it pulls and pushes from one place to another. How it is a large dome that surrounds our earth and pushes against it to create a force that keeps us from mindlessly floating away. But sometimes, I also wonder to myself: can gravity be pulling from two different regions? Can two forces of attraction lie directly opposite from each other, and be pulling an object in the middle, with the object being tugged and worn relentlessly until it finally, one day, cannot bear the force and rips in half in defeat?
That’s how I’m feeling. That’s how my culture treats me.
I always saw it as unfair. Broken pieces of myself I could never collect together. My younger self never understood what or who she was. In what roots she was grounded. It was all a blur to me. Belonging to a European father and a Central American mother, the force of gravity always played a role in discovering who I was. Only it never helped in the process, but rather acted as a barrier in doing so. An interruption that heaved at each of my arms to pull me to one side or the other. In my mind, I would beg for it to stop. I begged for the gravity to release its pressure that strained my limbs. Only as I got older, it pulled stronger. And my arms just continued to grow even weaker.
Family gatherings were never easy for me. On my dad’s side, I always felt excluded. Generally, we would gather around once every one or two months at my grandparents’ house. I called them Nana and Nanu—meaning grandma and grandpa in Maltese. I would walk into the small, hand-built house and move past the corridor to the kitchen to greet the family. Each dinner, birthday, or reunion, what would always stop me in my tracks was the fridge. Every visit, I stopped to look at the old yet stern appliance, which hung numbers for electricians and plumbers, but was completely filled with proud family photos. Each photograph contained either a child or a grandchild, with every blood family member featured in around four or five photos each, either individually or in a group photo. It ranged from fresh baby photos, graduation ceremonies, to celebratory marriages. A display that boasted of Nana and Nanu’s perfect family.
What I only noticed was that there was one member who was featured in not four or five, but just one singular photo. A background character. Me. At my eldest cousin’s going-away party, a large family photo was taken and hung on the wall. Every single family member, both by blood and marriage were featured in the photo. My eyes travelled diagonally far across the image to the bottom left corner, where 10-year-old me stood, shoulders hunched and an awkward smile forced on my face. My one and only photo. A harsh whisper that would always remind me I didn’t belong here. That I wasn’t meant to be here. Surely it was an accident. Maybe a mistake? Potentially. Maybe they didn’t mean for it like that. After all, Nana and Nanu are pushing their 90’s.
My cousins were all the same. Two other families of children, who always bonded like a pure and true family. Something I couldn’t experience. Always playing legos together, hide and seek in the backyard, mariokart on the PlayStation. There was always some excuse configured in the moment to get me to miss out. Somehow, I would find myself in the corner watching everyone else constructing the lego. Somehow, it ended up being me who wasn’t playing hide and seek because it was a big kids' game. Somehow, it was always me who got given no controller because there wasn’t enough for everyone. It never occurred to me why until my aunt’s birthday gathering, the day I built the courage to ask Maya, my cousin.
I will never forget the words that eased out of her mouth. Those that punctured my confidence.
“Don’t you get it? It’s because you're different. You’re colour, your hair, you don’t belong in our family.”
I hated myself. I was browner than everyone and different. I could never fit in. They would never accept me. From that comment, I would always then observe my other cousin’s perfect brunette and blonde hair, with mine dark and frizzy. I would see them for their pale and perfect skin tone, whereas mine was brown with unwanted freckles.
Once I dyed my hair blonde. I thought it looked cool. I thought a small change could make me more accepted—to allow me to fit in.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Our reality- FOI of Protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: Our reality- Monologue [The spoltlight shifts to the streets of Melbourne in 2020 in the middle of autumn. The…
Our reality- Monologue
[The spoltlight shifts to the streets of Melbourne in 2020 in the middle of autumn. The spotlight turns to a single protestor, illuminating a man in his early thirties. He stands beneath a flickering fluorescent tram-stop sign suspended above him. Behind him, faint projections of blurred news headlines move across a scrim coupled with the signs held by the fellow protestors reading “ WE NEED CHANGE”. The distant hum of city traffic pulses softly, mechanical and indifferent like the calm before a storm. A discarded surgical mask hangs loosely around his wrist like something half-abandoned, half-remembered. He looks at the audience for a long moment before speaking.] lighting, sound, movement, background.
Charles: “You don’t look sick.
That’s what someone said to me on the tram when I coughed. It wasn’t even a real cough — just dust in my throat — but the carriage stiffened. You could feel it. Bodies shifting. Air tightening. Like someone had pulled an invisible wire through everyone’s spine at once. And then: “You people brought this here.” The words didn’t echo in the space — they landed heavy, absorbed by it.
[The projected headlines behind him sharpen momentarily: Foreign Threat. China Virus. Global Contagion.]
These people. I was born at Box Hill Hospital. My first word was “footy.” I grew up thinking Vegemite was too salty. Yet somehow, in that carriage, I became a border. A biohazard. A walking headline.
[The spotlight narrows slightly, compressing the space around him, visually shrinking his world. The stage screen flickers with images of empty supermarket shelves and masked figures crossing city streets]
During COVID, my face became political. My mum stopped going grocery shopping after someone spat near her trolley. Not on her — near her. That’s the thing about fear. It doesn’t have to touch you to stain you. My dad, a quiet man, began carrying his citizenship certificate in his wallet. He said it was “just in case.” The man under the spotlight pulls an invisible card from his pocket and holds it up, the gesture fragile. As if belonging were something that needed documentation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Wilder shows that the world of Hollywood,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Indeed, Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir, Sunset Boulevard, exposes Hollywood as a self-perpetuating system of…
Indeed, Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir, Sunset Boulevard, exposes Hollywood as a self-perpetuating system of illusion, where the value of human life directly correlates to one’s commercial viability, concealed by the intoxicating allure of prestige and wealth. Wilder initially exposes the industry’s superficial fixation on image and spectacle, illustrating the erosion of authentic identity which diminishes individuality. This occurs in conjunction with the film’s critique of Hollywood’s merciless and transactional hierarchy, which transforms artistic expression into a desperate struggle for financial survival. Wilder expounds that these concerns ultimately culminate in an indictment of the seductive fantasy of Hollywood’s stardom which masks emotional emptiness, isolating individuals within a hollow and destructive illusion.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Those who jump to conclusions may go…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: "Those who jump to conclusions may go wrong." How does Sophocles portray the poor judgement of characters?…
"Those who jump to conclusions may go wrong." How does Sophocles portray the poor judgement of characters?
