VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Speak Up Stimulus: “You don’t need a…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 92.5%: There is a kind of fog that creeps into a room after a cruel joke is told. It settles softly, coating every…
There is a kind of fog that creeps into a room after a cruel joke is told. It settles softly, coating every surface with discomfort. People shift in their seats, laugh awkwardly, and then say nothing. That silence, thin at first, then suffocating, lingers long after the joke has passed. It is in that silence that injustice takes root. I have seen that fog before. It does not arrive with violence or outrage. It drifts in quietly, disguising itself as politeness or restraint. It spreads through classrooms, offices, train carriages, and family dinners. It wraps itself around the moments when we know something is wrong but convince ourselves it is not our place to intervene. It whispers that it is easier to stay quiet. But silence is not neutral. Silence is the soil in which discrimination grows. We like to imagine that racism and prejudice are rare and dramatic, things confined to history books or extremist groups. Yet most of it hides beneath the surface, subtle but steady. It is in the name that is mispronounced without apology, the assumptions made before a word is spoken, the tone that changes when a certain skin tone enters the room. It is the young girl who is told she is too loud for speaking with passion, the boy followed in a store, the student who is asked, “Where are you really from?” These small moments, dismissed as insignificant, accumulate. Together, they form the quiet architecture of discrimination. And yet, in those moments, most of us do nothing. We tell ourselves that we are not part of the problem, that silence is a kind of peace. But peace built on silence is fragile. It protects comfort, not justice. We look away not because we agree with the wrong, but because confrontation feels risky. We fear being judged, misunderstood, or alone. The fog grows thicker. It is easier to believe that one person cannot make a difference, that real change requires movements, leaders, or crowds. But every movement begins the same way, with one person who decides that silence will no longer suffice. A spark is small, almost invisible, yet it can burn through an entire fog. Courage does not always appear in grand gestures or speeches. Sometimes it looks like quiet defiance, the decision to say, “That is not okay,” when others stay silent. It can be a conversation after class, a correction spoken calmly but firmly, a refusal to laugh at a joke that harms.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: NO STIMULUS OF PROMPT JUST A TEMPLATE
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: Growing up, I had always wondered if he was my real brother. A nine-year age gap and a different father…
Growing up, I had always wondered if he was my real brother. A nine-year age gap and a different father figure forced a naive mind to question whether he was more than just a stranger to me. With a toxic persona, he never failed to play the villain in my young life. As I flew around the lounge room, fist in the air, a faded blue bedsheet tied around my neck as a makeshift cape, he would find joy and happiness in tearing it off my back. I’d grown up becoming accustomed to that resentment—the fierce, predatory look in his eyes as he cursed and hurled abuse at me, his ten-year-old brother. He not only lacked the qualities of a caring person but the qualities of simply being a role model, a role model his little brother needed.
Life was never easy for Blake and me; this was clearest in my older brother Blake’s journey into parenthood. At twenty-one, fatherhood struck him with a force he wasn’t ready to bear, bringing challenges he never imagined facing so soon. As little Oliver his son was born, severe illness kept him in the Royal Children’s Hospital for months. From the bright, beaming lights that never seemed to switch off, to the vibrant colours of the walls and the unforgettable stench of antiseptic, the hospital felt like a prison. Watching from afar, emotion flooding my body, I felt trapped. As my chest tightened and my hands trembled, I’d watch Blake’s anger lash out at nurses and doctors, fuelled by frustration, just like those times he’d ripped the bedsheet ruthlessly from off my shoulders. I recognised those victims of his outbursts and empathised with them, yet that empathy extended to Blake too. Surrounded by constant monitors and endless alarms, he had to be strong not only for himself but for his little boy who was fighting his own battles. Like a villain formed by hardship, he was lost, until he began to realise that his path was being reshaped by the people who loved him the most.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Resist and persist. Stimulus 1:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: Submission to the parliamentary committee about digital responsibility and data ethics. Submission: Sarah…
Submission to the parliamentary committee about digital responsibility and data ethics.
