VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Stimulus: “If you fell down yesterday,…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: To fall is human — but to rise again is defiance. When injustice persists, to rise together becomes protest.…
To fall is human — but to rise again is defiance. When injustice persists, to rise together becomes protest. My name is not what matters today — what matters is that I stand here as an ordinary Australian, a citizen who refuses to stay silent while others suffer. I speak to you — fellow citizens, voters, parents, students — because your voice has power. Together, our voices can do what governments refuse to: protect, heal, and shelter those who have nowhere else to go. To ignite a movement of protest that demands dignity — through safe shelters, accessible healthcare, and nourishing food — for those who have lost everything. Because to remain silent is not neutrality; it is complicity. For too long, governments have turned compassion into a crime and fear into policy. We gather to say: not in our name.
Every day, refugees fall — to persecution, displacement, and neglect — yet they rise again, crossing oceans and borders in search of safety. Their courage should inspire action, yet too often, it is met with indifference. Picture a young boy on a wooden boat, his knees tucked to his chest, the sea tossing beneath him as his mother whispers a prayer he cannot hear over the wind. The salt stings his lips; fear tightens his throat. Behind him lies a homeland reduced to rubble — ahead, a horizon that promises both hope and rejection. This is not a political statistic. It is a human story. I have seen those faces — tired, frightened, and hopeful — behind wire fences that were meant to protect, not imprison. According to the UNHCR, more than 117 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced — a number that continues to climb as war, persecution, and climate crises worsen.
Yet governments, including our own, respond not with compassion but with cruelty. Australia’s offshore centres on Nauru and Manus Island have been condemned by the United Nations for causing “severe physical and mental suffering”. When the world’s leading human rights body labels our policies as inhumane, it shatters the illusion of the “fair go” we so proudly preach. How can a nation that built its identity on mateship and equality justify the torment of those who come to us in desperation? This condemnation is not just a stain on our reputation — it is a mirror held up to our moral failure. And if we, the citizens, do not rise to challenge it, then we too become part of that failure. Let this injustice be our call to action — to protest not just for refugees, but for the integrity of our nation’s soul.
This is not protection; it is punishment. It is the weaponisation of fear against the world’s most vulnerable. A nation that prides
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: creative texts writing about play
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: For years, the silence was deafening. But silence is never truly empty. I used to believe art had abandoned…
For years, the silence was deafening.
But silence is never truly empty.
I used to believe art had abandoned me.
At thirteen, every margin of every notebook bloomed with sketches: fields of flowers, flocks of birds that seemed ready to fly off the page. Crossed out schoolwork drew back, and the world was my canvas; the back of old receipts, crumpled napkins, the inside of my palm. Drawing plastered my walls fragments of imagined worlds stitched together by pencil and play. My creativity was endless, with a pencil in hand, I could draw for hours, tuning out reality.
It was more than a mindless hobby. It was freedom.
When the house became a battleground of slammed doors and words sharp enough to wound, I escaped into play. With a pencil in hand, my page could contain the chaos that life could not. Each page held freedom - a silence to the outside world. But silence never truly exists.
As time slipped by, somewhere between the relentless assignments, the stinging red crosses in the margins, and the quiet voice whispering, you’re not good enough, the spark died.
At sixteen, my once-cherished sketchbooks were banished to boxes, gathering dust under my bed. Pages curling with silence, the worth of my desk sat empty, devoid of the art that had once defined me. My sketchbooks locked a
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'the people of the village always hated…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 62.5%: In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson explores the tension between isolation and society, and…
In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson explores the tension between isolation and society, and the destructive impact of fear, prejudice, and patriarchal intrusion through the experiences of Merricat and Constance Blackwood. Using Gothic imagery, symbolism, and narrative perspective, Jackson critiques society’s cruelty and the limitations imposed on women, revealing how these forces shape identity, survival, and rebellion. Ultimately, the text demonstrates that isolation can serve as both protection and imprisonment, and that rebellion against oppressive norms is both necessary and inevitable.
