English Advanced Question Thread

[Potatohater]

Hey there! Doing a play for a related text is 100% okay! I have no recommendation against this whatsoever. Plays are just as good of an other related text candidate as any other text type

I haven't started module C (landscapes) yet but since both my Australain theatre texts are set in both real and remebered landscapes could these be potential ORTs even though they are on the HSC list?

As a side note: What is it that makes you hate the most versatile vegetable? I love potatoes!

I find them bland, mushy and disgusting, it's the one food I don't eat and don't really understand why everyone else likes them, but I'll accept that most people love them.

[elysepopplewell]

I haven't started module C (landscapes) yet but since both my Australain theatre texts are set in both real and remebered landscapes could these be potential ORTs even though they are on the HSC list?
I find them bland, mushy and disgusting, it's the one food I don't eat and don't really understand why everyone else likes them, but I'll accept that most people love them.

Yes you definitely could use those texts! I cannot see any qualms there.

I wonder if your opinion would change if you had a really crispy, potato scallop?

[Potatohater]

I wonder if your opinion would change if you had a really crispy, potato scallop?

Mmm maybe, since that eliminates the texture factor, I guess I'll need to try one to see.
Also, thanks for your help 

[KeelzeyMac]

Hello!
So I've found (in my opinion) a good related text for my Mod C prescribed text which is Dir. Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog. The related text is an autobiographical memoir called Persepolis, which follows a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It's presented as a black and white graphic novel. I can make some strong thematic links between the two, but the problem I have is figuring out how to effectively analyse a graphic novel. I assumed it would be similar to analysing a visual text, but I'm having a bit of trouble seeing how I could link this to the quotes I'd like to use. So, how would you analyse a graphic novel as a related text? Thanks in advance!

(This is my first time trying out the AtarNotes forums, so apologies if I've accidentally replied/ commented in the wrong place! )

[elysepopplewell]

Hello!
So I've found (in my opinion) a good related text for my Mod C prescribed text which is Dir. Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog. The related text is an autobiographical memoir called Persepolis, which follows a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It's presented as a black and white graphic novel. I can make some strong thematic links between the two, but the problem I have is figuring out how to effectively analyse a graphic novel. I assumed it would be similar to analysing a visual text, but I'm having a bit of trouble seeing how I could link this to the quotes I'd like to use. So, how would you analyse a graphic novel as a related text? Thanks in advance!

(This is my first time trying out the AtarNotes forums, so apologies if I've accidentally replied/ commented in the wrong place! )

Hello and welcome to the forums! You are 100% in the right spot
Okay, so graphic novels mean that you will talk about a bunch of visual as well as textual techniques. Visual techniques you might look at include: colour, size, lines (thickness/angles/prominence), facial expressions, artistic style, framing, and maybe symbolism. When you talk about the literary techniques, you can always talk about the way they compound with the visual techniques, how they work together. It doesn't just need to be dealt with in isolation when, in fact, your analysis is probably stronger when you're engaging with both simultaneously. Does this help? If you have more questions please post back!

[NESA]

Hey, I'm just a current student so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I'm guessing from your text that you're doing People and Politics? I'm doing the same, so hopefully I can be of some help 

I think this is a good line to run, but markers will really reward it if you can condense it down a bit and you'll have more time to dedicate to your analysis. People and Politics almost always requires you to identify the political comment the author is trying to make, and crucially, how they represent this. You have both of these elements (racial politics/prejudice + novels as a textual form), however they're raised separately as two different sentences. If you can make a succinct topic sentence that combines them you'll be absolutely ace.

To combine these elements, consider basing your analysis around characters and characterisation, as A) your analysis is based around characters already (Bob Ewell and Atticus Finch), and B) characterisation and the representation of characters is an aspect of novels as a form. You can also add depth by bringing context into your argument.

Your current topic sentence very clearly alludes to the rubric, but you'd save space and make your essay more accessible to exhausted exam markers if you nod to it by weaving it into your argument and analysis. Try to strike a balance between subtlety and an unmistakable reference to the focus of the module.

So, something like: "In Harper Lee's 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the racial politics and prejudice of civil-rights era America is represented in the portrayal and interaction of the novel's characters" could tighten your topic sentence. If you wanted to run a different form argument altogether, you could say that the 1930s southern USA setting is used to stage Lee's 1960s civil-rights era commentary on racial politics.

That said, I'm basing my advice solely off what teachers at my school have told me, so if your teachers say you should be doing anything in a specific way, that's the way to go.

Thank you so much for all your help! I really appreciate it!

[eyw00400]

Hi! I've asked before but does anyone has some good advice on integrating and articulating the importance
of dramatic techniques and contextual values for Hamlet? I'm struggling to write these aspects in my essay
as well as my analysis .

[elysepopplewell]

Hi! I've asked before but does anyone has some good advice on integrating and articulating the importance
of dramatic techniques and contextual values for Hamlet? I'm struggling to write these aspects in my essay
as well as my analysis .

I suppose for me, it comes to mind that the fact that Hamlet was even a dramatic play is because of context. It makes perfect sense that a play was used to express such a story, given the economic situation, the resources at hand, and the demographics of the audience. I wrote about the exact link between dramatic techniques and context in my Module A Richard III essay here which might inspire you to discuss dramatic techniques as a direct response to, but also a product of, context
Sorry we must have missed your question earlier!

[Pidiare]

Hello all,

For essays, do you think its best to write integrated paragraphs for all paragraphs in every Module or would you alternate?

Thank you in advance!

[maria1999]

hey guys
This is the stupidest post ever but could someone post a link to where I could find the rubric for all the modules? I've tried going on BOSTES or NESA but I don't think I'm looking at the right thing. Thank you!

[Potatohater]

Can't remeber where I found it exactly but I found the whole English syllabus and downloaded it, I would attatch it for you but can't work out how, I'm pretty sure it was on the BOSTES website, called 'English stage 6 syllabus' and is from 2009/10 onwards
I really hope that gave you some help or direction

[eyw00400]

I suppose for me, it comes to mind that the fact that Hamlet was even a dramatic play is because of context. It makes perfect sense that a play was used to express such a story, given the economic situation, the resources at hand, and the demographics of the audience. I wrote about the exact link between dramatic techniques and context in my Module A Richard III essay here which might inspire you to discuss dramatic techniques as a direct response to, but also a product of, context


Sorry we must have missed your question earlier!

Thank you so much!!

[maria1999]

Can't remeber where I found it exactly but I found the whole English syllabus and downloaded it, I would attatch it for you but can't work out how, I'm pretty sure it was on the BOSTES website, called 'English stage 6 syllabus' and is from 2009/10 onwards
I really hope that gave you some help or direction

why didn't I think of downloading the syllabus? hahaha thank you so much!

[Emerald_99]

"But this rough magic/ I here abjure" "I'll break my staff,/ Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,/ And deeper than did ever plummet sound/ I'll drown my book." This is what prospero says when he give up his magic in the tempest, can someone please help with techniques and analysis! All I've got is that its said in soliloquy

[Sukakadonkadonk]

Hey,
In terms of Brave New World and my related V for Vendetta, how could I approach the question that
"All representations are acts of manipulation"?

Thanks.