Sophocles' Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, set in plague-ridden Thebes explores the mis-judgement of humans. Sophocles portrays how irrational decisions and suffering often arise from an inability to manage fear. Sophocles argues that fear of knowledge leads individuals to reject and distort the truth, choosing to be ignorant. Furthermore, emotional outbursts threaten the ability to make proper judgements, fueling conflict and paranoia. Finally, Sophocles warns of the limits of human understanding, suggesting that a disregard for moral restraint leads to an overinflated sense of worth. Ultimately, Sophocles emphasises that poor judgement is a choice that individuals should take agency over, not a consequence of fate.
Sophocles recognizes that fear of the truth and reality sparks avoidance, a maladaptive strategy that magnifies the problem over time. Characters in the play attempt to ease their own worries as well as the worries of others through the denial of knowledge, prompting poor decisions. The chorus' ambiguity when referring to Laius' murder signifies their inability to forget about their “king”. Following Tiresias' insight, they argue that 'his time has come' to escape fate and the curses Oedipus was made, being intentionally unclear whether they are referring to Oedipus himself or Creon. As Tiresias clearly state Oedipus' role in the murder, their resistance to admit this emphasises how their loyalty to their king prevents an unbiased view. This lack of acceptance fuels poor judgement later in the play when they believe Oedipus is a 'child' of the gods. The fear that their king is a murderer catalyses their denail as a form of comfort and consequently affects their cognitions. Furthermore, this is underscored when Oedipus receives many forms of reassurance that encourage his relentless pursuit for truth. The leader's comfort that Tiresias' words were 'by anger perhaps, not any firm conviction' also exhibit their inability to recognise the truth. Through this, the leader alleviates Oedipus' fears and worries, allowing him to continue with poor judgement. Jocasta's statement that Oedipus should ‘take such [prophecies] for shadows’ also encourages him. She projects her own disbelief in prophecies, ensuring he does not accept the truth in Tiresias’ words and consequently facilitates ignorance. However, this opinion not only impacts Oedipus' judgement, but her own. It sparks her irrational and violent act of suicide. Interestingly, she often alternates this belief, even when Jocasta offers a 'suppliants branch wound in wool' to the gods as a sacrifice to "‘set us free’ from uncertainty. This stage direction reveals that when Jocasta believes in the gods, she has good judgement as her word choice allows Oedipus to recognise his identity and saves Thebes from the plague and an immoral king. Thus, Sophocles emphasises that good judgement comes from confronting our beliefs rather than dismissing them. Sophocles argues that fear of the truth leads to ignorance and avoidance, making rash, illogical decisions.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Write on personal journeys. The theme…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 60%: Crossing the Line What is this feeling I suddenly find myself grappling with? I’m standing amidst a crowd of…
Crossing the Line
What is this feeling I suddenly find myself grappling with?
I’m standing amidst a crowd of teenagers, all the same age. Each girl in a beautiful gown shimmering in their own uniqueness. They all have a male partner who clings on to their sweetheart. Every gaze fixated on their love as they sway seamlessly to the rhythm of the melody.
I find myself doing the same.
It’s almost like he is Prince Charming. His eyes are beaming with a twinkle that shimmers in his hazel pupils. his skin is soft and smooth in the likeliness of a newborn baby, with a touch of innocence. His lips are gentle and smile at me in a way that tells me I am special. Suddenly I find him reel me in slightly closer so our breasts are grazing across each other’s with every step we take. I gently slide my hand up to feel his delicate brown hair. I never seemed to notice how calming his touch made me fell. How his face was perfectly added with every feature, a carefully crafted pottery designed intricately to be perfect. He is perfect.
Although, I’m not too sure I would use the word love to describe how I feel.
I don’t understand how to describe it. I am struggling to put it into words. It’s as through I am at a cliff edge, an old wodden and fragile bridge held in front of me. I can see him on the other side. A small figure in the distance who is motioning for me to cross. I don’t know if I should cross though. My life is satisfactory as it is already. Is he worth the risk of crossing?
I am a Jew. I grew up rooted in Judaism the second I was born. Even prior to that. I would consider my family to be quite religious. We attend our local synagogue three times a week—no exceptions. I’m not angry I was born Jewish. I quite like it. Ceremonies, traditions, rituals, I find it all a blessing I have been raised in this culture. How I can deepen my understanding of God and grow further in my faith to be a loyal servant of my Lord Almighty. Bu now I am starting to have doubts, about this, how to remove my bitterness and anger that God had put me in such a difficult circumstance. Hence, my prayer has been changed every night to end with a simple question:
“God, why couldn’t he also be Jewish as well?”
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: What does Wilder suggest about the pursuit…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard offers a scathing indictment of the pursuit of fame, dismantling Hollywood’s…
Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard offers a scathing indictment of the pursuit of fame, dismantling Hollywood’s glamorous veneer to reveal a predatory system sustained by delusion, exploitation, and spectacle. Rather than presenting fame as the pinnacle of success, Wilder exposes it as a corrosive force that erodes morality and identity, rewarding performance over authenticity. Through the tragic trajectories of Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond, Wilder suggests that the relentless pursuit of external validation not only dehumanises individuals but also implicates the society that consumes their suffering as entertainment.
From its opening sequence, the film subverts conventional representations of Hollywood glamour. The camera descends into a murky gutter before revealing Joe’s lifeless body floating in a swimming pool, immediately associating the dream of stardom with decay and death. This inversion of expectation establishes fame not as aspiration, but as fatal delusion. The presence of a homicide squad “complete with newspaper men” because an “old-time star” is involved underscores society’s fascination with spectacle. Rather than mourning Joe, the reporters metaphorically “harpoon” his corpse, reducing him to an “item” of interest. Wilder thus reveals how tragedy itself becomes commodified, transformed into consumable entertainment for a voyeuristic public. Fame, in this world, is inseparable from exploitation.
