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.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: sunset blvd shows that the pursuit for…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Introduction Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is not merely a critique of Hollywood; it is a brutal exposé of the…
Introduction
Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is not merely a critique of Hollywood; it is a brutal exposé of the emotional and moral destruction caused by the obsessive pursuit of fame. In a world where celebrity is worshipped and discarded in equal measure, Wilder presents fame as a deeply perilous journey—one that traps individuals in delusion, corrodes their identity, and demands moral compromise. Through an array of narrative and cinematic choices, including symbolism, characterisation, and visual framing, Wilder reveals how the promise of stardom becomes a psychological cage. Fame, in Sunset Boulevard, is not a prize — it is a performance with fatal consequences.
Body Paragraph 1 – Fame as a Psychological Addiction That Distorts Identity
Wilder presents fame as a psychological compulsion that overtakes identity, warping perception until reality becomes unrecognisable. Norma Desmond is not merely a faded actress — she is a woman who has internalised her own myth. Her descent down the staircase in the film’s final scene, bathed in soft-focus lighting and spotlighted like a star, encapsulates the climax of her delusion. Her declaration, “Alright Mr DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” is not triumphant, but tragic — the line signifies the collapse of her identity into performance. The camera’s staging, along with the film-in-film structure, blurs boundaries between fiction and reality, revealing that Norma’s addiction to fame has consumed her entirely. This is reinforced earlier when Joe watches her in horror — a reverse shot from his perspective frames her as almost theatrical, unrecognisable. Through this juxtaposition, Wilder doesn’t just depict her madness — he implicates the audience in it. The pursuit of fame, once internalised, is shown to be more than dangerous — it is an identity-erasing addiction.
Body Paragraph 2 – Delusion as a Prison Built by Fame
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: "The patterns of the place"
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 60%: A place passed down through generations is somewhere I call home. I walk the same path as many who have come…
A place passed down through generations is somewhere I call home. I walk the same path as many who have come before me, and I see the same sights that generations beyond generations have seen. But somehow, somewhere, I've come to see it differently.
Being born into a world that is still fighting for its last breath comes with its own set of quirks: Will I grow up to regain the vision of my ancestors? Will I explore what they saw when this place was at its finest? These are questions I may never get the answer to, but I will certainly try to find a solution.
When I was younger, I distinctly remember the scent of the damp rain on the greenery in my backyard, a smell that reminded me of the changing seasons and sticky, sweat-inducing summer that had come before. It's crazy how one, single smell can bring you back to a happier, more fulfilling time when all you can see now is the potential darkness that looms ahead.
I hold onto these memories and the nostalgic tendency of this strange place, but never would I replace it with anything else. It's maybe all I can hold onto these days.
As I look around now, I see the same scenery as I did once before, but now I feel a cold chill, reminding me of the devastation that remains at not only my home, but others’ as well. I look around at generations of people and wonder, “Where did we go wrong?” In what state did we look around and say that this is normal, that decimation and destruction inspire us to keep living? That our home, our sanctuary, is one that can be culled of its respect and its absolute beauty.
This thinking fuels a fire in me that I don't think will ever be put out, because even if it means that I die before I see it, the change that is needed is almost impossible. The dire need for rescue and assistance is needed to preserve the place that I, and many other young individuals like me, call home.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Journeys end in lovers meeting, every…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Shakespeare's comedic play “Twelfth Night”, set in the mystical and enigmatic world of Illyria, explores complex…
Shakespeare's comedic play “Twelfth Night”, set in the mystical and enigmatic world of Illyria, explores complex layers of love and the difficulties it elicits for characters. Shakespeare's representation of deluded, and mislead displays of love, as well as immature and unbalanced affections, highlights that not all streams of love are worth pursuing or rewarding. The play is set in the early modern period, during the celebration of the twelfth night of Christmas, where madness and foolery reign supreme over characters' lives. These forces create absurd situations and comedic performances, however this results in the exposure of truth to the characters, which inspires balanced, rightful love. Which is ultimately depicted as worthwhile. Overall the play highlights Shakespeare's subversion on the excessivity of the early modern period, demonstrating that a virtuous life is one full of love, as all “journeys [of life will] end in lovers meeting”. But the journey can only commence when characters transcend from their lives of deception, immaturity and distortion.
