VCE · Text Response
Text Response: To what extent do you agree that Oedipus…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 82.5%: Set within the theocentric society of Thebes, Oedipus The King explores a society plagued by disease and bound by…
Set within the theocentric society of Thebes, Oedipus The King explores a society plagued by disease and bound by prophecy, in which Sophocles crafts a realm where the conflict between fate, truth and human agency becomes a powerful symbol of the inevitability of suffering. The 429 BCE play postulates that in a world dictated by fate an individual can only exist and act within the confines of their own destiny. Through the journey of a tragic hero, Sophocles constructs fate as an unyielding divine force, exposing human ignorance as the true source of suffering. Though fate is established as a fixed moral force controlling the boundaries of one's journey, the playwright suggests that it is the actions and flaws of the individual that ensures suffering at the hands of divine order. Furthermore, Sophocles examines humanity's refusal to abide by their own limitations is what results in an individual succumbing to divine order and becoming a victim of their own destiny.
Sophocles constructs fate as an unalterable moral order governed by the gods, positioning the downfall of a noble king as the inevitable consequence of human ignorance and defiance. Through Oedipus’ initial address to the city of Thebes, Sophocles presents him as a conduit through which divine justice manifests in the mortal realm. His self-proclamation as “the land’s avenger” and his assurance that he “will grant [their] prayers” establish him as a saviour figure aligned with Apollo’s will. Yet, Sophocles employs dramatic irony to reveal that Oedipus’ belief in his divine purpose is the very expression of his hamartia. His conviction that, as “the man of experience,” he can “bring what is dark to light,” exposes the hubris that blinds him to “the truth of his [own] birth.” This metaphorical blindness not only severs him from moral clarity but propels him toward his destined ruin. Through Oedipus’ misguided assertion of human agency within a divinely ordered world, Sophocles critiques humanity’s compulsion to control the uncontrollable, suggesting that pride transforms duty into transgression and ensures the fulfilment of fate.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Born a crime is a story of overcoming…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Overcoming limitations Following the fall of the tragedy which was Apartheid, South Africa entered a new era of…
Overcoming limitations
Following the fall of the tragedy which was Apartheid, South Africa entered a new era of politically free formal self governance - however the long lasting effects of systemic racism left it's people. In his memoir Trevor Noah's satirical memoir 'Born a Crime' explores the complexities of growing up as a mixed-race child in the townships of post-apartheid South Africa. Noah explores not only a deep story of overcoming limitations through hope and discussing faith but furthers his anecdotal narrative by exploring his transition between faith and western culture to surmount his many challenges by latching onto a higher power.
The text 'Born a Crime' explores how hope is the most useful asset when overcoming hardships. Growing up in townships such as Sowetto and Alexandra, Trevor was able to experience things and hope for things others in his area couldn't, a hope for something better. Comment's how his mother Patricia "raised [him] like a white child." In it's essence this seems nonsensical as Trevor himself was mixed-race. However the way Patricia exposed Trevor to the realities of a privileged life allowed him the hope of pushing for something beyond what the systemic hierarchy had given him, beyond the logical expectations set for him.
forces over the vast spaces of white, showed him there was more to life than the coloured had to offer. More to hope for. Noah himself you can only hope for what you can imagine." Showing how he recognizes that without the knowledge of something better, there is no reason to push for more. This is shown through the "Hamster wheel" that is in the hood of Alexandria. Here People struggled to prosper for more because they didn't see it as attainable. They regarded the hustle it was the only way out, but the harsh reality kept them stale. Noah comments that in his time in the hood "no one made any money".
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "madame is the greatest star of them all"…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: “madame is the greatest star of them all” In what ways does the film challenge gender roles? The 1950s film noir…
“madame is the greatest star of them all” In what ways does the film challenge gender roles?
The 1950s film noir Sunset Boulevard set in Hollywood functions to both celebrate and critique the world of Hollywood in the new post-war era. As a result of the post-cold war Hollywood was going through a change in tastes, entertainment and lifestyle choices as a result of the “Golden age of cinema.” This era also that too followed the Hayes production code, were certain things were not allowed on the camera including lust, swearing and extreme violence. The film challenges gender roles through the power presented through older women, the new golden age of cinema allowing for women to pursue their ambitions and through delusions, greed, ambition and reality all along with manipulation, challenging gender roles.