Jackson presents society as hostile to difference, showing how fear and prejudice drive cruelty and ostracism. Merricat notes that “the villagers have always hated us,” highlighting habitual disregard for the sisters’ feelings. The village functions as a symbol of judgemental society, and the repetition of always underscores how hatred becomes normalized. She further observes that “the world is full of terrible people,” which emphasises tlack of empathy is pervasive, leaving the sisters vulnerable. This is reinforced when Merricat says, “I could feel the evil from the villagers pressing against our walls,” symbolising how cruelty and emotional indifference physically and psychologically oppress those who are different. Through these examples, Jackson critiques a society that fails to understand or care for others, showing how the absence of empathy isolates individuals and fosters fear and prejudice.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Performed in the festival of Dionysus in the 5th century, the golden age of ancient Greece, Sophocles’ tragedy…
Performed in the festival of Dionysus in the 5th century, the golden age of ancient Greece, Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the King serves as an allegorical reflection of his own Athens. Providing an essential insight into the consequences of one’s own actions, Sophocles, through his play, subscribes to the notion that individuals who sin suffer adequate punishment. Initially presenting Thebes as a plague-stricken city, both physically and metaphorically, Sophocles builds the foundation on which to justify his characters’ punishments. Ostensibly, as the play continues, Sophocles condemns blasphemous actions by having it serve as the reason retribution is warranted. As the play culminates with Oedipus’ self-mutilation, Sophocles utilises his characters’ downfall as a vessel to denounce heretical actions, through its illustration as justified punishment.
Holistically, from the outset of the play, Sophocles presents hubris as a central flaw that justifies one’s eventual punishment, a judgment foreshadowed by the miasma polluting Thebes. During the prologos, the people of Thebes herald Oedipus as Thebes's “greatest power” and the one who will guide them through the “red waves of death” and free them from the “fiery god of fever who hurls down upon the city”. By portraying Oedipus as a “good helmsman,” Sophocles employs nautical imagery to emphasise Thebes’ dependence on his leadership during times of crisis. This depiction inflates Oedipus’ sense of authority and ultimately propels his hubris. Sophocles constructs Oedipus’ arrogance as the catalyst for Oedipus’ downfall, underlining it as the justification for judgment. An ancient Athenian audience would have denounced Oedipus’ actions, as it challenged their views on the omnipotence of the gods, due to their pious nature. Furthermore, Oedipus’ prideful attempt to “grant [his citizens’] prayers” despite them “pray[ing] to the gods” accentuates his stature as akin to that of a god, rather than that of a human. In a historical milieu where divine power is held in absolute regard, his overconfidence and attempt to equate his status to that of the divine are perceived as an act of transgression, foreshadowing his tragic demise. Thus, through highlighting Oedipus’ hubris as his hamartia, Sophocles cautions his audience against excessive pride, having it serve as the justification for his tragic downfall.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Navigate the world
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 70%: Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed of navigating the world on my own. While I’m still young and know I…
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed of navigating the world on my own. While I’m still young and know I will have many chances to fulfill this dream, I realize that my time hasn’t come yet.
When I first thought about calling my Nan to interview her for school, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. To my surprise, she cancelled all her plans for the day and dedicated her time to me. As I hit the FaceTime button, I saw her confused expression while she tried to figure out the technology. But that confusion quickly transformed into a warm smile when she recognized my face.
Helen, my 78-year-old Nan, has always found joy in gardening and walking with her neighbours. She also loves visiting the “best food place in Adelaide.” Reflecting on our relationship, I realize it has never been particularly strong. I often struggled with the generational gap; our conversations usually revolved around her asking how school was, to which I’d reply, “Good.”
Looking back, I see how terrible it was to feel like I was interviewing her out of obligation rather than genuine interest. Yet, I’m so glad I pushed through because she shared so many incredible stories, one of which resonated with me the most.
At 16, Helen met John. Her life at that point was full of twists and turns, unpredictability lurking around every corner. She never knew where she would end up, but John quickly became a significant part of her life, changing that unpredictability for the better. They began dating, and John was her steadfast companion, always there to offer support. He even taught her how to drive, transforming the zigzags in her life into straight paths.
However, life took another difficult turn when Helen was 20. Despite their love for each other, they broke up. The unpredictable nature of life returned, and she found herself struggling once more.
Yet, amid the deep pain from her breakup, Helen sought to find positives during this challenging time. Ever since she was young, she had dreamed of traveling the world. I could see the spark in her eyes as she recounted how she would spin a globe on her desk, learning about each country.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In We Have Always Lived In The Castle the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ explores a storyline of how women are superior than men in…
Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ explores a storyline of how women are superior than men in possessing emotional and psychological strength when dealing with adversity. In the gothic novel – set in a society of post war in 1950s America – Jackson depicts the patriarchy system that challenges not just the men but the women to overcome adversity in times of crisis. Through the main protagonist females, we are able to identify and examine the contrasting behaviour between them and the antagonist men. Jackson highlights how the female characters possess key characteristics in comparison towards men; consisting of having the ability to be independent and isolated from society, priorities family loyalty, and keeping control and power. Ultimately, Jackson demonstrates how the fragile and self-destructive personalities of men are overpowered by the sympathetic and controlled lifestyles of females.
