Hi! I'm writing my statement on intention tomorrow and I still have no idea what you need to include in it?? Like what are we meant to justify and how much of it?? Does anyone have any advice?? Thanks!
Hey, I'm going to paste my statement of intention below. I got 10/10 for it so I hope it helps;
Using key motifs while drawing on thematic and stylistic choices made by Cate Kennedy in her collection of short stories Like a House on Fire, specifically from her stories, ‘Laminex and Mirrors’, ‘Like a House on Fire,’ ‘Static,’ ‘Ashes,’ and by making additions and slight transformations to ‘Whirlpool,’ I wrote ‘Tranquility,’ in an attempt to convey how people may feel unworthy if they do not conform to societal expectations while also aiming to show how a lack of control may affect a person. Furthermore, my piece also aims to show the audience that just because someone may “appear” happy, it does not necessarily mean they are. I integrated my story into a traditional Australian Christmas setting while taking advantage of the overly humid climate that ‘sucks the water out,’ of everybody’s body, connecting to my motif of water.
The title of my story was a simple yet effective connection to the motif of water, and is the perfect word for the protagonist to describe being surrounded by water. The ‘tranquility’ of the water is in a way that “saves” the protagonist as it serves as an escape mechanism from his real life; the water allowing him to clear his body and refresh his mind. Similar to many of Kennedy’s stories, I used a non-linear narrative structure with slight time skips between some paragraphs in an attempt to show the uncertainty the protagonist lives in, unknowing of what may change in the near future. Thematically, I explored the ‘lack of control,’ faced by the protagonist in ‘Like a House on Fire,’ and Frank in ‘Flexion.’ This ties in with the protagonist in my story, as his lack of control is shown subtly through his inner monologue and slight dialogue with his wife Victoria. This lack of control can specifically be identified by Victoria ‘ordering’ the protagonist to perform a task, along with the protagonist making suggestions only when the photographer is around. This also builds on the themes of tension in relationships as showcased in ‘Ashes,’ and ‘Like a house on fire,’ while also edging in the idea of ‘fake smiles,’ and the need to ‘look good,’ which was explored in ‘Static.’ Similar to Kennedy, I aimed to show tension between the characters through minimal dialogue between characters (a technique employed in ‘Like a House on Fire’,) and instead through actions made by the characters, which can be observed by the reader. The ideas of consumerism (Like a house on fire) and the need to ‘look good’ (Static) is also something that I slightly touched upon in my story. This was shown through the cheap bottle of red wine that was ‘ribboned’ just for the sake of it looking more expensive, along with the overly shiny tinsel that was wrapped around the Christmas tree. This, along with the aching face muscles due to lack of smiling shows how the protagonist is forced to smile even though he is not happy, which builds upon the expectations placed upon him by his wife.
Inspired by ‘Whirlpool,’ the recurring motif of water acts as a source of refreshment as well as security for the protagonist, something that “washes” his problems away. Another symbol that I incorporated into my story was a mirror, inspired by ‘Laminex and Mirrors,’ which allows the protagonist to reflect into his past for a brief moment. Drawing on Kennedy’s use of metalanguage I incorporated metaphors where necessary, while also utilizing personification, to emphasize the feelings of characters and to make the story feel more ‘lively.’
Furthermore, in a recent interview by Kennedy, she spoke about ‘the human condition,’ while emphasizing the idea that people that learn to cope should be recognized as heroes. I aimed to include these points in my piece, by briefly exploring the miniature details of the tensions in the protagonist’s relationship with his wife, whilst also showcasing some of the ways he copes with these tensions, which may allow some of the audience to view him as a ‘hero.’
The main obstacle I faced while writing my creative piece was that I found it difficult to explore all the themes thoroughly within the confines of the piece. I also found myself straying from the main messages of the story at times, which sometimes may cause the overall message of the piece to appear absent. However, despite this I was still able to comfortably convey my key ideas through the themes and recurring motifs that were present within the piece.
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