Submission: Sarah Wynn-Williams
Date: 26/10/25
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Laveau-Harvie suggests that individuals…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to…
Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to reconcile with her past childhood trauma and move forward with her life. Laveau Harvie presents Vicki as someone who is detached from her trauma. She does this through her fragmented memory and fragmented story which suggests that in order for Vicki to move on with her life she had to forget her past. This focuses on Vicki's personal defense mechanism against trauma where she chooses to forget the past as its too painful to remember. She's 'glad to forget' her past as 'where there was nothing, there was pain', highlighting Vicki's attempt to reconcile her past through her fragmented memory. She further demonstrates this theme of memory through her storytelling. She utilizes storytelling to capture that memory is fragmented and not perfect. In doing so she is able to move
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: One is destroyed by their own flaws, not…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: In ancient Greece, it was believed that each individual has an inescapable fate. This idea is centred in ancient…
In ancient Greece, it was believed that each individual has an inescapable fate. This idea is centred in ancient Greek playwright Sophocles' tragedy 'Oedipus the King', which was first performed at the Dionysus festival in 429 BCE. Performed to an audience of ancient Athenians, Oedipus' story of discovering his identity highlights the ways in which fate cannot be avoided. Through this, Sophocles also signals that when one's own flaws prohibit fate from occurring exclusively, the outcomes of this can lead to one's downfall. Sophocles exposes that while fate sets the overarching path of one's life, it is one's own flaws and choices that influence the tragic path and suffering faced.
Sophocles champions the power of fate, because while human error can worsen outcomes, fate is what creates the opportunity for those outcomes originally. As the Messenger reveals Oedipus' identity, he warns that Oedipus would be "covered in guilt" that came from his parents. Oedipus being fated to marry his mother and kill his father is tragic, and falling into this fate would cause great amounts of pain. The dramatic irony in the fact that this has already occurred demonstrates the ways in which fate is inescapable, and can be the cause of great amounts of suffering, especially to those who try to avoid their fate by their own means. Sophocles asserts that while some fates can be tragic in nature, one's own flaw of believing fate can be escaped could become more dangerous than the fate itself. Moreover, Oedipus recognises his "destiny" as "[his] alone" after it has been revealed, therefore signalling that he is the one who must deal with the consequences of trying to escape it. To believe one is above the gods, who put fate in place, it is recognised as a hubristic behaviour, and the consequences of doing so are that one's fate will only be revealed in a harsher light. Sophocles demonstrates that those who try to ignore the power of fate, when fate is what created the outline of one's life. Therefore, Sophocles asserts that while human flaws lead to great amounts of destruction, it is fate that created the basis of this occurrence.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Laveau-Harvie suggests that individuals…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to…
Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to reconcile with her past childhood trauma and move forward with her life. Laveau Harvie presents Vicki as someone who is detached from her trauma. She does this through her fragmented memory and fragmented story which suggests that in order for Vicki to move on with her life she had to forget her past. This focuses on Vicki's personal defense mechanism against trauma where she chooses to forget the past as its too painful to remember. She's 'glad to forget' her past as 'where there was nothing, there was pain', highlighting Vicki's attempt to reconcile her past through her fragmented memory. She further demonstrates this theme of memory through her storytelling. She utilizes storytelling to capture that memory is fragmented and not perfect. In doing so she is able to move on with the story, mirroring the way she moves on
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: The framework is about Country Title:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 80%: **Voices of the Land** Invisible magpies warbled in the plane trees. Softly, gently, never running out of…
**Voices of the Land**
Invisible magpies warbled in the plane trees. Softly, gently, never running out of melodic ideas, they perched among the leaves and spun out their endless tales. One of those voices is mine. I am Barrawarn, the magpie of the Woi Wurrung people, the singer of the gum trees. For twenty-five years I have known this stretch of Country, from the bends of the Yarra to the high ridges where the light first breaks. My song has always been my home.
Once, this land hummed with life. The gums stood shoulder to shoulder along the river, their bark peeling in ribbons of grey and honey. Worms wriggled beneath soft soil, lizards flicked between blades of grass, and I could find food with the tilt of my head. My beak knew the weight of the earth, my feathers the rhythm of wind. But now the hum has thinned. The trees are fewer, the ground dry and restless. The humans have taken much, leaving only a few sacred gums the law will not let them cut.
I still return to one of those old trees. Its roots clutch the soil beside a small bird bath, the water shallow but cool. There I drink, lowering my beak until the ripples erase my reflection. Sometimes I glimpse the world as it was—full and green—but the ripples fade, and only the glare of glass and metal remains. Their buildings throw light that blinds me; their noise drives away the quiet I once knew.
