TRAGIC ENGLISH MEMES FOR BAND 6 TEENS

GENERAL ESSAY TIPS & EXAM PREPARATION

From yours truly, Kat + Hanly + Dj + Geoff + Fay + Prem + Chua (memes from MCao)

SHORT ANSWER
CREATIVE WRITING

DISCOVERY ESSAY

MOD. A ESSAYS
Pride and Prejudice & Letters to Alice
Metropolis & 1984

MOD. B ESSAYS
Citizen Kane
Hamlet

MOD. C ESSAYS
People and Politics
Why Werent We Told
W. H. Auden Poems
Judith Wright Poems
Trials are over, you are currently in the post-trials slump, the question is, where do you go from
now? Here is a list of super general and broad tips to help you moving towards that phat band 6!

I. Refine your generic essay or alternatively, rewrite all of your essays and creatives. In
reality, the english Ruse teaches is a very safe, low risk, decent reward strategy which as long
as you semi-decently answer the question and execute it, you will get that band 6 mark. want
to snipe that mid-band 6 mark, then you would consider rewriting everything. Here are a few
techniques to do this;

A. Less quotes, more analysis the most annoying feedback to get back is you need more
textual detail. Truth is, HSC doesnt give a dam, as long as your paragraph is logical,
well-structured and has insightful analysis. Optimally your paragraph is no more that 250
words so to write actually good analysis, youd want to limit yourself to a 3-4 pieces of
textual evidence per paragraph. The shorter your essay, the more time you have to adapt in
an exam. A 900 to 1000 word essay would be perfect because there is no way in hell you
are adapting a 1.2k essay WELL in 40 minutes.

Eg. The Im trying to squeeze in 6-7 pieces of evidence per paragraph analysis
The colloquialism in it was just the way things were done up north reveals a passive
acceptance with racism.
Vs. Im actually going to write quality analysis
The colloquialism in it was just the way things were done up north reveals a passive
acceptance and contentment with systemic racism and racial servitude to the extent these
issues have become normalised in Australias sociopolitical fabric.

B. But Im still worried Im going to get called out for not enough textual evidence
This is where you try peppering quotes throughout the entire paragraph. Peppering
quotes is essentially including 1-3 word quotes you dont actually analyse through your
analysis in order to show you actually read the text besides sparknoting everything.

Eg.The historical allusion in it was the year after the referendum (analysed quote)
symbolises Australias just recognition of Indigenous culture and identities as essential to
Australias national narratives and demonstrates societal support for Indigenous
self-determination and a fair go for all. (peppered quote)

While Hamlet suggests man is not passions slave (peppered quote), his vacillation
between the scholarly imagery, tonguesGood Neroarithmetic of memory,(analysed
quote) and visceral carnality, stench of hellbitterhot blood, (analysed quote)
demonstrates his suspension between humanist reason and medieval filial obligation.
 C. Write in your own voice not everyone is Gladys Lai so do NOT try to emulate her
writing style because you will look like a pseudo-intellectual fool who uses big words for
the sake of using big words rather than conveying meaning. What if my own voice isnt
thoroughly analytical or sophisticated? Whilst academic distance can be desirable, focus on
a clear exploration of sophisticated and complex ideas rather than trying desperately to
elevate your language. Also, dont use any words that you dont know the meaning of.

II. Get a state/national library card No yr12 students thinks of groundbreaking new analysis
for anything. So HOW do you come up with cool, insightful analysis that isnt going to be
used by 70% of the grade? Wide reading. Getting a state/national library card will give you
access to a HEAP of academic databases with literary criticism on basically every text we are
studying. From Kane to Auden to Hamlet to Metropolis, there are articles dating from the
1910s to 2000s and the more you read, the better you can understand a text.

III. Perfect practice makes good (not perfect) exam just like maths, chem, physics and
whatever, English is equally a tedious and annoying grind to success. Here are two study strats
to (potential success)

A. Memorise and adapt your way to victory the tried and tested method. Memorising an
essay and banking on the fact you can adapt it well works to an extent but you gotta
remember that C-band and D-band kids all memorise. What you need to do is sure
memorise but know exactly where you are going to adapt in an exam. This often means
having a piece of really short analysis that allows room for you to elaborate without
becoming a 70 word sentence.

The much better technique rather than just deadass memorising is just keep adapting your
essay to different questions so that eventually you will have memorised your essay but
ALSO learnt how to address the question. This often means preparing a back-up quote
bank of 5-10 quotes so you can readily discard parts of your essay that simply do not
answer the question.

If you are cbbf, adapt your introduction in full (remember after reading the introduction,
the marker can pretty much gauge what band you are in so you desperately want to make a
good impression) and then change up all your topic sentences. Then write a general
summary of how you will adapt each paragraph to the question including where you are
going to address the question explicitly and whether you are going to dump a quote and
replace. Repeat a damn lot of times.
 Also remember, when you adapt, you are not moulding the question to your essay but
moulding your essay to the question. In the HSC, you must be brave enough and fully
prepared to drop the last half of any paragraph on the basis that it simply does not answer
the question. This is damn terrifying and youll probably go fuck fuck fuck but the more
you practice, the easier it will get.

B. 420 blaze it yolo strat Because you are the most atypical Ruse kid in the world and
you decide to NOT memorise anything, you still have to put in just as much effort. What
you need to prepare is your quote-technique bank, know your sentence structures (see in
short answer section exactly what this means), know your context, know your key themes,
know your ideas and then you just write off the top of your head. Repeat a damn lot of
times until you can produce a top-notch, sophisticated essay in 40 minutes. You will
probably have to write a plan before you write each essay.

These are just some super general tips on how to improve your essays and practice exam technique.
For more specific stuff on each module, continue reading this longass doc.
 SHORT ANSWER
On a whole, short answer is the easiest place to grab marks in the entire paper. Therefore, we
should all be getting 15/15 for this section. The more practice you do and the more different types
of texts and ideas you read about, the easier the section is going to get. Overall, you should be
finishing this section in 3035 minutes. Some general tips to prepare for the section:

I. Memorise the rubric when you are at wits end about what to right, you can always fall back
on words from the rubric. Although, you dont want to be regurgitating the rubric such as the
metaphor in [quote] demonstrates how discoveries are transformative. Still, always try and
write in your own words first!!!

II. Prepare a technique bank 15 techniques which will be in every single paper. This will save
you time in the exam because you do not want to be deliberating over what technique
something is. Also there is no such thing as a bad technique in short answer. It is only bad if
your technique does not match your analysis at all eg the alliteration in she sells sea shells by
the sea shore conveys the discovery about the beauty of the ocean and landscape. Common
techniques for each text type can include:
A. Visual salience, vectors, tone, composition, symbolism (everything has symbolism when
you think hard enough)
B. Prose/non-fiction tense (sounds pretty intuitive but everything has tense. Past tense can
represent flashbacks which allows for analysis on the power of memories, retrospective
etc, present tense is immersive, future tense potentially demonstrates the far-reaching
and long-term ramifications of discoveries tense is WILD), point of view (another very
intuitive technique people often miss third person is supposed to be objective/ detached/
distanced, second person attempts to connect with the responder/ provoke some sort of
reaction, first person reveals the interiority of the mind which allows for analysis on
introspection + personal discoveries)

Obviously there are a lot more techniques but create

your technique bank using techniques YOU can
easily identity and are very comfortable with
analysing.
Some possible links to look at for more techniques!
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html
http://www.literarydevices.com/
goo.gl/q3DzDf
http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm
III. Write a thesis bank This is the short answer equivalent of memorising an essay. Spend too
long thinking of cool, nice sounding topic sentences for your responses? If you break down the
entire discovery rubric and turn them into questions eg. discoveries can be transformative or
discoveries emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity,
necessity or wonder, put on that pseudo-intellectual persona and just write a paragraph of
random stuff that address different facets of the question. This does not have to be perfect,
refined or genius in fact, it will probably be 90% bs. What this does do is provide you with a
basis to go into an exam and just go, ah! I remember Ive written similar analysis before. I
wouldnt recommend hardcore memorising but reading over these paragraphs a few times
should provide you with a nice foundation to enter the exam. Also, the more past papers you
do, you will eventually be able to see common themes eg discovery of ones mortality, the
process of recovering from grief, familial struggles, nature, coming-of-age stories etc

Eg. DISCOVERIES CAN BE CONFRONTING AND PROVOCATIVE

The multifarious nature of discoveries can mean that discoveries arent inherently
empowering or positive but can in fact be confronting and provocative. This often includes
an acute awareness of ones own mortality where the fear of the unknown and ones
physical degeneration has the ability to render an individual unwilling to accept the
truth therefore revealing the potentially confronting and provocative nature of discovery.
Furthermore, these discoveries are inherently confronting because they challenge
preconceived assumptions about the world. A realisation of the inherent immorality of
capitalism, upon discovering gross wealth inequality and the rampant destruction of
nature, can shatter ones worldview, catalysing a shift from ignorance towards
understanding

As you can see, this paragraph written in 3 minutes sounds like bs, is probably bs. BUT
markers will pay marks for this. If you arent confident at analysing on the spot, this
should help

IV. Learn your sentence structures How do you most naturally construct sentences? PEEL
(Point, Example, Effect, Link), TEAL (Technique, Example, Analysis, Link) or whatever
acronym you have. Just do a short answer response and then deconstruct the way you write.
 Examples
Technique, Example, Effect, Link to discovery
The symbolism of light [T] in the sunny hill going far beyond the road [E] connotes a
sense of hope and optimism, [E] which suggests the process of self-discovery has the
potential to facilitate the development of personal self-fulfilment. [L]

Point (link to discovery), Technique, Example, Effect

Furthermore, upon humanitys self-reflexive discovery of the fluidity of language [P], the
personification of language [T] in their letters have pierced us and their face turned
callously from us [E] demonstrates once aware of the false hopes language offer,
individuals are thus confronted by the unwanted truth about the fallibility of their identity
where they are too often susceptible to the tantalising suggestions offered by language.
[E]

Once you know how you write, every sentence follows a structure youve chosen. Treat
writing a sentence, like making a hamburger. Your hamburger goes bread-
lettuce-meat-cheese-bread or maybe bread-meat-tomato-lettuce-bread. So when you write a
four marker, your sentence structure may look like this PEEL, TEAL, TEAL, LATE.
Ultimately, it just comes down to trying to save as much time as possible in your exam. You
dont want to deliberating over every sentence you write so just follow a formula.

V. Read broadly I get it, its HSC and none of us have anytime to read. But reading one
newspaper article a day, reading one short story a day, reading one poem a day will not only
allow you to practice your comprehension skills, it will also allow you to read faster. SPEED
IS KEY!!!! Also, if you get a random article in the HSC about the Female Eunuch or the
Postmodern World the fallibility of language and Derridean Deconstruction which you will
have no clue on what they are talking about chances are, the more you read, the more likely
you will somehow know how to tackle a curveball text.

VI. Know your HSC directive verbs Knowing your verbs will allow you to actually answer the
question because each verb has different connotations. Heres a loosely summarised list;
A. Identify have a technique and quote
B. How/analyse/explain/illustrate you must have a technique and explain its effect in
illustrating an idea about discovery
C. Compare/contrast Find similarities and differences in texts
D. Assess/evaluate make a judgement about the effectiveness/quality or success of the
text in conveying an idea about discovery
E. Discuss Approach a concept in more than one way eg discoveries have capacity to
both empower and disempower individuals
F. Justify Use evidence from the text to support your argument about discovery
 Now on to actual exam technique for the HSC!
I. What text should you read first? The first thing you do when you open up Paper 1 is flip
right to the back, look at the creative, pick that stimulus, read the essay question, have it in the
back of your mind and THEN start by reading the short answer questions. Read each question
so when you read the actual text, you know exactly what you are looking for. Personally, I
prefer to go backwards. Read the last text, then make my way forward. This is because by the
time I get to the start of the paper, I have all the examples/techniques/analysis for the easy 2
markers fresh in my head so when writing time starts, I can get the 2 markers out in a total of
3minutes. Although, it really depends what type of person you are. Perhaps you are confident
with visuals and poems so you want to start with those first, get into the groove of analysing
stuff on the spot, and then tackle the harder stuff. Its really up to you!

II. WRITING TIME STARTS Always bring a highlighter into an exam, or if youre lazy just
bring a pen. BUT, as soon as time starts, go through the texts and highlight each quote you will
be using use one colour for each individual response and a different colour for the 5 or 6
marker. Its much better spending that 3minutes at the start doing this, then having to read
through the entire text 20 minutes into the exam because youve forgotten what quotes you
want to use. ALSO, some genius NSG or Syd girls may have told you omg i discovered a
short answer hack! Use your nails during reading time to underline your examples! Dont do
it guys, you dont want to risk some supervisor seeing you and then disqualifying you. Its not
worth it.

III. The 5 marker The only advice I can give you here (besides read the question and take note
of the directive verb) is choose the 2 texts you are MOST comfortable with. Dont choose a
text you dont understand but think might be the most suitable because you simply wont be
able to produce any insightful analysis AND you run the risk of misunderstanding the text
completely. To be honest, thats the only big catch for this section.

IV. WHAT DO I DO IF IM JUST BAD AT COMPREHENSION? When you go into the

exam, back yourself. The minute you go uuugh, I might have misunderstood the text or
maybe my analysis doesnt make sense and you start going back and crossing things out is
when you start wasting valuable time. Have confidence in yourself and when you get the idea
just go with your gut and instinct because you simply dont have the time to ruminate over
what one simile or metaphor actually means. Just do it bro. Comprehension marking is on a
whole pretty flexible any argument stands AS LONG AS YOU CAN SUPPORT IT WITH
EVIDENCE.
V. Expectations One last word of warning, do not expect anything. Dont let the lack of a
visual or a weird mark allocation of 3,3,3,6 throw you off your A-game!
SAMPLE RESPONSE
A Walk Rainer Maria Rilke

My eyes already touch the sunny hill.

going far beyond the road I have begun,
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
it has an inner light, even from a distance-

and changes us, even if we do not reach it,

into something else, which, hardly sensing it,
we already are; a gesture waves us on
answering our own wave
but what we feel is the wind in our faces.

