hey there!
im doing After the bomb, and im having trouble with my Waiting for Godot prac essay.
The question is:
On its first staging in 1953, a reviewer of 'Waiting for Godot' wrote 'we were waiting for this play of our time'. To what extent does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of the play? In your response engage with both the text as well as relevant socio-political and ideological standings.
Thanks in advance :)
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Hey!
As you may be familiar with if you have looked through the other English forums, English is my passion. Extension 1 English was my favourite of the English courses. This largely has to do with the fact that I studied: After the Bomb. My prescribed texts were: The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Waiting for Godot and Sylvia Plath's poetry.
However! If you didn't study After the Bomb, I'm hoping to still be useful to you. Even if I can't be helpful (never say never), your peers will be. So let's use this thread as a way of asking questions about everything general. Don't hold back if something you want to ask is text related. We are one big ATAR Notes HSC family here, so anything you ask should be answered in a friendly and open environment.
Private message me if you need, but I'd love for you to post openly here so that everyone can see the response.
Hey!
I do E1 and E2 and love both, I genuinely really enjoy both courses. I'm good at essay writing, in English Advanced I will usually get 95%-100%. However E1 essays are my downfall! I understand the themes and topics and texts but I just can't seem to get the standard of essay to get those top marks. Do you have any tips for specifically writing E1 essays? How can I practice writing for E1?
Thanks in advance :)
Hey There!!
I'm doing the After the Bomb Module too, texts being, Waiting For Godot, An Artist of the Floating World and Sylvia Plath's poetry.
I need to hand in an essay by Friday answering the question,
"In After the Bomb, composers not only critique their personal and political values but also manipulate textual forms and features in response to their times. Evaluate this statement with reference to Waiting for Godot and a text of your own choosing."
Firstly, I don't have a related text yet organised and secondly I am not too sure how I should structure my response to this question.
Should I be worried?? ???
Will appreciate any kind of help you can provide!
J
Yes! Super helpful answer. I have tried a little bit to work with integrated answers but haven't focussed on that particularly, I will now. Thanks, Brianna.
I love that you signed off with "J." That is so After the Bomb in tone haha. I love it!
Okay, should you be worried? No! Unless worrying makes you inspired to not procrastinate, in which case, yes worry! But you are so early on in the piece - no matter how crappy the essay you turn in is, you will get enough feedback to give you direction to accelerate you into the next assessment. However, you obviously want to produce work at your best level so that you receive feedback to that level.
Now, your essay question is awesome, It's so broad and it's perfect for you at this stage because you're gathering your thoughts on each text for the first time in essay form.
So, you're structure. Start with an introduction. Introduce some non-text specific ideas first - show that you know the era. This is how I started my essay (Note: This was the last ever extension 1 essay I composed, my first essay introductions looked nothing like this haha - but I'm showing you to give you an idea of how you eventually should structure your essay.)
As a response to the shift in global consciousness that occurred in the wake of the second worldwide war, composers of the after the bomb era grappled with evocative ideas. Conservative morals of political compliance, gender roles and obedience to an omniscient God that characterised common ways of thinking before the atomic bomb are challenged by the texts of the post bomb era. Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove reflect incredulity towards conservative ways of thinking and the perceived truths. Similarly, Sylvia Plath’s poetic anthology Ariel and the 1959 Kitchen Debate between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev represent opposing discourses of social importance. By drawing on common perceptions and social dichotomies, composers seek to challenge ways of thinking.
So open your introduction with non-text specific stuff. Flesh out the ways of thinking in the next sentence, then introduce your texts. Once you have an awesome introduction, you will have direction for the rest of the essay.
For your ORT? Have a look at these:
Picture book - The Wall: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis.
Film - The Lives of Others (such an intense movie, you'll be on the edge of your seat)
The Kitchen Debate between Khruschev and Nixon.
Propaganda Film - Duck and Cover
Graphic Novel - When the Wind Blows
Film - Dr Strangelove
I ended up using Dr Strangelove for my Waiting for Godot ORT. It's a very distorted, black comedy film (that I wouldn't watch for its comedic value because it's not my thing, but it's awesome for ATB in terms of new structures, satire, politics, personal). But any of the above are great. The Kitchen Debate works best with Plath's poetry.
Just take it easy, even if you sit down today and only write a killer introduction and a full essay plan - just do a paragraph each night for the week (ideally, more, so you can spend the last days editing) and you'll get through it. When you break it down like that it no longer seems to be something to worry about, does it? :) Just make a plan and stick to it. This is a great opportunity for feedback and experimentation. Use that to your advantage! :)
Thank you so much! This is a great starter for my essay!