I sing anyway. I sing because silence would mean surrender.
Last spring, when the first warmth touched the earth, my mate and I built a nest high in the gum’s crook. Three pale eggs lay within it, each a heartbeat of tomorrow. We guarded them fiercely. I recognised every human face that passed below. Some nodded kindly, some threw crumbs, others stared up with that look of curiosity that can turn quickly into threat. I watched, measured, remembered.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: to what extent does the idea of absence…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: In a world plagued by authoritarian control, one's perception of the world around them can be difficult to…
In a world plagued by authoritarian control, one's perception of the world around them can be difficult to maintain when surrounded by loss. Within Yoko Ogawa's didactic fable 'The Memory Police' published fifty years post WWII, she explores a dystopian society where the inhabitant's
reaction to the absence of objects distorts their perception of reality. While those who comply with the loss, face a powerless reality, those who resist the disappearances
accept a manipulated perception of hope. Despite this, those who rebel against the authoritarian regime are ultimately estranged from society due to their lack of deception.
Throughout the dystopian novel, Ogawa utilizes apathy as a leading factor that contributes to the inhabitants deception in reality. She initially acknowledges the citizen's apathy towards the disappearances through the symbolism of ferries. When the ferries disappear it means that the only way off the island is no longer accessable, taking away the freedom of the islanders. Due to their apathy of authoritarian control, it means the islanders surrender their freedom when accepting the disappearances. Ogawa follows by using visual imagery of snow, symbolising the omni-present force of the Memory Police. The idea that the society is "covered under the snow" symbolizes the continuous surveillance and power that the Memory Police hold. Ogawa utilises that symbol to assert the inhabitant's apathy towards their absence of freedom, further resulting in a powerless perception of reality. Ogawa finalises her point by addressing the lack of hope inhabitants face as a result of the loss of objects. When an object disappears, the citizens "shrug them off and make do with what is left", illustrating how their lack of interest causes them to become accustomed with their reality, discarding any hope for independence. Ogawa illustrates the inhabitant's apathy within her didactic novel to advocate that compliance leads to a compromised freedom.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Laveau-Harvie suggests that individuals…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to…
Laveau-Harvie suggests that reconciliation with past trauma is the key to moving forward. Vicki was able to reconcile with her past childhood trauma and move forward with her life. Laveau Harvie presents Vicki as someone who is detached from her trauma. She does this through her fragmented memory and fragmented story which suggests that in order for Vicki to move on with her life she had to forget her past. This focuses on Vicki's personal defense mechanism against trauma where she chooses to forget the past as its too painful to remember. She's 'glad to forget' her past as 'where there was nothing, there was pain', highlighting Vicki's attempt to reconcile her past through her fragmented memory. She further demonstrates this theme of memory through her storytelling. She utilizes storytelling to capture that memory is fragmented and not perfect. In doing so she is able to move on with the story, mirroring the way she
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: personal journeys framework
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦ā (sea) When a friend or family member travels, Iranians prepare a tray with the Quran and a glass of…
𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦ā (sea)
When a friend or family member travels, Iranians prepare a tray with the Quran and a glass of water. This traveller traditionally kisses and passes under the Quran three times for protection. One. Two. Three.
Then, as they leave, the remaining family members toss the water from the glass behind them.
A gesture to ensure their safe return.
Except, this time the water was below me. Not thrown. Synchronising with the waves, my body moved up and down and my nose acted like an on and off switch trying to block out the smell of algae musk while simultaneously providing my lungs with oxygen. I’m sure the weight of someone's arm was already restricting my ability to breathe anyway. The tide skiff forced us to overlap on top of each other, fighting for the same freedom. And spot I guess. The blue-ish green ocean became more than just patterns and volume—it was a mirror of uncertainty, of risk and hope swimming together.
Salt crusted on my skin like a memory I couldn't wash off. Being shrink-wrapped by the sea wasn’t what I had planned at the age of 10. I imagined finally letting go of the training wheels or moving up the entertainment ladder to experience PG rated movies. Five days at sea became my rhythm for survival: rocking, rising and falling. During these 120 hours my maturity rose above others my age, deeper than the Indian ocean my boat fought through. However, eating was the biggest wave we needed to surf over.