Analyse how the poem reveals the tensions that are at the heart of self-discovery (4 marks)

Rilkes profound use of poignant, visual imagery reveals the inherent tensions at the heart of
self-discovery have the capacity to both enrich and stymie an individuals personal development.
The symbolism of light in the sunny hill going far beyond the road connotes a sense of hope and
optimism, which suggests the process of self-discovery has the potential to facilitate the
development of personal self-fulfilment. This is further explored in the metaphoric inner light that
changes us, even if we do not reach it which reveals that rather than the destination, it is the
journey of self-discovery that has far-reaching implications for the individual. The motif of inner
light further suggests that self-discoveries are inherently enriching and fulfilling. However, Rilke
suggests the opposite holds true as well in the chiasmus of we are grasped by what we cannot
grasp implying the individuals lack of agency in shaping their discoveries, which ultimately
depicts humanitys intrinsic powerlessness to the extent they are not in control of the implications of
their self-discoveries. Finally, the visual imagery of the wind in our faces underlines the idea that
self-discoveries can be disappointing, ultimately resulting in a defeated and dejected sentiment.
Therefore, The Walk depicts the paradoxical nature of self-discovery where it can both facilitate
and deter and individuals desire to attain personal enrichment.
CREATIVE WRITING
http://www.smh.com.au/advertisers/youngwriter/ebooks/When_Words_Take_Flight_Ebook.pdf

1. READ UP ON SHORT STORIES

Honestly I cant stress this enough. Theres no way
to get good quickly lol you have to put in the work
and read. Some good ones are MacLeods Island
collection, Ishiguros Nocturnes, Kurt Vonneguts
stories (dont write sci-fi tho lol) and Edgar Allan
Poes short stories. Though they may not be
thematically what you want to write for a
discovery creative they offer a lot of good insight
on portrayal of setting and character in a short
amount of words.

2. RESEARCH A PARTICULAR SETTING

Most of the time its not enough to set your story
in an unspecified place and time, mainly because it
denotes laziness and vagueness. Either know a
specific setting you want (lol the good old China
story) or go do RESEARCH on wikipedia
(honestly it doesnt need to be excessive unless
your setting is at a key time in history eg WWI or
the Vietnam War). Just know what your setting
looks like go to google images or youtube videos
or whatever so you can get a feel of what you want
to portray.

3. CHARACTERISATION
DO NOT have a character with vague motives. Establish a tone and way of thinking from the
start and write about how this may progress over the course of the story. Dont make your
character do something irrational that doesnt stay true to their personality often if we make a
discovery we dont immediately do a 180 and change our ways of acting so put some subtlety
in there: a way of thinking changes, perhaps, or the characters worldview regarding something
specific. Here it is good to have someone else read your story because even if the characters
motives make sense in your head they might not in someone elses.
4. LANGUAGE
DONT USE A LOT OF UNNECESSARY BIG WORDS!!!!! JUST DONT!!!!! IT DOESNT
MAKE YOU SOUND SOPHISTICATED!!! Often short words and sentences can have a
stronger impact on the reader and this also has the effect of moving the story along and not
boring the reader. Also, avoid over-talking about a characters feelings their feelings should
be conveyed through their actions and maybe a thought or two, but no excessive author
intervention is needed about their profound discovery and how it has changed their life

5. PROTAGONIST
Establish them clearly. Probably avoid making your protagonist a child??? Also, remember that
not everything is black and white for example if you want someone to pity your protagonist,
dont create a sociopathic stepmother type character whose only purpose is to be mean, or dont
create a society which is unreasonably cruel to your protagonist because thats just unrealistic.
A lot of this sadness/isolation can come from within and that can make your story more
profound.

6. NARRATIVE VOICE
Avoid being too edgy lol thats it and dont use too many metaphors. Try to establish a colour
or feeling that you want associated with the aesthetic of your story that will make it unique and
draw the reader in. Here it is really useful to look at other authors because you can take aspects
of their writing style and integrate it with your own to develop a memorable voice.

7. STIMULUS
If theres a quote or image, remember to look at the question as well. For example, the stimulus
is a tree but the question asks you to create a story in relation to a childhood memory then you
cant just make the tree a recurring motif. In the HSC its not enough to just tack a quote in,
you have to make it important in your story eg as a motif.
DISCOVERY ESSAY

As an area of study, it is really important that your essays in this section demonstrate your
understanding of the concept of discovery and so keeping this in mind, the module becomes a lot
easier and straightforward to approach and understand!

I. The Rubric
The most important part of discovery is of course the rubric. As with the short answer section make
sure you know the keywords of the rubric like the back of your hand and this is really the starting
block for any good essay. The rubric can really be split up into 3 main aspects; catalysts for
discovery, types of discoveries and the effects of discoveries and having this in mind when reading
the rubric can make it easier to memorise what specifics come under each aspect.

II. Writing Paragraphs

Once you have the rubric in mind you can know move on to solidifying your ideas/arguments for
your texts that you have studied. Its important to have a clear understanding of the process of
discovery evident in your texts and you should be able to think of a flow chart for each discovery
made in your texts, with reference to the rubric. For example in The Tempest, Ariels compassion
for the courtiers causes Prospero to be confronted by the repercussions of his actions (catalyst -
confronting + provocative) and he thus reflects on his misuse of power, ultimately realising the
importance of virtue rather than vengeance. (emotional discovery causing renewed perceptions).
Having this kind of idea helps understand the text better and presents a guide for logically
sequencing your paragraphs.

Try and make sure all your paragraphs really demonstrate the process of discovery and dont fall
into the trap of writing paragraphs focusing on a specific theme or character like we may do in
other modules. Also, if your paragraph focuses solely on a specific idea about discovery, for
example how they are confronting, still make sure you have evidence for the effects of
discoveries to demonstrate that you have a holistic understanding of what discovery entails.

With related texts, try and find a text that has 2 to 3 aspects of discovery similar to your core. For
example in both the characters discovery is sparked by unseen circumstances, is an emotional
discovery, and it leads to new values and perceptions. This is good as it allows you to change your
main link between the texts depending on what the question is asking you to focus on.
III. Practice, practice, practice !

With discovery, the hardest aspect is not writing a generic essay, it is really adapting to the question
on the day. Since the rubric has so many different aspects, the question can really ask you to focus
on any random idea (like curiosity and wonder x( ) It is therefore really important to try and expose
yourself to as many questions as you can so you are prepared for random curveballs. Since it isn't
efficient to write an essay out for all the questions you see, at least write an introduction and maybe
even topic sentences for each and only write a full response to ones you find hard.

I also recommend going through the rubric, breaking it down into all its different aspects, and
writing a thesis or some brief sentences under each regarding how you would approach that
question/how you would adapt your arguments. For really obscure ones ask your teacher on if your
ideas would work or for guidance on what to write!!

Just another tip, like mentioned in short answer, is to always write in your own words first as this
inherently allows you to be specific. Take our trial for example, a seemingly simple question
actually required a lot of work to get full marks. To really address the question it was important to
specify what the persona/characters prior values were, what they learnt and specifically what this
renewed perceptions they had. So just make sure youre very explicit and specific when trying to
link your analysis to the question so you arent docked any marks.

IV. Interesting Questions

HSC 2016
To what extent do the texts you have studied reveal both the emotional and intellectual responses
provoked by the experience of discovering?

HSC 2015
The process of discovery involves uncovering what is hidden and reconsidering what is known.

RUSE 2014
An individuals interaction with others and the world around them can shape their experience of
discovery.

RANDOM
A sense of wonder and curiosity can lead to significant discoveries about ones self and others

The impact of discovery is subject to the passage of time, either diluting the consequences or
permanently transforming the individuals perceptions of the world.
MOD. A ESSAYS

Pride and Prejudice & Letters to Alice

I. Overview & Approach
Syllabus
Develops students understanding of the effects of context and questions of value
Study and use of the language consideration of purpose analysis of context, values and
attitudes
Mod A can essentially be broken down into two main points
How making connections between texts and their context allows us to understand them and
their purpose better
How similarities in the purpose of these texts allows us to understand the enduring values
which humans share regardless of context

Youll often find questions either asking about how a study of L2A enhances our understanding of
P+P OR a question about how the connections between the texts offer insights into humanity / need
for autonomy / individual vs. society and so i think those two dot points can really encompass
everything youll be asked in Mod A.
Obviously, both of these aspects are intertwined, but if you are able to grasp the main concepts in
module A and then understand which aspect the question is asking you to focus on, youre on the
way to having a hektik essay!

I like to break down the module into a flow chart of three things which should dictate your
understanding Contextual Values Factual Context Authorial Values

Contextual Values these are the prevalent attitudes of society during Regency and Contemporary
England, for example dominant patriarchal ideals and gender inequality, essentially what people of
the time believed in.

Factual Context This is what we learn in our context research, the laws and structures in place
within society. Its also important to understand how this factual context is influenced by contextual
values, for example due to male dominance, 19th Century Primogeniture Laws were put into place
to ensure property went to men and women were thus deprived of any financial security. This
created a society in which women looked to marriage as means of improving social status, rather
than the fulfilling union it is meant to be.
 Authorial Values This is what our authors believe in and advocate for in response to the factual
context and contextual values.
For example, due to this lack of independence for
women Austen encourages women to remain
autonomous of societal expectations for success
and self-fulfilment. Specifically, she wants women
to marry for love and mutual respect rather than
for property and money.

I think having this kind of flowchart in your mind

helps writing your paragraphs as you have a
logical approach to writing and you can always
fall back on this if youre unsure about what to
write about.

II. Context
Obviously context makes up a large part of this module, so make sure you have a general
understanding about; the position of women in society/gender roles, attitudes toward
marriage/divorce/relationships, education, social class. Although you may not address all these
aspects in your paragraphs, knowing these things helps alot with analysis and having a clear
argument! This was set as research at the start of the module, but if you dont have yours anymore
or are unsure about anything just hit up rachael or myself and well be able to help.

Moving onto writing, the two main values I think that link the texts are autonomy and the need
reflection/introspection.

III. Autonomy
Both composers emphasise the need for autonomy against social pressures as means of
self-fulfilment and success.

A. Austen Regency England

Contextual Values This was an entirely patriarchal society which reserved power and
status for men and confined women to a domestic sphere without any independence,
marriage is an economic transition rather than a fulfilling union.
Factual Context Primogeniture Laws, System of entailment, Property Act.
 Authorial Values Challenges the mercenary motivations behind marriage, wants women
to be independent of social expectations so they may experience self-fulfilment.

What this means within a paragraph, important points to include would be:

Context sentence I think primogeniture is the strongest context because its quite relevant
to the text and later examples.

Evidence to set up the contextual values

Charlottes marriage to Collins; This marriage was entirely based on economic
motivations and really reflects the effect of Primogeniture Laws. I think this is a must
have for a strong argument.
Mrs Bennett and her emphasis on the need to get her daughters married; Austen
essentially presents Mrs Bennett as a caricature so we are able to see how her ideals and
beliefs are flawed.
Lady Catherine; She thinks marriage is dictated by social class and does have some
quotes which may add more depth to your argument if you wanted to say that the strict
social hierarchy further restricted choices in marriage (not necessary though but good to
know if you feel its more relevant to a question eg. HSC 2015).

Evidence for Austens authorial values

Her disdain for Charlottes marriage; Comes across in Elizabeth condemning
Charlottes action or authorial intrusion abt Charlotte being motivated by money.
Elizabeth !!!!! obviously the most autonomous character importance evidence includes
her rejection of Collins (rejecting societal expectations) and her marrying Darcy based
on love.

Evidence for self-fulfilment

Its all well and good to say both composers advocate for autonomy but its adds a lot
more depth to say why, why bother to encourage people to be autonomous if theres no
real gain and in P+P the gain is self-fulfilment! This is evident in Elizabeths feelings
after her marriage to Darcy.

With all this evidence a good structure to this paragraph would be; setting up the contextual values
(Charlotte/Lady Catherine/First sentence of book), then indicating Austens disdain for these
authorial values (disdain for Charlotte/Mrs Bennet) and then how instead Austen espouses
independence for self-fulfilment (Elizabeth!).
 B. Weldon

Contextual Values Society began turning away from traditional ideals and began
emphasising choice for women between domestic and social spheres, embodied in Second
Wave Feminism. Despite this there still existed some patriarchal ideals similar to Regency
England. Another point which may add more depth to your argument but is hard to pull off,
is the pressure Second Wave Feminism placed on women. In advocating for women to
leave their domestic roles and have more of a presence in society, second wave feminism
placed a pressure on women to be successful and earn money and so women still hadn't
achieved total choice/independence from social pressures.
Factual Context Divorce Act, Matrimonial Property Act, Sex Discrimination Act (a lot
of second wave feminism stuff), Postmodernist Movement (questioning prior values).
Authorial Values Similar to Austen, Weldon wants women to truly have a choice
between social and domestic spheres so they may experience success.

Evidence!
Context Sentence Set up the change in context from Austens time, either something
about Second Wave Feminism, or how postmodern ideals have caused people to start
questioning social structures

Evidence to set up the contextual values

Quotes showing the change in emphasis on marriage.
The girl from java / imported asian girls shows how some marriages are still based off
economic reasons, the patriarchal influence is still kinda there.
The Pressure of Feminism is a bit tricky and be approached in two ways;
There are a lot of quotes where Aunt Fay talks about the positives of motherhood and
wifehood and she talks about how women these days have forgotten domestic skills
you can use these to say that Weldon challenges second wave feminist ideals which
defined female success in terms of social status by instead advocating for a dual role +
then show how she acknowledges the positives of domestic life and thus is challenging
the idea that only social success is what matters.
Aunt Fays letter to Enid contains Fays criticism of Enid for her domestic lifestyle and
is a good example of the pressure feminism was placing on women, Enid chose to
remain a housewife and is still criticised for it do women truly have independence!?

