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VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: Tyleralp1 on November 17, 2013, 04:51:08 pm

Title: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: Tyleralp1 on November 17, 2013, 04:51:08 pm
I was wondering, say if the topic for the Essay was something along the lines of "The film shows how an individual can overcome a corrupt system. Discuss", would you be able to disagree with it and say as part of your contention in your introduction:

"...Instead, The Shawshank Redemption is rather a film which outlines the institutionalisation of prisoners"?

Cheers!
Tyler
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: MJRomeo81 on November 17, 2013, 05:13:23 pm
You can definitely disagree with the prompt and state that in your contention.

I think your counterargument is slightly off topic and not directly answering the prompt. The key words in the prompt are "individual" and "corrupt system". Institutionalisation is certainly relevant to the context of the film, but personally if I received this prompt I would be laughing.

That prompt is an invitation to write three solid paragraphs about Andy's story.
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: Eugenet17 on November 17, 2013, 05:30:10 pm
I think it's best to agree and disagree, for example, some prisoners succumb to the hard power of the guards (disagree), yet Andy gains power and overcomes the institution through his knowledge etc (agree). It shows you have a good understanding of complex aspects of the text i feel :)
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: Yacoubb on November 17, 2013, 06:25:28 pm
I was wondering, say if the topic for the Essay was something along the lines of "The film shows how an individual can overcome a corrupt system. Discuss", would you be able to disagree with it and say as part of your contention in your introduction:

"...Instead, The Shawshank Redemption is rather a film which outlines the institutionalisation of prisoners"?

Cheers!
Tyler

Agree and disagree; a good expository piece is one that covers both arguments. This shows assessors that you really are analysing a particular prompt.
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: zvezda on November 20, 2013, 10:26:34 am
I was wondering, say if the topic for the Essay was something along the lines of "The film shows how an individual can overcome a corrupt system. Discuss", would you be able to disagree with it and say as part of your contention in your introduction:

"...Instead, The Shawshank Redemption is rather a film which outlines the institutionalisation of prisoners"?

Cheers!
Tyler

If you used a direct antomyn to the key words of the prompt as outlined by mjromeo, then thats fine
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: meganrobyn on November 20, 2013, 11:20:23 am
I agree with Yacoubb - ONLY disagreeing often feels like you want to avoid the topic and write a different essay. I think devoting your first paragraph to agreement and then two or three to disagreement reads better.
Title: Re: Question Regarding Agreeing with Essay Topic
Post by: Tasmania Jones on November 20, 2013, 04:25:49 pm
I think your contention is too different from the topic, especially with a 'discuss' question. Personally, if I wanted to disagree I would explain how an individual cannot overcome a corrupt system or take both sides.