Shirley Jackson positions ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ to highlight the idea how the independent and isolated behaviour from the main female individuals acted as a symbol of strength rather than a sign of weakness. Jackson further explores the two sisters’ – Merricat and Constance - exclusion from the rest of world as they develop a deep relationship with escaping the challenging patriarchal society that lies around them. Merricat’s imaginative remark, “Everything’s safer on the moon,” showcases her will and her amount of comfort towards having total independence from the judgmental world. Jackson uses this dream-like imagery as a prominent and key characteristic of Merricat’s personality to critique the behaviour and the emotional consequences of post war 1950s America placed onto others. Jackson utilises Merricat’s want for escape as a placeholder to show self-realisation within that social rejection is accepted against a cruel patriarchal society. The idea of women in ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ having the emotional awareness to see isolation to re-strength power and control is additionally proven through Merricat’s demand for the removal of her cousin, Charles. The demanding remark, “I wanted him to leave,” reinstates the want for isolation and separation from the rest of society, even close family individuals, as well as questioning the authority that Cousin Charles aims to achieve within the Blackwood home. Jackson portrays the demand to show her audience that the disempowering society, particularly on women, doesn’t faze Merricat and it empowers her to regain control and power within her home. Jackson uses Merricat to emphasise and represent the individuals who acted against social norms throughout 1950s America.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: title : turning points stimulus ;…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: Turning Points Every journey begins the moment you decide you’re no longer willing to stay where you are. At…
Turning Points
Every journey begins the moment you decide you’re no longer willing to stay where you are.
At seventeen, I’ve made that decision. I want to become a teacher—an educator, a guide, a hero in my community. I want to be someone kids look up to and show them that greatness lives in effort, in resilience, in choosing to rise every time you fall. I want to teach not just lessons from textbooks, but from life. And I know I can—because I’ve lived them.
But it wasn’t always like this. Who I am now is the product of pain, rejection, heartbreak, and small moments of strength that became turning points. This is my story.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Discuss how Shakespeare’s twelfth night…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: More than that merely a frivolous comedy of manners, William Shakespeare Tewlfth Night unveils how social status…
More than that merely a frivolous comedy of manners, William Shakespeare Tewlfth Night unveils how social status and power can be overturned under the presence of wit or love, but not always the presence of both. Upholding the previous statement, Shakespeare presents characters who demonstrate wit as wisdom and love as a motivation to peruse a more comfortable life of security. Additionally, Shakespeare has written that characters who are blinded or become blinded by love, which is unusual for the time period, tells us that Illyria is a place where love rules. However, Shakespeare presents how an excess of love of ones- self overpowers wisdom and leave characters without the power and love they desire. In this way the play explores how traditional hierarchy is easily disrupted by intelligence and charisma, especially by women is disguise.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "the people of the village disliked the…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: In Shirley Jackson's 1962, gothic, post-war novel "We Have Always Lived In The Castle", illustrates a society,…
In Shirley Jackson's 1962, gothic, post-war novel "We Have Always Lived In The Castle", illustrates a society, oppressive society, prison like society for females and run by patriarchal structures. Jackson depicts that females in power can threaten patriarchal structure and the refusal can society threaten patriarchal structures and also is beneficial but can Jackson depicts females in power threaten the way things people's perceptions of the way things should be in the 1950s but doesn't always seen as threatening will be suffered. Jackson demonstrates that feminine power can threaten patriarchal structures and also is unusual. However, Jackson expresses how women empowerment should be deemed safe and useful.