(It might seem confusing since Fay has essentially contradicted herself in those 2 separate points
but no matter well discuss this later!)
 Evidence for authorial values
Something like the quote swim against the stream of communal ideas just show
Weldons emphasis on autonomy/choice.
Alternatively, if you are struggling for words, i think your analysis (depending on
whichever method you take to demonstrate the pressure of feminism) really should
show the authorial values! just emphasise that Weldon is advocating for a dual role.

Evidence for success

Alice! she remains autonomous of Aunt Fays demands and achieves success with her
book.

IV. Introspection / Reflection

Both are emphasising the need for introspection and critical thinking in order for self development.
A. Austen
Contextual Values Female etiquette was a huge thing, women were expected to behave a
certain way and have certain interests, conduct manuals were books that people were
encouraged to read that told you how to live.
Factual Context Education rates, Standards of female etiquette, Conduct manuals
(Fordyces Sermons).
Contextual Values Austen believes that introspection is more important compared to
traditional methods of teaching for moral growth/self-improvement.

Evidence!

Context Sentence something from above, set-up how society believed that all these
teachings and methods led were effective methods of self-development

Evidence to set-up the contextual values

Lydia/Mary Bennett are key examples of girls
who follows contextual values, they reads,
sings and plays music all of which was
believed to make up the perfect woman.
There are many conversations between
Georgina, Darcy and Liz on how women
should behave/act.
 Evidence to set up authorial values
Elizabeth !!!! da fave, Elizabeth is the only one who doesn't really believe in learning to
sing, dance, play music or read the books that society tells her to and it is because of this
she is the only person to really grow over the story, this is evidence in her early
prejudice against Darcy which turns into love after all the beef and letter writing.
As she INTROSPECTS and realises she has been prejudiced and been blinded to what
was really happening, this catalyses her newfound love and appreciation for darcy.
Find evidence near the end of the book when she reads the letter/talks with him after
and maybe even contrast this to her earlier opinions of him.
Evidence for self development
Above! Just find something where she realises she has been wrong.

B. Weldon
This is the most confusing paragraph for me, and there are two ways i think to approach this:

1. Contextual Values There was a large emphasis on read highbrow novels and the literary
canon for moral growth and development, but this was being challenged by postmodern
theories which encouraged people to question everything and not accept everything for
granted.
Factual Context Reader Response Criticism, Jacques Derridas and Michael Foucalts
Deconstructionist theories.
Authorial Values Weldon reflects postmodern theories and encourages individuals to
reflect and exercise independent thinking for self-development.

Evidence!

Context Sentence Postmodernism!

Mention how these new ideologies were
encouraging people to think independently
Evidence to set up contextual values
Aunt Fays City of Invention and
Literature with a capital L emphasises
the importance of reading highbrow
novels and she has heaapppssss of quotes
on the importance of reading these, some
even mentioning P+P, there are also
letters where she criticises popular
novels and those quotes can be used too.
 Evidence to set up authorial values
This is quite hard to get across, but Weldons representation of Aunt Fay as an
unreliable is how she really gets across her message, Aunt Fay constantly contradicts
herself and is a hypocrite - and because of this, readers are forced to question whether
we should just listen to what we are told and we thus realise the importance of thinking
independently of societal teachings and forming our own opinions (this is what both
Austen and Weldon want - reflection + thinking for ourselves!) Quotes for this may be
contrasting Fay initially telling Alice how to behave and what to do, and later when she
tells her to be careful of anyone who tells you what to do.
Weldon is also critical of contemporary education and there are letters where she talks
about the flaws in education systems and how they are not helpful.

Evidence for self-development

Instead of having evidence for this, as otherwise the paragraph can get quite wordy, just
get it across in your analysis that Weldon is advocating for independent thought for
self-development.

This is a less common route to go by, so really only attempt it if youre confident about your ability
to link context and values. This introspection approach in fact contrasts what Austen is trying to
say, giving us a different perspective and a deep understanding of the influence of context. The
main argument is that even though globalisation has expanded our capacity for knowledge, it is not
solely this that allows us to improve ourselves- we must be self-aware and reflect on our own
actions to truly become a better person.

2. Contextual Values Globalisation meant information was available in so many places and
there was a huge rise in the use of technology.
Factual Context Globalisation 1980s, the effects on society.
Authorial Values Weldon believes that overcoming barriers in accessing knowledge does
not necessarily mean self-development, instead reflection and critical thought is still
needed.

Evidence!

Context sentence definitely globalisation and the effect it has had on society.
Evidence to set up contextual values

There are entire letters near the beginning where Fay talks about globalisation and how
it has changed society.
 Evidence to set up authorial values
Weldon later goes on to talk about how despite this increased access, we have not
actually gotten smarter and it is not education but rather individual thought that truly
results in self-improvement.
Take Aunt Fay for example, who, although boasts an extensive education is
contradictory and does not really improve herself, continuing to blame chance or other
factors for her own faults. Though globalisation has expanded the scope of education
and we have information at our fingertips, it is not solely this that allows us to improve
but rather deep introspection. An interesting comparison could be made to Mrs Bennet-
though she is uneducated she is really the only person in the Bennet family who is
aware of her fate and the fate of her daughters, should they not marry.

V. Preparation & Answering Questions

As I said earlier, Mod A is really broken down into two categories and so knowing what to focus
on really helps (our past 2 questions for this in school have both asked you to focus on different
things).
If the question is asking you how our study of L2A enhances P+P (Trial Question), there is not a lot
to change in your analysis, but in your introduction, umbrella sentences, concluding sentences of
L2A and conclusion, it is very important to talk about something like;
Thus, a comparison of the value of autonomy for success and self-satisfaction in both texts allows
for a greater understanding of their intertextual connections this is what the question wants you
to get at.
Apart from this, make sure that in your links within your L2A paragraphs, your analysis is relevant
to the value you are comparing/try mention the value, just so it is obvious what connections
between texts you can make. In our trial that would mean possible mentioning autonomy/reflection
in your analysis of those links.

If the question is talking about comparing the texts allows us to learn about a specific value/idea,
Your intro, topic sentences, analysis, conclusion should really get across the idea that hence, it is
by comparing the influence of social conventions on a composers commentary that readers
understand _________ (the importance of autonomy for satisfaction and moral growth)
If the question is to focus about autonomy, your second idea should explicitly be about how
remaining autonomous of social conventions allows individuals to reflect/introspect and undergo
self-development.
VI. Questions
Does Letters to Alice offer new insights on social division or simply reaffirm those offered in Pride and
Prejudice (HSC 2015)

In what ways is your appreciation of both texts enhanced by a comparative study of identity in
Pride and Prejudice and Letters to Alice (HSC 2013)

It is not only a comparison of ideas but also textual forms that develops our understanding of how
context shapes the connections we make between texts (Ruse 2016)
Metropolis & 1984
I. Overview & Approach

The requirements of this module is to compare texts and explore them in relation to their contexts.
It is crucial to understand how a composers social, historical and cultural context influences the
values that manifest in their texts. More importantly, we must understanding how changing
contexts lead to either different values or perhaps different depictions of the same values.

In this specific elective, the 2 main concerns are;

Compare the PERSPECTIVES of the composers in order to understand the effects of

context, purpose and audience in shaping meaning
Upon studying both texts, what can you garner about the values, SIGNIFICANCE and
context of each text

Overall, requirements are quite easy to integrate. BUT the one section which a lot of guys tend to
forget is the SIGNIFICANCE. A personal voice and response to the text is not only limited to Mod
B, in fact, markers really appreciate it when you can demonstrate that you have thoroughly engaged
with the ideas in the text. The easiest way to develop this is simply ask yourself why do I want to
keep studying this text? (dont be a pleb and go Metropolis is such a bad movie that I never want
to watch again, thats not the point)

For example, to me, the aesthetic beauty of Metropolis is what really makes it significant.
Remembering that this film was made in the 1920s, the sheer amount of effort and the
cinematography genius that allows the imagery of the film to encapsulate so many concerns
of that era. The interplay of art deco, futurism, German Expressionism, Bauhaus so subtly
reflects every idea in the text I could write an entire essay talking just about the cultural and
historical influences of the films visuals.

Often the text is a reaction against context and often significant texts themselves are valued, so try
find something in the text that is significant to you! This will help differentiate you from everyone
else and elevate the quality of your response.

II. General Context

I have included theme specific context in each of the paragraph analysis but to understand why the
composers created their text, youre gonna have to look at their life story.
A. Metropolis Weimar Germany

Personal Context Langs inspiration for Metropolis came from his visit to New York
where he was captured by the New York skyline in all its glaring lights and tall buildings.
rather than an intense admiration or fear, the blurred lines between the natural and manmade
actually left a deeply contradictory effect on Lang who felt an ambivalence towards
modern life. In fact, he felt a combination of attraction and repulsion, fascination and fear
towards this city which was the crossroads of multiple and confused human forces
irresistibly driven to exploit each other and thus live in perpetual anxiety

In your essays, if you can effectively capture Langs conflicting response to modernity, it
will be a much more sophisticated and nuanced analysis of authorial intent rather than just
reducing his purpose to technology is bad or modernity is the death knell to German
culture.

For further reading, I would recommend;

Michael Middens Fritz Langs Metropolis and the United States

Cultural Context Within Metropolis, there are so many aesthetics crammed into one.
Most significantly is German Expressionism which describes a fascination with the
compelling yet wretched and often morally bankrupt modern life. In Metropolis, this
manifests in anthropomorphism (giving animals and machines human qualities to explore
the inorganic vs organic), abstraction, chiaroscuro and the functional architecture of
Workers City. Common themes include;
An enduring desire and power to emulate nature
The use of the naked body to symbolise primal instincts
Emotionally charged characterisation
Need to confront the emotional devastation of WWI
Rapid period of industrialisation explores the dichotomy of how modernity
simultaneously encapsulates a dehumanising and alienating urban life but also a
celebration of vitality and potential

Lang further uses an art deco aesthetic to represent a cosmopolitan style that symbolises
capitalist wealth. Art Deco is often characterised by geometric shapes, gold and brass and
lots of vectors to give off that super modern feel (think Great Gatsby).
A Futurist aesthetic is also prominently featured in Metropolis. Pioneered by Italian
architecture Tommaso Marinetti, futurism advocates for anti-historicism, chromatism,
speed, urgency, lyricism, sharp long lines. Futurism rejects history and instead celebrates
speed, modernisation and cultural rejuvenation.
In Metropolis, the futurist aesthetic can be seen in the urban dystopic cities that are built
vertically based on social classes. Interestingly, futurism takes numerous aspects from
Gothic architecture (which, ironically flourished in the late medieval period and was
associated with religious institutions). Gothic influences can be seen in the printed arches
and blocks of Futurism which is designed to make people look towards the sky, creating a
very imposing and dominating effect on the people- accentuating humanitys insignificance
within a concrete jungle. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, besides simply being an aesthetic,
futurism is in fact a sociopolitical doctrine that often privileges progress at the expense of
the individual (hello capitalism!!! And hence why I reckon fascism develops alongside
capitalism, my main man Mussolini was OBSESSED with futurism). Capitalism treats
individuals as a means of production, fascism prioritises the states needs over the
individual and futurism advocates for progress. Its all linked up!

You guys often forget cultural context but seriously if you include this sort of analysis, you
will stand out to the marker like a lightbulb- like THIS GUY KNOWS THEIR STUFF.
Also, if you ever get a textual form question, your knowledge of cultural influences is
CRUCIAL in showing how Metropolis is a filmic manifestation of these contextual ideas.

This one screenshot encapsulates everything Ive said about cultural context.
B. 1984 Post-WWII

Personal Context A lot of stuff went down in Orwells life and all of this influenced
1984. Born in 1903, he was a teenager during WWI, a young adult during the interwar
period and witnessed the political tension between fascism and communism and was an
adult during WWII and the fledgling years of the Cold War. In summary, he observed the
changing nature of the state. This is so, so significant in accounting for his eventual
political disillusionment with just about everything.

Backtrack to Orwells childhood, he was born during the British occupation of India so he
grew up watching the subjugation of others by the wealthy and the ramifications of British
Imperialism and Colonialism (think Germanys expansion into Eastern Europe to achieve
Lebensraum is effectively imperialism as well). As a child, he was a poor boy at a private
school and here he developed a distrust for education as an institution. He later became a
journalist and he was always interested in British lives and in particularly those in the lower
classes (which he was incidentally forced into after having his savings stole in Paris 1929).
He watched those in North England suffer greatly from the Great Depression. Thus, a
culmination of Orwells early life, most definitely, makes him susceptible to socialist
leanings. AND BECAUSE he sympathised with socialism, he was surveyed by government
intelligence by 1948, which meant he developed a profound paranoia and distrust in
authorities. (hope yall seeing the links to 1984 here)

But things get more complicated now. He participated in the Spanish Civil War (democratic
govt vs right-wing fascists) which was significant in demonstrating that in war everyone
was the same. Here he witnessed the corruption of socialist/communist ideology by
militarism. Orwell was super salty that the communist party rejecting him and they later
threw some salt on his wounds by branding Orwell as a fascist. The party itself was a
complete mess with interfactional fighting and propaganda spreading complete lies which
ultimately shows how political ideals are unstable and fragile. In 1937, he returned to
Britain after being shot in the throat when almost immediate he underwent an absurd trial
for rabid Trotskyism. This is a very important point because Orwell IS left-wing, yet in
1984 he criticises both communism as long as fascism- in fact interestingly enough, he
believed the most significant flaw in the socialist system was the figureheads who corrupted
it.