In the play, Shakespeare depicts how performative acts of love and deluded perceptions of affection, can bring about struggles and challenges for characters. Through Shakespeare's voice, Orsino is embodied as the petrarchan lover. His values intensified idealisations of women, which he displays through exaggerated performances. This is seen in his soliloquy as he is so compelled by the sweetness of love, and how it “breathes upon a bank of violets”, illustrating how his intentions of love are driven by an excessive affection for performance, rather than for Olivia. Further, Orsino's distorted pursuit of love, through theatrics and melancholic performances, ultimately provide him with heartache and despair, depicted through his allusion to actaeon the greek hunter, who had his own “cruel hounds pursue him”, orsino underscores that he feels hunted by his own “hart” because of his intense infatuation with love. Through Orsino, Shakespeare critiques that a twisted sense of love will not reward characters with peace or harmony. Similarly, Shakespeare represents that during the early modern period, love was defined as an overpowering force that encompasses pain and torment as a demonstration of love. This excessive and overly intensified expectation, drove characters like Viola to idealise feelings of “suffering” when expressing love. These values are evident when Olivia analogises her unprecedented affections towards cesario like “catching the plague”, illustrating a distorted perception that love could only be felt through pain, rather than joy. Shakespeare demonstrates through this unlikely relationship, that excessive and deluded perceptions of love, do not provide characters with equal unionship or happiness.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In We Have Always Lived in the Castle,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, explores Societal views and reactions to Female Agency.…
Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, explores Societal views and reactions to Female Agency. Written in Mid Century America, the gothic novel displays proto-feministic views through exploration of androcentric society, where firm female expectations are held, and criticism is directed towards those who do not fit within them. Merricat and Constance's female agency is viewed as abnormal, subjecting them to negative actions driven by fear from outsiders. They eventually overcome attempted suppression of this Autonomy, causing a deeper fear from others.
Shirley Jackson demonstrates how female empowerment and independence is stigmatised and suppressed. Merricat and Constance are introduced to readers as independent female figures, living dependent on solely eachother. This is displayed to trigger the outsiders, the villagers, to act violently and maliciously, driven by fear of difference. In the beginning of the novel, Merricat goes into the village, not by the harrassment of the Harris Boys chanting "Merricat said Connie, Would you like a cup of tea? Oh no, said Merricat, You'd poison me!". This is the first time readers are properly shown the attitudes of villagers towards the sisters. This chant is repeated several times throughout the novel, and is significant as it captures the violent act of 'poisoning' through the stereotype of female roles, where women are expected to act courteously and hospitably, such as offering a cup of tea. While rumors of Constance being responsible for the murders are heavily the influence of the taunting. It can be argued that the taunting would not occur in the instance that there was still a male control figure in the immediate family of the sisters, causing them to be seen in a less 'strikingly different' light which would be less confronting abnormal to characters who are to be complicit with patriarchal society. The absence of the male figure is enough to trigger fear associated relating to Misogynism, where a differing opinion or way of life is consequenced with hostility.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: stimulus is: if not us, then who?
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 85%: I'm back here again. I can't be bothered. The judges eyes are already telling me everything. That disappointing…
I'm back here again. I can't be bothered. The judges eyes are already telling me everything. That disappointing look cuts deeper than any sentence. He only sees me as a criminal, a “lost cause”. Nothing more than a burden to society. Why even try to defend myself? I'm drained. I'm exhausted. It's not like they’re going to see my point of view as to why I stole some food and water. To them, it’s a crime. To me, it’s survival. Today I stand in this court room to share my thoughts on our corrupt justice system.
Tell me, how's a single mum supposed to afford anything? When every door is slammed shut on her face. When she’s told she’s “not presentable”, “not their standards”. You've seen others walk free for worse, yet I'm standing here. They don't see the struggle just the label. All they see is a “coloured” teenager spiraling, never stopping to imagine what it feels like to walk in my shoes. To see those same biased eyes and knowing they already decided who I am before I even speak.
Racism, police brutality and unfair treatment are not just problems, they’re poison. Seeping through every crack of our justice system until fairness becomes fiction.how many more names must we chant, before someone listens? How many more lives like George Floyd must be lost before justice means something again? A police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 mins, 9 long, breathless minutes. What kind of system breeds that cruelty?
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard plays with the notions of…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Sunset Boulevard plays with the notions of gender in compelling ways. Discuss. In a world where one's ability to…
Sunset Boulevard plays with the notions of gender in compelling ways. Discuss.