Hi!
I'm doing ATB too and the same prescribed texts as you did.
I have to give a presentation on the topic Fear, Espionage, Propaganda and Rebels: How the World Faced the Cold War Era.
I decided to focus my presentation around how the social and political reactions to the cold war produced fear and prompted the start of a culture of Espionage, Propaganda and Rebels.
I'm using Plaths poetry but I've found it difficult to analyse and find aspects of the social and political reactions to the bomb in it. I was wondering if you have any advice on how to approach Plath in this context and more generally.
I also noticed that you used it in conjunction to the Kitchen Debate, which I'm also doing as an ORT, and I was wondering how you compared and contrasted these two texts and how you got them to work together?
Thank you :) :)
Hii there!
At the moment I'm about half way through the Prelim course and need to do a comparative essay about the values within Beowulf (the Seamus Heaney translation) and the two adapted texts of Gareth Hind's graphic novel and Robert Zemeckis' film. Not sure if you've done these texts, but any help on how to set up this extended response will be greatly appreciated!
Module: Texts, values and culture
"Gareth Hind's graphic novel 'Beowulf' and Zemeckis' 2007 film 'Beowulf' effectively engage a modern audience while retaining the cultural values and themes of the original text, the Old English poem 'Beowulf'.
Discuss with particular reference to the three battle scenes and use evidence from the text to support your answer."
Thank you! :)
Hi! I've topped English every year since Year 7, and I'm also topping English Advanced.... but Extension 1 is my downfall. I grasp all the concepts of After the Bomb, but analysin the text and discussing its meaning doesn't seem to be enough. I also need to provide not only context but contextual EVIDENCE (e.g. quotes from Adlai Stevenson or Simone de Beauvoirfor Plath) and discuss the purpose of the author (???? why is Sylvia Plath a poet??? idk why don't you ask her) and structural techniques and whatnot.
I was hoping you might be able to help me out with an essay scaffold. Traditionally, I've used PETE or PEAL or Point 1 (topic sentence, context, point, quote, analysis, conclusion) but this seems to be inadequate :/ Any help would be much appreciated!!
Hey, I do ATB and I have an essay and creative in around 4 days. Just wondering how much synthesis or integration you need for the texts. Do you need to have one narrow thesis that applies for all texts, or can you have a broader one, and then talk about every one individually. Also, for the creative, we are given the stimulus (strange I know) of a man looking across the sea. How clear does your creative have to be when linking to "after the bomb? Like I don't want to write some bs about someone looking at a Rocket, or Vietnam or something. But I'm afraid a marker might be really subjective and think my references are too subtle
P.S thanks in advance since I'm not too sure how to reply to your comments. A bit of a noob
Hey William! Don't worry, we all start as noobs :)
If you want to reply to someone, you can just do exactly what you did to post her originally, or you can click "quote" at the top of my textbox. Quoting will make a little blue box at the top of your response when it is posted so that users can see who you're talking to.
Okay, so creative first. Your creative writing needs to have direct links to the ATB period. It needs to be set in that period, or it needs to be a reflection of that period, or it needs to adapt the ways of thinking in a new setting. The bottom line is: The ways of thinking of the era have to be ridiculously clear. You seriously need to, more than anything, show that you know several ways of thinking that commonly characterised the ATB era. As for the stimulus, your stimulus incorporation doesn't need to be ATB specific in itself. I mean, you can change the person looking across the sea to simply be your main character. You don't need to make a metaphor of the sea. But, if you want to, you can. If you don't want to change the story you have planned, your best bet is to make the stimulus metaphorical, recurring, a motif, something like that.
As for the essay:
This is difficult to say because so much of it is hear-say. What I mean by this is, some people say that you cannot get a band 6 in Extension unless you write a thoroughly integrated essay. For these earlier assessments, you need to find out what your teacher expects. My own teacher believed that you could write wonderful essays without them being thoroughly integrated in every paragraph. So, for the internal assessments, I worked really hard on making sure that I was linking the texts with WAYS of THINKING. To me, that was more important that anything else. All throughout my internal assessments, this was my aim and I always did really well. It wasn't until I got to the HSC exams that I thought, "ok, time to do this integrated thing." Then I wrote a thoroughly integrated essay that is downloadable on this website. More than anything, you need to link ways of thinking. This is your best bet.