He retreated from public life and during WWII he joined the Home Guard (which he
viewed as a revolutionary group defending England from the Nazis) and worked for a
broadcasting company where he disseminated propaganda. After the war, he realised how
war devastated society. He soon died.
 What is so significant is that Orwell lived in squalid conditions for the majority of his adult
life, was frequently disillusioned by politics and he witnessed great changes in society and
THAT was what prompted him to write 1984. I feel that by understanding Orwells life, you
can derive quite meaningful insights about what influenced him. Rather than just Hitlers
Gestapo or the Holocaust, if you can integrate what Orwell himself experienced, your
essay will be so much stronger and relevant.

III. Oppression

Im not a fan of dictating exactly what ideas you are going to write in the exam because where the
hell is creative freedom? If you were feeling damn edgy enough, you could 100% write a pair of
paragraphs on the representations of women. Although, most of us are too lazy to change up the
main ideas of our paragraphs on why oppression is crap

A. Lang Weimar Germany

History is really damn complicated and it is very hard to reduce everything to linear, chronological
timeline that accurately details cause and effect without going off on tangents. I have tried to
summarise all the relevant context you could use in your paragraphs.

Historical Context Following WWI, Germany was

a seriously messed up state. The 1919 Treaty of
Versailles had a lot of conditions but most relevant to
Metropolis is the probably the War-Guilt Clause and
reparations demanded. In 1923, Germanys failure to
pay reparations (and deliver telephone poles in time)
resulted in the occupation of Ruhr which had the
French come in to bully some Germans, crippling
their pride and inciting a sense of nationalism. The
government came up with the genius plan of
encouraging passive resistance, (German workers
destroy their own stuff to give France a middle finger)
whilst STILL paying them. They came up with a
second genius plan of PRINTING MORE BLOODY
BANKNOTES to pay the workers whilst they are
technically slacking off and messing up German
industry, resulting in hyperinflation and everyones
savings got reduced to nil, hailing a period of
unprecedented economic hardship.
 Life was pretty crap for a while but then came Germanys lord and saviour, Gustav
Stresemann who realised exactly how fked Germany was. He fixed a bunch of problems
and Germany entered a Golden Age of rapid economic development and a flourishing of
arts and culture in metropolitan areas. The 1924 Dawes Plan, involving the borrowing of
loans from America, had a particularly significant impact on pumping $$$ into the economy
so they could industrialise. It was basically a German economic miracle which say the rise
of big industrialists like IG Farben.

However, industrialisation always comes comes at the expense of workers (well because
you need people to build stuff). With the policy of dilution (introduced by Lloyd George in
WWI) and Fords Scientific Management, they effectively pioneered the use of assembly
lines. This is significant because assembly lines means that you can maximise economies of
scale and exploit unskilled labour so what you see is lots of big business messing up
workers and paying them jack.

Authorial Values Socioeconomic equality, individuality, humanity

Authorial Perspective He is critical/disparaging/disdainful/thesaurus some more words

Now onto the bulk of your paragraph!

Context sentence Be specific, dont just be like rapid industrialisation created gross
wealth disparity, include cause and effect like versailles hyperinflation dawes plan
1924 industrialisation $$$ CAPITALISM $$$. I have a very long context sentence for
this idea, simply on the basis of showing proper causation. Hit the biggest economic issues
in this sentence.

Rather than necessarily listing examples to help prove your point (because Im assuming you
already have this), Ill be going over some interesting interpretations/ angles you could run instead.

Ahhh the woes of sordid modern life this focus is my personal favourite simply because
heaps of people dont use it AND you can bring in all that juicy personal/cultural context. In
this paragraph you need to show the tension between the benefits of modernity but also the
consequences of such rapid, economic growth. Piece of evidence you can include;

Those opening shots of that awe-inspiring, spectacular but simultaneously cold and
alienating cityscape. A desire to be immersed by modern life is at odds with this
seemingly artificial, inorganic concrete jungle. Remember following the unification
of Germany in 1871, in 40years they became an economic powerhouse. That rapid
industrialisation is no mean feat- its actually quite insane.
 Those agonising sequences of workers in the Depths, the cyclical endlessness of
their work, their lack of identity where their sole purpose is to drive the workings of
the upper world.
Ironically, Langs work is based on German modern culture, yet he seems to reject it
in the Club Yoshiwara scene where represents life as morally degenerate and corrupt

Technology is here to steal your wife, kill your children and then take over the world
this focal point is where you look at the mechanism of oppression. How do the
technological developments of Langs time oppress individuals? For what reason is it so
debilitating and unbelievably hard to break out of? What is the consequence on workers?
These are the questions you are going to have to answer in this paragraph.

The clock guy who literally becomes part of the machine his jerky movements
and the very fact that it isnt he who controls the machine, the machine controls him.
The workers lack any semblance of human agency and are very much reduced to the
means of production.
The Moloch Scene has literally machinery devour the workers a lack of concern
for human life, the idea that the workers are disposable commodities and how they
are less than the machines that control them
The Heart Machine is the literal lifeblood and heart of Workers City this
mysterious machine is what supports the Depths and upon its destruction, threatens
to kill all the workers. The interdependent relationship between the workers and
machinery is in a sense, systemic oppression.
BUT, is this really machinery that controls the people? Do machinery and
technology have intent? Is it not HUMANITYs abuse of technology to serve their
selfish, self-aggrandising purposes that in reality jeopardises other people. Look at
the creation of Machine Maria- technology is inherently apolitical and neutral but it
is the creator that colours their purpose. Contextually, look at the machine guns,
tanks and weapons used in WWI which when not used by humans are scraps of
metal but when aimed at another, has the potential to inflict devastating damage.

Capitalism is bad this is the most generic approach and you essentially spend the time
proving capitalism is bad.

Contrast the luxurious life of the Upper Hundred eg the Sons Club with the
crappy lifestyle of the workers. Capitalism creates growing wealth disparity and an
extremely stratified society which is incredibly unfair.
Capitalism also corrupts, remember that one worker Freder replaced out of goodwill,
who got distracted by sexy ladies? The tantalising and seductive grasp of capitalism
can corrupt EVERYONE, even those who were originally oppressed by it
 IF YOU WANT TO SPICE UP THE CONTEXT, some academics see Metropolis
has a much wider allegory. Rather than a class struggle between the bourgeoisie and
proletariats, they see Lang criticising the oppression of the entire GERMAN VOLK
under the Allies who (under the Treaty of Versailles) robbed them bare. Germany
lost a lot of land (eg the Polish Corridor) and with that a lot of ethnic Germans. They
lost resources, they lost money, they lost their pride and dignity. I think this is a very
interesting line to run, so if youve got the balls to take a risk, go for it ;)

B. Orwell The Aftermath of WWII

Historical Context Hoo boy, theres a LOT of context here and it is even LESS
straightforward than Metropolis. Generally, 1984 is a criticism of totalitarianism so here
you are looking at Hitler, Mussolini (fascists) and Stalin (communists). With extremely
varied ideologies, Orwell essentially says at the crux of all these dictatorships is an
obsession with power. Everything these days states do, is to accumulate power in the hands
of a small political elite.

The most pertinent feature of these

dictatorships is most definitely the use of
terror and repression. Mass surveillance was
achieved through the use of the secret police
eg Hitlers Gestapo and Stalins NKVD.
This had the impact of creating what is
known as a Foucauldian Panopticon which
basically says, when you THINK you are
constantly being watched, your range of
behaviours is reduced to align with what the
state wants. This is how these totalitarian
states promoted mass conformity and social
orthodoxy, by creating an atmosphere of
fear. More overtly, is the direct use of terror.
Everyone knew about what the SS did and
the fact that if you messed up, youd get sent
to a concentration camp. Impact? You go
along with the flow. All of this is exacerbated by the fact the legal system is effectively in
kahoots with the state eg Hitlers Peoples Court and Stalins Show Trials. Anyone could be
arrested on completely arbitrary measures and then killed. Overall, this culminated in
Stalins Great Purges and Hitler had his very charming Holocaust.
 All this occurred with the backdrop of WWII going on. The increasing encroachment on the
peoples private sphere is often rationalised (as in 1984) by a sense of xenophobia and fear
of other nations. The growth of militarism and nationalism thus allowed states to rationalise
all the bad stuff they are doing in defence of national security.

Orwells point here is, you MUST check the states arbitrary abuse of power because
otherwise it will descend into a complete clownfest where people are denied political
freedoms and rights.

BRIEFLY, heres some more points you could talk about; propaganda (Goebbels Media
Monopoly + Reich Chamber of Culture + the proliferation of Socialist Realism, blut und
boden literature the death of cosmopolitan values), development of Cults of
Personality (fuhrerprinzip, Stalins Cult), puritanism and role of women (repressed
sexuality, the role of family and childbearing was linked to supporting the nation eg giving
a child to the Fuhrer), development of official ideologies, youth organisations (Hitler
Youth).

Authorial Values Same as Lang

Authorial Perspective Once again similar to Lang but the focus here is more on
sociopolitical oppression. You could further delineate that his perspective is more satirical
in nature, using irony, sarcasm and a often conversational tone in his critique of
totalitarianism

Rather than listing different lines of arguments you can take, Ill be writing some substantive points
of comparison you can make between the texts.

Context Sentence Go broad, the general atmosphere of Orwells time should come in this
sentence eg the rise of dictatorships, growth of militarism and jingoistic nationalism etc..

Arguments There are soooo many different angles to take with this paragraph. Like
obviously you cant cover all the mechanisms of oppression used by the state so each
paragraph usually goes through only one in detail. So you discuss aims/purpose of the
totalitarian regime, how they enforce it (technology eg telescreens, propaganda eg two
minutes of hate, the destruction of language eg Newspeak, mass surveillance eg the
Thought Police, brainwashing eg The Ministry of Love all of which SHOULD be linked
to a contextual point) and then the impact on the civilians.

Points of Comparison with 1984 Most of you guys run a case of oppression is similar
but revolution is different. A fair approach but I reckon you can be more sophisticated and
 nuanced with you identity similarities and differences in BOTH ideas because they exists.
(Just remember that your values are going to be consistent across time)

Purpose of Oppression The maintenance and preservation of power is pretty

self-explanatory but specifically, they aim to do completely different things to the
psyche of the people. In Metropolis, society is atomised and individuals are isolated. In
doing so, it reduced the likelihood of rebellion significantly because if you dont unite
with others, you dont have the manpower to topple the regime. The sole fact they are
individual cogs within a much larger machine proves that Fredersen sought to devalue
an individual so much, they dont recognise the potential of grassroots activism.
CONVERSELY, 1984 oppressed people by trying to create an extremely homogenous
society where each individual is subsumed within the Party. The idea that the individual,
isnt an individual and is part of the Party reduces opposition by creating the impression
that they are a COLLECTIVE and UNITED (check out the concept of
volksgemeinschaft). 1984 further pushes the idea that everyone is a comrade and that
equality exists in this society so Orwell values equality but he criticises this notional
sense of equality which is really just lipservice. This point is pretty interesting because
in a SINGLE ARGUMENT you can identify both similarities and differences very
easily.
Nature of Oppression Both utilise technology to oppress individuals but in Metropolis
it is socioeconomic oppression whilst in 1984 it is sociopolitical oppression. Metropolis
uses pre-existing economic structures and by overworking the workers, they dont even
have the time to think about rebelling. 1984 brainwashes everyone and denies the
people any political freedoms.

IV. Revolution

A. Lang Revolution is good if we dont wave pitchforks around and threaten to

burn down government house!!!

Historical Context For this paragraph, you are looking at the political changes that
occurred in the Weimar Years. Following WWI, democracy was forcibly imposed upon
a nation with traditionally authoritarian tendencies so naturally everyone was damn
pissed. Hence why the early years of Weimar Germany was characterised by intense
political instability with the right-wing Freikorps picking fights with the left-wing
Communists. This resulted in a series of attempts coups eg the 1919 Spartacist Uprising
(left-wing rebellion led by Rosa Luxemberg + Karl Liebkneckt), the 1920 Kapp Putsch
(right-wing coup) and baby Hitlers 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch. The situation in
Europe wasnt much better with Lenins bloody Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and
uprisings across Eastern Europe due to a power vacuum left by the collapse of the
 German and Ottoman Empire. This thus explains Langs aversion towards outright,
violent revolution because he has seen the devastation caused by political intransigence.

BUT, its not all bad news because Germanys saviour Stresemann came along and
everything got a whole lot better. In fact, Germany entered her golden age with a
flourishing of culture. The money Germany got from the Dawes Plan, a lot of which
entered industry, also got pumped into social reform. The 1918 Stinnes-Legien
Agreement between industrialists and workers were negotiated, which included 8hr
working days, legal recognition and permission to establish trade unions, with the
condition that workers dont interfere with private ownership and allowed the
flourishing of the free market. (cough metropolis ending cough).

More examples of positive social reform include the Reich Relief Law and Serious
Disability laws (created a framework of support for war veterans, war widows and
orphans), female suffrage, 1922 Reich Youth Welfare Law, 1937 Provisional Work
Hours Law, 1927 Unemployment Insurance Act.

Things were going good! (until the Great Depression hit one year later)

Philosophical movements of the time include the Modernist movement. Modernism said
that people shared a level of universal experience regardless of where or when they
were living. It privileged an element of certainty, supported the notion of progress and
believe that truth existed. Most importantly is the notion of progress, Lang embodies
this sentiment as he believes humanity is headed towards better things as science and
technology (remember he doesnt criticise technology but rather the human abuse of
technology) can be used to solve problems.

Authorial Values autonomy, self-determination, personal agency, social responsibility,

freedom, hope, unity, identity

Authorial Perspective Optimistic, positive, hopeful, thesaurus.com

I found this paragraph in particular the easiest to write, on the merit that it was so
straightforward. I havent seen many different arguments made but here we go;

Context Sentence Something about overcoming the trials and tribulations of the early
years of the Weimar Republic and the birth of the Golden Age
The Generic Argument This is the violent revolution is bad but peaceful negotiation is
good argument. Most people (probably everyone, myself included) run this line. To truly
execute this argument well, you MUST link to context.