In a world where one's ability to fulfill an assigned role determines their inherent value, there are those who defy expectation, alluding to a complex narrative. Billy Wilder's 1950 gothic noir film "Sunset Boulevard" offers a meticulously masterful and unsettling critique of Hollywood, challenging the fundamentally traditional gender roles placed upon those concealed within the industry. Through the complex relationship dynamics driven by power and the demanding and sexist nature of the industry, Wilder correlates a powerful judgement and juxtaposition of how such norms and standards influence individuals.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title : My life, my story Prompt Who I…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: Today I tell you a story, my story. But this isn’t an ordinary story, it is the story of the one who died for…
Today I tell you a story, my story.
But this isn’t an ordinary story, it is the story of the one who died for me two thousand years ago, the one who hung on that cross, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and was buried. Without him my story would have no meaning, for I live through him, and my identity is found in Christ alone.
He is the vessel, and I am the plant. He is the potter, and I am the clay.
Jesus Is my creator, my purpose, and the reason I stand here today. I invite you to walk with me- not through words written on paper, but through a journey of the spirit. It’s a path many have not experienced, but one so profound, so full of grace, that it transforms everything it touches.
This is my journey with Jesus.
It begins with a single tear- the first sound I ever made, echoing softly against my mother’s heartbeat. Her arms became my first home, her eyes the first reflection of who I was becoming. Love wrapped itself around me before I even understood what the word meant.
The world was soft once-laughter pressed against my cheeks, tiny hands reaching for comfort I didn’t yet have the words to ask for. My story began in London, but my roots were waiting elsewhere, calling from a land of warmth and rhythm.
At three, I found myself beneath the sun drenched palms of Sri Lanka – my “homeland” they called it. The air was sweet with mangoes and monsoon rain. I remember the monkeys leaping through the trees, my grandmothers wrinkled hands peeling mangosteen just for me, and the sky painted in colors that only belong to God. Back then, life felt infinite-like a house built on love so steady it could never crumble.
But change always finds you, even in paradise.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sunset Boulevard both challenges and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 90%: Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is a gritty noir subverting traditional gender expectations in portraying an older,…
Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is a gritty noir subverting traditional gender expectations in portraying an older, controlling woman in a relationship with a subservient man. Through masterful cinematography and costuming, the film illustrates the predatory nature of this unconventional relationship, adhering to societal values towards female dominance. Although the female-led film engages in critical discussion of Hollywood’s treatment of older women, it ultimately punishes women’s rejection of gender norms, reinforcing the deeply embedded misogyny in 1950s America.
The imbalanced relationship of a wealthier, older woman with the struggling younger man she employs is portrayed through a male lens, which centres around his loss of control and agency over female empowerment. The entanglement between the “older woman who is well-to-do” and “younger man who isn’t doing too well” is described by her love interest, Joe Gillis, who narrates the film’s events from his perspective. The non-linear structure of Sunset Boulevard allows Gillis’ death to be foretold before introducing Desmond, allowing its audience to speculate on her involvement in his tragic end. The two begin as employer and employee, making Desmond hold more power in the relationship. Desmond’s advances towards Gillis were not reciprocated initially, infringing on an abuse of power, as indicated in Gillis’ comment on how she is “forgetting she was (his) employer” when she clutches his arm. The protagonist also admits to being “an unknown writer” compared to Desmond, whom he calls a “great star”, beyond her superior success compared to him; Gillis is also financially dependent on her. Wilder purposefully establishes Desmond as greater in age, status, and material possessions compared to Gillis to challenge societal expectations for men and women. The audience of the time would then be invited to share Gillis’ belief that he is emasculated in this relationship. Feeling “caught, like the cigarette in the contraption on her finger”, Gillis is unhappy complying with Desmond’s requests to ensure a source of income. To link Desmond with Gillis' loss of agency, Wilder uses Gillis’ car as a symbol. Gillis thinks losing his car is equivalent to having his “legs cut off”, as he is no longer free to travel as he pleases. Since he lacks the money to pay the bank, his car is towed away, forcing him to rely on Desmond’s luxury foreign car. This implies that Desmond is the master of Gillis’ only mode of transportation, as his movement is reliant on her permission for him to leave her side. In breaking out of oppressive expectations for men and women in relationships, the liberation for Sunset Boulevard’s female character is largely neglected by the film in favour of exploring the male protagonist’s surrender of power.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Malouf’s use of language and imagery in…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: The exploration of our normal world gives us a glimpse into natural influence and profound humanity. Adapting…
The exploration of our normal world gives us a glimpse into natural influence and profound humanity. Adapting from Homer’s IIiad, David Malouf writes a novel titled Ransom to reflect his aftermath of merciless World War II where he struggled from considerably violence and isolation. Malouf justifies living earth power that ultimately fosters personal transformation in terms of the strength of exposure. Nevertheless, conflict also brings ever-lasting influence that surrounds us every day, worthing our appreciation as well. The nuanced humanity within the nature and interpersonal connection reflects eternal concept of the world. As such, Malouf opines that the natural power and humanity is what we really appreciate when it comes to things surrounding us.