Firstly, Jackson demonstrates that feminine power can threaten patriarchal structures. The patriarchy was highly enforced and prominent in the 1950s, this is represented by the Blackwood family. John Blackwood is seen as the head of the family and even all his possessions will go to the girls youngest brother. Merricat wants to love and power, that her parents would say "bow down to our most beloved daughter, Mary Katherine," illustrates and their not receiving autonomy justifies for killing of her family. Jackson comments that these oppressed patriarchal structures- how anger and violence is an appropriate response to being oppressed in a patriarchal society. Furthermore, the fire that takes place represents symbolises renewal and a fresh start from a house that "held anger" of the past trauma, oppressive legacy and also ridding of the patriarchal smear of the house. Merricat's that internal dialogue "once I have behaved "Mary Katherine is never punished", alludes to the events of the past, that enslaved this events, the pipe being a symbol of the patriarchy is what Merricat wields to burn down the house and restart, outlining that feminine power can destroy the patriarchy. Thus, Jackson outlines how female power scares the patriarchal structures as it's destructive.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: argument analysis
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 77.5%: section C. Janine Jennings, the CEO of J-store, addresses the 'concerning trends' with employee satisfaction.…
section C.
Janine Jennings, the CEO of J-store, addresses the 'concerning trends' with employee satisfaction. In the medium of a video, she presents her solutions to the audience, the J-store employees, in a concerned and friendly tone. She uses images throughout her video to assist in conveying the contention that J-store cares about their employees wellbeing.
Jennings opens her video by providing context and establishing the issue. She appeals to family values when stating that her and her sister founded J-store, allowing the audience to sympathise with them as they are a family business. She then lists the values she wanted for the store such as 'to stand out and 'to innovate' and intentionally pairs it with thanking the audience for the role they played in 'this success'. By thanking the workers, Jennings acknowledges their hard work, allowing them to feel appreciated in their job. By using repetition when stating that 'most concerningly' of the 'concerning trends' is that 'employee satisfaction is also down', Jennings emphasises the extent of how much the business cares for them. She metaphorically refers to the change they are going to make with 'get[ting] this ship heading in the right direction' and concludes her establishment of the issue by including a call for action, urging the audience to 'listen up'. By using a metaphor, she allows the workers to create a visual image of how J-store is going to improve employee satisfaction, re-establishing her contention that the company cares for their workers.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: the essay is about the long live…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 62.5%: Due to missing out on council funding, Our Local Gym is under threat of closure due to financial instability.…
Due to missing out on council funding, Our Local Gym is under threat of closure due to financial instability. Sandy Gestalt, chair of the organising committee for the gym has spoken to her fellow members about the need for compromise by accepting assistance from retailer Long Live Lollies. Gestalt aims to remind her audience of the special and unique qualities that their gym possesses in an effort to have members feel a sense of connection to their gym and as such be open to whatever means necessary to keep it open. Members are confronted with the grim outlook for the gym’s future, as Gestalt reasons with them that their only viable option lies with receiving help from an unlikely ally in Long Live Lollies. Her audience is urged to feel protective, hopeful, and responsible, and ultimately to act decisively to preserve their cherished gym.
Gestalt begins by reinforcing the special character of the gym itself, framing it as unlike any other and therefore worth saving at any cost. She describes it as a “safe space” and contrasts its calm, inclusive environment with the “obnoxiously loud” gyms in the area. This comparison elevates the gym as both distinctive and precious, encouraging members to feel pride in what they have created together. Gestalt reminds them of how the gym has given “your fitness, your strength” to the members, creating gratitude while subtly suggesting they owe something in return. By focusing on the unique nature of the gym members can be moved to compromise, as they feel that what is at stake is extraordinary and irreplaceable.
Having established the gym’s uniqueness, Gestalt extends her appeal to the broader community, urging her members to think beyond themselves. She references “young families, refugees and seniors,” evoking compassion and responsibility. In doing so, Gestalt harnesses the altruistic nature of her audience, asking them to imagine the people who would suffer most if the gym were to close. She later describes the partnership as a “win-win,” suggesting not only that compromise is necessary but that it is an exciting opportunity to amplify the gym’s positive impact. This shift broadens the audience’s perspective with Gestalt encouraging them to see compromise not as a sacrifice but as a chance to do more “good” for those who need the gym most. The argument thus escalates from personal pride to community duty, strengthening the moral weight behind Gestalt’s position.
It is from this base of emotional investment that
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Write a text that explores the ideas…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: To my fellow farmers, to every family who’s felt left behind, I stand here with you. Not in a freshly ironed…
To my fellow farmers, to every family who’s felt left behind, I stand here with you. Not in a freshly ironed suit, or with a prepared agenda, but in dust-stained clothes and a voice that’s grown dry from all the years of drought and disregard. I’m not a politician. I’m not an activist. I’m one of you. And yet, here I am, standing on the steps of Parliament, speaking out. Today, I am here to argue that protest is essential for fairness and to reflect on what it means for those whose voices are often ignored. Because, when decisions are made that threaten the survival of our rural communities, silence is no longer an option.