Eating was mechanical, and a survival task rather than a pleasure. Each bite chewed quickly, swallowed with hope rather than hunger. The smell of food mixes with the brine of the sea. Way different to the smell of rosewater back home and I could confidently conclude expired cheese smelt better.
The smell of decay rising.
Burning espand (wild rue seeds)
Iranian’s can be a bit superstitious, especially when it comes to being jinxed. So in order to avoid “evil eye,” we burn espand until they start to crackle and then wave the smoke over the heads of their loved ones while sending three salavat (blessings).
A wish that they’ll be guarded from harm and blessed with good fortune in their new journey.
Leaving behind my Iranian heritage and entering the land down under, I forced myself to let go of these traditions.
Finally stepping onto the “golden soil” of Australia, my casual sneakers switched to thongs and the immediate smell of sunscreen and slightly burnt sausages hit my permanently switched on nose. Thank god.
Overtime,
Saffron became chicken salt.
The weight of Persian rugs was traded for fluff and convenience.
What once needed a knock on the door now fits inside a notification bubble.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Writing Task 1 Write a text that…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: Life is a Journey
Life is a Journey
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Oh Oedipus, king of the land, our…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Section A In Sophocles greek play 'Oedipus The King', set in 13th century BCE Athens, Sophocles explores human…
Section A
In Sophocles greek play 'Oedipus The King', set in 13th century BCE Athens, Sophocles explores human power compared to divine power held by the Gods through his examination of human qualities that may prevent them from obtaining power within the play. This is demonstrated through the underlying power of the Gods present throughout the entirety of the play, that manipulate the power obtained by characters. It is also displayed through the dangers of human flaws and acting with emotion rather than reason that hinder the characters' success in gaining true knowledge and power by the conclusion of the play.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle'…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: At the heart of Shirley Jackson's gothic literature, 'We Have Always lived in the Castle', lies deep rooted…
At the heart of Shirley Jackson's gothic literature, 'We Have Always lived in the Castle', lies deep rooted subjections to history and trauma which result in individuals acting irrationally, ultimately behaving with a lack of empathy. Delving into the mysterious nature of the characters, Jackson unveils the impacts of these behaviours, exploring how a lack of empathy creates a self perpetuating cycle of cruelty and isolation
Emphasising the absence of accountability, Jackson demonstrates how unjust behaviours may further perpetuate when empathy is not present. Through the wicked depiction of Merricat Blackwood, Jackson conveys how her monstrous actions never change, and her mental imagery worsens, ultimately disclosing Merricat’s lack of empathy. After the murder of her family, Merricat shows no sign of remorse, highlighting the perceived lack of flaw in her gruesome actions. However, due to this absence of responsibility, this impacts future encounters with individuals or situations she does not favour, as she exhibits the same grim mental processes, particularly in the village as she often "wish[es] they would die". As the novel progresses, Merricat continues to display a breadth of graphic thoughts, such as wishing Charles was "laying dead in the driveway". Consequently, it is clear that this is due to her lack of empathy, prompting the likelihood of Merricat thinking this way in the future, putting more people at risk, providing a sense of psychological discomfort in the reader. This prompts the reader to recognise the accumulating effects of events that stem from the lack of empathy.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: When we are accomplishing the good;…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 62.5%: The air is heavy and stale, the walls feel as if they are closing in with an oppressive stillness. 114ft, 38…
The air is heavy and stale, the walls feel as if they are closing in with an oppressive stillness. 114ft, 38 meters; evenly spaced lights corroded with a dim hue flickering irregularly, a corridor where every creaking step is a sharp sudden whisper, only meant for you to hear. One step forward, your heartrate increases. Two steps forward, your blood begins to boil. Three steps forward, a loud pounding echoes inside your head. You reach the first step; an overwhelming sense of resistance comes from the sound of soft chatter in the adjacent room. “Am I about to do this now?”
You take the next step up, an overwhelming tension sweeps over your body, you begin to sweat, the atmosphere is hot, your mind tells you to stop, but your heart knows it’s time. You take the last step and throw yourself forward through the dark red curtains, hanging with quiet elegance; lined in a soft silk fabric catching what’s left of the little illumination in the hall and providing a subtle relief to the touch.