From the outset, Wilder challenges gender roles through the unusual nature of older woman asserting power and control over younger men. In one of the very first scenes of the film were Joe stumbles across Norma’s “Great big white elephant of a place” and decides to go walk in. Wilder’s camera angles and use of the big house highlights and symbolises its large scale over Joe (who is a man) and the reality of the house being owned by a woman. Such living in the altiburd life depicts the way Sunset Boulevard challenges gender roles as instead of a woman being allured into a house, it is ironic as a young man is being led in, which challenges the 1950s stance on gender roles. As the film progresses and Joe bills is sucked into Norma’s delusional world Norma offers to start paying for Joe’s clothes to which he sales associated shoes to Joe’s as long as the lady’s paying for it, highlighting the irony of Norma paying for things as usually that’s what a man would. In addition Wilder also consistently uses the mise en scene of structuring the camera angles to make sure Joe doesn’t appear more dominant than Norma. However Wilder challenges this stigma when Norma says “sit down” to Joe and he actually listens. This scene depicts the overall power and control Norma has retained over Joe, which is typically unusual in the 1950s. Thus challenging gender roles in Sunset Boulevard. Due to the unusual nature between the two protagonist characters Joe and Norma, were Norma an older woman displays more dominance over Joe, thus exhibit how the film challenges gender roles.
As the film starts to progress, Wilder challenges the film’s gender roles through the new golden age of cinema allowing women to pursue their ambitions. Betty Schaefer a young script reader for Hollywood challenges gender roles by standing up for herself against a
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 1. “The pains we inflict upon ourselves…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: In 5th century BCE, Sophocles didactic play Oedipus The King was first performed at the Festival of Dionysus…
In 5th century BCE, Sophocles didactic play Oedipus The King was first performed at the Festival of Dionysus where multiple tragedies were shared during the Peloponnesian war and Athenian Golden Age. Sophocles encourages his audience to recognise the importance of compassion of humankind who are bound by their flaws and at the mercy of divine justice. The playwright develops the complexity of sympathy towards those punished by the gods despite the piety towards them and how their divine will is defined as infallible. Furthermore, Sophocles prevails in developing compassion for the protagonist as his relentless journey for the truth and justice constructs his destruction as he abuses his power. Although a prophecy can onset tragic downfall, it is a persons’ pride, impulsiveness, and eventual self-punishment that render suffering uniquely tragic. As the play unfolds, the audience is compelled to weigh their sympathy for a man who, through a mixture of ignorance and will, becomes the architect of his own ruin.
Sophocles carefully develops the relationship between human morality for those who suffer at the hands of the gods who within Athenian society are known for their proclivity of punishment. The playwright continues to develop the complex relationship between human morality and divine law by indicating that “the pains we inflict upon ourselves hurt most of all” in reference to the hanging of the Jocasta despite the prophecy bestowed upon Oedipus never mentioned such tragedy, where her suicide is thematically used to demonstrate the how pre-ordained fate lacks the ability to deliver the same agony as done out of free will. Oedipus’s anagnorisis has caused his to castration of eyes, being blind to the truth having to cleanse himself of his hubris and his blasphemous spiritual self thus making him a man “cursed to heaven” as the gods “ordained [his] agonies”. Despite being punished by the highly reverenced gods the citizens of Thebes still find sympathy for Oedipus being “Pitiful, you [have suffered] so” showing compassion for their once King of Thebes who committed grave crimes like parent-children’s relationships opinionized to be against the unwritten nature of the gods. Sophocles intends to reveal that human mortality can trump the piety of the gods in the face of such suffering despite their punishments are seen as the only true justice available. The playwright demonstrates the relationship between how human compassion can still to relevant towards mortals who are punished by the Greek gods.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Transformation
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 72.5%: In the 21st century, we are often told that every life is a story that each of us is the hero of our own…
In the 21st century, we are often told that every life is a story that each of us is the hero of our own journey, authoring a unique narrative worth telling. It’s a comforting thought, but not always a truthful one.
Most lives don’t resemble stories. They resemble habits. They are commutes, grocery lists, and laundry cycles repeated endlessly. Few people are explorers charting new worlds. Most are office workers waiting for the lift, replying to emails, and eating the same sandwich they’ve had for lunch since high school. Life is like a wheel, forever turning.
The trouble with calling every life a “personal journey” is that it compresses our messy realities into recycled storylines. We know the ones, the triumphant underdog, the tragic downfall, the miraculous comeback, the hero who “finds themselves.” But if everyone’s life is squeezed into these predictable things, how unique are these stories really? It starts to feel less like originality and more like Hollywood sequels, the same plot, only with new actors.
Think about it. The biggest moments in your life. Have they transformed you? Have they overturned your own character into a new being? No. These moments only cause growth. A more normal part of human nature.
For example, me personally, landing my first job was supposed to feel like an important event. People say it teaches responsibility and independence. For me, it just taught me how to talk to customers, clock in on time, and collect a pay check. Outside of work, I was still the same person. Not transformed, not enlightened, just a little more tired on weekends.