You might’ve seen us in the city last week, farmers marching alongside fire trucks, families holding banners, strangers united under the same message: axe the tax. The wailing of those sirens isn’t a warning of danger; it was demanding attention. It was the sound of protest. It was loud, defiant, and necessary. And it’s time that more of us joined in.
To some, protest looks like utter disorder. Like disruption. I’ve heard people say, “Why can’t you just go through the proper channels?” But what happens when the proper channels lead absolutely nowhere? When the letters go unanswered, when the policies pile higher than the hay bales drying out in the sun? Protest becomes the final language left for those who’ve been left in the dust.
That’s why I’m here with you, not to tear things down, but to be heard. Because this new emergency services levy isn’t just another tax. It’s a way to create a deeper divide between the people who provide, and the people who take from us without understanding what it costs. As you know, a small
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title- At what cost Stimulus- If not…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: At what cost. Day 1 I noticed it today, a faint bruise on her wrist. Her, meaning my friend Maya. She’s been…
At what cost.
Day 1
I noticed it today, a faint bruise on her wrist. Her, meaning my friend Maya. She’s been dating my best mate Nathan for almost six months now, and to everyone else, they’re the golden couple: inseparable, admired, enviable. But lately, I’ve started noticing things. Small things. A bruise on her knee. A mark on her hand. And now, her wrist.
A few weeks ago, I asked her about one on her arm. She just laughed, that bright, melodic laugh of hers and brushed it off, said she’d been clumsy. That word again.
But Maya isn’t clumsy. I’ve known her for three years, every step she takes is deliberate, graceful, like the dancer she used to be. So why the bruises?
Maybe I’m imagining things. Nathan’s my best friend. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Still, I asked again, this time at lunch, surrounded by the rest of our group. I shouldn’t have, I saw her cheeks flush, and Nathan’s shoulders tense.
She laughed again, said she’d had a fight with her sister over a hair straightener and fell onto the counter. Another clumsy accident. Everyone laughed along. I did too. Nathan quickly stood, told her they had to get to class early, and they left.
I told myself it was nothing. Nathan wouldn’t do that. He’s not like that. Right?
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: First and foremost, we want to express…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 75%: As there is a surge in popularity at the River Bakery after being awarded the 2024 #GoldenSlice title, there…
As there is a surge in popularity at the River Bakery after being awarded the 2024 #GoldenSlice title, there has been growing concern in community safety and management within the store. Consequently, Carter Chan, owner of the bakery writes a message to the River Bakery social media, in which he expresses his gratitude for the support, but also disapproves and responds to antisocial behaviour. Addressing his audience of both new and returning customers, Chan aims to show gratitude while also quelling any safety concerns through his social media post, ultimately growing his business in return.
Chan opens the post by immediately gracefully thanking customers for the 'overwhelming support'. Choosing to begin thankful, establishes a trusted relationship with the audience, as he does not seem unhappy with their visiting, and instead positions himself in a positive way to the audience. Chan continues by mentioning their '#Golden slice award' establishing his business as great at what they do, piquing the interest of his audience. By including this in the first few sentences, Chan inclines the customer base to continue reading, with an ulterior purpose of having people visit their store, through credibility of the award. Carter continues by offering a 'wholeheart[ed] apology' to the audience. This is supported by labelling the event as 'unprecedented' and not 'anticipated', leading the whole customer base to see that the poor handling of the popularity surge will not happen again. This encourages the customers, both new and old, to have further trust in the establishment- making them more likely to visit, deliberately done by Carter to form a stronger customer-producer relationship. Carter reiterates this by showing acknowledgement of those who 'travelled lengthy distances', purposefully addressing a specific group in his customer base that may feel least inclined to visit- showing his advanced knowledge of his consumers. This aids his underlining purpose of having continuous visits and profit to his store.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: All the characters in ‘We Have Always…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: In the riveting novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ the author, Shirley Jackson forms an insightful…
In the riveting novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ the author, Shirley Jackson forms an insightful narrative centred amongst the backdrop of the traditional gender strictures apparent during the 1960’s in America, exploring the oppressive and overbearing nature of a stratified society. Throughout her profound novella, Shirley Jackson elucidates the deep-rooted patriarchal roles, and generational class divides as a sole catalyst to a society that subjugates everyone. Thus, Jackson illuminates a world ensnared by fear, obsession, and an impulse to conform to the societal expectations that keep individuals imprisoned.