You approach the podium; a maple oak pedestal engraved in some sort of Latin underneath a spotlight. The heavy air seal snaps, an irresistible pressure builds up as the number of eyes dart towards you, with what was once soft chatters now turned to judgemental glares. You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. The silence is loud, the imminent feeling of being choked by perceived pressure.
Put your brave face on Archer, where’s that crooked smile and that excited upbeat tone gone? Stand up straight, fix your posture, you’re going to let them see the real you, someone broken?
You let out a subtle cough, followed by a series of deep breaths and a nervous pace before finally composing yourself.
“The greatest accomplishment one achieves, is winning the battle against the opposition found within your own mind. A silent battle
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Essay – “The characters in Hadley’s…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: In Tessa Hadley’s Bad Dreams, characters often experience quiet discontent, yet their inability to embrace change…
In Tessa Hadley’s Bad Dreams, characters often experience quiet discontent, yet their inability to embrace change stems less from personal weakness than from the ordinary inertia of human life. Through Deeds Not Words, An Abduction, and One Saturday Morning, Hadley demonstrates that moments of insight are fleeting; the narrative voice, tone, and irony consistently highlight the subtlety of internal reflection. Across the anthology, characters experience moral and emotional awareness without outward transformation, revealing Hadley’s nuanced understanding of human limitation and the small significance of consciousness within ordinary life.
In Deeds Not Words, Hadley presents discontent as a quiet, inevitable outcome of social and generational pressures, where personal insight exists alongside hesitation and restraint. Edith’s shame in experiencing intimacy for the first time captures this tension: “Edith was thirty-four and lively and not bad-looking … but humiliatingly she had to own up to Fitz that this was her first experience of love – certainly of what she shyly called ‘intimate relations’.” The use of free indirect discourse allows readers intimate access to Edith’s private thoughts, reflecting the irony inherent in her desire to feel connected while simultaneously constrained by embarrassment and social expectation. This tension is mirrored in the girls’ admiration for Miss Mulhouse, whose heroic suffragette identity inspires devotion yet confines them within societal ideals: “The girls decorated their desks in Women’s Social and Political Union colors, purple and green and white, and stuck pictures of the Pankhursts inside their desk lids.” Here, Hadley’s ironic and observational tone underscores that discontent exists not through dramatic failure, but through the quiet recognition of limitation, illustrating how social and moral awareness can be both energizing and constraining.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “In Oedipus the King, knowledge is both a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King presents a tragic exploration of the human pursuit of knowledge and the devastating…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King presents a tragic exploration of the human pursuit of knowledge and the devastating consequences of enlightenment. Set against the backdrop of divine prophecy and human pride, the play examines how the search for truth, though noble, becomes a curse when it exposes humanity’s helplessness before fate. Through dramatic irony, the motif of sight and blindness, and the conflict between free will and destiny, Sophocles reveals that knowledge, while essential for self-understanding, inevitably brings suffering. The tragedy of Oedipus lies not in his ignorance, but in the terrible wisdom that his search for knowledge uncovers.
At the play’s beginning, Oedipus embodies the heroic ideal of rational inquiry and moral responsibility. His determination to “bring what is dark to light” frames him as a saviour seeking truth for the good of Thebes. Yet Sophocles uses dramatic irony to show how this pursuit becomes self-destructive: the darkness Oedipus seeks to dispel is his own guilt. His intellectual pride, rooted in his triumph over the Sphinx, blinds him to the warnings of divine authority. The very qualities that once defined his greatness — logic, courage, and self-belief — transform into instruments of his ruin. Sophocles suggests that the human desire to know is both admirable and perilous, for enlightenment can reveal truths too painful to bear. In Oedipus’ case, the discovery of truth leads not to freedom, but to devastation.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title was resist and persist. Stimulus…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 90%: Ayubowan, Vannakum, Assalamu Alaikum, My name is Ranil and I am not a politician, propagandist or political…
Ayubowan, Vannakum, Assalamu Alaikum,
My name is Ranil and I am not a politician, propagandist or political puppet. I am a humble, hardworking farmer who rises at the crack of dawn and works 'til the skin on my hands crumbles and peels away. I have been sent here today, to the Aragalaya protest as a representative of the working-class farmers of the Sri Lankan Farmers’ Union, for our ability to farm has been taken by the Rajapaksa government. And today, I demand we persist in gaining control of the farming industry.