Marias underground cathedral scene Lang encourages collective action, solidarity and
unity to effect social change
Tower of Babel story/ Machine Marias raves/ destruction of the Heart Machine/
flooding of the city violent revolution is bad and it stifles mankinds humanity.
Violence further does not contribute to developing better relations but rather exacerbates
it, so it is inherently counterintuitive towards the notion of progressive change
The Final Scene the mediator between the head and hands must be the heart why
peaceful negotiation will ultimately lead to positive social change and a happy ending
for everybody. You can spice this up with Marxs ideas of dialectical materialism,
historical determinism and the Hegelian dialectic. Bringing in actual
political/philosophical theories will make you seem just a little bit smarter than
everyone else.
The Hegelian Dialectic establishes a perpetual conflict between the thesis (the group in
power, the bourgeoisie) and the antithesis (the oppressed, the workers). Synthesis occurs
when enough members of the dominant thesis join the antithesis to overthrow the thesis
to become the new thesis. All of history has proceeded like this eg prehistory (slaves vs
owners) feudalism (lords vs serfs) capitalism (bourgeoisie vs proletariats)
socialism (the dictatorship of the proletariat) communism. The conflict in Metropolis
essentially follows this model, thesis (Fredersens + the Upper Hundred + the heads),
antithesis (workers, hands), synthesis (the heart)

Lang is a bloody fascist This is the argument I wanted to run but didnt have the balls to
do so. Consider, social change is great, the mediator did their job but think about it, did
anything actually change? Were the workers liberated in any way or form? You can include
all the analysis about grassroots activism and the harms of violent revolution but your
analysis of the final point changes.

Perhaps the ending foregrounds a change in the status quo and hope for the future BUT
the workers are still depicted as a bunch of faceless individuals who lack any semblance
of identity. This interpretation is consistent with the context because whilst large strides
were taken to protect workers rights, industrialists were SUPER UNHAPPY about this.
It was to the point where there was 76,000 industrial disputes between 19241932 and
in 1928 at the Ruhr Ironworks, owners did not allow the workers in because they
disagreed with the arbitration award.
 Ultimately, the power dynamic in Metropolis hasnt changed at all. The bourgeoisie are
in charge and the workers still slave away under them. The ending was unbelievably
cliched, superficial and just basically ego-stroking.
Fundamentally, this comes down to the nature of the revolution . The revolution is led
by good old Freder who is basically a messianic figure who comes and ~liberates~ these
workers. Its one, privileged guy who is supposedly woke and out of the goodness of
his heart comes and helps these poor people (think rich, white celebrities giving food to
African children). Its an inherently paternalistic act of revolution/ charity where
Freder doesnt actually enact any substantial change but seems to have. Fuck Freder
tbh.
Also looking at the depiction of the social elite in Metropolis. Lang isnt critical, he just
depicts them as ignorant guys who arent aware of the oppression (b/c obviously if they
knew, they revolt yea?) so their fault does not rest in the oppression of the workers but
rather their ignorance. This is a rather sympathetic and lukewarm stance which allows
for this super conciliatory approach of social change through negotiation to take place.
If Lang depicted a government like Metropolis which is SUPER totalitarian and
unrelenting, there is no way in hell negotiation is gonna do jack.

B. Orwell Lmao whatever you do, its useless

Historical Context Why and how did Orwell turn into such a cynical snob? All of the
context stems a lot from his personal context so Ill avoid rehashing everything here.

Authorial Values Same as Lang

Authorial Perspective Ok, Orwell is cynical, nihilistic, disillusioned and extremely

pessimistic. BUT, it doesnt mean he doesnt value the same things as Lang. In fact,
considering the genre of 1984, a satire, he depicts this cruel, brutal world in order to
EMPHASISE the need to preserve individual political freedoms.

Once again, Im going to focus on points of comparison rather than including textual evidence and
stuff.
Context Sentence Something about the recent revolutions failure to meet ideological
aims and how what started off as good, eventually descended into despotism eg Lenins
Bolshevik Revolution Stalinism, the Spanish Civil War. Something to explain why
Orwell is so disillusioned.
Argument The generic line of argument is essentially, Winston tried so hard but still
managed to get cucked because Big Brother is always watching. You can make a LOT of
really fascinating insights with this argument, also why I found this paragraph the hardest to
write.

Nature of Revolution: To me, the revolution in Metropolis is your generic historicised

revolution of oppressed guys rising up to fk up the bourgeoisie eg the French
Revolution, Bolshevik Revolution and stuff. There is more an emphasis on collective
action rather than an individuals personal agency. This obviously aligns with Marxist
theories of class struggles. However, in 1984, where Orwell has this profound distrust of
authorities and is fully aware of how easily revolutionaries can get corrupted, Winston
and Julias revolution is far more personalised and individualised.
The Brotherhood exists as some shadowy force in the background of all the action
but really, Orwell is more concerned about Winston. Winstons revolution is in
reality not for some grand goal of toppling Big Brother but rather to preserve the
past. He has all these vestigial memories of life before the party and he acutely
remembers the warmth of human connection when he recalls his mothers loving
embrace.
Compare to Julia, whose approach is far more epicurean. Yes, shes rebelling and
rejecting the puritanism enforced by the party but as Winston said, she is a rebel
from waist down. Julia has a rather apathetic chord in her where she realises that
stuffs messed up, but she simply doesnt care or concern herself with it because
she KNOWS nothing will change. Consider her upbringing. Unlike Winston who
was born before the party, Julia was born during party rule, so in a sense, Julia is
far more selfish, insular and has a very myopic worldview.
Furthermore, Winston is very much the everyman archetype. Unlike freakin
Freder who is basically depicted as Jesus. Winston also isnt like every other YA
dystopia heroine/hero who are like omg im special because i have x superpower,
the difference between Winston and the others is that he possesses critical thinking.
Now Orwells depiction of Winston as the everyman extends to the rest of society
and supports the idea that even a normal, ordinary, kinda boring guy has the
capacity and ability to overcome restrictive constructs. Orwell is encouraging
critical thinking and active engagement with the political sphere.
The Feasibility of Revolution: I touched upon this briefly in the Metropolis section but
the obvious difference between 1984 and Metropolis is that utterly hopeless ending. The
question raised is obviously, why is there such a disparity
In Metropolis, the Upper Hundred are not depicted as inherently bad people
whereas in 1984, individuals like OBrien are just straight up corrupt
megalomaniacs. The social elite in Metropolis thus have a semblance of humanity
 and thus can be reasoned with because they feel empathy towards others suffering.
The Inner Party just does not give a dam.
The extent of control also varies. In Metropolis, aligning with right-wing beliefs
about the free market and industrial autonomy, society is stratified, social control is
enforced but in a sense it still takes on a laissez-faire style eg Grots role as the
communicator between Fredersen and the workers. Control in 1984 is total. Not
even your thoughts are free from Party Control. The odds are just fundamentally
not in your favour. For me, the most poignant and pertinent example of Winstons
utterly resounding defeat is that motif about the warmth of his mothers breast as
Winstons last connection to the past is eventually replaced by this image of
Winston smothered in Big Brothers breast. Even Winstons most private and
personal thoughts have been corrupted by the Party.

V. Preparation and Answering Questions

Mod A is a comparatively straightforward unit when it comes to answering questions

(screw mod b). Ive narrowed it down to around 4 different types of questions.

Textual Form: Our interest in the parallels between Metropolis and 1984 is further
enhanced by a consideration of their marked differences in textual form. Evaluate this
statement in light of your comparative study of these two texts. (2012 HSC)

Textual forms are not actually that hard as long as youve thought about it beforehand.
Your approach would involve something along the lines of how textual form is a direct
corollary of the composers personal context and how it conveys meaning and concerns
of the module. Overall, for a textual form essay, just discuss in detail the unique aspects
of each form (film and novel) and how it contributes to the text.

Metropolis: The textual form is film and its aesthetic is direct result of its context eg
cultural context of German Expressionism, futurism and art deco. Lang effectively uses
images to convey meaning. The physical stratification of social class is exemplified in
the image of a vertically built concrete jungle. The cultural context section is your best
friend for this question.

1984: Whats particularly interesting about 1984 is that it really draws upon Orwells
personal context as a journalist. 1984 thus ironically tries to present itself as an objective
journalistic record but embodies the contextual fears of the present. Also, the idea of a
text-specific language, Newspeak is very much unique to its form. Fictional
intertextuality is also present with Goldhagens book.
THEME-BASED: The pairing of 1984 and Metropolis offers perspectives on the ways that
politics and industry are a threat to individuals and society? To what extent does your
comparison of Metropolis and Nineteen Eighty Four support this statement? (Ruse 2015)

Does the treatment of social manipulation in Nineteen Eighty-Four and Metropolis reveal
the texts similarities or reinforce their distinctive qualities? In your response, make
detailed reference to your prescribed texts. (HSC 2015)

Theme-based responses are pretty simple. You just gotta frame everything around the
specified theme and keep linking back to it.

THE PURPOSE OF A COMPARATIVE STUDY: How has your study of Metropolis

and Nineteen Eighty-Four been shaped and enhanced by a comparison of the perspectives
and values within each text? Discuss with close reference to the contexts and language of
each text (Ruse Trial 2017)

This question is essentially the point of the entire module. So as long as you understand
the rubric you can answer it. The only catch however is the idea of values. When we
got taught what themes to write on eg oppression and revolution, those arent values
so obviously if you just assumed that it was why is a comparative important question,
you probably didnt do very well. This issue is very easy to fix. All you need to do is
have the theme but link it to the values.

Eg. Lang criticises the capitalist abuse of power for rendering the value of
socioeconomic equality unattainable.

VISUAL: An exploration of intertextual perspectives reveals the relationship between

context and key values. Discuss this view with detailed reference to the extracts below and
your pair of prescribed texts. (HSC 2016)

Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until they have rebelled they
cannot become conscious.
 This question is an interesting one because it pretty much includes every single
question. Textual form, comparison of texts and values and specified theme (in the form
of the quote and screenshot). The key to this question is addressing the written part AS
WELL AS making the quote/screenshot the foundation of your paragraph. The pressure
point here is making sure you integrate the quote/screenshot in every paragraph it
corresponds to.

Overall, what I found is that answering Mod A questions is predominantly about SYNTAX. All the
questions are conceptually the same

Eg In what ways is you appreciation of both texts enhanced by a comparative study of

[theme] in Metropolis and 1984? In your response, make detailed reference to your
prescribed texts. (HSC 2013)
Vs
The pursuit of [theme] is an idea which connects Metropolis and 1984. How is this idea
shaped and reshaped in these texts from different contexts? (HSC 2014)

At first glance they seem pretty similar. How do similar themes in both texts connect the two. Yes
they are similar BUT your approach should be different to each question that comes down to how
you structure your sentences.

The key word in question 1, I feel, is APPRECIATION. So your effect is [ENHANCED

APPRECIATION] and your cause is [COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE THEME]. I
would thus structure like 60% of all my sentences in the essay like this, mimicking the
syntax of the question.

Question 2, on the other hand is structured cause [COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TEXTS],

effect [RESHAPED/SHAPED IN DIFF CONTEXTS].

This approach of breaking down exam questions is what truly allows you to ACTUALLY
answer the question. If your memorised essay thesis goes effect [DIFF CONTEXTS] to
cause [WHY WE SHOULD DO COMPARATIVES] then you havent answered either of
the questions effectively. So for EVERY module, thats what I do in reading time, I
restructure all my topic sentences/thesis/link sentences and identify where in my essay I
need to rewrite sentences IN ORDER TO follow the syntax of the question.
Compare an appreciation of distinctive contexts enhances our understanding of enduring
values to a comparative study demonstrating the enduring nature of shared values reveals
the influence of context like a tldr would sound exactly the same and to be honest the 2nd
sentence is just the first rearranged BUT they would answer different questions. Thats the
power of sentence structure and syntax guys!

NOTE: Ok theres not many curveballs mod A can throw besides a whacked off theme
BUT be prepared that they CAN ask how has historical context shaped the way composers
use [technique] to convey their perspective about [value] AND ask how YOUR
CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT influences your reception of the text. It is well within the
syllabus. Its never been done before but be wary.
MOD. B ESSAYS

Citizen Kane
Personally, getting to do Citizen Kane for Mod B is a lot better than Hamlet. There are obvious key
scenes which jump out to you and can be used to answer a fairly wide range of questions.
Hopefully the classes doing Kane have generally similar ideas for each paragraph, so the main
issue is answering the question (as always) and using the BEST examples possible not just
something easy. Yes, literally everyone can talk about tearing up the Declaration, the breakfast
montage and chiaroscuro lighting, but we need to make analysis as sophisticated as possible. A big
aim should be to eliminate analysis that screams to a marker that youve looked at the question,
panicked and shoddily half-answered the question.

I. Themes and Topic Sentences

Whilst most people decide on their main themes early on, and then search for examples to fit
these themes, I (chiz) prefer to look through a list of key examples first, and decide on the
themes from there. Although this may seem as time consuming as the wait for Ruse to win
quadschools, it definitely helps you to make sense of the film as a whole. Afterwards, make a
list of the key ideas - I generally have 9-10, and then try to condense them into the three
cause/effect pairs that you will use for your base essay. Notice if several of the ideas on your
list can be classified under a single broad heading. When deciding on your three cause/effect
pairs, you should aim to fulfil two key
requirements:

A. That they make sense (unlike Long

leaving Ruse) - you should honestly
believe that these three themes are
basically what the film is about.
B. That there is balance - this means that
there should be a roughly equal number
of key scenes/examples for each of the
three twisted pairs. That is why I feel it
is better to look at your key examples
first.
II. Ideas

From what Ive seen the main two ideas most people are exploring for the first two
paragraphs are:

A. Ambition for power leading to moral corruption

B. Obsession with materialism leading to a lack of emotional fulfilment (or something
similar but the basic idea is discussing how materialism has negatively impacted Kanes
personal life throughout the film)

Variants for the third paragraph:

A. Inherent subjectivity of truth preventing the acquisition of holistic understanding of

Kanes character
B. Prioritising of public image over personal life jeopardising Kanes relationships
C. Conflation of public and personal success failing to provide fulfilment
D. Power imbalance leading to the degradation of personal relationships
E. Lack of emotional fulfilment during Kanes formative years leading to his distorted
perception of personal relationships

These ideas are very strong ones because not only are they quite simple to understand and
adapt to a question because ambition/greed/desire for emotional fulfilment are central aspects
of humanity, but also backed by strong context.