Jackson suggests that the stratification of wealth classes within the social hierarchy cultivates hatred between the working and affluent class and begets violence between the two. Adopting characterisation of Charles, Jackson portrays a world controlled by the power of money. Charles openly condemns the blackwood sisters’ access to money through his expression that the Blackwood women “alone” should not “keep money in the house”, thus highlighting a narrowminded perspective and underlying expectation of being deserving of a patriarchal position of power within the Blackwood family. This obsession with money is further reiterated through Charle’s “shouting” as he emphasises it “is terrible” for the sisters to have control over the inheritance and that Merricat has “no right to hide” the money. Underlining Charles obsession towards wealth unveils the hatred and jealousy that divide the wealth classes, reflecting broader class tensions. Suggesting that greed and an obsession over others material wealth encourages resentment that entraps a community into a hostile and hateful mindset. Furthermore, inclusion of symbolism throughout the novel elucidates that the shackles of the class system leave individuals confined. After the fire takes place Jim Donell “smashes” a rock through the “tall glass window”, this destruction of the house symbolizes breaking down a physical embodiment that represents the barriers present between the wealthy and working-class individuals. This public display of outrage from one individual unleashes a wave of communal violence, forming a societal catharsis due to the pent-up hatred within the wealth hierarchy. Ergo, Jackson underlines that the community is trapped by their resentment and envy which prohibits the two classes from forming a connection. In doing so, the notion of the American dream and an idyllic world is unveiled as a façade that limits everyone by encouraging a desire and obsession for materialistic wealth.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Sunset Boulevard explores the idea that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: The world of Hollywood is often portrayed not as a reflection of reality but as a carefully constructed illusion,…
The world of Hollywood is often portrayed not as a reflection of reality but as a carefully constructed illusion, where glamour hides decay, relationships are driven by self-interest, and identity becomes inseparable from performance. Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) isn’t just a staple of film noir, it’s also a sharp critique of Hollywood itself. The film shows us that Hollywood doesn’t mirror reality so much as it manufactures illusions, elevating youth and beauty, turning relationships into transactions, and reducing identity to nothing more than performance. Through techniques like shadow lighting, voiceover narration, symbolic props, and the constant clash between fantasy and reality, Wilder strips back the glamour to reveal an industry built on denial, exploitation, and self-deception. By tracking the obsession with fame, the manipulative relationships that fuel it, and the collapse of personal identity into performance, the film exposes Hollywood as a fantasy world entirely divorced from the real one.
The pursuit of fame in Hollywood often turns ambition into delusion, with surface appearances valued above genuine artistry. One of the clearest ways the film presents Hollywood as a fantasy is through its obsession with fame. In this world, ambition twists into delusion, and image matters far more than substance. Norma Desmond embodies this obsession. Her famous line, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small,” perfectly captures her refusal to face reality. Instead of accepting the passing of time, she blames the industry, clinging to the idea that her stardom is eternal. Wilder reinforces this visually through the mise en scène of her mansion: the portraits, dusty relics, and heavy curtains turn her home into a shrine, or more accurately, a tomb of her past glory. The beauty treatment montage hammers the point home. Quick cuts of facials, cosmetic procedures, and masks show not rejuvenation but compulsion, while harsh lighting ironically highlights her wrinkles. Rather than concealing time, the scene underlines its inescapability. Her self-penned Salome script, designed as her “comeback” vehicle, pushes this even further: for Norma, art only exists as a way to project an image. Wilder shows that in this fantasy world, Hollywood worships surface above all else, shutting out reality in the process. Hollywood’s obsession with appearances becomes a closed loop, with individuals mistaking cosmetic rituals for salvation. As Wilder shows, when surface outranks depth, the industry severs itself from any connection to the real world.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘But no one ever complains.’ in the memory…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Within ‘The Memory Police’, Ogawa emphasises the insidious impact of inactivity in the face of oppression through…
Within ‘The Memory Police’, Ogawa emphasises the insidious impact of inactivity in the face of oppression through the characters’ lack of willingness to resist their own maltreatment. The characters of the novel face great, impactful loss, such as when the narrator forgets the existence of “birds”, one of her only remaining connections to her late father, who was an “ornithologist”. Each of them react to these devastating “disappearances” with apathy, allowing the “beautiful” and less useful items to vanish without a trace, without a morsel of rebellion or embrace for the fading items. When the birds are disappeared, the narrator allows the memory police into her house to “riffle through [her] father’s papers… unceremoniously”, rather than standing up, stopping them, and preserving a piece of herself through this. The way that the characters respond to these initial disappearances, the more glamorous things like “perfume” and “emeralds” that they believe they can live without”, paves the way for the
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Adapted to the title “Our duty”…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 97.5%: OUR DUTY 'Published posthumously, in memory of Aleesha Grace Thomas, Aged 26.' This is not how I wanted to be…
OUR DUTY
'Published posthumously, in memory of Aleesha Grace Thomas, Aged 26.'