Last month, the government decided to ban the use of chemical fertilisers overnight, with no care, no thought and no respect for the farmers whose lives depend on these chemical fertilisers. Over the next week, I saw all of my rice crops wither away like dominoes toppled over by the government's reckless decision-making. My children were left starving each night and are now forced to eat old, imported bread for lunch every day. My neighbours moved out one by one to beg for food on the streets. And what's worse is we see no solution to this struggle which we took no part in creating. It's not just my family, it's everyone, every farmer.
Not a single member of our Farmers’ Union was consulted or even made aware of the change.
We planted. We watered. We waited.
And what did they do?
They lied. They took. They stole.
The Rajapaksas said they took this decision out of sympathy for our health, in an attempt
to improve the quality of our produce and
give us "organic" food choices. This is merely
a disguise for their strategic action
that they took to benefit the parasites:
government and importers. So, what is this benefit?
As many of you here today know, our government
has mismanaged our country's economy for generations.
Today, we are in eighty billion dollars of national
debt and our rupee is losing its value quickly.
Their decision on chemical fertiliser was one
made to save millions of dollars on fertiliser imports,
since they knew we cannot afford organics for long.
To their plan? Less import demand means
less supply, hence less import costs. So tell me,
if we are the ones being protected, then why
are our livelihoods being trampled over for the
interests of a government who want to save
the country they destroyed?
Us farmers are being used like chess pieces in a game of economic chaos, and it's only a matter of time before our pieces are taken,
and the whole board comes toppling down.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Protest Title: Speak up Stimulus: “You…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 82.5%: Good morning everyone, Today I want to talk about something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable; racism…
Good morning everyone,
Today I want to talk about something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable; racism and
discrimination. I know some people might already be thinking not this again and that it’s not a
problem here, but that’s exactly why we need to speak about it. Ignoring something doesn’t
make it go away, staying silent doesn’t solve anything, and honestly, silence often protects the wrong side. We live in a world where people are judged before they even speak. Where a name, a skin colour, an accent, or even just a hairstyle can decide how someone is treated. It’s not always obvious and that’s what makes it dangerous. Racism isn’t just about slurs or violence but sometimes it’s also about the small things like not being called on in class, being told you’re too loud or too aggressive when you’re just passionate, getting followed, getting asked to show your bags all time and being expected to work twice as hard. I want you to think about what you do when you see stuff like this happening, think about what
most people do. The answer is nothing. Nothing because it’s easier to look away and ignore it
than to take a stand. Nothing because we and they think that it’s not our problem
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: The stimulus was "Mighty Oaks from…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: Throughout history, society’s greatest transformations have never sprung fully-formed from the minds of…
Throughout history, society’s greatest transformations have never sprung fully-formed from the minds of powerful leaders. Instead, they have originated from the smallest, most unassuming seeds of protest: an idea, a voice, a moment of courage. The proverb “mighty oaks from small acorns grow” is not merely a lesson in patience, but a challenge to all who feel insignificant in the face of injustice, exclusion, or apathy. For every towering social movement to have ever swept the globe, there has been a lone acorn, dropped quietly to the ground by a person who chose to act.
In modern Australia, as across the world, activism is often seen in grand gestures—a large-scale march, a televised speech, the viral hashtag spreading across social media, uniting thousands in a cause. But the true heart of protest lies elsewhere. It beats in the solitary letter to parliament written by a student, the careful organisation of a community meeting, and the quiet conversations played out in family kitchens. Let us not forget, the campaign for marriage equality in our nation began with small support groups huddled in living rooms, gathering strength for years before it entered parliament and reshaped the law. The mighty oak that now provides shade and safety for so many, was once an acorn watered by persistence, resilience, and hope.