Joe Gillis embodies the moral degradation induced by the pursuit of success. Introduced as a struggling screenwriter “grinding out” stories in a dressing gown, Joe is financially desperate and emotionally adrift. His car faces repossession; his scripts are dismissed as “dead as a doornail.” Yet rather than confront his failures, Joe adopts a sardonic, performative persona. He refers to bill collectors as his “fans,” clinging to the illusion of relevance. Wilder suggests that Joe’s ambition is less about artistic integrity than about validation—about being seen, recognised, and affirmed. His willingness to deceive Sheldrake by falsely claiming that “twentieth” is “hot” about his script exemplifies how the pursuit of fame normalises mendacity. Pride and opportunism become survival mechanisms in an industry that prizes image over substance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard both challenges and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood.…
Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood. Set in the famous 'Sunset Boulevard' neighbourhood of Los Angeles, the film follows struggling screenwriter 'Joe Gillis' as he meets former silent film star 'Norma Desmond'. Quickly becoming ensconced in a world of fame, power and wealth, Joe loses his autonomy to the manipulative and controlling Norma, subsequently leading to his murder. This provides a stark contrast to the gender ideals of the 1940s and 50s, which expected women to be perfect homemakers who cared for their husbands and children without complaint. Wilder portrays the dynamic gender expectations for both men and women arising from a rapidly changing, post-war society. Although Wilder challenges the unrealistic expectations placed on the physical appearances of women, ultimately he reinforces traditional gender expectations in a subtle way that reflects long established cultural views of women.
Wilder subtly endorses traditional gender expectations of men being superior to women. Present throughout the film, Joe Gillis provides narration of the events of 'Sunset Boulevard' from his own perspective. Wilder characterises Joe as witty, intelligent and sarcastic, as reflected in dialogue where Joe describes menacing insurance collectors as saying 'the cutest things'. This positions the audience to perceive Joe as endearing, with his financial hardship and honesty making him a relatable character for both 1950s and contemporary audiences. Yet Joe's romantic relationship with Betty Schaefer is a clear example of his moral questionability. Joe describes Artie Green as a 'nicer guy' and thinks of him as a 'pal', but spends copious amounts of time with Artie's fiancee Betty, even kissing her with the knowledge that she and Artie are engaged. Wilder's swelling orchestral music, incandescant lighting and slow camera movements during romantic scenes between Joe and Betty present their relationship as intimate and positive, despite it being founded on disloyalty. Joe’s upright position in contrast to Betty’s seated stance symbolises Joe's masculinity and dominance over her. Additionally, Joe often gives Betty instructions on how to write their collaborative script, even telling her to walk a particular route to return to the office ‘via Washington Square'. This is evident of Joe's poor treatment of women, particularly younger women whom he may deem as less intelligent. Wilder's patriarchal storytelling via Joe prevents female characters (such as Norma Desmond) from being able to express their point of view of the events taking place during the film. Joe's lack of integrity is characteristic of noir films featuring morally ambiguous protagonists, which draws into question the reliability of Joe's negative portrayal of Norma Desmond. Ultimately, Wilder subtly creates a world where men hold dominion over women, leaving little room for female voices or empowerment, reflecting the gender expectations of 1940s America.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard both challenges and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood.…
Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood. Set in the famous 'Sunset Boulevard' neighbourhood of Los Angeles, the film follows struggling screenwriter 'Joe Gillis' as he meets former silent film star 'Norma Desmond'. Quickly becoming ensconced in a world of fame, power and wealth, gender expectations are reversed as Joe loses his autonomy to Norma, subsequently leading to his murder. This provides a stark contrast to the gender ideals of the 1940s and 50s, which expected women to be perfect homemakers who cared for their husbands and children without complaint. Wilder portrays the dynamic gender expectations for both men and women arising from a rapidly changing, post-war society. Although Wilder challenges the unrealistic expectations placed on the physical appearances of women, ultimately he reinforces traditional gender expectations in a subtle way that reflects long established cultural views of women.
Wilder subtly endorses traditional gender expectations of men being superior to women. Present throughout the film, Joe Gillis provides narration of the events of 'Sunset Boulevard' from his own perspective. Wilder characterises Joe as witty, intelligent and sarcastic, as reflected in dialogue where Joe describes menacing insurance collectors as saying 'the cutest things'. This positions the audience to perceive Joe as endearing, with his financial hardship and honesty making him a relatable character for both 1950s and contemporary audiences. Yet Joe's romantic relationship with Betty Schaefer is a clear example of his moral questionability. Joe describes Artie Green as a 'nicer guy' and thinks of him as a 'pal', but spends copious amounts of time with Artie's fiancee Betty, even kissing her with the knowledge that she and Artie are engaged. Wilder's swelling orchestral music, incandescant lighting and slow camera movements during romantic scenes between Joe and Betty present their relationship as intimate and positive, despite it being founded on disloyalty. Joe’s upright position in contrast to Betty’s seated stance symbolises Joe's masculinity and dominance over her. Additionally, Joe often gives Betty instructions on how to write their collaborative script, even telling her to walk a particular route to return to the office ‘via Washington Square'. This is evident of Joe's poor treatment of women, particularly younger women whom he may deem as less intelligent. Wilder's patriarchal storytelling via Joe prevents female characters (such as Norma Desmond) from being able to express their point of view of the events taking place during the film. Joe's lack of integrity appears to be supported by Wilder, which draws into question the accuracy of Wilder's negative portrayal of Norma Desmond. Ultimately, Wilder subtly creates a world where men hold dominion over women, leaving little room for female voices or empowerment, reflecting the gender expectations of 1940s America.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard both challenges and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood. Set…
Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950) is a noir melodrama that explores the intricacies of 1940s Hollywood. Set in the famous 'Sunset Boulevard' locality of Los Angeles, the film follows struggling screenwriter 'Joe Gillis' as he meets former silent film star 'Norma Desmond'. Quickly becoming ensconced in a world of fame, power and wealth, gender expectations are reversed as Joe loses his autonomy to Norma, subsequently leading to his murder. This provides a stark contrast to the gender ideals of the 1940s and 50s, which expected women to be emotionless homemakers who cared for their husbands and children without complaint. Wilder portrays the dynamic gender expectations for both men and women arising from a rapidly changing, post-war society. Although Wilder challenges the unrealistic expectations placed on the physical appearances of women, ultimately he reinforces traditional gender expectations in a subtle way that reflects long established cultural views of women.