Ambition is easily supported by yellow journalism and sensationalism (Hearst) and any
discussion about materialism is deeply strengthened by using American context such as
the corrupted American Dream and post-Depression Americas economic recovery.
Context is something that I think can really reinforce a response and rather than simply
tacking on context like a lot of people do

Eg. The corrupted American Dream emerged in a 1940s post-Depression America,

as individuals prioritised material possessions

You should aim to keep addressing the question. It makes sense because you (hopefully) have
this strong topic sentence addressing the question and so your context should serve to show
the marker youve done solid research AND you are able to apply research about context to
integrate both your idea and the question into the context sentence. Sacrifice some word count
to make context strong and adapt it to the question as best as you can.
 Eg. Welles draws from the corrupted American Dream and critiques the widespread
distortion of human values, as Americans overlooked emotional fulfilment in favour
of shallow materialistic gratification

I think a fair amount of people struggled with the third paragraph because its not so clear
what idea to write about. Personally I like the idea of the subjectivity of truth being explored
through Kanes character or the idea of external facades projected by individuals preventing a
holistic understanding of them (this works for both characters AND the audience which is
obviously very important). Some examples/scenes to consider:

The newsreel montage is a fantastic example of the subjectivity of truth and if it suits the
question this invites a discussion of the power of the media in distorting the truth, or
providing a limited insight into an individual.
The use of unreliable narration, with Kanes life being told from the perspective of friend
Leland, colleague Bernstein, guardian Thatcher, wife Susan, (and viewed by a jaded,
cynical Ruse student). Each of them has their own perspective and associated bias, which
affects reliability, as Federicos Fangirls would know.
The films structure is cyclical (this means that its a bit like Ruse gym fund - just when
you think its over, it goes back 22 years). This reflects how we can never get to fully
know Kane, and how our attempts to understand the eponymous character of our critical
study, and the $160 cost of formal are equally futile.

III. How to Analyse 101

Classify each of your key examples into one of the three categories. I personally found this to
be the hardest part, since so many of the examples could work for two of the key themes.
Whenever possible, try to give each cause/effect paragraph an equal number of examples.

Think of your topic sentence as the RTP statement in an induction proof, make sure
everything you write is relevant to it. When ordering each of your examples within each
paragraph, make sure that you prove each part of your cause/effect statement sequentially. If
ambition leading to moral corruption is your argument, use your first few examples to
establish Kanes ambition, and your later examples on moral corruption. Particularly with
Kane, dont feel the need follow chronological order, just whatever is most logical for your
argument. Try to avoid to have examples at the end of your paragraph that go back to what
you have already proven at the beginning - they will seem nearly as tacked on as a $8000
gift for formal.
 For your analysis, it is particularly important in a study of film to give multiple techniques per
example (you might want to consider doing this for your other text types). Try to cover a
variety of techniques per paragraph, to show your depth of knowledge. Also, vary the order of
your technique, example, analysis, so it doesnt sound as repetitive as the sports assembly
lectures on behaviour or commitment.

Generally, I found it useful not to rush, and to aim for quality of expression and argument.
Final mark is not proportional to the number of drafts you hand in. It is better to hand in a
single good draft than four poor ones. Also, I found it better to overwrite in your first draft as
this gives you enough material to choose the best examples when you edit. You might end up
aborting a quarter of the babies that you just gave birth to, but trust me, youll be ok. Another
idea is to have detachable examples that are non-essential to your argument, so that you can
decide whether to include them according to your time constraints on the day.

IV. Critics

Make sure that the quote is relevant and adds something more to your argument, rather than
being a rehash of what youve just written. The critics quote should be placed towards the
end of your paragraph. Its also important to integrate the quote smoothly e.g. Susan shrilly
exclaims its just money it doesnt mean anything, supporting Dr Ruse James
interpretation that the prioritising of familial honour over personal agency ensures that
individual felicity is subordinated to the poor career choice of comm/law.

Some quotes for those who are seriously cbbs:

Andrew Sarris nature of ambition and growth, whether in wealth or character.

Charles Higham Xanadu becomes a tomb for lost American ambitions and that
Kanes fabulous acquisitions mean nothing.
Andrew Sarris bitter irony in the American success story
KM Jackson Mary Kane signs over the young Kane to Thatchers care, surrendering
him to the illusion that wealth, culture and upper class life will improve him
Alan Stanbrook money and wealth have robbed Kane of his humanity, vainly seeking
happiness in an endless acquisition of gimmicks
Robert Carringer Kane was incapable of loving or dispensing simple humanity
Peter Bradshaw having made his complete and ruinous investment in himself
 V. Textual Integrity

Sorry but I honestly have no idea what this is. Apparently it means how all the parts of the
text work together to achieve its thematic purpose. I think if you mention it in your
introduction - something along the lines of the use of groundbreaking cinematography and
insightful characterisation contribute to the textual integrity of the films critique of universal
human flaws, you should be able to cover up the deficiency in your understanding better
than the raffle covers the cost of our air-conditioning.

VI. Dealing with Questions

I prefer to do Mod B as my first essay, so I can use the reading time to plan. Its important to
understand the spirit of the question - ie what does the entire question mean, rather than its
individual parts. The answer to the question should be some variant of your thesis.

E.g. if the question is about ambition, then identify that ambition is an aspect of the
human condition

Remember to keep repeating key words of the question throughout your paragraphs, but
always address the question as a whole at the start and end of each paragraph.

Another useful thing is to make a mnemonic for all your key examples, and write it at the top
of your page when writing time starts. That way, no matter your mental state after staying up
to 4AM and drinking 5 cups of coffee, you should be able to salvage something.

VII. A Useful Resource

http://www.moviemoviesite.com/Films/1941/citizen_kane/secret_life/contents.htm
Hamlet
If you dont have time for wide critical reading, I recommend at least reading the article below. Its
one I found on the ruse intranet and it goes in-depth into many themes, has relevant context and
also good critics.
https://docs.google.com/a/jamesruse.nsw.edu.au/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=amFtZXNydXNlL
m5zdy5lZHUuYXV8ZmFjdWx0aWVzfGd4OjY0NTQwYTQ0NWMyMzIzNzE

I. Introduction
First impressions matter especially when HSC markers get paid per script (and so try to mark
every essay in under 5 minutes). Your introduction should be 120150 words. If its shorter
than 120 words its difficult to show a depth of understanding ie. your thesis will not be
developed enough. Any more and you are probably over-doing the detail, which is better left
to the body paragraphs.

Introduction Checklist:
a developed thesis must respond to the keywords of the question but also demonstrate a

development of this linking to other key concerns of the text

contextualization of text place your text in a context show whether the context affects

responder understanding and/or the text is universal it will probably be both of these.
Hamlet clearly reflects Shakespeares context but also reflects universal themes that
transcend time, hence contributing to its ability to engage contemporary audiences
conceptualization try to show where the themes of the text fit into the broader world

relate the themes to human experience (every text explores human experience)
awareness of textual integrity you dont have to actually write the words but you have to

SHOW the text has textual integrity (in your intro, in your body, in your conclusion that
is, show how the text is successful because of all the elements which go into it language,
structure, ideas, etc)

II. Body Paragraphs

A. Corruption
Argument: How the external world of corruption leads to the erosion of Hamlets moral
integrity.

In many ways, Hamlet is the story of a young man we never get to know. When we
meet him, his natural personality has already been eclipsed by circumstance and he
will only plummet further into disillusionment as the play continues.
 1. The corruption within Hamlets world must be clearly introduced. It is even better if
you link it to your context sentence. Eg. Linking the murder of King Hamlet to the
Great Chain of Being. Examples of evidence:
The Ghost persuading Hamlet to avenge his foul and unnatural murder
The metaphor of Denmark as an unweeded garden
Foreshadowing Something is rotten in the state of Denmark
Any of Hamlets reactions to his father being killed

2. The next piece of evidence should be Hamlets initial reaction to this external world of
corruption. He wants to leave Denmark because the inherent deception within the
court contradicts his Humanist perception of mans nobility. However, because the
Ghost has persuaded him to avenge his fathers death, he has no choice but to stay.
This conflict pushes his oversensitive nature to the contemplation of suicide.
Oh that this too, too sullied flesh would melt
To sleep, to die

3. For a progressive argument, your next 2 pieces of evidence should demonstrate

Hamlets moral disillusionment. Analyse key scenes in relation to how the impact of
Hamlets external conflicts lead him to challenge his own Humanist beliefs and erodes
his moral integrity. Key scenes include:
The closet scene where he reprimands Gertrude
Killing Polonius then mocking his death
Killing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

B. Action vs. Inaction

I think this paragraph gets tricky when you dont decide on an absolute outcome.
Interpretations of Hamlets inaction vary so drastically that it doesnt really matter which
way you choose to analyse it. But it has to be one or the other either he makes a
compromise between his clashing loyalties (Renaissance Humanist beliefs and Medieval
Code of Honour) OR he completely rejects one.

Argument: Hamlets internal conflict due to his clashing loyalties/ideals impact on his
resolve to act.

1. Set up Hamlets clashing loyalties. This may be obvious to us but it must be explicit
for the marker.
The Ghost calling him to drink hot blood

2. Hamlet is a character full of contradictions. Show his constant shift from Humanist to
Christian/Filial beliefs.
 His early soliloquies have great examples of antithesis

3. Although youve already shown Hamlets

suicidal tendencies in the first paragraph, you
have to show his inner turmoil all over again
Literally any quote where he calls himself a
coward

4. Introduce Laertes/Fortinbras as a character foil

5. Finish your argument with a quote from the

concluding Act which demonstrates how
Hamlet has completely lost touch with one of
his loyalties OR that he has made a
compromise.

C. Fate and Mortality

A lot of this paragraph is very much about your personal response to the ideas in the text
so it is very hard to give you a workable structure. Heres some super broad and general
ideas.

Argument: There are so many different ways to run this argument. The general gist of it,
is decide whether by the end of the play, Hamlet stopped giving a fk because he was
disillusioned, Hamlet accepted death (god I wish that were me), Hamlet embraced his fate
and destiny OR Hamlet starts to believe in fate but still believed he could exercise a
degree of agency. Heres a general gist of what you COULD run but dont take this as
gospel.

1. Once again set up the conflict. Is it Hamlets religious conflict about the afterlife, his
obsession with existence and death, his vacillation between the power of fate and
personal agency etc
His first soliloquy where he contemplates suicide but is stopped because of his
Christian beliefs, the existence of the ghost or even Gertrudes all that lives must
die
Alternatively, establish his initial worldview where he was optimistic about mans
capacity for goodness (align with his humanist ideologies) and then show how it
changes and why it changes.
2. What impact does this conflict have on Hamlet? Extreme existential disillusionment,
nihilism, ennui or just confusion
Something from the to be or not to be soliloquy or his what a work of man
speech which shows his profound depression
Consider in his to be or not to be speech he says death is a country from which
no traveller returns YET he conversed with the Ghost. What does this say about
his state of mind that he simultaneously holds two contradictory ideas at once?

3. How/does he overcome this in the graveyard scene?

Yoricks skull, the clowns, Hamlet relinquishes all his anxieties and questions
about life to the point he talks about death in a very candid and almost sincere way
Does this show Hamlet stopped caring? Or has he matured and accepted the
physicality and finality of death? Has he accepted that God wills everything to be?
Choose your ending!

4. What changes about Hamlet when he either gives up/accepts everything/cbbfs

everything
From his famous quote about there is a providence in the fall of a sparrow, does
Hamlet just let fate take its course?
Does he just yolo his duel with Laertes and its only by chance that he kills
everyone? As seen in his let be or the readiness is in all
Or you could say that once hes overcome his conflict about fate/mortality, THAT
is what liberates him from all the questions hes been asking in the entire play and
that is relieving.

5. Completely optional, but I like concluding with what is the tragedy of Hamlet to
really ham in the personal response part of the module and to be like this is MY essay
Is the tragedy his fall from grace? Starting off as someone of such nobility but
eventually descended into a depraved mess
Is Hamlets tragedy the death of his curiosity? He goes from asking so many
pertinent questions to idgaf
What is his tragedy to you?
III. Context
All the context youre going to need is here and hopefully this will help you kinda understand
why the play is a bloody mess but yet manages to hold itself together. (obv this isnt as
detailed as mod A simply because you dont need that much context, the crucial thing is
matching context to your argument so dont use idk religion in your corruption paragraph smh)

Religious Context
The Protestant Reformation has recently happened (cos Henry VIII wanted to divorce Spanish
Cat) and England is trying to rid itself of the vestiges of Catholic influence. This manifests in
the play where Catholicism is depicted as dated and archaic as seen in the Catholic Ghost
which imposes a medieval task on the modern, Protestant Hamlet. This is because Catholic
doctrine states that a mans strongest duty is to God and his family. Yet this offers a direct
contradiction to the 10 commandments stating thou shalt not kill. (also on in Catholicism is
there the idea of purgatory, so the inclusion of the Ghost is VERY Catholic, which raises the
question what actually does happen after death? One says we hang around to purge our sins
and the other is just hell or heaven. When these two directly conflicting interpretations exist,
what is true and what is not? Perhaps there is no answer to these perennial metaphysical
questions). The Protestant influence can further be seen with the location of the place,
Denmark, which is a Protestant (specifically Lutheran) country. Hamlet further attends
Wittenberg University, the heart of Renaissance Humanism, and also where the godfather of
Protestantism Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses. Honestly, I think the text is very confused in
its representations of religion but that is EXACTLY the contextual atmosphere at that time.