Everyone says traveling changes you, that seeing the world gives you new
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Billy Wilders Sunset Boulevard explores…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 72.5%: Billy Wilders 1950 film noir melodrama "Sunset Boulevard," explores the allure and destructive consequences of…
Billy Wilders 1950 film noir melodrama "Sunset Boulevard," explores the allure and destructive consequences of Hollywood fame and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. The film follows washed-up screenwriter Joe Gillis as he's drawn into the world of former silent film star Norma Desmond, a woman clinging to her past glory and refusing to accept the changing times. Sunset Boulevard powerfully explores the psychological and moral dangers of blurring fantasy and reality, particularly through the characters of Norma Desmond and Joe Gillis. However also critiques the film industry itself for promoting delusion over reality.
Wilder illustrates the destructive potential of living in a fantasy world. Norma Desmond, former silent film star, lives in her past fame. The mis-en-scene of her house is cluttered with photos of herself, heavy drapes, animal skins and gold mirrors. The lights are dim, the air feels heavy, and every object exists to protect her version of the past. Wilder implies this to replicate that Norma’s house is a stage for her to live in the past and escape reality. Furthermore, Norma refuses to accept she is no longer wanted in a changing world. Declaring that ‘(she) is big, it’s the pictures that got small’, she protects herself from the truth that the industry has moved on, and she is no longer part of the story. Wilder highlights this to show the audience how enthralled an individual get in a fantasy and be alluded to what is happening in the reality around them. Ultimately, through the visuality of Normas estate and her egotistical declares, shows how Normas fantasy protects her ego however traps her in a delusion state of mind.
VCE · Language Analysis
Language Analysis: Social Media Ban
VCE Language Analysis essay scoring 67.5%: In response to the Australian Government’s proposed legislation to ban social media for users under 16,…
In response to the Australian Government’s proposed legislation to ban social media for users under 16, independent MP Andrew Wilkie published an opinion piece titled “Why I’ve changed my mind about the social media bill” in The Guardian (27 November 2024). Initially supportive of the ban, Wilkie shifts his position after listening to experts, constituents, and young people. He argues that the proposed ban is a simplistic and politically motivated response to a complex issue. Through a reflective and empathetic tone, Wilkie appeals to logic, ethics, and emotion to highlight the importance of online communities, the vagueness of the legislation, and the need for reform that holds tech companies accountable. His article targets parents, voters, and policymakers, urging them to reconsider the bill and advocate for more meaningful solutions.
Wilkie opens his argument by establishing credibility and trust with the audience through a candid and reflective tone. He confesses that he “was wrong and changed [his] mind,” challenging common expectations of politicians and presenting himself as honest and open to evidence. By referencing his role as a parent to teenage children, he builds rapport with readers who share similar concerns. The photograph beneath the opening, featuring Wilkie in court beside a quote about online safety and community, visually reinforces his empathetic position. He argues that, for many teenagers—particularly those in rural or marginalised communities—social media is “a place to build community and ensure they don’t feel alone.” This use of inclusive and emotionally charged language reframes social media as a space of belonging and safety. Furthermore, he criticises the imbalance in public debate, stating that “the voices of children and young people have been conspicuously missing,” and appeals to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to support his claim that youth should be heard in decisions affecting them. These strategies position readers to see the proposed ban not as protective, but as a silencing mechanism that strips agency from the very people it claims to help.
Wilkie builds on this emotional foundation by challenging the effectiveness of the ban through appeals to logic and evidence. He acknowledges the risks associated with social media—such as harmful content and exposure to dangerous ideas—but argues that these are not
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: “You only know where you’ve been once…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: Im sitting at Starbucks while writing this, airpods in listening to a hindi song called “dil diya gallan”…
Im sitting at Starbucks while writing this, airpods in listening to a hindi song called “dil diya gallan” meaning “my hearts conversation.” It feels almost like I’m living the same life in 2024 September. My eyes light up as soon as I hear a door creaking thinking I’m going to relive a memory. Instead of studying business due to my low 50s I’m out here craving the same essence of his presence. A tear drops by from my cheek as I quickly pack up my books and decide to rush out with my double chocolate chip Frappuccino with extra espresso, from the all nighters I pull from comforting my friends with their break ups trying to forget mine. I decided to drive home passing the park me and him used to play hide n seek at. I don’t think I have ever loved anyone or anything this much in my life. Uncovering parts of me I never knew I had, some negatives some positives, but my friend said they’re all just negatives. Avoidant attachment, meaning an avoidance on expression of intimacy, major jealousy issues, constant overthinking, doubting myself, lack of self-worth and self-respect. All these qualities just because of a single individual? And then boom they suddenly all ev
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: 'In We Have Always Lived in the Castle'…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Section A 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' is a neogothic novella written by Shirley Jackson in 1962. This…
Section A
'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' is a neogothic novella written by Shirley Jackson in 1962. This novella explores how fear is the main motivator of all actions that occur within the village. Written in the '60s this which was a time marked by prevelant patriachal values and stereotypes of nuclear families in which the Blackwoods do not have a nuclear family dynamic. The Blackwoods isolation from the village is a response to fear. The immense hatred and judgement from the villagers stems from feelings of worry and Merricat's childlike personality is a coping mechanism in which to block out her fear of judgment.