Wilder subtly endorses traditional gender expectations of men being superior to women. Present throughout the film, Joe Gillis provides narration of the events of 'Sunset Boulevard' from his own perspective. Wilder characterises Joe as witty, intelligent and sarcastic, as reflected in dialogue where Joe describes menacing insurance collectors as saying 'the cutest things'. This positions the audience to perceive Joe as endearing, his financial hardship and honesty make him a relatable character for both past 1950s and contemporary audiences. Yet Joe's Integrity is questioned multiple times. Joe's romantic relationship with Betty Schaefer is a clear example of his moral questionability. Joe describes Artie Green as a 'nicer guy' and thinks of him as a 'pal', but spends copious amounts of time with Artie's fiancee Betty, even kissing her with the knowledge that she and Artie are engaged. Wilder's swelling orchestral music, stark lighting and slow camera movements during romantic scenes between Joe and Betty present their relationship as intimate and positive, despite it being on disloyalty. Wilder's placement of Joe standing upright, whilst Betty is seated in her office symbolises Joe's masculinity and dominance over Betty. Additionally, Joe often gives Betty instructions on how to write their collaborative script, even telling her to walk a particular route 'from Washington Square?' This is evident of Joe's poor treatment of women, particularly younger women whom he may deem as less intelligent. Wilder's patriarchal storytelling via Joe prevents female characters (such as Norma Desmond) from being able to express their point of view of the events taking place during the film. Joe's lack of integrity appears to be supported by Wilder, which draws into question the accuracy of Wilder's negative portrayal of Norma Desmond. Ultimately, Wilder reminds viewers of the underlying purpose of men; held dominion over women, leaving little room for female voices or empowerment.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Writing about protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m standing at the classroom door, greeting every…
I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m standing at the classroom door, greeting every student with a wide smile, checking every student up and down, making sure they're wearing the correct uniform. From socks to jumpers, from pants to dresses, from shirts to hair styles. Girls can’t wear pants. Boys can’t wear dresses. Girls can’t wear jewellery or have painted nails. Boys must wear a clean white shirt. No exceptions. No questions asked. It’s our school policy.
There’s always girls who walk in wearing pants. We have to send them home to change. We’ll get into trouble if we don’t. Yet we’re standing at the door in those same moments wearing my pair of blue baggy jeans.
The glass wall strengthens.
I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m in a staff meeting. They’re projecting a screenshot on the board. A screenshot of a petition the students had made to change the uniform policy. The girls want to wear pants, the boys find their ties uncomfortable. A thousand signatures. “All students involved will be held back after school for community service this afternoon”. No mention of the efforts students made to be heard. No mention of what these young people were fighting for. I mean, what would that make us teachers if every rule became negotiable? So we punish them.
The glass wall strengthens.
The narrative of gender inequality has been constantly shoved under the bed like an old cardigan. I admit. I do it too. I. As a woman. As someone who has the pleasure of working with and around the next generation of curious souls every day. I have participated in the routine uniform checks. I have given detentions to students for what we call “unnecessary disruption”. When a group of students snatch the microphone at assembly with a prepared speech on why the uniform policy needs to be changed. We don’t let them finish. We send them straight to the principal's office. Anything that impacts the integrity of our school, deserves punishment. We frame their protest as disobedience to prevent having to take accountability. All this time it’s been happening right in front of my eyes. Right under my nose.
Protest has always been a word held with ample stigma. Any mention of protest gets quickly pushed away. Deflected. It conjures images of mass marches, and people holding their flags in the sky with closed fists aimed at their oppressors. It’s these protests that taint how we perceive them through everyday circumstances. Us teachers don’t view protest simply as its definition; A statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something. We think that protest is just mass marches down the streets. We think it’s people holding their flags up to the sky and causing public disturbance. This stigma forms the foundation of our belief system as professionals working with young people. Protest is disobedience, and public disturbance disrupts the order of the institution we aim to uphold.
Yes there’s signed petitions, assembly interruptions, and social media accounts, all aimed at us, those who enforce the uniform policy so relentlessly every day. But what about the small acts of objection? The female students we see every morning at our door wearing the same pants and shirt we sent them home for yesterday. They do this every morning, relentlessly, as if trying to get some sort of point across. No matter how many punishments, how many times we send them home, they keep doing it. And we keep pretending it’s not what it is. ‘Detention at lunch’. ‘Community service after school’. But these students will keep going. It's a protest. It’s an attempt to make change and be heard. As teachers we would never dream of listening to them. It’s one of the core values thrust upon us when learning to be a teacher; Neutrality allows the school to function as it has for hundreds of years. It’s not ignorance, it’s procedure.
These students are trapped behind glass. ‘To be seen and not heard’.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Writing about protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: Not Going Back Mr Speaker, and distinguished members of parliament – all of whom I note are men. I stand before…
Not Going Back
Mr Speaker, and distinguished members of parliament – all of whom I note are men.
I stand before you not merely as a colleague, but as a woman whose voice has too often been expected to soften, to shrink, to wait. I refuse to remain unheard.
Protest has always been a cliché concept. You stand up in front of thousands of people with your fists to the sky declaring defiance. You stand up in front of a group of politicians crying for some sort of societal change. You wear your scars with pride as you watch the streets with flags held high.
Protests are with the intention to make change. To break the glass built off of systemic oppression, not just scratch it.
Protest can never be silenced, right? The entire purpose of them is to be heard and to bring about change. But what about when women protest? The women who march the streets relentlessly, with their fists up to the sky, and their chins up against the glass wall that confines them. They demand equal pay. Equal leadership opportunities. Equal rights. But are our cries ever heard? Do people ever listen?
In the early 20th century, English woman Emmeline Pankhurst established a community of women called the suffragettes. They coined the phrase ‘deeds not words’, the women under the regime realized that politeness was futile. Pushing their fists to the sky was never going to be listened to. So they acted. They went on hunger strikes in prison cells, force fed through tubes and violent restraint. It was the only way to garner attention from the deaf men that governed them. They thought we would never go back again. That the gender inequalities would be harnessed and resolved.