With the contrast in Malouf’s imagery, he accentuates that the cost of conflict is so significant that demands our appreciation and occupation. Rift poses unrepairable danger that surrounds us all the time. Priam and Somax’s displacement underpin a lighter tone, whereas their journey
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Find your way- “ but it’s no use going…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: I grew up believing that love looked like having everything I wanted. Father built a life for us that looked…
I grew up believing that love looked like having everything I wanted. Father built a life for us that looked perfect from the outside, where we seemed like the model family: polished, poised and pretty. The objects within our house gleamed and glowed, an illusion of success and a product of status. But when you looked closely, everything was hollow. The cars slept outside like trophies, smothered in quiet arrogance. The house, in its grandeur and majesty, was anything but a home. From the outside, we seemed untouchable, but no one saw the years of debt we were slowly drowning in. Father liked to say, “Everything I do is for you,” repeatedly, like a broken record, and soon, it became meaningless.
But for a long time, I believed him.
Everybody could see that Father worked hard. But their eyes failed to recognise Mum as the person who worked harder - the real architect of our home. She was the spine of the house, the pulse behind the walls. By day, she commanded boardrooms as a team director of a prestigious bank and by night, she came home, slipped off her heels, and became the quiet storm that kept everything running. Somehow, she managed to have dinner on the table at seven every single night.
During dinner, Father's voice suffocated the quiet, deep and commanding, the way thunder fills a clear sky. He spoke of deals and ventures and the next empire he would build. Mum sat up straight, knees crossed at the table, her porcelain smile unwavering as she nodded quietly as if her achievements were meant to disappear inside his. My sister and I watched him the way everyone else did, with awe, unaware that our mother's silence was the loudest thing in the room.
At the age of eight, my parents gave me my younger sister, Maanya; her mischief peeked through her lopsided smile, pale skin adorned her and she was bestowed with confidence foreign to me. And with that, my father had only one daughter; She had Father's attention before she even knew what it meant. When she tumbled, he rushed to her side, showering her with kisses and affection. But when the same happened with me, he would tell me to get up. Don't cry. Be stronger.
I simply believed it was because he knew I was stronger than her, not because he loved her more. But I was naive. Years later, I learned the truth: I had to find my own way through life because I could only trust myself to pick me up. The only lesson Father actually taught me.
I grew up thinking my purpose was to exist as Maanya’s protector – shielding her from his moods, his sharp words, his expectations, and the kind of pressure that bends you before you realise you have already been broken.
But she never really needed my protection.
She was his princess, untouched and adored. She charmed him into getting whatever she wanted, whereas nothing I did impressed him. I was smarter than her, more respectful than her and more hardworking. But the crown was hers.
I told myself that I was the strong one, that being unseen meant being safe. But every time Maanya laughed with
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: UNITY Together we stand. Together we…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: UNITY Together we stand. Together we fight although we fear. There we were, marching the streets where we are…
UNITY
Together we stand.
Together we fight although we fear. There we were, marching the streets where we are no longer welcome. I find it so strange that being out here right now could kill us. Such a simple thing, being outside our homes, using our voices, could cost us our very lives. Three days ago, the Taliban charged into our school, their rifles slung across their chests, ordering us all to leave. My mother always told me to be sure to put my feet in the right place, to stand firm. No one said a word. No one fought back. Chalk dust hung in the air, refusing to fall. The ceiling fan spun lazily above us, its low hum swallowed by the sound of their boots striking the tiled floor. The sound felt like it stopped my heart. It felt like time froze. That was the first time I’d ever seen a gun. I’d seen them in movies, but never this close, never pointed at people like me, all because we wanted to learn. They didn’t even let us take our books home. They took everything. Our books, our educations, our lives. Women are prohibited from leaving their house without being accompanied by a male relative. We can’t show our face, our bodies, or even use our voices in public. Today as we march, we break those rules. As we chant ‘We will not surrender to oppression’, I know how fragile this moment is. The air around us hums with unspoken threats, a silence so brittle it could shatter with one wrong word. Many protestors in Afghanistan have been arrested, tortured and even killed for speaking up for our women. My body starts to shake. I don’t know if it’s from passion or from fear. Probably both.