More personal to Shakespeare is perhaps the death of his son Hamnet (interchangeable with
Hamlet). His son died when he was touring. He returned for his funeral which was a very
modest, humble burial. Noting that Hamlets family was initially Catholic where there was a
focus on the significance of ceremonies and when someone dies there is a great deal of social
decorum such as the burning of candles for a week to help them navigate their way to the
afterlife. What happened to his son? Is he safe with God? The plain and barren Protestant
burial probably posed these questions as well as creating a sense of emptiness within
Shakespeare himself. Some critics thus see Hamlet as an externalisation of Shakespeares own
grief, which is why Shakespeare himself plays the Ghost in the play. Just some food for
thought here!

Political Context
Political intrigue in the Elizabethan Court with an ageing monarch. Lots of questions about
succession (since Liz I left no living children). The political landscape was rife with backdoor
negotiations and plots etc overall I think this is quite weak for context simply because there
is so much more better ideas you could be talking about.
Social Context
The Great Chain of Being says theres a natural order of things with God King Lords
less important people and the Divine Right to Rule says the monarchs right to rule is given to
them from god so if you screw with either of the two, bad things will happen. Furthermore,
theres this idea of the macrocosm and the microcosm. What happens in the macrocosm eg
ghosts appearing and bad weather foreshadows whats going to happen in the microcosm.

Hamlet was also published at the fin-de-siecle (turn of the century) so lots of questions was
being asked about the future of England and whatnot which becomes the uncertainty that
pervades the entirety of the play.

Philosophical Context
The big one here is Renaissance Humanism. The idea that man has expansive and infinite
faculties, wields individual agency and has godlike capacities. This inevitably conflicts with
Christianity which sees a predestined path for all of humanity. However, in Hamlet its not
that simple because he is plagued by a sense of ethical relativism and scepticism. Most
notably, philosopher Michel de Montaigne was both a humanist but also very sceptical. In his
attempt to try out his minds faculties (his essays Essai means trial) he realised that
existence was a succession of inconsistent and disjointed thoughts and impulses because life is
ongoing, incomplete and unfinished. Existence is perpetual and we derive a sense of anxiety
from the uncertainty that plagues us. He was thus concerned about the verisimilitude about the
world, the fine lines between perceiving and knowing and questioned the limitations of
mankind to gain an objective sense of the world. THIS very much explains why Hamlet isnt
all I A HUMANIST, IM MY OWN MAN because he is plagued by Montaignes sense of
ethical relativism and scepticism.

The best case of this is his what a work of man speech. The contradictions and vacillations
from man being at the center of universe to just dust, exemplifies Montaignes ideas.
Ultimately, sceptical humanism argues the truth is not easily understood or found so despite
Hamlets reasoning and logic, the world remains incomprehensible and opaque to him.

NOTE: existentialism is NOT a contextual point. Whilst Montaigne displays a semblance of

proto-existentialism, existentialism is a 20th century concept. So rather than context,
existentialism is a philosophical framework from which you can analyse Hamlet.
IV. Critics
Firstly, using critics is not necessary in Mod B so if you are running out of time, if there was a
disposable quote, its your critic. HOWEVER, the critic quote will elevate your essay above
the rest of the state and that often distinguishes you within the A and B bands. It looks good
guys. Using critics is more of the issue.

This is how critically are normally used

Additionally, critic x further asserts that Hamlet is a depressed which reinforces his
profound melancholy.

Tokenistic, pointless and shallow critic use is essentially just wasting 30 words to
reiterate a point youve already made in a point of analysis. You add nothing to your
argument by doing so.

Hence, the way I like to think of it, is treat your critic quote as a completely new step of
analysis. Your critic either shows an alternate perspective which you rebut or adds
another layer/ provides an interesting insight into your text.

For Hamlet in particular, I HIGHLY recommend you read widely. This is because you read
interesting commentary by critics so you can STEAL and PARAPHRASE (not plagiarise)
their ideas. Truth be told, we arent geniuses who can come up with awesome Hamlet analysis
on the spot SO the next best idea is to borrow a critics idea. You also get a better
understanding of the text and that always helps. Ive collated a list of useful critics;

Harold Bloom, Stephen Greenblatt, TS Eliot, Romantic Lads Goethe, Coleridge,

Margaret Ferguson, William Hazlitt, AC Bradley, Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich
Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Marilyn French (feminist)

Get a state/national library card. It gives you access to a lot of databases including JSTOR
which has heaps of literary criticism. If youre lazy, PM Kat Cheng for the scans she has from
Margaret Ferguson, Eliot and Greenblatt.
http://www.hamlet-shakespeare.com/criticism/ this link also has a lot of essays but the
formatting is ugly and looks like it was done by someone in Microsoft word 2003 so if you can
tank it, some of the essays are quite interesting.
V. Answering the Question
Dont overthink the question (unless its a quote from Polonius or something). Pretty much
every question can be simplified and broken down in relation to EXTERNAL conflict,
INTERNAL conflict, and his disillusionment as a result of both.

Example: HSC 2016

Question 3 Shakespearean Drama William Shakespeare, Hamlet (20 marks)
How does Shakespeare use imagery to portray challenging ideas about truth and deceit in
Hamlet? In your response, make detailed reference to your prescribed text.

This is not an easy question. For this question I would make my thesis about How an
individual's internal and external conflicts stem from their inability to ascertain truth from
deceit.

This makes the first body paragraph straightforward. The erosion of Hamlets moral integrity
is initiated by his failure to discern truth from the inherent deception in the court of Denmark.

You have to stretch it a bit for the second body paragraph. It is Hamlets failure to find his true
self (his own identity) that leads him to question his two ideals. His antic disposition is a
perfect example of this. Another point of truth and deceit is his uncertainty towards whether
the Ghost is telling the truth.

Finally, as a result of both his internal and external conflicts CAUSED by his inability to
discern truth and deceit. Proceed to spit out the exact same paragraph.

The second part to this question is imagery. You dont have to use visual imagery or
whatever for every single piece of analysis. You can address the question like this the image
of a diseased and rotting world created by the metaphor of the unweeded garden reveals
[analysis].

Good luck have a nice meme.

MOD. C ESSAYS

People and Politics

Mod C People and Politics Rubric Concerns

This module requires students to explore various representations of events, personalities or

situations. They evaluate how medium of production, textual form, perspective and choice of
language influence meaning. The study develops students understanding of the relationships
between representation and meaningStudents explore the ways in which different media present
information and ideas to understand how various textual forms and their media of production
offer different versions and perspectives for a range of audiences and purposes.

The composers perspective shapes their text and can distort the events/personality
represented in their text, which in turn influences how the audience must respond. You must
analyse how manipulation affects the representation constructed by the composer, in order to
identify the composers purpose.

For Mod C its critical to have a deep knowledge of the context of the composer, how the
context influences the composer and ALWAYS what the composers purpose is. You always
should be using powerful verbs like condemns, warns, criticises or on the other end of
spectrum advocates. champions, espouses. Try to steer away from the verbs you might
use in other essays which dont really explore the composers purpose.
Why Werent We Told
Mod C I reckon is the most useful and also the easiest unit to write about. The main issue is just
wrapping your head around the rubric and the nature of representation and then everything is
smooth sailing from there!

I. Representations

Im sure many of you poor 3U English students have seen this painting before. In my days
leading up to the history extension trial, Ive been stressed excessively over the nature of
representations and in particular, its relationship with the writing of history. Ive tried to make
sense of all this in relation to this painting and this is what I came up with on one glass of
crappy red wine.

In Caspar David Friedrichs The Wanderer above a Sea of Fog, a young man stands hatless in
a black coat on a high rocky point. His back is turned toward us, and he is bracing himself
with a walking stick against the wind that blows his hair in tangles. Before him lies a
fog-shrouded landscape in which the fantastic shapes of more distant promontories are only
partly visible. The far horizon reveals mountains off to the left, plains to the right, and
perhaps very far away-one cant be sure- an ocean. But maybe it just more fog merging,
imperceptibly into clouds. The impression it leaves is contradictory, suggesting at once a
mastery over a landscape and the insignificance of an individual within it.
The posture of Friedrichs wanderer this striking image a back turned toward the artist and
all who have since seen his work is like that of Reynolds as a historian. Historians consider
it their business, after all, to turn their back on wherever it is they may be going, and to focus
their attention, from whatever vantage point we can find, on where weve been. Historians
advance bravely into the future with their eyes fixed firmly on the past. History is
inaccessible to us; we cannot relive, retrieve, or rerun it like some laboratory experiment of
computer simulation. We can only represent it. We can portray the past as a near or distant
landscape, much as Friedrich has depicted what his wanderer sees from his lofty perch. We
can perceive shapes through the fog and mist, we can speculate as to their significance,
and sometimes we can even agree among ourselves as to what these are.

If we think of the past as a landscape, then history is the way we represent it, and its that act
of representation that lifts us above the familiar to let us experience vicariously what we cant
experience directly; a wider view. The best you can do, whether with a landscape or past, is
to represent reality: to smooth over the details, to look for larger patterns, to consider
how you can use what you see for your own purposes

The very act of representation, though, makes you feel large because you yourself are in
charge of the representation. Historical representations therefore leaves you, with a
simultaneous sense of your own significance and insignificance.

Like Friedrichs wanderer, you dominate a landscape even as youre diminished by it. But
what if weve got that wrong, and theyre actually facing the future? The fog, the mist,
the unfathomability, would be much the same in either direction.

As you can see I write a lot of bs about not very much when Im tipsy (so I highlighted the
mostly relevant parts) but ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that all representations
are subjective, deliberate and constructed to serve a purpose. Representations are fluid and
slippery but also what allows us, as responders, to derive meaning from something. Its what
composers use to communicate with their audience. The significance of all this is, BECAUSE
representations are perpetually changing is why SO MANY DIFFERENT, COMPETING
REPRESENTATIONS can exist in the first place and the reason why they differ is because of
a composers purpose. That is what lies at the heart of the module. Since in the postmodern
world, there is no such thing as an objective truth, the way we access the past is through
representations.
II. Context

For WWWT, the most important thing to remember it is non-fiction and Reynolds kinda
writes about his context BUT there is a broader historiographical context that influences his
writing. Basically, if you are arguing about the Mabo & Wik Decision, youre context should
NOT be the Mabo & Wik decisions itself because Reynolds LITERALLY writes about that in
his text. You dont need to know thaaat much but heres the general gist you should know;

Historiographical Context Reynolds is a historian and he is inevitably influenced by his

context despite attempts at objectivity and whatnot. Reynolds blending of the memoir form
and a historical text has him scrutinise how he has been influenced by his own context. What
you want to look at is the revisionist historiography movement. In the 1970s, the
democratisation of education, archives being made public, the proliferation of new sources
and availability of evidence has spearheaded a global, historiographical movement where
historians have started to revise orthodox interpretations of history. For example, the idea that
the Nazi regime had total and utter control over Germany and was a monolithic organisation
got completely shattered by interpretations that Nazi regime was in fact a fractured, polycratic
bureaucracy. Most obviously in WWWT is the idea that peaceful settlement was in fact an
invasion.

The Revisionist movement was further influenced by Marxist movements and the rise of
history from below. Traditionally, history was told from above and focused on important
statesmen and people who actually mattered and wielded power. With more people entering
university (god bless Gough Whitlam) and in particular minorities eg gays, blacks, asians
(anyone but whites), there was more interest about the stories of others which were neglected
in mainstream history.

Now specifically to Australia, the revisionist historiographical movements saw the rise of the
History Wars (thats an actual historical term, use it) which saw two, competing versions of
history: the black armband and white blindfold. Politically, PM Paul Keating represented
the black armband and Howard the white blindfold and historiographically it was
Reynolds vs my favourite Keith Windschuttle (lmao itd be very kind of me to call
Windschutles book actually history or even revisionist history when its just blatant history
denial).

Recommended readings: Winstons history extension major work. Hes the real expert on this
!!! Harass him for more detail.

Political Context Keeping it short here, the reconciliation movement of the 1990s.
III. Arguments

Politics: The distribution and enforcement of power

For WWWT, the two broadest, most commonly used and the best arguments is

A. The political misrepresentation of history

I think the most confusing thing about the idea of representations here is WHICH
BLOODY REPRESENTATIONS AM I TALKING ABOUT? REYNOLDS or the
GOVTs???? I think of it this way, there is
firstly, the governments representation of
history which tries to expunge the populace
of any form of guilt so they dont have to
shoulder culpability and responsibility for the
racists actions of their predecessors
(representation - impact on the people -
purpose). Secondly, there is Reynolds
criticism of the governments representation
of history with his OWN representation of
history, which seeks to shed light on the past
and historical truth so the people are aware
because once aware of injustice, Reynolds
reckon they will act. (representation -
purpose - impact of people). Now what do
you talk about in your paragraphs? Both.

In this paragraph, you establish what the misrepresentation is and its impact on people.
Youre going to have 1 focal act of misrepresentation eg frontier violence, Indigenous
incarceration, terra nullius, lack of legal recognition, diminishing of Indigenous
contributions to Australian society etc.. Then you gotta show how Reynolds criticises the
misrepresentation with his own representations and then that impact on the people. Then
tie up your analysis with my representations are significant.

B. The transformative power of knowledge to catalyse social change

By using his personal experience as a model to progress from ignorance to understanding,

Reynolds says you too can gain knowledge. Choose 1-2 anecdotes about what triggered
his shift and explain why it triggered the shift eg confronting, self-awareness etc Then
 through historical research/ the Laws capacity to override legal precedents due to the
gaining of knowledge, it inspires individuals to take action against injustice. Wax lyrical a
bit about the power of representations and how it has the capacity to both empower and
also disempower individuals. Just make sure for this paragraph you are still engaging with
the ideas of representations. Here I reckon you can also analyse the form and medium of
WWWT and how this also feeds into Reynolds representation of the text as a
well-researched, accurate and academic book, which gives his ideas credibility.

