Week 9 Main Task – Teacher Assessment

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The imagery from the natural elements serves to emphasize the sense of helplessness and
vulnerability of the characters and how the themes symbolism, foreshadowing and imagery are used
and also how it makes an unsettling mood in the novel. The novel has a very unknown feel around it,
as Lindsay likes to fall back this mystery/ ‘the mystery of the unknown’. A fascinating example of the
unknown could be when Mrs McCraw went missing, “French lady seemed very upset and asked me
if I had noticed Miss McCraw walking away from the camp, which I had not”. Right before this the
girls also went missing. This where the power of nature plays a role in the Novel. There is something
unknown going on around in the area/nature of the rock and it holds power that is unforeseen. This
also Foreshadows what is to come in the later chapters.

“Once again let me remind you that the Rock itself is extremely dangerous and you are therefore
forbidden to engage in any tomboy foolishness in the matter of exploration.” In Chapter 1 the
Author, Lindsay, implies that the Hanging Rock is not an ordinary school picnic and emphasizes its
power with words such as dangerous which also foreshadows on what is to come in the book. Mrs.
Appleyard also highlights that the girls should not ‘engage in any tomboy foolishness’ which further
stresses the theme of nature and how the Rock is a sacred where a lot of supernatural things
happen. This symbolizes how the rock is and how it symbolizes the power and historical aspect of it.

Lindsay has written Picnic at Hanging rock in a way such that it becomes a very fascinating novel
which strives of imagery. Many quotes in the book help in acknowledging this idea, An example of
this could be the quote: “A portion of the delicate mechanism of the brain appeared to be
irrevocably damaged.” She uses phrases such as ‘delicate mechanism of the brain’ that use imagery
to put the image into perspective to the reader. Lindsay strives in this aspect of her novel and used
imagery in countless number of occasions.

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