This is not how I wanted to be remembered.
If you’re reading this, I’m already a name in your newsfeed. A face fading on your screen. Another woman remembered not for how she lived, but for how she died—killed by the man who once promised to love her.
You’ve seen this story before. You’ve scrolled past it. Different name, same ending.
But I am not just a story. And I refuse to stay silent.
They say the dead can’t speak, but maybe that’s why now—finally—you’re listening.
My name is Aleesha Grace Thomas. I was 28. I loved dark chocolate. I hated the rain. I used to hum when I cooked. I believed people could change. Maybe that was my mistake.
Jack Smith didn’t start out hurting me. He started with compliments, with laughter, with “I can’t live without you.” Then came the jealousy, disguised as concern. The insults, disguised as jokes. The control, disguised as love.
And then came the bruises. And the apologies. And the promises that this time—this time—he’d change.
You ask why I didn’t leave. You ask why I stayed.
Ask instead: Why was he allowed to keep going?
Why was there nowhere safe for me to run to?
Why did the system that promised to protect me require me to be broken beyond repair before it believed I was in danger?
You think you live in a world where justice works. I lived in the real one.
In that world, abusers get second chances and victims get cross-examined. In that world, men like Jack don’t “look like the type.” In that world, police reports vanish, witnesses stay silent, and women are buried with their warnings still echoing in their throats.
This is not just about me.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Its about a personal journey
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 90%: The Koshri Kingdom Sunday was my family’s feast day and Koshri was its sacrament, each bowl a reminder that we…
The Koshri Kingdom
Sunday was my family’s feast day and Koshri was its sacrament, each bowl a reminder that we belonged first and always to our mother’s table. The heart of our household kingdom, my mother’s Koshri was the meal that could gather us the way a bell gathers villagers to a square. For my siblings and I, it was love ladled into porcelain, its steam the comfort of a winter quilt. When Mum would begin her quiet ritual- measuring lentils like little coins of copper and rinsing rice until the water turned from clouded pearl to clear spring, our house shifted its mood.
The clink of spoons and the low hiss of onions in oil became a kind of anthem and as the spices floated through the hallway, warm and persuasive, we would drift toward the kitchen as if drawn by an invisible cord. By the time mum crowned the pot with her signature rings of caramel-brown onion, we would be gathered in a semicircle of anticipation with our spoons mirroring the glint in our hungry eyes. Whenever I picture my mother now, I see the steam rising like a soft benediction and I hear her laugh as she served the Koshri to her awaiting clan.
The Awaiting Beacon
The first time I left for church camp, January of 2018, I felt both brave and breakable. I was ten, finally old enough to join my older cousins. The night before, Mum stayed up late humming a tune from her Cairo childhood, stirring a pot of Koshri large enough to feed an army. It was her unspoken blessing, a protective spell of cumin and tomato.
I remember the squeal of bus brakes the next morning, the smell of pine trees at the campsite, the sharp joy of independence. But when the weekend ended and I stepped back into our house, a familiar aroma greeted me before I even dropped my bag. There she stood, wooden spoon in hand, the great pot of Koshri waiting like a beacon on the battlements, proof that her welcome had not dimmed in my absence.