In 'We Have Always lived in the Castle' Jackson highlights how fear causes withdrawal and isolation. Throughout the novella the Blackwoods ignore themselves from all situations they can involving the outside world after the incident of the poisoning this is due to fear. The fear of being judged for what occured that day of the poisoning. The Blackwood sisters remain behind their 'wall of safety' which symbolises how dangerous the outside world feels for them. Merricat uses 'safeguards' around the property to protect them from all evil that may be in the outside world. This creates an intense Us vs Them reality that stems completely from being afraid of the unknown. Jackson illustrates how the worry of the unknown and the possibility of being judged stimulates the response of isolation.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: writing about protest
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 80%: I stand here with a voice that shakes, not because I am weak, but because every woman who has been silenced…
I stand here with a voice that shakes, not because I am weak, but because every woman who has been silenced walks with me.
Today we gather in protest, in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, to march for an end towards violence against women — not simply against one act of violence, but against a culture that allows violence to thrive. A culture that teaches women to carry keys between their fingers at night, that teaches daughters to whisper “message me when you’re home safe,” but never teaches men not to harm.
We are told to take the “safe” route home, to avoid walking alone, to lower our eyes, to not wear this, not drink that, not speak up. But here is the truth: women have been following these rules for generations, and still, one woman is killed every nine days in Australia by a current or former partner. Every nine days, another candlelit vigil. Every nine days, another headline. Every nine days, another voice gone.
This cycle is not just repetition — it is a domino chain of violence, one act toppling into the next, unless we resist it together. Every silence, every dismissal, adds another piece to the chain, and if we do not stop it now, it will continue to fall, unstoppable.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: “Echoes of Tomorrow” Stimulus:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 77.5%: Dear Diary, It took so long for me to realise. The long nights and early mornings all compiled into one. I…
Dear Diary,
It took so long for me to realise.
The long nights and early mornings all compiled into one. I didn't know how to cope with the thoughts running through my busy mind, I wonder if they looked both ways before that ran.
Cupid only had to shoot me once before I fell flat on my face; little did I know it would cause me more pain and bruises than any fall I'd ever experienced. Eyes like the ocean and a laugh that would fill a room with optimism; I'd never take it for granted. I never wanted today to end, but always looked forward to the future of tomorrow.
The warmth of love filled my spirit, laughing and crying together all held the same sentimental value. Absolutely nothing could change the sparkle in my eyes that I held for her. “Why couldn't the toilet paper cross the road? Because it would fall down a crack!”, Every joke captured her joyful giggle and pearly white smile, no matter how generic.
To me, love was a concept only a few could grasp. I felt like I'd climbed a mountain no one else had conquered. Late-night drives possessed the loud sound of Spotify's top singles, windows down and volume up to 30. Where did it all go wrong?
The giggles faded; feelings shared were accompanied by arguments. She no longer felt like home, no warmth, no security, no nothing. Seventeen years old, looking up like she was on a pedestal, happiness is all I wanted for her but that wasn't enough to make it last.
Back then, my eyes filled with glimmer. Now, empty. Bottomless without a tear left to cry. My soul telling me there's no reason to keep going, why continue.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus the King ‘’From the silence…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Performed during the Golden Age of Greece, in the wake of Athens great plague, Sophocles retelling of the Oedipus…
Performed during the Golden Age of Greece, in the wake of Athens great plague, Sophocles retelling of the Oedipus mythos serves as a warning to Ancient Athens of the dangers to a fatal flaw and its indulgence. Sophocles highlights that everyone has a fatal flaw, yet not as monstrous ideal but human weakness. Where at its core, all human fall short to a fatal flaw, and it is only through its acceptance and wisdom, one can be perceived as good.
