ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English Studies => Topic started by: MNM101 on May 10, 2014, 12:08:23 pm

Title: English essay help
Post by: MNM101 on May 10, 2014, 12:08:23 pm
"It is through alienation that people struggle in mainstream society with their individual identities. "
I already got 1 idea where individuals don't possess certain characteristics or qualities they are automatically excluded leading to struggles with their individual identity... But I got kind if blank after that, anyone have any ideas on what other point can be further explained,
Also it's an expository 😔
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: aqple on May 10, 2014, 12:29:40 pm
Brief ideas:
-Mental health and problems will definitely lead to conflict within one's individual identity and isolation from society
-The way in which an antagonist, one who often disagrees with societal expectations and conventions, struggles to understand others
-Abuse, whether it be physical or emotional, can lead to one unable to express what's troubling them because of society's expectations
-Introversion is a characteristic that often leads one to become alienated in an extroverted world
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: hannahroseillia on May 10, 2014, 04:21:11 pm
Try reaching the ideas they user above has suggested, specifically gather statistics or articles that you can refer to and discuss in your essay. If you are responding to a text keep in mind you need to discuss internal and external evidence. Use a large range of sources and do an extensive search of websites. Not give up if it hard keep pushing to get it done.

This was a bit off subject but I hope my tips are able to help you in one way or another, enjoy.
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: hannahroseillia on May 10, 2014, 04:21:26 pm
Researching**
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: grannysmith on May 10, 2014, 07:36:53 pm
Researching**
You can edit previous posts if you haven't realised :P

Edit: Top right labelled "modify"
Title: English essay help
Post by: hannahroseillia on May 10, 2014, 08:21:52 pm
Oh, thanks! Sorry I'm really new to this.
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: walkec on May 10, 2014, 09:15:04 pm
You could also look at why people choose to escape mainstream society into another (e.g. through video gaming or day dreaming)
With video gaming especially, because you can establish relationships with others online and interact with them, and have a greater sense of control over your own identity than you do in mainstream society.

Sorry if this is confusing, but I'm actually studying Whose Reality, not Identity and Belonging, so this might be too closely linked to reality than identity.
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: MNM101 on May 11, 2014, 03:59:21 pm
Does this make sense as a topic sentence " possessing a preternatural property can lead to an individual struggling with their identity"
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: aqple on May 11, 2014, 05:02:30 pm
Does this make sense as a topic sentence " possessing a preternatural property can lead to an individual struggling with their identity"

Sounds too dramatic for the prompt you're dealing with. "Preternatural" associates more with what is beyond natural as in ghosts, spirits, etc and "property" following it sounds awkward, it's more like saying that someone has demonic-like eyes.

Instead, keep it simple, rather than making such generalised comment, you could write something about how certain characteristics of individuals cause detachment from the construct of the way we are meant to be/exceeds the expectations of society???

Hope this is helpful  :)
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: MNM101 on May 11, 2014, 06:21:40 pm
Thanks all. How would I challenge the prompt (expository)
Title: Re: English essay help
Post by: Paulrus on May 11, 2014, 07:16:23 pm
you need to challenge the prompt in a way that makes it so it doesn't look like you're forcing the prompt to mould the way you want it. you could argue 'it's also through _____ that people struggle with their identities', but that could make it feel like you're not addressing the prompt entirely and your examiner could take issue with that.

i'd say focus on challenging the 'struggle' part. you could start with something about how intentionally not fitting into the social lattice can actually lead to a stronger sense of self due to the lack of societal pressures influencing their identity, and how some people take pride in non-conformity.