The Hollow Empire
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Section A Shirley Jackson's gothic novel 'We Have Always Lived In the Castle' demonstrates through the isolation of…
Section A
Shirley Jackson's gothic novel 'We Have Always Lived In the Castle' demonstrates through the isolation of the Blackwood family how isolation can be a sanctuary as well as a prison. Isolation allows the Blackwood sisters to find safety. The Blackwood estate allows the Blackwood sisters to find safety behind its walls from the societal pressures of gender roles and specifically male authority. However while it provides a safe haven for the sisters it also imprisons them as the longer they stay isolated, the more that they become afraid of the outside and what it brings. Even when the Blackwood sisters are isolated away from the rest of the village, they still seek a more isolated place however they are trapped within the walls of the estate.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'Every decision that Oedipus makes is…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: From the prologos onward, Sophocles crystallises a vision of existence in which suffering is not an accident of…
From the prologos onward, Sophocles crystallises a vision of existence in which suffering is not an accident of fate but an inevitable consequence of humanity's dual nature. The same rational impulse that drives Oedipus to act with integrity also fuels his blindness to divine law, revealing that human reason and hubris are inseparable forces within tragic condition. Sophocles crafts this paradox through the diction of light and clarity that pervades the prologos. Oedipus' vow to "bring everything to light" employs the imagery of illumination to symbolise rational truth and civic duty. Yet this language of sight and revelation foreshadows the irony of his blindness as the very discourse of rationality collapses into the rhetoric of blindness. Sophocles encodes the main theme of human limitation in the very staging of Oedipus' entrance. As the king enters with his "tell tale limp" the visible scar of the prophecy he once sought to outrun, his body becomes an emblem of the futility of human control. This
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: One is destroyed by their own flaws, not…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: 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' tragic story of discovering his true identity highlights the ways in which fate cannot be avoided. Throughout 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.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: “A real home is where there are people…
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 60%: Through her portrayal of home in ‘Rainbow’s End’, Harrison underscores that for First Nations people, ‘home’ is…
Through her portrayal of home in ‘Rainbow’s End’, Harrison underscores that for First Nations people, ‘home’ is inseparable from individual’s connection to country, even within a discriminatory society. Utilising the character of Nan dear, Harrison suggests a strong tie to the land through particularly older generations of Indigenous Australians. This is evident through Nan dear’s dialogue of ‘they forced us to leave…our home’, symbolically conveying intergenerational trauma. The noun ‘home’ does not aim to simply reference their place of residence but instead illustrates the character’s strong connection to the land. Additionally, the past tense verb ‘forced’ supports the position that Nan dear suffers from generational trauma, along with many indigenous Australians, where they were removed from the land, where they had a deep connection and a sense of belonging. This further reveals how colonisation stripped Indigenous Australians from the right of choosing their own home, at a place where their cultural identity and sense of belonging would be respected and
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: No character in Rainbow’s End can protect…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Set in 1950s Australia, the contemporary play, Rainbow’s End, displays the social marginalisation that separates…
Set in 1950s Australia, the contemporary play, Rainbow’s End, displays the social marginalisation that separates Indigenous Australians and the superior white society, in which agonising strain for many individuals. Throughout Rainbow’s End, playwright Jane Harrison argues that while systemic racism renders Indigenous characters vulnerable to suffering, protection is not impossible but is instead redefined through acts of communal resilience and political defiance, contrasting sharply with the unexamined security of the white society. Harrison displays that while some characters succumb to the societal injustices that they face, many characters persevere and some are in positions of power where they do not need to contend with struggle.
Harrison challenges the idea that no individuals held protective capabilities by displaying that the white Australian society did not need to contend with suffering and struggles. This is highlighted through the bank manager, who holds power over his life and is well. The bank manager has “his glasses”, “his desk” and on which he has “a tray with two china cups of tea, [a] milk jug and [a] bowl”, all of which symbolises the wealth and comfort of many white Australians as they enjoy luxuries that others do not. Harrison also depicts that the “Bank manager sits behind his desk” as Gladys walks into the office, to further assert the sense of security that he and the white society have over their lives, as well as the separation in power the between white and Indigenous Australians. Harrison amplifies this notion through the young Nancy Woolthorpe, who epitomises the prevalent white, Australian privilege. Nancy is portrayed as a winner who lacks any sorrow as she becomes “Miss Mooroopna-Sheparton” as the “prettiest little gal in town”, indicating the lack of struggle and need for protection that many in white society required. Harrison purposefully hides any ache that Nancy may experience to highlight the lack of harm that many white Australians faced thanks to their self-empowerment and the lack of oppression that they see. While struggle is prevalent in Rainbow’s End, Harrison delineates the safety and comfort that can be experienced as a result of a life of freedom, in white Australian society.