Sophocles suggests that the monstrous nature lies in one’s hubris. The quote “From the silence something monstrous may come bursting forth”, symbolises the internal corruption that festers within Oedipus due to his hubristic nature. Sophocles uses symbolism to illustrate this. The ‘’silence’’ in the play operates both literally and metaphorically symbolising the suppression of truth and the psychological repression of guilt. Oedipus’ refusal to listen to Tiresias’ insight ‘’you are the corruption of this land’’ reveals his inner arrogance and blindness, traits that increasingly become more monstrous as he resists self-knowledge. Sophocles further reinforces this by utilising dramatic irony. While Ancient Athenians were aware of Oedipus’ crime, his ignorance and hostility towards those who challenge him exposes his moral corruption, this was seen when he called Tiresias a ‘’scum of the Earth’’. Similarly, the motif of sight and blindness reflects how Oedipus’ pride blinds him to the truth, allowing his inner flaws to grow until the play’s anagnorisis bursts forth in a moment of catastrophic self-awareness. Oedipus’ tragic self-blinding represents the eruption of suppressed guilt, as the internal ‘’monster’’ of hubris finally consumes him. Ultimately, through Oedipus’ downfall, Sophocles warns Ancient Athenians of the dangers of self-indulgence and excessive pride.
Sophocles emphasises that the ‘’monster’’ within is not evil or supernatural but it is a reflection the inherent human weakness. Sophocles portrays this human weakness through the chasing of human desire against the gods. Jocasta the queen of Thebes, was warned by the prophets of the murder of her husband and intermarriage with her son. In human nature she believed she could cheat such system by murdering her first born son. In such motives Jocasta alters
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “Sunset Boulevard both challenges and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, is a 1950s film noir melodrama that both subverts and reinforces…
Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, is a 1950s film noir melodrama that both subverts and reinforces traditional gender norms of the Golden age of Hollywood. Sunset Boulevard explores this notion of disobeying the norm through presenting an unconventional female anti-hero lead. Furthermore, Wilder also includes a unique dynamic of a heterosexual relationship at the time, while still reflecting the expectations of gender roles through the powerlessness of Women in the Hollywood industry. Accordingly, Wilder presents an alternative side of 1950s Hollywood, while still condemning the prevalent gender discrimination.
Throughout the film, Wilder presents Normas characterisation as layered and controversial, blurring the lines between victim and villain. In the beginning of the film Norma is pictured as arrogant and selfish, with her house being “so filled with Norma Desmonds” both in the pictures of herself in her living room and her refusal to watch any other films except for her own. This depiction of the female lead being self-obsessed is rare, leaning into the femme fatale character Norma portrays. However, the femme fatale character is usually a young and extremely beautiful woman, so this characterisation of Norma as an aging woman who has supposedly lost her beauty also subverts usual gender expectations of women in film. Furthermore, as her true self is being revealed to Joe, it is learned that she has “moments of melancholy” and that there have been “attempts at suicide” shifting the image of Norma to one to be pitied and sympathised with as she is obviously struggling. This notion of portraying a woman struggling mental health overtly rejects traditional gender roles of 1950s of women expected to be perfect.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Protest: 'Resistance is Key' Stimulus:…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 100%: "It's not fair" Those were Vincent Chin's last words as his skull was crashed open by a baseball bat. And he…
"It's not fair" Those were Vincent Chin's last words as his skull was crashed open by a baseball bat. And he was right. It was not fair. It was not fair, that two white men could beat an asian man to death in the street, then walk away with probation and a $3000 fine. It was not fair, that Vincent was listed as "white" in official records, as if his race, the very reason he was murdered, could be erased with the stroke of a pen. It was not fair, that his own mother buried her only son and was dismissed, being told it was justice. What kind of justice is that? What kind of country is this?
Vincent was not killed by Ebens and Nitz alone. He was killed by the sickness of America, it's greed, it's racism, it's unequivocal cowardice. When autojobs vanished, cooperations moved factories overseas, but rather than blaming cooporate greed, white workers blamed us. Blaming us was easy, easier than facing the truth. Easier than holding power accountable. So when Eben's white mouth spat "it's because of you little motherfuckers that we're out of work." he was speaking your language; he was scapegoating.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘Sunset Boulevard represents a…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Set against the backdrop of 1950s Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s ‘Sunset Boulevard’ provides a scathing critique of the…
Set against the backdrop of 1950s Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s ‘Sunset Boulevard’ provides a scathing critique of the industry in which it was made. Throughout the film, Wilder criticises Hollywood and the consequences on those who pursue its perceived glamour. The film presents a condemnation of the film industry and its idealised image of success. Furthermore, Wilder reveals the unfair gender standards on females within Hollywood, and how those who devote themselves to the industry are commodified. Sunset Boulevard also depicts the dire outcomes that are faced by those who pursue their ambitions.