Let me know if this makes sense to you. If you have more questions, post back :)
Ah thanks. Also, just to clarify, writing with absurdist elements like WFG would be seen like a form of cheating by the markers? E.g having an overall vague plot (like Maralinga bomb testings or something), but having traces of absurdist messy bits all around to show mental turmoil, uncertainty, that sort of stuff. Bad idea?
For the essay, I'll emphasis on linking to context, but include some integration at the end of every second paragraph. I might work on integration later after I get the half yearlies out of the way, since I did fairly well in my first assessment last term so I'll just use that as a blueprint and edit it
Thanks
PS Also how much can you write in an hour?
Hi,
I'm in year 11 and our topic is "Existentialism", and our prescribed texts are: "Brazil" (film) and "The Trial" by Franz Kafka. I have an assignment coming up that is worth 40% and I need a related text for it. I found some I liked but unfortunately they were on the HSC prescription list. Help! I need to find a related text!
Hi,
We have a tutorial-style assessment coming up. The task is:
Discuss how elements of Existentialism are seen in ONE text of your choosing.
You discussion of the text is to be presented in a 5-6 minute tutorial. After each tutorial there will be the opportunity for questions. The use of teaching aids and text extracts are welcome.
I've chosen my text and I'm happy with it, but I don't know how to start it. It is 5-6 minutes and I don't want to bore everyone six feet under, but I don't want to loose marks by not hitting the criteria. I was wondering if you could help me set the structure so I can maximise interactivity (umm, how did I do this?!) and hit the criteria.
Thank you!
Hi,
We have a tutorial-style assessment coming up. The task is:
Discuss how elements of Existentialism are seen in ONE text of your choosing.
You discussion of the text is to be presented in a 5-6 minute tutorial. After each tutorial there will be the opportunity for questions. The use of teaching aids and text extracts are welcome.
I've chosen my text and I'm happy with it, but I don't know how to start it. It is 5-6 minutes and I don't want to bore everyone six feet under, but I don't want to loose marks by not hitting the criteria. I was wondering if you could help me set the structure so I can maximise interactivity (umm, how did I do this?!) and hit the criteria.
Thank you!
I recently read your article on memorising english essays for your HSC and you said you did it for extension 1 as well. I currently memorise all my essays but I was wondering how you did it for extension 1 as the course is notorious for creating questions that are very difficult to memorise for? What was your approach?
Hey,
I'm trying to get ready for Trials at the moment and I have no clue how to study for this subject! Do you have any hints about how to make them? Also, what are your tips for writing essays in exams - its my downfall!
Thanks a bunch,
Arlee
Hi,
I'm doing Romanticism for Texts and Ways of Thinking, and my teacher recommended doing an artwork as one of my related texts. My analysis of the prescribed texts (Frankenstein, Bright Star and Coleridge's poetry) is generally really well done, I just struggle with the related texts, especially the artwork. With the trials coming up I'm concerned about making sure the integrity of my argument isn't let down by my analysis of the artwork, so I was wondering if anyone had any feedback or advice on how best to analyse an artwork and its use as a representation of (Romantic) Ways of Thinking.
The artwork I'm using is The Raft of Medusa by Theodore Gericault.
I was also wanting to know how many texts I should be talking about in an essay. I know that generally, the question will ask for two prescribed texts and two ORT's, but should I talk about more than this in order to achieve a Band 6 response? And does one of Coleridge's poems count as one prescribed text, or should I be doing two of his poems?
Thank you,
Chelsea
Hey there!
Where do you begin to improve an ATB creative?! / how do you write a good ATB creative and how many prepared creatives should we have for trials?
Thank you.
In general with English Extension essays, just wondering how much of the essay should be based on prescribed texts and how much should be on related texts? One of my teachers said they are just as, if not more, important. Which makes me freak out because I feel like I have prioritised them a lot less... :-\ :-\ :-\ thoughts?? Advice??
Thanks so much! These discussion boards are a life saver xx
Hi there!
I'm planning on using Godot as one of my texts for my ATB essay, and I was going to discuss the idea: disillusionment with the world leading to the stagnant nature of life
Sadly, I'm really stuck in terms of coming up with supportive quotes :( I was planning on using the notion of 'hell' to show disillusionment, but I was wondering if you knew of better (or stronger) evidence to support the idea.
Also, do you perhaps know of any self-selected texts that deal with the notion of disillusionment with life? I'm trying to find one that relates but so far I'm having no luck :(
Thankyou so much for taking the time to help, it is greatly appreciated!!! :)
Do you think it's risky to do a related text that is very recent and not from the post war era but is based on the era? (if that makes sense) for example, revolutionary road
Hey I read your Article on related texts for After the Bomb. I really like the sound of "The 1959 newlyweds that spent their honeymoon in a fallout shelter – featured in LIFE magazine". I was just wondering where can I view the article? Do you possibly have a link?