Today we fight. If we keep fighting, together we will change the world. As we march, I look at the people surrounding me. Women, men and children. We share one thing in common. We believe that women deserve the same basic human rights as everyone else in the world. We deserve to be heard. We deserve to be seen. What we do not deserve is to be completely excluded from public life. We’re not allowed to speak in public, to learn, to laugh out loud without looking over our shoulders. We are punished simply for existing. Not for what we’ve done, but for who we are. The Taliban took away our right to vote. As we march, I notice an older woman walking beside me. I wonder if she remembers the days my grandma spoke of. When the first school for girls opened, when women finally cast their votes with pride. Grandma used to say the 1970’s was a time of hope, when the marriage age was raised and polygamy abolished. Today, we women have less rights than the animals here do. Today, we are fighting for what has been taken from us a second time.
I notice a young girl in the crowd, just like me. She looked around
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Exile. Country framework.
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: Exile Worn bear in one hand, goodbyes in the other. Following in my father’s deep-set boot tracks one by one,…
Exile
Worn bear in one hand, goodbyes in the other.
Following in my father’s deep-set boot tracks one by one, as he leaves his mould in the terrain of our home one last time. Only I was unaware we weren’t coming back.
A tired blink on along our journey turned into waking up separated by sea.
Having been so long ago, I remember it as vividly as yesterday.
The people spoke differently here, and my surroundings were nothing like before. I learnt to adjust to our new life here, but it was never the same. I wished to go home.
My father spoke of our homeland often. I resented him for taking me away, but it was plain to see he missed it more than I did. I’ve never witnessed such bliss within a human being as his fond talk of our home, though I found it ironic, as he was the one to create that barrier between our return. His stories upon stories filled him with life. It was no secret how deep his connection was to that place, framing who he was, yet he chose to leave? I could only wish to feel as if I belonged somewhere so deeply as he did. Only I was so young that I never had the chance, as my time was cut short before leaving in exile with my father.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Rainbow's End, hope triumphs over pain.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Section A - 2024 VATE VCE Exam Set during a period of immense suffering, blatant discrimination, and complete…
Section A - 2024 VATE VCE Exam
Set during a period of immense suffering, blatant discrimination, and complete disarray for Aboriginal Australians, Jane Harrison's expository play 'Rainbows End' explores the inherent yet complex link between trauma and hope, in light of the First Nations People's fight for their rights. In her piece of historical faction she underscores the power of hope that is to be used to find empowerment while exposing the difficulty of resilience due to societal pressures, overall showcasing how the pain that minorities are forced to endure celebrates them to stay hopeful. Ultimately, Harrison celebrates the strength of marginalised individuals who maintain hope despite societal constraints while ultimately unveiling how the pain inflicted upon minorities acts as encouragement to not lose hope.
Harrison praises the courage of First Nations People who find empowerment through hope despite painful circumstances. This dynamic is explored through Gladys' infatuation with the Encyclopedias that Errol sells, as despite her initially rejecting the idea, reluctantly urging him to sell them to the "fancy white fella", instead she is incapable of discarding the business card, putting it down the "front of her dress" for safekeeping. When she eventually buys her first set, Harrison utilises "celestial music" to signify the hope that inspires within her, and as she "touches the pages lovingly" before giving it to Dolly, she attempts to instill the same hope within her, encouraging her to "get a good job" in the future. By incorporating the symbolic encyclopedia set which acts as a beacon of hope for Gladys, Harrison reiterates how First Nations people can remain hopeful amidst their situations. This level of hope within the Aboriginal Australians is reiterated after Dolly's tragic assault, when she is left pregnant and confides in Nan Dear that she's 'scared she won't love' her child. Nan promptly dispels her fears, reassuring her by referring to her own experience "becom[ing] a mother at '[Dolly's] age', and emphasising that you 'still love 'em the same' regardless of 'how they came into the world'. This moment of vulnerability and compassion between the two women closes their generational gap and empowers Dolly with hope that she 'feel[s] [she] could love' her daughter. Through Nan and Dolly's intimate interaction, Harrison exemplifies how strong familial bonds can support individuals in maintaining hope, even throughout extraneous hardships. Thus, Rainbow's End reveals the power gained by minorities who remain hopeful.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: ‘Make up your own rules’
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: Petition to replace playgrounds with productivity parks We, the deeply concerned upstanding citizens of the…
Petition to replace playgrounds with productivity parks
We, the deeply concerned upstanding citizens of the Sunnyside council, propose that all playgrounds must be dismantled immediately and replaced with productivity parks. At the latest meeting of the Association of Concerned Citizens, it was brought to our attention to the horror of the trend that is circulating on social media known as ‘make up your own rules’. Much to the alarm of the upstanding citizens in Sunnyside Council, witnessing not only children but adults skipping (yes, skipping) in playgrounds. This can simply not continue.