Through cinematic conventions, Wilder condemns the illusion of fame and success within Hollywood in society. From the film’s opening credits, Wilder demonstrates this through the use of a high angle shot panning to a gutter stenciled ‘Sunset Boulevard’. The symbolism of the gutter immediately contrasts the perceived glamour of Hollywood with the dirty reality of the superficial film industry. This is further shown through WIlder’s use of the pool that Joe “always wanted” as a recurring motif throughout the film. The pool is a traditional symbol of success but is directly associated with death, revealing the price of success for individuals who pursue wealth. Furthermore, Wilder highlights this idea through the comparison of the outside of Norma’s decaying “big white elephant” mansion, and its rich appearance inside being “stricken with a creeping paralysis”. This reveals the unattractive reality of success in Hollywood and its artificial nature. Wilder examines the illusion of success in Hollywood, illustrating that society’s views of the Hollywood lifestyle are out of proportion with its true nature.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: change is made of choices, and choices…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: After the horrific act of terrorism in the capital, the city of Gion became a graveyard. Charred limbs lay…
After the horrific act of terrorism in the capital, the city of Gion became a graveyard. Charred limbs lay scattered on ashy roads, rivers ran red, and the air reeked of smoke that never seemed to fade. Once beautiful, Gion was now cold and hollow, a city where fear replaced trust.
No one knew who caused the attack, but suspicion poisoned every glance. Friends became suspects, families fractured, and the people lived in quiet panic. Violence filled the streets until they all begged for change—begged for safety.
The lawyers of Gion promised a solution: *transparency.* An injection that made both skin and thoughts visible. The governor assured the people that this would end crime forever. “No more secrets,” he said. “No more fear.” And so, desperate for peace, they accepted.
Sena was one of them. Haunted by the attack, she welcomed the injection without question. Like everyone else, her thoughts glowed softly above her skin: *I love this city. It keeps me safe.* The streets became calm again. People smiled with practised ease, their minds displayed for all to see.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In We Have Always Lived in the Castle,…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Jackson presents the strict and rigid reality of societal stereotypes that individuals are forced to accept so as…
Jackson presents the strict and rigid reality of societal stereotypes that individuals are forced to accept so as not to be unfairly discriminated against. In Jackson's world, those who are deemed more noble and wealthy are automatically granted a place at the top of the social hierarchy. Representing this, the Blackwood's ostentatious and aristocratic way of life juxtaposes that of the village where everything has "been set up in contemptuous haste" to "provide shelter for the drab and unpleasant". Contrasting the mansion whose "wide, lovely reach of lawn" offers a calm, idyllic and isolate scene away from the "village grime". Through this Jackson highlights how the animosity between the Blackwoods and the villager's is exacerbated as the villagers feel obligated to accept that their lack of monetary power and nobility means they have less power and influence than the Blackwoods, thus making them vulnerable underneath the family's snobbish gaze. As such, the villagers are unable to attempt to defy these expectations as John Blackwood - the head of the nuclear family - only fraternised with those "he thought [ought] to do favours for him", thus perpetuating the malevolent relationship between the two parties and forcing the villagers to accept the inequitable reality of the societies dynamics. Furthermore, the patriarchy of society which heavily favours the men and leaves women "work[ing] like... slave[s]" forces women to bear the brundt of the labour burden while their husbands hold all of the monetary power and live with freedom. Jackson reveals how some individuals accept this reality to fit into the monotony of life in the village, subjecting themselves to a life that is "unchangingly grey", repetitive and offers no scope for autonomy and individuality. It is the threat of being rejected and frowned upon that prevents the village women from defying the status quo of repression, thus forcing them to age "with grey evil weariness" and suppress any claims for a more agreeable and equitable reality.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘The actions of Oedipus are irrelevant; he…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Sophocles “Oedipus The King” explores the tension between fate and free will in ancient Greek philosophy. Fate is…
Sophocles “Oedipus The King” explores the tension between fate and free will in ancient Greek philosophy. Fate is the idea that events throughout the play are predetermined by the gods and cannot be avoided however Oedipus’ attempts to change his fate through decisions and responses to key events. While the main tragedy throughout the play appears to be driven by prophecy, Oedipus also makes crucial decisions that lead to these events occurring. The play details the extreme power of fate while also acknowledging the strong role of Oedipus’ actions and how his personality and pursuit of truth is critical to the unfolding of tragic events.
The prophecy about Oedipus sets the tragedy in motion, suggesting an inescapable fate. From the beginning of the play Oedipus is bound by a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi, declaring that he was “fated to couple with [his] mother” and will “kill [his] father, the one who gave [him] life!” This prophecy is delivered before Oedipus can make any choices of his own. Unknowing of this, his mother Jocasta, father Laius and himself attempt to take steps in hopes of avoiding the prophecy. At Oedipus’ birth his biological parents nail his ankles together and leave him atop a mountain in the hopes of causing his death. Despite these steps to avoid the prophecy, it only leads to the fulfillment of his destiny further reinforcing the belief that fate is unavoidable regardless of human intervention. This also strengthens the argument that Oedipus is fundamentally a victim of destiny rather than his own actions.