Random question: someone told me that if you're studying a bunch of poems as one of your core texts (e.g. we're doing Wordsworth), they can ask you to use specific poems from the syllabus? Is that right??
Hey Lauradf36! From my understanding the essay questions for Ext 1 are concept based for each module, not text based, since each module has a a variety of texts in which not everyone does the same combination + related texts. So in short, they can't ask you to write about a specific poem for Ext 1! (thank god ;) )
Hey senara! I did a quick google for this, check out this link and see if it's the right article you're looking for... (Elyse might be able to give you a better idea about where to find it if this isn't it) :)
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=2UkEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA51&ots=IUYMPmDOer&dq=life+magazine+mininson&pg=PA51&redir_esc=y&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Hey I read your Article on related texts for After the Bomb. I really like the sound of "The 1959 newlyweds that spent their honeymoon in a fallout shelter – featured in LIFE magazine". I was just wondering where can I view the article? Do you possibly have a link?
Hey!
So for this course my school elective is Module B: ways of thinking and the selected area is Romanticism. Since we are doing British Romaticism i asked my teacher about doing Edgar allen poe as a related text however he is american and she said that it could be good but in the actual hsc they tend to be more conservative and like British related texts..so i was wondering if it would be a really bad idea to do a short story by poe considering he is american as a related text.
Thanks !
Hey!
So for this course my school elective is Module B: ways of thinking and the selected area is Romanticism. Since we are doing British Romaticism i asked my teacher about doing Edgar allen poe as a related text however he is american and she said that it could be good but in the actual hsc they tend to be more conservative and like British related texts..so i was wondering if it would be a really bad idea to do a short story by poe considering he is american as a related text.
Thanks !
Hey! I am also doing Romanticism at my school, and i have chosen the Scarlet letter as one of my related texts which is American romanticism! my teacher seemed fine with this, i have just put a small section in my introduction detailing the differences between British and American Romanticism.
Just thought the different perspectives from different teachers may be helpful!
-Olivia
Hey Guys! I am currently looking to work my extension creative writing piece based on Romanticism into my discovery creative writing, just so i only have one to learn, however the way my story is written, in letter form, I am really struggling to do this? Do you guys have any tips? Are you learning the same piece for both or two separate ones?
-Olivia
Hey Guys! I am currently looking to work my extension creative writing piece based on Romanticism into my discovery creative writing, just so i only have one to learn, however the way my story is written, in letter form, I am really struggling to do this? Do you guys have any tips? Are you learning the same piece for both or two separate ones?
-Olivia
Hey oliviarebekah! Just to add to what Elyse said.... If you are trying to use the same piece ensure that the integrity of both pieces is still really high, in other words make sure that your discovery doesn't become superficial or unclear! Don't try and force it. You could try to use the same setting, letter format and character/s (since you would know a lot about the Romantic context/your characters already) but possibly change the actual plot of your story to suit discovery.
I personally am going to try and work my Discovery piece into my Extension 1 piece by the actual HSC, but I know that I just don't have the time to do it properly by Trials :)
Hey Fam,
My school marks extremely harsh on extension 1 essays and creatives, and gives very little helpful feedback. Now come trials, my exam is on tuesday, and I have limited resources, as my teachers are all busy.
I am currently doing genre, specifically science fiction.
I got a 20/25 for my essay (but now have different texts due to different ones being prescribed for trials) and an 18/25 for my creative with no feedback.
This equals me being extremely stressed out and I have no Idea how to make any of them better!
Any advice??
hey,
would having one theorist per paragraph be enough or should i have more?
thanks
Hello!
I just have a quick question :)
I am doing E1 and my elective is Science Fiction. How likely is it that they will prescribe? Just because I am only discussing 2 of the texts, and I was wondering if they have ever prescribed before?
Thanks
Hello!
I just have a quick question :)
I am doing E1 and my elective is Science Fiction. How likely is it that they will prescribe? Just because I am only discussing 2 of the texts, and I was wondering if they have ever prescribed before?
Thanks
Hey!
So for this course my school elective is Module B: ways of thinking and the selected area is Romanticism. Since we are doing British Romaticism i asked my teacher about doing Edgar allen poe as a related text however he is american and she said that it could be good but in the actual hsc they tend to be more conservative and like British related texts..so i was wondering if it would be a really bad idea to do a short story by poe considering he is american as a related text.