This dangerous epidemic of ‘making up your own rules’ has gone far beyond the acceptable limits and is now directly harming our society. Once a safe space for children to play and rehearse crucial skills for reality, it is now turned into a refuge for irresponsible, immature adults who have seemingly forgotten the simple fact that life isn’t meant to be fun. Grown adults are swinging on swings, sliding down slides and hanging on monkey bars, which can only be described as wildly inappropriate behaviour, all while ignoring the pressing obligations of work. In a survey conducted by the Association of Concerned Citizens, it was found that adults have been sighted playing chess, kicking a football, and even laughing in playgrounds as though their day-to-day responsibilities weren’t crumbling under their neglect.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “There is nothing tragic about being 50,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Introduction Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) operates as both a gothic tragedy and a biting Hollywood…
Introduction
Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) operates as both a gothic tragedy and a biting Hollywood satire, exposing the corrosive effects of a culture that prizes youth and appearance above integrity and truth. Through his incisive blend of noir aesthetics and black comedy, Wilder critiques the way postwar American society, embodied in the Hollywood dream factory, commodifies beauty and discards individuals once they cease to embody vitality. By framing ageing as a form of social death and illusion as a mechanism of survival, Wilder condemns the industry’s moral hypocrisy and its manipulation of both art and identity. Ultimately, he positions Hollywood’s infatuation with youth as emblematic of a broader cultural anxiety — one that reflects America’s obsession with reinvention and its fear of decline.
Paragraph 1: The commodification of youth and beauty
Through Sunset Boulevard, Wilder critiques the commodification of youth and beauty as a process that dehumanises and objectifies, transforming individuals into disposable symbols of glamour. The film’s decaying mise-en-scène — Norma Desmond’s crumbling mansion, the “creeping paralysis” of its interiors, and the heavy curtains that shut out daylight — functions as a metaphor for the spiritual rot beneath Hollywood’s shining façade. Wilder constructs a visual and moral opposition between light and darkness to expose an industry built on surfaces and spectacle. Norma’s obsession with reclaiming her lost stardom, her elaborate makeup, and her delusional belief that “the pictures got small,” encapsulate how Hollywood manufactures identity only to destroy it. Wilder’s satire lies not in mocking Norma’s madness, but in exposing the system that bred it — a culture that idolises women when they are young, then abandons them when their beauty fades. This reflects Wilder’s own scepticism toward postwar consumerism and the myth of perpetual renewal. By aligning the industry’s obsession with youth with a moral vacuum, Wilder implies that the cost of fame is not only personal degradation but also the loss of artistic authenticity. In this sense, Sunset Boulevard becomes a cautionary allegory about a society that confuses value with visibility.
Paragraph 2: The illusion of eternal youth as self-destruction
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: UNITY Together we stand. Together we…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: UNITY Together we stand. Together we fight although we fear. There we were, marching the streets where we are…
UNITY
Together we stand.
Together we fight although we fear. There we were, marching the streets where we are no longer welcome. I find it so strange that being out here right now could kill us. Such a simple thing, being outside our homes, using our voices, could cost us our very lives. Three days ago, the Taliban charged into our school, their rifles slung across their chests, ordering us all to leave. My mother always told me to be sure to put my feet in the right place, to stand firm. No one said a word. No one fought back. Chalk dust hung in the air, refusing to fall. The ceiling fan spun lazily above us, its low hum swallowed by the sound of their boots striking the tiled floor. The sound felt like it stopped my heart. It felt like time froze. That was the first time I’d ever seen a gun. I’d seen them in movies, but never this close, never pointed at people like me, all because we wanted to learn. They didn’t even let us take our books home. They took everything. Our books, our educations, our lives. Women are prohibited from leaving their house without being accompanied by a male relative. We can’t show our face, our bodies, or even use our voices in public. Today as we march, we break those rules. As we chant ‘We will not surrender to oppression’, I know how fragile this moment is. The air around us hums with unspoken threats, a silence so brittle it could shatter with one wrong word. Many protestors in Afghanistan have been arrested, tortured and even killed for speaking up for our women. My body starts to shake. I don’t know if it’s from passion or from fear. Probably both.