Despite the prophecy, Oedipus makes
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “She never let me see us as victims. We…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Author and comedian Trevor Noah's memoir 'Born a Crime' depicts a coming-of-age journey against the authoritarian…
Author and comedian Trevor Noah's memoir 'Born a Crime' depicts a coming-of-age journey against the authoritarian regime of apartheid, exploring systemic oppression and defiance despite systemic oppression. Noah reflects on his experiences as a mixed-race individual growing up in South African segregation and a household of abuse, criticising the structural divisions prevalent in his upbringing. Through his detailed denunciation of apartheid, recount of struggles with traumatic experiences with an alcoholic and violent step-parent, Noah portrays himself, and as well as each of his family members, as victims of socioeconomic and cultural injustice to a strong extent. Despite these struggles of victimhood, the author remains an advocate for defiance to unjust treatment through the use of humor, language and faith, all of which aided particularly his mother and himself throughout the novel's entirety.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: No one in My Brilliant Career is ever…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In My Brilliant Career (1901), Miles Franklin crafts a semi-autobiographical bildungsroman that captures both the…
In My Brilliant Career (1901), Miles Franklin crafts a semi-autobiographical bildungsroman that captures both the vitality and frustrations of a young girl growing up in rural New South Wales at the turn of the twentieth century. Through a critique of class hierarchies and economic hardship that restrict both men and women—exacerbated by patriarchal structures that confine women—Franklin illustrates the inability of individuals to aspire within an era dominated by limitation. Yet, through a life that defies convention, Franklin offers glimpses of hope, suggesting that constraint can serve as the catalyst for self-realisation.
Dismantling the myth of Australian egalitarianism, Franklin critiques how both economic and social hardship restrict opportunity and distort identity. Having “dropped from seldom to peasantism,” Franklin exposes the humiliation accompanying the Melvyn family’s loss of mobility, encapsulating how societal judgment exacerbates an already dire inability to succeed within the realms of poverty. The recurring tricolon of “dust, debt, dirt” furthers Franklin’s critique of the harsh landscape. In noting that “nothing ever happened there,” and through Sybylla’s constant affirmations of “weariness,” Franklin reinforces the restricting nature of the environment—both mentally, as the “narrowing, stagnant monotony” fails to stimulate Sybylla’s consciousness, and physically, as the “fiendish” heat of summer symbolises endurance and struggle. In highlighting these moments of hardship and weariness, Franklin exemplifies the extent to which the environment itself duels and constrains individuals. Furthering her critique of how poverty and land limit opportunity, Franklin contrasts the piano at Caddagat—symbolising prosperity and a vessel for Sybylla’s creative expression—with the “demented” piano at Barney’s Gap. In doing so, she exemplifies the extent to which, despite brief glimpses of freedom, individuals like Sybylla lack any lasting liberation. Through this portrayal of hardship, societal pressure, and fleeting satisfaction—inevitably foreshadowed by a return to constraint—Franklin exemplifies the inability of individuals to live according to both their needs and desires.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: ‘I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King serves as a powerful exploration of the destructive nature of pride and humanity’s…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King serves as a powerful exploration of the destructive nature of pride and humanity’s limited control over fate. The playwright warns his ancient Greek audience of the dangers of hubris—excessive pride or self-confidence—for the devastating consequences it brings to both individuals and society, while suggesting that the ultimate force shaping human destiny remains the will of the gods. Through Oedipus’s downfall, Sophocles underscores the self-destructive consequences of human arrogance and the futility of resisting divine power.
Through Oedipus’s prideful ignorance of the truth, Sophocles reveals how hubris prolongs and intensifies suffering. Having solved the riddle of the Sphinx, Oedipus exalts in his intellect—his claim that “the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark” reflects the confidence that will lead him to ruin. His overestimation of his own abilities blinds him to his limitations, as he begins to see himself as a savior capable of answering his people’s prayers. This inflated self-image aligns Oedipus with the gods and foreshadows his tragic fall. Sophocles ensures that his audience views Oedipus’s suffering with both pity and caution, recognizing his downfall as self-inflicted through pride. The Chorus reinforces this message, warning that “pride breeds the tyrant.” Oedipus’s refusal to confront his own flaws delays his journey toward self-knowledge, and the very intelligence he prizes becomes the instrument of his destruction. The metaphor of “flight” captures both his ambition and his blindness: like Icarus, Oedipus soars too high, only to be undone by his own ascent.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: 'Peace begins with us'
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 75%: A Eulogy / Apology Written for Commander Tadeuz Bór Komorowski by longtime friend Hermann Fegelein (24th August…
A Eulogy / Apology Written for Commander Tadeuz Bór Komorowski by longtime friend Hermann Fegelein (24th August 1968)
I am forever haunted by the actions of a boy who defied the quest for peace within a man.