This lesson should not go unheeded by young people—especially students today, who are told they must wait to be older, more powerful, more influential before they take action. There is irony in believing that the world only changes when large numbers move at once, or when powerful people decide it is time. Consider Greta Thunberg: one girl, sitting outside the Swedish Parliament with a hand-painted sign, ignited a wave of global climate strikes and conversations that continue to shape international policy and civic consciousness. Her protest was not elaborate or violent; it was quiet, determined, and persistent. Greta’s school strike for climate began as an acorn: overlooked, doubted, and dismissed. But as others joined, as her message spread, that movement grew roots, sprouted sturdy branches, and now bears fruit in every continent.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘We demand the right to control our own…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Jane Harrisons 2005 play, ‘Rainbows End’ explores the impact of discrimination post-colonisation of Australia…
Jane Harrisons 2005 play, ‘Rainbows End’ explores the impact of discrimination post-colonisation of Australia towards Aboriginal people during the 1950’s. Harrison showcases the journey of three generations of indigenous women and how leadership can display identity and personality. The play highlights how characters can demonstrate a sense of leadership through self-determination whereas other indigenous peoples seek opportunities in the face of injustice. However, multiple individuals took their position of leadership for granted as they segregated First Nations People due to their racist perceptions.
Characters in ‘Rainbows End’ regain power and leadership through self-determination. Harrison explores the characterisation of Dolly as she refuses to be controlled by others and chooses her own destiny. Juxtaposition is evident when Dolly argues with Errol that he’s “just assuming that his world is better,” which suggests that there is a contrast of their worlds due to living as two different ethnicities. Harrison highlights the issues between both worlds when Dolly stands her ground to be heard as it is unjust that their communities are segregated based on culture. Furthermore, Dolly reacts to Errol’s statement about wanting to offer her a “better life” which she replies that she’s “staying right [where she is] with [her]mum and [her] nan,” depicting the courage of Dollys decision to stay with her family, displaying her self-determination and independence. Ultimately, Harrison criticises the ongoing systematic issues and divided worlds between the Aboriginal and White communities during the 1950s, resulting in the long lasting segregation between both groups. Furthermore, Harrison praises the courage of Aboriginal women to control their own narrative despite the oppressive patriarchal society.
‘Rainbows End’ explores leadership through the drive for equality. Harrison showcases the clear transformation shown by Gladys, as at first, her idea of being respected is to assimilate with white culture such as wearing “white gloves” or being recognised by the Queen. This symbolism of the white gloves displays the representation of class,
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Make a difference if it is not…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 92.5%: Make a Difference August 28th 2025 Ben left a note on my desk at school today. “March for Australia, This…
Make a Difference
August 28th 2025
Ben left a note on my desk at school today. “March for Australia, This Sunday.” He grinned when I picked it up, already talking about “making history,” about showing the government what people really think. Carly chimed in, saying how good it will feel to be “part of something bigger”. I nodded, though those words stuck in my throat. Later, I traced the bold letters with my finger, the ink smudging faintly. “Part of something bigger.”
I wonder if they think that includes me.
My Mum would probably smile at that note, sounding out the words softly in that way she always does when reading English. She always tells me I’m lucky people never ask where I’m from and is so grateful that my friends Ben and Carly didn’t care, and I’d just nod like she’s right.
August 31st 2025
We walked in from Flinders Street, the three of us swallowed by the uniform ocean of faces. Flags snapped in the wind, faces painted red, white and blue. Someone handed me a placard. I didn’t read it straight away; I just held it because everyone else was holding one.
The chanting rose, it rolled through the street like thunder. I tried mouthing the words once or twice, but stopped. My voice just didn’t match the rhythm, it sounded unnatural. However, slightly ahead of me, Ben’s arm valiantly punched the air, while Carly’s laugh rang out, sharp and proud.
On the curb, I spotted a woman in a headscarf gripping her child’s hand tighter as we passed, her eyes darting away from mine. The young boy stared at my sign, tears welled in his eyes. I turned it toward my chest, as if that could hide it. The clouds cleared the sky, the Sun's rays finally shining through, yet when I held that sign to my chest, the world had never seemed so dark.
When I got home Mum gave me the warmest hug and told me she’d already cooked dinner; the divine smell of her talent made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t deserve it. If only she knew what I’d just done…
September 2nd 2025
Headlines are popping up everywhere: “March for Australia draws thousands”. There were politicians giving interviews, promising “action on borders”. Ben posted a photo of us, him mid-chant, with Carly’s arm thrown in the air, then me in the background clutching that wretched sign like it might fly away if I let go. Ben’s caption: “We did it.”
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: '... the law isn't rational at all. It's a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: '... the law isn't rational at all. It's a lottery.' Born a Crime suggests that right and wrong are not necessarily…
'... the law isn't rational at all. It's a lottery.'