Glass used to shatter. Loud ear-piercing bangs could be heard from across town as shards cut through the air. Hit the ground with great force as the suffragettes stood with their clenched fists to the sky. Blood dripped relentlessly from the depths of their soul. A fight for future generations. A fight for us. Your wives. Your mothers, your daughters.
For the most part, it worked. Women were provided with the right to vote, to run for parliamentary positions, and were able to have a say in the society they helped create.
But the issue still lingers. Yes we have never gone back to the old-fashioned prejudice of the 20th century, but now it’s more subtle. Hidden. The walls of oppression still exist, albeit glass and less visible to the naked eye.
Yes, glass broke. But now we lie among the shards.
The shards of past hope. Past drive for change. Past longing for equality. The shards of modern prejudice, unfair pay. And a society that claims to be equal yet inadvertently endorses the subjugation of women.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Writing about protest The primary form…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 60%: \'At what cost?' There has always been one concept we've been taught to associate with change.…
\'At what cost?'
There has always been one concept we've been taught to associate with change. I'm
sure you'd agree that protest and change have forever been synonymous. If you're a
brave, young visionary and you see intolerance in the world that you just want to get
rid of, you gather up your huge crowd of people, storm the city square, blocking
traffic and holding your giant signs and banners high, demanding to be heard. We
know this narrative so well, surely, we all just need to keep doing this and our society
will continue to progress forward! You all see injustice in this world, don't you? Then
go! Rally up your seas of people and fill the streets! This world will be unjust no
longer!
Not so easy, is it?
Ironically, the belief that mass protest is a driving force for change prevents many of
us to participate. Organising and rallying numbers to storm the streets is a difficult
achievement. Not only is this daunting but, if you if you believe the conflict the media
thrives upon, no one wants to be pepper sprayed by the police or be confronted by a
violent mob hell bent on opposing your convictions.
Yet, do the costs of mass protest outweigh the benefits. Are sacrifices, conviction
and civil unrest to collective raise defiant voices in public necessary? What if the
seas of people and signs in the streets are just one way out of many to enact
change?
All it takes is a look through the history books, and it becomes clear. Mass protests
have definitely confronted system injustices, but we also owe so much of our
society's progress to the individuals. The individuals who have faced an injustice in
their lives and singlehandedly decided to draw the line and refuse to allow it to go on.
The individuals who didn't bother assembling a massive following but instead took it
upon themselves to see intolerance removed. The individuals who risked it all, who
may have even lost it all, but even so, sowed everlasting seeds of change which
have bloomed into today's enlightened society. Indeed, all it takes is to the delve into
the past to discover just how far into the future an individual's act of defiance can
echo.
You and I both know, for example, that the Earth, and all the planets, revolve around
the Sun, right? Well, let's take a trip back to 1600s Italy, and we'll see that it was a bit
of a different story. The dogmatic, theocratic rule of the Catholic Church reigned
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Writing about protest The form is an…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 60%: I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m standing at the classroom door, greeting every…
I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m standing at the classroom door, greeting every student with a wide smile, checking every student up and down, making sure they're wearing the correct uniform. From socks to jumpers, from pants to dresses, from shirts to hair styles. Girls can’t wear pants. Boys can’t wear dresses. Girls can’t wear jewellery or have painted nails. Boys must wear a clean white shirt. No exceptions. No questions asked. It’s our school policy.
There’s always girls who walk in wearing pants. We have to send them home to change. We’ll get into trouble if we don’t. Yet we’re standing at the door in those same moments wearing my pair of blue baggy jeans.
The glass wall strengthens.
I’m sure this isn’t a foreign situation for any of you. I’m in a staff meeting. They’re projecting a screenshot on the board. A screenshot of a petition the students had made to change the uniform policy. The girls want to wear pants, the boys find their ties uncomfortable. A thousand signatures. “All students involved will be held back after school for community service this afternoon”. No mention of the efforts students made to be heard. No mention of what these young people were fighting for. I mean, what would that make us teachers if every rule became negotiable? So we punish them.
The glass wall strengthens.
The narrative of gender inequality has been constantly shoved under the bed like an old cardigan. I admit. I do it too. I. As a woman. As someone who has the pleasure of working with and around the next generation of curious souls every day. I have participated in the routine uniform checks. I have given detentions to students for what we call “unnecessary disruption”. When a group of students snatch the microphone at assembly with a prepared speech on why the uniform policy needs to be changed. We don’t let them finish. We send them straight to the principal's office. Anything that impacts the integrity of our school, deserves punishment. We frame their protest as disobedience to prevent having to take accountability. All this time it’s been happening right in front of my eyes. Right under my nose.
Protest has always been a word held with ample stigma. Any mention of protest gets quickly pushed away. Deflected. It conjures images of mass marches, and people holding their flags in the sky with closed fists aimed at their oppressors. It’s these protests that taint how we perceive them through everyday circumstances. Us teachers don’t view protest simply as its definition; A statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something. We think that protest is just mass marches down the streets. We think it’s people holding their flags up to the sky and causing public disturbance. This stigma forms the foundation of our belief system as professionals working with young people. Protest is disobedience, and public disturbance disrupts the order of the institution we aim to uphold.
Yes there’s signed petitions, assembly interruptions, and social media accounts, all aimed at us, those who enforce the uniform policy so relentlessly every day. But what about the small acts of objection? The female students we see every morning at our door wearing the same pants and shirt we sent them home for yesterday. They do this every morning, relentlessly, as if trying to get some sort of point across. No matter how many punishments, how many times we send them home, they keep doing it. And we keep pretending it’s not what it is. ‘Detention at lunch’. ‘Community service after school’. But these students will keep going. It's a protest. It’s an attempt to make change and be heard. As teachers we would never dream of listening to them. It’s one of the core values thrust upon us when learning to be a teacher; Neutrality allows the school to function as it has for hundreds of years. It’s not ignorance, it’s procedure.