Good morning friends, family, and comrades. We gather here today to mourn the life of our leader of Poland, Tadeuz Bór Komorowski; a man who instilled with me and so many, that peace begins with us.
One year after his death, I have been plagued with my undeniable part in the destruction of Poland. One that I spewed hatred, while Tadeuz brought peace. I have learnt in reflection, after the Warsaw ghetto uprising, and the Warsaw uprising that in protest, acquaintances can be on either side of the coin. But my side was not right anyway, I Hermann Fegelein offer my very belated apology
to Tadeuz, and Poland for my part in Polands reckoning, as an ss officer for a hateful-tyranic regime. I had been to blame for attempting to unravel commander Tadeuz very guest for peace, in which he had believed was possible in all his companions.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: explore the interplay of love and madness…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: William Shakespeare's play, 'Twelfth Night', or 'What you Will', is a romantic comedy set in a fictional realm…
William Shakespeare's play, 'Twelfth Night', or 'What you Will', is a romantic comedy set in a fictional realm called Illyria, based off Elizabethan society. Set on the twelfth night of the festive season, the end of season where madness is omnipresent. The play explores how love and madness are interlinked. Shakespeare shows how love can lead to madness, how love can be a form of madness, in the eyes of an Elizabethan audience, and how madness can lead to love, to ultimately contend that because love is such a powerful emotion, it is inevitable that there will be madness along with it in some degree.
Shakespeare suggests that because love is an emotion that influences people's actions, it leaves them vulnerable to madness. In the first lines of the play, Orsino speaks 'If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it'. However, merely lines later, he snaps 'enough, no more', implying that it's 'not so sweet, as it was before'. Just seconds into the play, the audience sees Orsino's petulant nature, a kind of madness brought on by 'the plague' which is love. In his pursuit of Olivia, he urges Cesario, Viola in disguise, as his messenger, to 'leap all civil bounds', in a sense urging Cesario to act in a way that is unreasonable and thus to a degree mad. Another character who is described as 'mad' by Olivia's household is Malvolio. He believes he is in such love for Olivia, when in reality he is in love with himself for a higher position of status. He dreams of 'calling officers about' him, and a 'watch' and 'some rich jewel'. As a result, he loves Olivia for what she can give him status wise, and also for her body, as he dreams of seeing her in a 'daybed' sleeping. Regardless the true nature of his love, it is so strong that it leads him to believe a loosely worded letter, forged by Maria in Olivia's handwriting, as proof of love reciprocated. The letter explains he should dress with 'yellow stockings' and 'cross-gartered', which leads Olivia to believe he has gone mad and as a result he is sent to the dungeon. Whilst Malvolio does not believe he is mad, his vulnerability to act in a mad manner means he is to a degree. Therefore Shakespeare suggests that love is an emotion which can easily lead to madness.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus and Oedipus only is to blame for…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: 'It is my destiny, mine alone. I am Oedipus!’ Universally recognised as a masterpiece in Greek theatre, Sophocles’…
'It is my destiny, mine alone. I am Oedipus!’ Universally recognised as a masterpiece in Greek theatre, Sophocles’ 429 BCE tragedy ‘Oedipus the King’ is a reflection of “action and life”, as spoken in the words of renowned philosopher, Aristotle. Revolving around the downfall of the titular protagonist in Thebes, the tragedian depicts that Oedipus is not the sole agent of his downfall. This notion is conveyed through hubris and free will as a driving force for destruction, however revealing the inevitability of fate which is the ultimate cause of downfall.
Initially, Sophocles presents excessive pride as a catalyst for downfall, warning his Athenian audience that hubris breeds impiety and defies their values. The playwright constructs this notion in the prologue, where Oedipus is established as ‘majestic for a telltale limp’ and boastfully declares, ‘You all know me, the world knows my fame. I am Oedipus!’ Sophocles immediately presents Oedipus’ inflated self-importance to the Dionysian audience, foreshadowing how his arrogance will blind him to the truth and lead to his ruin. Drawing on the notion that pride will lead to his defeat, Sophecles uses the chant of the chorus when saying ‘Pride breeds the tyrant’ in the second stasimon, as a further warning to his audience about the danger of excessive pride. Emphasising this, during the agon between Oedipus and Tiresias, the protagonist exclaims, ‘It cried out for a prophet… but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant. I stopped the Sphinx! The flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.’ This remark displays how Oedipus has allowed his hubris to cause him to be arrogant, and thus, show disrespect. His disrespect does not correlate with the Athenian value of sophrosyne, which Athenians had strong beliefs in thus denoting excessive pride as a driving force for destruction.