The Lieutenant

[kc321]

‘Rooke said nothing more. There was a question forming in the back of his mind, which he did not want to hear. It was: What would I have done in the same place?’
As Rooke struggles with the notion that complicity with violence is as immoral as carrying out the violence oneself, Grenville postulates that individual morality is a superior characteristic than loyalty to country. Discuss.

Hi everyone. Above is my essay topic. I am having trouble breaking it down into discussion points. Could you please help me what topics I could base my four paragraphs on? Thanks so much.

[OZLexico]

It will be useful to plan what you are going to write.  Identify the location of the quote if you can - otherwise comment on what it reveals about the essay topic itself.  This particular quote is in the scene where Gardiner berates himself for his part in the kidnapping of the two indigenous men.  This is one of several examples where Rooke questions the distinctions between 'individual morality' and 'loyalty to country.'  Find some synonyms to use for these phrases (to avoid repetition)  and check your text to find examples to connect to these two ideas.  The essay question is asking you to discuss Grenville's position - is individual morality shown to be superior/more admirable than loyalty to one's country.   Where's the proof from the text?  How does Grenviille develop this idea? You could focus on the range of Rooke's gradual disenchantment and disengagement with mlitary and political structures (that leads to his role in the anti slavery movement) along with discussion around characters like Silk and the connection between loyalty and ambition as well as acceptance of violence and exploitation.   

[kc321]

Thank-you very much. The feedback helped me a lot to understand exactly what the prompt is asking. Below is an introduction that i have written and a brief outline of my body paragraphs. Would appreciate your feedback as to whether i am on the right track with it and whether i am addressing the topic directly. Thanks again.

Introduction:
Kate Grenville’s, The Lieutenant, uses eighteenth century New South Wales, a time of invasion, violence and cultural conflict to explore the responses of a range of characters when their personal ethics conflict with their devotion to their country. While implying the superiority of individual morality over loyalty to country, Grenville presents how self-interest and the forbidding consequences of disobedience cause the lines to blur. When Lieutenant Gardiner confides to Lieutenant Rooke that he deeply regrets following an order from the Governor to kidnap two Cadigal men against their will, Rooke attempts to comfort Gardiner, claiming that he did his duty in the kindest way possible. ‘Rooke said nothing more. There was a question forming in the back of his mind, which he did not want to hear. It was: What would I have done in the same place?’ This moment lays the foundations for Rooke’s struggle with the notion that even if he is just a small part of a whole, he is responsible for the things that the whole does. Perpetually torn between his moral intuitions and his obligations and duty as a Lieutenant, Rooke’s friendship with Tagaran and the Cadigal people and his strong moral compass help him to choose a humanitarian stance above compliance with the imperialistic violence of the British Empire.

Paragraphs:
One body paragraph on how the consequences of disobedience prevent characters from making a stand against whats evil, one on self-interest/ambition and how it prevents characters from making the right moral decisions and how Grenville presents this as inferior, one on the significance of conscience and friendships in choosing morality, and one on Daniel Rooke's final decision in which he chooses morality over duty.

[OZLexico]

Hi Again,  I think your introduction is quite good but a little too long.  Your ideas for your main points also look pretty good.  As your discussion of the topic develops you will need to be more specific about the use of terms like "morality" and "moral choice"  so make sure you've got some other phrases you can use to clarify exactly what is meant.  I've attached some brief comments on your Introduction and your list of proposed main points.