These students are trapped behind glass. ‘To be seen and not heard’.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent does sunset boulevard…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Wilder illustrates Hollywood as an industry that requires individuals relinquishing principles and using means of…
Wilder illustrates Hollywood as an industry that requires individuals relinquishing principles and using means of manipulation on each other for their personal greed and advancement. When Joe is dressing up in the “vicuna coat” he stares at himself in the mirror with a look of disgust, this facial expression signifies the moral sacrifice of Joe for materialistic gain as he treats himself as a product bought by Norma for personal financial gain hence exploiting Norma’s wealth. Although this leads to Norma gaining full control over Joe in turn as when Joe is leaving the New years party, a midshot displays his coat getting stuck in the handle which accentuates on the fact that even whenJoe is away from Norma she has full control over him due to her personal desires as she was “in love with him”. Norma herself is exploiting Joe's youth and presence for the craving of companionship. Wilder displays this manipulative relationship between the two characters as a great loss of individual morality, as it leads to individuals succumbing to the
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: State of Play: thoughts and…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: Speech DRAFT If there was a recipe for what most people think growing up successful looks like, I think it…
Speech DRAFT
If there was a recipe for what most people think growing up successful looks like, I think it would sound something like this:
Step 1. Measure out 2½ cups of hard work and perseverance.
Step 2. Simmer gently over six years of high school, seasoned lightly with academic pressure and personal sacrifice.
Step 3. Pour the mixture neatly into the ‘right’ university degree, making sure that you don’t spill any of your hard work while doing this.
Step 4. Stir continuously until a stable career forms and you finally feel satisfied with yourself.
As society expects young people to follow this ‘so-called’ recipe to gain success, it’s not a surprise to anyone when most people accept it and build their lives around it. But the problem is, this recipe leaves no room for curiosity, imagination or joy. Society is quietly pushing play out of our lives and that loss costs us more than we realise.
The tragedy of aging is the loss of youth, the abandonment of our spontaneity…
As we grow up, our worth begins to get tied to our achievements, and our productivity gets praised.
Growing up in an Asian household, I remember my parents used to sign me up to multiple extracurricular activities. In primary school, I was a part time artist, a part time pianist, a part time swimmer, dancer, singer. You name it, I probably tried it. Back in the day, play was like exploration for me because it let me adventure into different territories to see which ones I liked and didn’t like. Of course I wasn’t the best at any of these, but I at least enjoyed some of them enough for them to become hobbies that I personally wanted to continue.
When high school began, I became a full-time student. This was when I found myself being forcefully dragged away from the activities that I used to participate in.
But why?
I asked my parents this same question, again and again.
“If you not number one, how you stand out?” they would reply.
“How playing piano and this flimsy paint brush going to get you to university? How you earn money in future?”
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: State of Play: thoughts and…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: Speech DRAFT If there was a recipe for what most people think growing up successful looks like, I think it…
Speech DRAFT
If there was a recipe for what most people think growing up successful looks like, I think it would sound something like this:
Step 1. Measure out 2½ cups of hard work and perseverance.
Step 2. Simmer gently over six years of high school, seasoned lightly with academic pressure and personal sacrifice.
Step 3. Pour the mixture neatly into the ‘right’ university degree, making sure that you don’t spill any of your hard work while doing this.
Step 4. Stir continuously until a stable career forms and you finally feel satisfied with yourself.
As society expects young people to follow this ‘so-called’ recipe to gain success, it’s not a surprise to anyone when most people accept it and build their lives around it. But the problem is, this recipe leaves no room for curiosity, imagination or joy. Society is quietly pushing play out of our lives and that loss costs us more than we realise.
The tragedy of aging is the loss of youth, the abandonment of our spontaneity…
As we grow up, our worth begins to get tied to our achievements, and our productivity gets praised.
Growing up in an Asian household, I remember my parents used to sign me up to multiple extracurricular activities. In primary school, I was a part time artist, a part time pianist, a part time swimmer, dancer, singer. You name it, I probably tried it. Back in the day, play was like exploration for me because it let me adventure into different territories to see which ones I liked and didn’t like. Of course I wasn’t the best at any of these, but I at least enjoyed some of them enough for them to become hobbies that I personally wanted to continue.
When high school began, I became a full-time student. This was when I found myself being forcefully dragged away from the activities that I use to participate in.
But why?
I asked my parents this same question, again and again.
“If you not number one, how you stand out?” they would reply.
“How playing piano and this flimsy paint brush going to get you to university? How you earn money in future?”
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does The Memory Police present…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: In Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police, storytelling is presented as a paradoxical force that embodies both resistance…
In Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police, storytelling is presented as a paradoxical force that embodies both resistance and submission within a dystopian society governed by enforced forgetting. As objects and their associated memories are erased, storytelling becomes a fragile method of preserving identity, history, and emotional truth. However, Ogawa simultaneously reveals the limitations of storytelling under authoritarian control, portraying it as powerless against systemic erasure. Through the protagonist’s act of writing, the diminishing meaning behind her stories, and the regime’s suppression of memory, Ogawa explores how storytelling resists erasure on a personal level while ultimately submitting to oppressive power.
Ogawa presents storytelling as a form of resistance by depicting writing as an instinctive attempt to preserve memory and identity in the face of disappearance.
The protagonist continues to write even as the world around her loses meaning, suggesting that storytelling is a deeply human impulse rather than a deliberate act of rebellion. Her writing allows her to preserve traces of erased objects, transforming loss into narrative. This is evident when she reflects that she “continued to write,” despite not fully understanding why, indicating that storytelling functions as an unconscious resistance to forgetting. By recording fragments of a disappearing world, the protagonist asserts her inner self against external control. Ogawa thus presents storytelling as a quiet yet meaningful form of resistance, one that preserves memory symbolically even when physical reality has been stripped away.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Through Maus, Spiegelman demonstrates that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Introduction: Memory can be a source of one’s pain, yet it can also be vital to preserving one’s legacy. In Art…
Introduction:
Memory can be a source of one’s pain, yet it can also be vital to preserving one’s legacy. In Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel, memory is portrayed as fragile and fragmented, haunting both survivors and their descendents. However he suggests that through acceptance and story telling, individuals can reconcile with their past and preserve identity in the face of loss. Spiegelman reveals that trauma can torment Holocaust survivors long after the war, fragmenting their sense of self and their daily lives. His portrayal of Art’s emotional turmoil exposes how trauma can distort memory across generations, straining familial relationships and identity. Despite the pain of remembrance, Spiegelman affirms the necessities of storytelling as a means of preserving identity and recovering humanity. Ultimately, Maus confronts memories as a source of suffering, while also being a source of stories that is essential to record.