Today we fight. If we keep fighting, together we will change the world. As we march, I look at the people surrounding me. Women, men and children. We share one thing in common. We believe that women deserve the same basic human rights as everyone else in the world. We deserve to be heard. We deserve to be seen. What we do not deserve is to be completely excluded from public life. We’re not allowed to speak in public, to learn, to laugh out loud without looking over our shoulders. We are punished simply for existing. Not for what we’ve done, but for who we are. The Taliban took away our right to vote. My grandma used to tell me stories about women fighting for their rights in her day. The first school for girls opened in the 1920’s and women were given the right to vote. In the 1970’s, the government raised the marriage age for women from 18 to 21, abolished polygamy and introduced compulsory education. Today, us women have less rights than the animals here do. Today, we are fighting for what has been taken from us a second time.
I notice a young girl in the crowd, just like me. She looked around 17, about my age. She has
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Time to Play (2024 exam stimulus 2:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 90%: Highlights: Blue = Title Red = Stimulus Time to Play (2024 exam stimulus 2: image of light bulb with wings…
Highlights: Blue = Title Red = Stimulus
Time to Play (2024 exam stimulus 2: image of light bulb with wings soaring through the sky)
I was 5 years old when my father first granted me the exhilarating choice to pick out my first ever Halloween costume. As I lurked to the back aisles of BigW, a spooky selection of outfits shimmered under the effervescent illumination of bubbly strobe lights. My imagination flickered like a light bulb, soaring to the skies, with endless possibilities of costumes to wear on the eventful day. Devils, ghosts, even supervillains stared back at me with unwavering authority, enticing me to embody the maleficent aura of Halloween, yet, I didn’t want to be a villain. I wanted to be a hero. I shuffled through bags of assorted capes and clothes until finally arriving at my decision; Batman. I couldn’t wait to try it on. As I slowly pulled the cowl over my face, staring at the bat symbol's reflection, I saw not a costume, but a promise; I could be a hero.
On the 31st, I couldn’t wait to don the mask. I became restless in the wake of patrolling the streets trick-or-treating. As I sat through the inexorable boredom of prep classes, my spontaneity got the best of me; I sporadically jittered across the classroom with excitement — picking up the markers scattered throughout the classroom and throwing them around as if they were makeshift batarangs. “Ashton! Now isn’t the time to play!” pierced my ears from across the classroom. Even in that moment, the teacher’s sharp words sank quietly into my mind, planting the first seeds of caution. Each hesitation, each muffled laugh, each suppressed burst of enthusiasm, I told myself it was what being a hero meant. Heroes followed rules, after all, and wasn’t sitting quietly in class just that? The teacher’s glare felt like the world was testing me, and I was determined to pass, to be admired, just like Batman.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: UNITY Together we stand. Together we…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: UNITY Together we stand. Together we fight. Together we will change the world. There we were, marching the…
UNITY
Together we stand.
Together we fight. Together we will change the world. There we were, marching the streets where we are no longer welcome. I find it so strange that being out here right now could kill us. Such a simple thing, being outside our homes, using our voices, could cost us our very lives. Three days ago, the Taliban charged into our school, their rifles slung across their chests, ordering us all to leave. My mother always told me to be sure to put my feet in the right place, to stand firm. No one said a word. No one fought back. Chalk dust hung in the air, refusing to fall. The ceiling fan spun lazily above us, its low hum swallowed by the sound of their boots striking the tiled floor. The sound felt like it stopped my heart. It felt like time froze. That was the first time I’d ever seen a gun. I’d seen them in movies, but never this close, never pointed at people like me, all because we wanted to learn. They didn’t even let us take our books home. They took everything. Our books, our educations, our lives. Women are prohibited from leaving their house without being accompanied by a male relative. We can’t show our face, our bodies, or even use our voices in public. Today as we march, we break those rules. As we chant ‘We will not surrender to oppression’, I know how fragile this moment is. The air around us hums with unspoken threats, a silence so brittle it could shatter with one wrong word. Many protestors in Afghanistan have been arrested, tortured and even killed for speaking up for our women. My hands tremble and my body shakes, though I try to steady the sign I’m holding. I don’t know if it’s from passion or from fear. Probably both.
