Text Response can be difficult because there are many different aspects of the text you need to discuss in an intellectual and sophisticated manner. The key points you need to include are stated in the VCAA Text Response criteria as shown below: Given the two narrative threads, then, it’s undoubtedly the lives of Claire, Mireille and Vivienne and their growing involvement in the French Resistance that proves the strongest. Inspired by the courageous, real-life stories of women in the Special Operations Executive and written with such care and attention to detail, the wartime experiences of these three women are as harrowing as they are admirable, and even though the very set-up of the novel detracts from some of the tension, the story never fails to grip you, and propels the reader onwards. When it comes to the debate surrounding the texts you study, you need to remember that the interpretation of the author is only one part of the debate. It is an opinion equal to everyone else involved in the debate. Imagine the author is on trial. They may have an opinion of the crime (or text), but so does the prosecution. You are the jury and must come up with your own interpretation of the crime. Whether it matches up with the author’s intentions or not does not matter, as long as there is supporting evidence within the text. Context in VCE English

Both Sergeant Farrat and Proctor are motivated by their remorse to make amends. Proctor’s evasion of ‘tearing the paper’ and finding ‘his goodness’ is motivated by his desire to atone for his sin (having committed adultery with Abigail), and Sergeant regretted sending Tilly away. He, in his eulogy, says ‘if you had included [Tilly], Teddy would have always been with us’, expressing his regret for the ways outcasts are treated in Dungatar. Similarly, Teddy McSwiney also has a pure relationship with Tilly and treats her differently instead of judging her based on the rumours about her being a ‘murderess’.

4. Sample Essay Topics

One of the golden rules of A+ essay writing is to understand that everything contained within the text is seen to be a deliberate choice by the author. With this in mind, we can start considering how Polley’s choice to include certain snippets or position footage in a particular way highlights her views. Views

As the women saw the evidence of Tilly’s skill, they were bemused. But they also wanted to own beautiful dresses and so the competition to be the best dressed began. Rivalry and resentment were rife in the town – whatever would happen next? We’re going to skip Step 2: Brainstorm today, but if you’re familiar with LSG teachings, including the THINK and EXECUTE strategy discussed in my How To Write A Killer Text Response ebook, then you’ll be good for this part. as a self-reflective memoir following the journey of Sarah finding her father and gaining a more mature understanding of her mother, or; Our clearest indication that Dungatar is not only traditionalistic, but absolutely reviles change and outside influence, is right at the start of the novel, when a train conductor laments that there’s “naught that’s poetic about damn [progress].” Here, we see the overriding contention of Rosalie Ham’s novel - that because a community like Dungatar has been isolated for so long, it has become absolutely committed to maintaining its traditionalism at all costs. There are more symbolic reflections of how stagnant the town has become, such as the fact that Evan Pettyman, the town’s elected Councillor, has been in the role for multiple decades without fail - or that the same teacher who ostracised Tilly as a child, Prudence Dimm, is still in charge of the town’s school. Social Class Modified Video Transcription] Compare the ways in which outcasts are treated in The Crucible and The Dressmaker.Microcosm - a community, place or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger. While Polley undoubtedly utilises Stories We Tell to express her views on truth and storytelling, fundamentally it remains a story of the Polley family, and what holds it together. The narrative begins with the ‘storytellers’ providing loving, yet somewhat conflicting recollections of Diane as Polley seeks to understand who she was. Family members buoyantly describe her as “infectious” and “enthusiastic”, while friends paint a more mysterious picture of Diane as a “woman of secrets”, alluding to her alleged infidelity. The closeness of the Polley family is evident throughout their discussion of Diane’s first marriage, universally criticising the outcome of the court case in which she was labeled “ unrepentant” for “ allow[ing] her desire for a career to overtop her “domestic duties” - resulting in Diane losing custody of John and Susy, which proved to be a major strain on Diane and the family. The disconnect you feel between yourself and the teacher is not just because your teacher is stretching for something to analyse. Whilst the author may have meant something different to what your teacher thinks, this doesn’t mean your teacher is strictly wrong. Context and the author’s intention are two complicated considerations in English, and a whole range of study is dedicated to it. At the VCE level you must consider the context your text was written in, and the author who wrote it, but this shouldn’t hinder your own unique interpretation of the text. What’s the point of having a law enforcer if he enforces the law according to himself, not the legal law?” Would recommend? Yes, you may like it better than me... I have a feeling this is one that won't stay with me. I don't regret reading it (and thank you again to my Goodreads Secret Santa!), just wish I had liked it better.

Without further ado, let’s get into it! ‍ ‘In All the Light We Cannot See there is a fine line between civilised and uncivilised behaviour.’ Discuss. THINK Step 1: Analyse While she hems in any improper passions Rita might possess, Nellie lets her own suppressed longings surface when she gets out her dressmaker’s dummy. She handles the dummy lovingly, even “coquettishly, holding it in her arms like a dancing partner, […] stroking the material down over the stuffed breast.” Outlining the fact that Diane was not considered “ladylike”, Polley sardonically ridicules the “controlling” nature of such rigid gender stereotypes and their effect on Diane losing her children - exhibiting her desire to empower her female audience to “save [themselves]” from similar situations and “ma[ke] a choice to live.” Does the author encourage us to support the morals and opinions displayed by the characters or those supported in that setting/time?Also discuss Giles Corey’s death and the significance of his punishment as the stones that are laid on his chest can be argued to symbolise the weight of authority