BP1:
Spiegelman reveals that the trauma of the Holocaust continues to torment survivors in the present, fragmenting their sense of self and distorting their daily interactions.
During Art’s interview, Vladek is depicted pedalling furiously on his stationary bike yet remaining motionless, a powerful visual metaphor for emotional paralysis.The relentless pedalling despite yielding no movement, symbolises the cyclical and inescapable nature, suggesting that survival does not equate to freedom from suffering. This sense of emotional stagnation encapsulates the futility of attempting to outrun memory as trauma becomes both an anchor and a prison.
Spiegelman, accentuated through the visual structure of the panel itself. A long horizontal frame occupying nearly a third of the page within it, Vladek’s hunched body and weary expression communicate profound psychological fatigue where he concedes, “enough for today”, his word signal not merely physical exhaustion but the unbearable weight of reliving the past, reinforcing that remembrance exacts a devastating emotional toll.
Vladek’s destruction of Anja’s diaries operates as both inheritance and burden. His admission, “these memories had too many, So i burned them” reveals the paradox of survival to preserve life he must erase the traces of it. This act of obliteration motivated by grief and guilt becomes an extension of trauma itself perpetuating loss rather than resolving it. Art’s furious response calling his father a “murderer”, reflects how trauma reverborates through generations fracturing bonds and transmitting guilt from parent to child.
Through Vladek’s dual narrative, his fragmented recollections of the past into woven with his fractured present, Spiegelman demonstrates that systemic persecution under the Nazi’s regime dehumanizes is victims yet through the very act of story telling, both Vladek and Art reclaim fragments of their lost humanity. Ultimately Spiegelman suggest that the cost of survival is the perpetual confrontation with memory, where the act of remembering itself becomes an open unhealing wound.
BP2:
Through the portrayal of Art’s guilt and detachment, Spiegelman exposes how the trauma of the Holocaust reverberates across generations, eroding familial relationships and self understanding.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Prompt 3: Explore the roles of fantasy and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Prompt 3: Explore the roles of fantasy and magical beliefs in the text. Discuss. Fantasy and belief are deeply…
Prompt 3: Explore the roles of fantasy and magical beliefs in the text. Discuss.
Fantasy and belief are deeply personal constructs, shaped by everyone’s own rituals and imaginative habits. In her gothic novella, “We Have Always Lived in The Castle,” Shirley Jackson interrogates the function of fantasy and magical beliefs, revealing that for many, fantasies and delusion can become a source of internal power, allowing individuals to be psychologically soothed in times of distress. However, Jackson constructs love and power as binary forces, implying that the prioritization of fantasies may indirectly result in a lack of love. Through a feminine lens, Jackson positions the reader to perceive that fantasies symbolize feminine autonomy and serve as a form of resistance against patriarchal oppression.
Throughout the narrative, fantasies become a source of power for each individual as it functions as a means for self- soothing. Most prominently, the motif of the moon becomes a primary means for survival for Merricat. The significance of the moon is that it is a utopia in which Merricat can live in a world without judgement, control or societal expectations, acting as a safe alternate reality for Merricat. Her ritualistic superstitions such as burying objects and forming a, “powerful taut web” underground, acts as a “guard” for her and Constance. Through her depiction of a web, Jackson underscores that Merricat sense of safety is tense and fragile, and her constructed illusions are what gives her any agency. Her inherent desire to ensure a safety barrier around her and Constance, imply trauma indicating that protection was absent in her life.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset boulevard reveals the destructive…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Billy Wilders film, Sunset Boulevard, explores the dark reality of fame, and how wealth enables individuals to…
Billy Wilders film, Sunset Boulevard, explores the dark reality of fame, and how wealth enables individuals to pursue destructive illusions of immortality and power. Set in 1950s Hollywood, America, Wilder conveys the film industry's flaws, revealing its inhumane behaviour and treatment towards its stars. Produced to uncover this unseen side of Hollywood, Wilder conveys that fame and glamour is a destructive force that can cause mental instability and desire for more success. This is seen through the isolation and lack of genuine connection causing decay, as well as the contrast in illusion and reality that can control rational thinking. Last this dangerous desire for glitz and popularity is depicted through the exploitation of power and corruption.
Wilder illustrates that loneliness is a product of not only selfish desires and personal gain to improve success, but also a fixation on remaining a star. As the film beings with a non-diegetic voice-over it frames isolation from the beginning. The cynical protagonist of Joe, whom narrates his own life, highlights ultimate isolation as he is already dead and stripped away from connection. Yet his ironic voiceover is due to him being infatuated with making it to Hollywood, which will allow him to become wealthy and successful. Although his naïve personality fundamentally destroys him and is the motive behind his inevitable abandonment. Additionally, as Joe is first introduced to Normas mansion, a low angle shot capture Norma peeking through her blinds. This shot illustrates the mansion as a prison for Norma, trapping her inside the decaying, rotting and dark house that she will remain occupied within. It is a symbol of Normas own isolation, and unkept connections she has been unable to maintain, which further solidify her insanity. Thus, when Joe first come into contact with Norma, the two are separated, illustrating not only physical distance but also foreshadows the mental distance that occurs further into the film. Wilders implementation of chiaroscuro lighting is able to contrast a naïve and happy Joe, to Norma who is stuck inside a dark and ominous mansion, with the shadows acting as a warning of what Joe is walking into. Furthermore, Joe prior to meeting Norma relates her to Miss Havisham. This literary parallel compares both ladies to oneanother, illistrating their traits they share in common. Miss Havisham was created by Dicken, and jilted by the altar by her fiancée. This is similar to Norma, who was left by Hollywood, forced to leave the industry as she was deemed not profitable. Both live as a recluse, far from people, and incapable of authentic connection. Overall, Wilder illiterates that an addiction to relevance and fame, build isolation and delusion, revealing how Hollywood's harsh behaviour impacts old stars.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In what ways does Churchill use dramatic…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In her play Top Girls, Caryl Churchill scrutinizes the ideological contradictions embedded in male-dominated…