Born a Crime suggests that right and wrong are not necessarily what the law says.
Discuss.
Morality is the understanding and application of empathy and respect for life as a whole. Trevor Noah's autobiographical memoir "Born a Crime" details a nuanced discussion into the subjective nature of morality within a society, and highlights the ways in which legislations do not always adhere to ensuring the safety and respect of all. Via a series of satirically imbued vignettes, Noah depicts how South African law under apartheid is inherently immoral; for it instigates the disempowerment of innocent life for the gain of power. This concept is then compounded through an absurdist lens, by which Noah mocks the self-righteous nature that particularly Christian devotees follow, despite the heinous actions that apartheid reinforces by law. Conversely, Noah questions what it means to be moral, for when a system forces destitution upon a community, he demonstrates how it cannot be considered wrong in an absolute sense, when such communities refuses to be subservient to the rules that the government enforces. Ultimately, Noah condemns the argument of any potential morality being attributed to a regime that works to silence the many for the benefit of the few; as such, explains how one cannot ridicule the many, for not following the few.
Set against a backdrop of oppressive tyranny and segregation, Noah depicts how the law cannot always be a paragon of justice, for the freedom and safety of all is an essential for such a title. As under apartheid, Noah immediately illustrates how the subjugation of those seperate from the non-white diaspora, are not considered equal, and explicitly states how the decrees of apartheid intentionally aims to inflict suffering upon such people. For through the preamble that depicts the "Immorality Act", a ruling that prohibits the "carnal intercourse" of interracial couples, he highlights how an institution such as the South African government under apartheid, can never truly align itself with that of inherent morality. As to strip a community of their bodily autonomy, even if it applies to both 'whites' and 'blacks', means to take away the rights and agency of another human being, hence, Noah contends its immorality. Further, through the titular oxymoron of "Born a Crime", Noah suggests the idiocracy that such laws bring; for too condemn a human being's existence, a child innocent to the greed and pain of the world, to a life of "Crime", in Noah's eyes, is not only wrong, but absurd. Thus, Noah, through an isolation of cases by which laws are objectively immoral due to their lack of respect for life, demonstrates how following the law cannot be a true indicator of being ethical, for the harm it may cause is inexcusable.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does the Australian landscape enhance…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: The film High Ground is based upon the Australian Frontier war massacres of the early 1900s where settlers sought…
The film High Ground is based upon the Australian Frontier war massacres of the early 1900s where settlers sought control over land that belonged to the indigenous population in nort hern Australia. Being based upon thi s, High Ground is filmed in the northern territory, a location prominent for thriving local wildlife, varied landscape and as the home for numerous anima ls. Stephen Johnson uses the Australian landscape, depicting the resilience of indigenous Australians to purges of their identity and enhancing the threat and intrusiveness of the colonisers. Overall, Stephen Johnson uses the landscape, fauna, and flora to showcase indigenous triumph against a strong and intrusive colonial power.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: I’m high ground it is impossible for…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: The film high ground which is directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson is based on the colonisation of Arnhem Land with…
The film high ground which is directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson is based on the colonisation of Arnhem Land with a focus on the large extent to which it is impossible for individuals to escape their past. Violence and the burden of shame and guilt make it near impossible to escape the past even if they want to, however, Johnson also suggests that moments of reconciliation offer a fragile hope of escaping this history
Johnson highlights that the violent past of white settlers is inescapable. The film argues that the violence of the past creates an unavoidable cycle that preserves trauma and is passed down through generations. In the opening scene Arnhem Land is portrayed as a place of tranquility and beauty through the use of non diegetic sound and the aerial view shot showing the sacred rock, nimbuwa. Johnson's use of the aerial shot over Nimbuwa, paired with the non-diegetic yolgnu chant, establishes the spiritual connection between the people and the land and then this harmony is permanently shattered by the colonists with the horrific violence endured during the massacre of the yolgnu tribe which leads to multi generational trauma and therefore lead to enduring resentment and fear between indigenous people and the white settlers causing more violence. The film captures the settler ideology in the blunt assertion that “you can’t share a country”, which juxtaposes indigenous peoples beliefs of a makarata and balance between the land and all that coexist on it, however this is shattered and violence is also what indigenous people turn to. All the characters are victims of a cycle of violence that they are unable to break making it impossible for individuals to escape their past