Today we fight. As we march, I look at the people surrounding me. Women, men and children. We share one thing in common. We believe that women deserve the same basic human rights as everyone else in the world. We deserve to be heard. We deserve to be seen. What we do not deserve is to be completely excluded from public life. We’re not allowed to speak in public, to learn, to laugh out loud without looking over our shoulders. We are punished simply for existing. Not for what we’ve done, but for who we are. The Taliban took away our right to vote. My grandma used to tell me stories about women fighting for their rights in her day. The first school for girls opened in the 1920’s and women were given the right to vote. In the 1970’s, the government raised the marriage age for women from 18 to 21, abolished polygamy and introduced compulsory education. Today, us women have less rights than the animals here do. Today, we are fighting again for what has been taken from us a second time.
I notice a young girl in the crowd, just like me. She looked around 17, about my age. She has
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: All of the characters in Sunset Boulevard…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Sunset Boulevard, written by Billy Wilder, is a 1950’s melodrama film noir that investigates the dark and twisted…
Sunset Boulevard, written by Billy Wilder, is a 1950’s melodrama film noir that investigates the dark and twisted reality of hollywoods film industry, and encourages a social fixation on the glory of celebrities. Throughout the film, Wilder explores the behaviour of individuals desperately trying to achieve success in the industry. Sunset Boulevard's characters, while trapped in their own desires and delusions, use constant manipulation in order to reach their own personal gain. Webs of deceit and lies ultimately lead to tragic downfalls. The film presents a grim world where emotional control, false promises, and self-deception prevail.
Manipulation in Sunset Boulevard is often rooted in emotional control, where characters exploit affection, guilt, or dependence to dominate others. Wilder portrays this through the former silent film star Norma Desmond. After the downfall of her career, Norma isolates from the rest of the world in her decaying mansion, with a butler as her only companion. This leads her to be reclusive and emotionally unstable. With the arrival of the main character Joe Gillis, it leads her to cling to him immediately and emotionally controls Joe when he tries to leave by threatening that “[she’ll] do it again”, meaning she will harm herself. Norma tells Joe to go, but by repeating her suicide threat, it makes it clear that he cant. This illustrates how dependent she is towards Joe, and how she will do anything to keep him in her grasp, including manipulating him emotionally as he’ll stay there out of guilt. Another instance of this is shown through the character of Max Von Mayerling. It is revealed that he had a career before being Norma's butler as a film director, and was the one who “descovered” Norma. Max proceeds to shield Norma from the reality that she is no longer in the spotlight and repeatedly enforces that “madam is the greatest star of them all”. This quote shows that Max doesnt want Norma to be destroyed by the truth that she is no longer loved as she once was by the film industry and media. This use of manipulation is Max’s way of keeping Norma within his reach as the truth could potentially result in him losing her. Max feels deeply attached to her from being previously married, and feels like hes has a responsibility to protect even if it means to lie. However, its the manipulation and lies that are making her crazier in the first place- If the lies were revealed it could risk Norma committing suicide, or he could keep telling them and make her condition even worse. The use of manipulation in the film is often linked with emotions and the need to keep control over others lives.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does High Ground explore its…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: Individuals and their relationships with their environment is frequently influenced by their culture and…
Individuals and their relationships with their environment is frequently influenced by their culture and upbringing. Set against the backdrop of Arnhem land, colonial Australia, Stephen Johnson's revisionist western film 'High Ground' depicts the contrasting relationships between the colonisers and First Nations people with the land. Ultimately, Johnson seeks to illustrate the varying understanding of their natural surroundings.
Johnson presents that the First Nations people have a holistic understanding of the land which is grounded by their respect of Country. This idea is epitomised through the bush plum symbol. It can be seen when Baywara teaches Gutjuk about his cultural dance, and again when Gutjuk offers some to Travis when they're tracking Baywara. In both of these instances the bush plums serve as a source of food and highlight the First Nations people's understanding of the land and their reliance on the land for survival. Through this, Johnson reveals the deep knowledge of the land that the First Nations people exhibit. Bolstering this idea, Johnson employs an establishing shot of the First Nations people during the meeting of the bosses. Their cultural attire and ochre painted bodies blend in with their natural surroundings. Thus, exemplifying their greater understanding and mutualistic bond with the land. By blending in, it demonstrates the First Nations people desire to be one with the land and their respect for the sacred country. To reinforce his view, Johnson bookends the film with Nimbuwah rock accompanied by First Nations people's cultural music. By coupling these together, Johnson highlights the symbiotic relationship. As a result, presenting the central importance of country for First Nations people. Ultimately, Johnson celebrates the bond First Nations people share with the land as they demonstrate a deep level of respect and care.