In her play Top Girls, Caryl Churchill scrutinizes the ideological contradictions embedded in male-dominated systems by applying dramatic conventions to critique deep rooted notions of success and womanhood. Churchill conveys patriarchal definitions of success as structurally limiting, through Nell’s dialogue, “I don’t like coming second” (act 2 scene 1). Churchill characterises Nell as a tragic individual who has internalised masculine aggression yet has not accessed masculine privilege, which creates a dramatic irony and is a symbolic critique of Thatcherite mediocrity, her ambition promptly contrasted with her lack of authority within the corporate hierarchy. Thereby, Churchill confronts audience’s definitions of success under the patriarchy, forcing them to recognise that patriarchal definitions of achievement prioritise conformity over empowerment, revealing womanhood’s exclusionary standards. While Nell epitomizes women who are denied success despite assimilation, Marlene represents the depraved consequences
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Look at this street. All cardboard, all…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Journeying through the expansion of 1950s Hollywood, auteur Billy Wilder's film noir, "Sunset Boulevard", critiques…
Journeying through the expansion of 1950s Hollywood, auteur Billy Wilder's film noir, "Sunset Boulevard", critiques Hollywood's ability to purport image and conceal its lack of substance, revealing the innate instinct of a pedestalled society to chase a life on the pretense of allure. The melodramatic film noir stipulates the artificiality of Hollywood's grasp and the nature of individuals to overlook its delicate yet deceptive craft. Furthermore, Wilder accentuates the fatality associated with Hollywood's consumption, underscoring its ability to strip substance. Ultimately, Wilder examines Hollywood's capabilities in enticing individuals, even when they are aware of its machinations.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "What cowards you are…" 'The Women of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: The surprising image of frail Hecuba condemning the victorious Greeks as ‘cowards,’ is representative of…
The surprising image of frail Hecuba condemning the victorious Greeks as ‘cowards,’ is representative of Euripides’attempt to challenge the traditional understanding of cowardice and bravery in The Women of Troy. Indeed, from the first episode, Euripides presents alternative, and just as admirable forms of bravery, to military kleos. Even further, he demonstrates the flaws among the Greek victors - thus suggesting the fallacy in reflexively equating military conquest with bravery. However, while Euripides subverts commonly-held perceptions of bravery and cowardice, he doesn’t attempt to redefine them himself. Thus, in line with his realist nature, Euripides purports the pointlessness of constraining such ambiguous, human concepts to narrow, mechanical definitions.
From the first episode, Euripides calls into question the traditional perception of bravery – admirable kleos – through an inspiring depiction of the Trojan spirit. Hecuba’s bravery is revealed through her unbreakable resilience in the face of despair. A heavy sense of despondency pervades the opening scenes of the play, as an image of enfeebled Hecuba lying ‘quite still’ on the ground greets the audience. Her city is poignantly described as a ‘smoking ruin,’ and the sacred temples, once ‘raised’ to the gods, are now duplicitously raized. Yet Hecuba - the queen of this ‘destroyed’ city - opens her monody with verbs of strength: ‘lift,’ ‘heave’; as her frail body physically grapples with the effort of standing, so too is this action reflective of her battered spirit courageously resisting the psychological ‘weight’ of seemingly irrevocable losses – the death of her husband, the mutilation of her son, the annihilation of her city. Even as the woeful tunes of a ‘bleak song’ permeate the enervating atmosphere, Hecuba’s possessive callings of ‘my women, my girls’ evince her continual sense of responsibility for the Trojan remnants. Even as Talthybius arrives to report the ‘allocations’ – a cold, mechanical verb which reflects the Trojan loss of free will and self-determination – Hecuba’s first consideration is that of her ‘god-crazed daughter.’ The notion that this pitiful old woman - who is incessantly battered by unspeakable ‘agonies’ - can still exhibit a continual awareness of duty, presents a portrayal of bravery which is far from conventional. An additional moment where Euripides presents an atypical character of courage is in Cassandra, a ‘poor mad girl.’ In her resides an echo of Hecuba’s bravery, and yet the reverberations ring with greater defiance. Cassandra is arguably the greatest victim in the entire play – cursed by a god and regarded as ‘possessed’ by her fellow Phrygians, she is now to be desecrated by Agamemnon in an act of carnal lust. Yet Cassandra seeks to actively avenge her ‘murdered’ father and ‘dead’ brother – an act of familial honour which jars against her image as a ‘half-crazed’ prophet. Cassandra’s victory is a pyrrhic one – the ‘axe’ that will destroy the House of Atreus is also the one that will ‘sever’ her own neck. Indeed it is not Cassandra who will actually ‘kill’ Agamemnon, yet this physical description ofan axe invites comparisons to traditional views of bravery – the soldier is Cassandra, the weapon is her ‘marriage, ’ and achieving her goal will come at the cost of her life. This parallelism between madwoman and warrior shakes the very core of both Hellenic and modern understanding of heroism. Thus Euripides provides an iconoclastic depiction of courage, suggesting that the fundamental values of bravery can exist in completely unconventional forms - be it a reclining, depraved hag, or a crazed, soon-to-be deflowered virgin.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “She didn’t have food or shoes or even a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime encapsulates his difficult experience of navigating a discriminatory and an…
Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime encapsulates his difficult experience of navigating a discriminatory and an impoverished society as a mixed South African. As Noah depicts the uplifting power of education, he also suggests that in the wake of oppression familial knowledge can be more reliable in providing an authentic outlook on the world. Noah communicates this through an idea that education is highly multifaceted, as it can provide both raw skills which can be useful, and philosophical insight which is vulnerable to the system of education.
Noah praises education given by one’s family for it being different from formal institutions, as it often provides individuals with skills that aren’t taught by authority. Noah’s “school didn’t” teach him “how to think”, but his mother did. As Noah recalls his reading of the Psalms in his childhood, he remarks that his mother concerned herself with asking him analytical questions about the passages. Noah criticizes South African education for not engaging with ideas deeply, as he implies that critical thinking is learned better within one’s family due to the freedom of expanding on subjects. Furthermore, Noah outlines that despite being a child, his mother “spoke to [him] like an adult,” while other children did not receive that treatment. Though, Noah aknowledges through his retrospective narration that his mother subverted the norms of traditional parenting, he learns that his education at home was more effective due to her efforts to connect with him. Here, (in contrast to public institutions) Noah embraces familial education for it’s devotion to be more personal, as he suggests that public schools lack a level of connection with students.