I think a lot of these ideas are very intuitive and the two paragraphs work very well
together in terms of having a flow on effect. So I find with Mod C, the distinguisher
comes in the form of the related text and how you write analysis.

IV. Related Texts

Related texts are actually quite important and the quality and sophistication of your essay
could be very limited with poor related text choice. Here is a related checklist:

a) Choose a text with literary criticism and a very rich context it is VERY hard to write
good quality analysis off the top of your head. So choose a text which is critically
acclaimed and other people have done lots of writing on so you can rip off their
analysis! It also looks good to a marker when you execute a text that is KNOWN to be
very complex. There is a difference between the lazy kid who went for an easy,
obvious option such as Kevin Rudds Sorry Speech (sorry all you guys who did it.
Change it) and someone who did Stanley Kubricks Doctor Strangelove. Kubricks
Doctor Strangelove also has a very specific context being the Cold War so you can
draw upon so much more interesting analysis that really elevates the quality of your
essay. One of my litmus tests is, if you studied the text in any of the earlier years,
dont use it as a related eg To Kill a Mockingbird or Animal Farm. Yr 9s can analyse
those books, youre in yr 12 now.

b) You dont need a text on race politics I see a related text as the place to be as damn
extra as possible. It is easy to read WWWT and then find a related text on Rudds
Sorry Speech, a Martin Luther King or Malcolm X speech or Stan Grants book. Fair
choices and its 100% easier to analyse a text with similar ideas but I think it is here
where you lack scope. In your WWWT paragraphs youve already shown me how you
can analyse the way politics manifests in race conflicts. What could be more effective
is if you show the marker than you can ALSO analyse how politics and
representations influence say politics on gender or a nations collective identity. I
think this is a really good opportunity to choose a text that you are actually interested
in because POLITICS is so broad. Then you synthesise these two very different
 focuses and go I KNOW MY STUFF. If youre too cbbs changing your related text
cos its already about race relations, that is still OK (but please dont do Australian
history, its just lazy man)

c) Dont use a Mod C Warhorse This is the Mod C version of Orwells Shooting an
Elephant for Tempest or Hemingways Old Man and the Sea for Gray. For WWWT,
this involves texts like Kevin Rudds Sorry Speech, Stan Grants stuff, Martin Luther
Kings I Dreamed a Dream. Its too common, its boring and it looks like you didnt
even try to find a related AND because 50 other people in the state are probably also
using this, there is greater room for comparison and maybe some English God will
analyse it far better than you. Dont be basic.

Heres a few suggestions for related texts (all of which I have read/seen so I say they work)!

The Natural War of Things, Charlotte Wood (novel)

War of Foxes, Richard Siken (anthology of poems)
Ballot of the Bullet, Malcolm X (speech)
Brandenburg Gate, Ronald Reagan (speech)
Masculin-Feminin, Jean Luc Godard (film)
Patriotism, Yukio Mishima (novel)
Doctor Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick (film)
The Kings Speech, Tom Hooper (film)
A History of the English-Speaking people, Winston Churchill (non-fiction)

Also remember, 2 related texts could be asked so have a painting or something up your
sleeve!

V. Writing good analysis

Once again, this is another distinguisher between essays and I think there are a few reasons
for that.

a) Use good verbs Youre never going to write Reynolds purpose is to so you need
to imply it with purposeful verbs. Just make a list and substitute where necessary eg
denounce, criticise, advocate, espouse etc

b) Linking back to people and politics Heres the big one. I feel a lot of people leave
their analysis hanging. Like they have a cause and effect but no link to the concerns of
the module so it just sounds like a close reading of WWWT. Compare the Pair!
 The colloquialism (technique) in it was just the way things were done up north
(example) reveals a passive acceptance with racism. (effect)

vs

The colloquialism (technique) in it was just the way things were done up north
(example) exposes a passive acceptance and contentment with systemic racism and
racial servitude (effect) to the extent these issues have become normalised in
Australias sociopolitical fabric. (link to people and politics)

A lot of you tend to stop at the first example because it still holds the semblance of
being analysis, its just rather basic analysis where I can read the quote and think no
crap. This means using more words and cutting more examples but you need to
ensure the quality of your analysis. ALWAYS SHOW THE IMPACT OF
REPRESENTATIONS ON BROADER SOCIETY.

Perhaps you think example 2 is long winded and you can cut out the section of
contentment with systemic racism and racial servitude but ultimately, it adds that
extra layer of nuance which IMPLIES that society WILLINGLY ignores these
injustices and thereby shifts culpability onto the people.

c) Making interesting insights into the text In every essay I write, I always include my
personal response to the text. What is significant about WWWT, why do I appreciate
the text, what do I think makes the text aesthetic? So yea, this tends to be my last or
2nd last negligible example but it just distinguishes you from everyone who just wrote
black people are being oppressed and it sucks. (if only they could read it q----q )

VI. Answering Questions

Since the module hasnt been around for a long time, I cant really break down the different
questions and different approaches so Im just going to reiterate what I said in Mod A, when
you answer the question, mimic the syntax.
W. H. Auden Poems

I. Context

It is crucial to integrate context within not only your core paragraphs but the related
paragraphs too. It is obviously a lot stronger to use a novel or film, please do not use a
painting or cartoon as a full related text because unless you analyse it perfectly.

Your related does not need to be based on real political events or figures, the representation
can be of a fictional political structure. The idea of politics has so many different ideas you
can explore. Personally for Auden, I think doing September and Unknown Citizen is wise
because you have two distinct ideas to explore, which are rich in context. September in
particular invites possible discussion of the Treaty of Versailles, American isolationism,
British and French appeasement policies, which all led to the invasion of Poland. This context
is what influences Audens purpose, which is essential to analysing what he represents. For
Unknown Citizen, the context is not as rich and easy to integrate, but the influence of
consumerism, propaganda and the economic landscape of 1930s America should be
considered.

II. Key Points in the Poems

TOPIC SENTENCES Topic sentences need to first and foremost discuss the PURPOSE of
Auden. For example, a topic sentence for September might be:

In September 1 1939, Auden condemns how political inaction allows for the perpetuation
of political extremism and warns this may lead to a loss of freedom in wider society.

EXAMPLES Choose examples that form a progressive

argument which explore different aspects of the composers
representation, avoid being too zoned in on one part of the
poem. You cant effectively discuss how Audens
representation warns of the consequences of political
inaction, without first analysing how Auden represents this
inaction by Americans in the first place. Tone for a
poem/novel are important to consider as they are direct
reflections of the composer, eg. Audens scathing tone
condemns political inaction (here you are already
addressing the composers actual purpose and perspective).
 THE HOW A lot of people in their analysis have been criticised for using
techniques/examples that are good choices, but fail to correctly analyse what the technique
and example actually SHOW about the composers purpose. Always discuss how the
techniques the composer employs have been used to construct the representation and how this
links to their purpose. For example for poetry:

Vivid imagery or verisimilitude can be used by composers to construct a clear vision the
composer sees, which is shared with the audience. In this way imagery is used to
manipulate the audience to share the composers sentiments

Avoid analysing rhyme schemes, meter, couplets etc unless you are certain that you are
correct in identifying them and also confident that your analysis makes sense. Dont just use
a technique for the sake of using it, which is a trap a lot of people fall into.

III. Related Text

Your related text should obviously have

clear similarities to your core poems and
importantly, do not do another poem. This is
because you have to show how various
textual forms and their media of
production offer different versions and
perspectives for a range of audiences and
purposes, so if possible you should also
discuss how form affects the representation.

For example a film is fantastic to do because

every scene, shot, frame, arrangement,
segment of dialogue and more have been
deliberately chosen by the film-maker to suit
their purpose. Direct parallels dont need to
be evident in your related, for example you
wouldnt need a related text that includes consumerist propaganda (Unknown Citizen) to
make links. Instead, links like both composers representing and exposing the methods of
control governments/political bodies/individuals use to warn the audience are highly effective
and adaptable to a wider range of questions.

You do not need an explicit link in your replated, as in you do not need to include an actual
example/quote from the core text in your related as a link. Personally, I think writing an
implicit link that explores the similarity between the text ideas that also attempts to
incorporate the question is the best possible synthesis you can make between a text, that also
doesnt use as many words as an explicit link.

Things to look for in a related text that work well with Auden:

Propaganda or other methods of control

Political inaction
Totalitarianism
Dictatorial rule
Judith Wright Poems
Alright, Im going to assume you went through the mammoth that was advice for Mod A & B and
are running out of steam and dreams, so Ill keep this section as short and sweet as possible.

O (ecphonesis!) Mod C, how we love you. The most neglected and discarded section, frantically
scribbled onto the page after realising you only have 25 minutes remaining. That brings me to the
first tip:

I. Consider doing a 3 paragraph structure If you know you can finish paper 2 easy game,
this doesnt apply to you. But if you seriously struggled to finish, maybe 3 paragraphs is the
best course of action. Unless you plan on shortening ALL your essays to ~900 words and/or
grow an extra pair of hands, you dont want to end up in the HSC and have to cut quotes out
to finish mod c. Structurally it works a bit like this:

A. Intro same old, same old

B. BP1: Wright poem. Clear, concise topic
sentence with strong action verb. ~4-5
quotes + corresponding analysis.
C. BP2: Your related of choice. Topic sentence
again, with link to Wright. ~5-6 quotes +
corresponding analysis. 1 explicit link to
Wright poem. 1 implicit link to Wright
poem.
D. BP3: Different Wright poem (write on 2).
Topic sentence. ~4-5 quotes + analysis. 1
explicit link to related. 1 implicit link to
related.
E. Conclusion: Pray that it is legible.

If you choose to write four paragraphs, its the same structure as your mod a essay.

II. USE SOME POWERFUL WORDS This module is about representing people and
landscapes. That is, how composers view the relationship between people and landscapes, and
how this translates to us as an audience. A huge component of this basically Wright telling us
how she feels about the landscapes significance. What you need to do to make mod c, well,
mod c, then is:
 Use strong action verb in topic sentence and throughout paragraph. i.e. Wright applauds
the regenerative powers of the Australian landscape.
Use represents and/or representation somewhere in each of your paragraphs. i.e.
Wrights representation of the Australian landscape as hungry reveal the personas
motivations behind her debilitating fear of exposure to the foreign environment
Say Wright positions responders to each paragraph.
Make sure youre talking about PEOPLE somewhere, not just LANDSCAPE and all that
fluffy stuff, because it is a module about the relationship between the two.

III. Context Has to be factual, always. Your context should be:

A. About the composers background. This is especially good because it provides insight into
why Wright chooses to represent landscapes and people in a certain manner. e.g. her
pastoralist background is a connection to England that tears her between loyalty to her
home country and love for Australia.

B. About the composers own life. This is good to make a connection between her views and
how this translates to her own life. e.g. Wright establishing the Wildlife Preservation
Society, reflects her desire to address the increasing destruction of the natural
environment and promote community-based conservationist ideals.

C. About what is happening in the country (i.e. Australia) at the time. This explains why
Wright feels that change is needed, and influences her representation of people and their
connection to the Australian landscape. Anything relating to Indigenous Australian policy
is good here because of its relevance to Wrights poetry. e.g. the Queensland Aborigines
Act (1971), White Australia Policy, Immigration Restriction Act (1901), mining booms in
the 1890-1900s.

Note: When writing about Wright, its good to include some context in your analysis as a link
to why she represents people or the landscape a certain way. e.g. You can talk about how she
views individual identity as continuous with the Australian land, and link this to the
Indigenous mentality that the land is the core of all spirituality. Another example is in flame
tree, where the destruction of the environment can be linked to mining. These links between
Wrights context and her work strengthens your argument and fulfils the criteria where you
have to discuss representations of peoples experience of particular landscapes and their
significance for the individual or society more broadly.
IV. Answering the bloody question When you have 25 mins to go, youre probably tempted to
just spit out your rote learned essay. *insert fail buzzer sound* You lose and your markers
snooze. You want to prepare so that this doesnt happen. P&L has only been going on for the
past 2 years so we have a woefully short supply of sample questions to use.

2015 HSC
Experiences of landscape may be diverse, but the influence on identity is always profound.
Evaluate this statement with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related
text of your own choosing.

2016 HSC
An individuals perception of landscape is intrinsically linked to the past.
To what extent is this view represented in your prescribed text and ONE other related text of
your own choosing?

A. First things first, Mayers basically said theyll never ask you to write on one specific
poem so hallelujah.

B. Look at the questions above (and any other questions you can get your hands on from
other schools). Do the two poems that you wrote on in the trials work?
With identity kind of questions (2015 HSC):
For New England: personal identity suspended between English and Australian
heritage.
Hawthorn Hedge: personas identity is not influenced by rejuvenating nature of
Australian landscape, resulting in a closed off, narrow minded mentality (link to
context).
South of My Days: role of memory in perpetuating the Australian identity.
Flame Tree: identity is not a strong theme in this poem, may be best not to write
on it.
With perceptions of landscape linked to the past questions (2016 HSC)
FNE: wrights identity is linked to her past (England) and present (Australia) and
hence shapes how she views the landscape
South of My Days: role of the past/memories of the past in shaping and
perpetuating the Australian identity.
Flame tree: not a strong link to question.
Hawthorn Hedge: personas reliance on the past and fear of the unknown shapes
her refusal to accept and integrate with the Australian landscape (this is a weak
link, best to use FNE/SOMD instead).
C. So although they wont ask you to write on one specific poem, some poems dont work
with the question. If your poems dont work, you really should write a back-up paragraph
(as you can see above, not all poems have a strong link with the questions values).

Ive found that the most versatile poems are For New England and South of My Days.

Note: When youre answering the question, analyse your quotes holistically, dont just use
one word, take it out of context and force your poem to answer the question. The strongest
argument stems from looking at the big picture of the poem, and choosing more substantial
quotes and techniques (e.g. extended metaphors, caesuras, allusions) that support what you
are saying. Hence, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of preparing for ALL potential
questions by preparing 3 poems that are a little different in each of their arguments.