Thanks !
If you can justify it, why not! I'm also doing Romanticism, and for each of our related texts we had chosen our teacher checked them with BOSTES and they apparently gave her some advice for us and a yay or nay, maybe ask your teacher to do the same? I'm doing an artwork by an English artist and a poem by Keats. One thing our teacher always told us to be careful of was making it to gothic rather than romantic, but like I said if you can back it up and recognise it is American, and it fits with your prescribed texts I don't see why not :)
Do you guys normally do the essay or creative 1st?
I took a leap of faith and didn't prepare my third prescribed text. I focused on just two! :)
That makes me feel better because that is what I am doing...
*cough* haven't *cough* read *cough* Frankenstein *COUGH* ;D
I swear I'll read it after the HSC 8)
Also, is is necessary, or is it okay, to mention quotes or ideas from other texts which are not the main ones you are talking about?
Hello! I'm doing ATB with Godot, Spy & Good night and Good luck. I'm VERY late to this thread (better late than never I guess) and have been going through the structure of the past HSC papers. Is it almost guaranteed that it will be 2 prescribed, 2 additional? Is it very rare that they ask for 3 prescribed? Could they just ask for 2 prescribed and 1 additional?
Sorry if this has already been asked!
Also how many paragraphs should I be aiming for? Thanks!
Hey!
So for this course my school elective is Module B: ways of thinking and the selected area is Romanticism. Since we are doing British Romaticism i asked my teacher about doing Edgar allen poe as a related text however he is american and she said that it could be good but in the actual hsc they tend to be more conservative and like British related texts..so i was wondering if it would be a really bad idea to do a short story by poe considering he is american as a related text.
Thanks !
Do you think it's necessary to have two creatives prepared or is one enough?
Do you think it's necessary to have two creatives prepared or is one enough?
Do you think it's necessary to have two creatives prepared or is one enough?
So as we all probably know the extension 1 English exam is tomorrow and I currently have 2 essays and 2 creative writing pieces prepared but I am unsure about which ones I should focus on and learn. My elective is Science fiction and I have one essay about the importance of characterisation and another about the human condition. Should I learn both or just one of them and which one would be more beneficial?If you have two essays prepared - I think it would be best that instead of focusing on one or the other that you make sure you know both to some extent - as with extension you can never be sure as to what might happen on the day. That being said, I personally don't memorise essays so someone like Elyse should be able to provide better advice relating to this. If anything, if you feel like one of them encompasses the majority of the rubric as opposed to the other I'd say to go with that one - but make sure you still know a basic structure for your other essay.
Hey!A 'good extension ATB creative' should encompass most, if not all, parts of the rubric - in particular making connections to each of the four key paradigms [scientific, religious, philosophical, economic]. It should be deeply grounded in contextual understanding - so the time period should be very obvious to the marker. At this point, what I'd suggest is to brainstorm ways you could potentially fit the aspects of the rubric into your creative piece - maybe look at past questions for guidance? The key words of the question should be integrated into your response in such a way that the marker doesn't have to go out of their way to look for it - they should be able to pick it up straight away without having to read over it again. However, I'd recommend any interpretation of given stimuli to be metaphorical - a literal interpretation should only ever be used if you're struggling to find any other way to fit it into your creative piece. What I would suggest in the exam is to look at the key terms of the question and throughout your response - whenever you make any sort of connection to it - to place emphasis on it, perhaps dwell on it a bit longer than intended to alert the marker that you are addressing the question. :)
Was wondering if you had any tips on what constitutes a 'good extension ATB creative.'
I'm also going out on a bit of a limb and am bringing in only one that my teachers have approved. It is broad also, not in terms of context but in terms of that it really just explores the nexus between political and personal spheres. However, it's just not 'it,' in my opinion? I know it's too late to write an entirely new one but even dependant on the question tomorrow, I feel I don't quite get to what extent the WOT are to be reflected within our pieces and how to respond to the stimuli given.
How many quotes should I have? I'm aiming for three paragraphs and two texts in each paragraph. Should I go 6 quotes each paragraph or 4?Honestly, I'd say to keep the number of quotes you use in each body paragraph to a minimum - however to make sure that you explore these quotes in further depth. 6 quotes per paragraph in depth would be overkill in terms of word count - 4 should be a good number to aim for considering the structure you're using. In the end, it all really depends on how fast you write in the exam.
Thanks!
So as we all probably know the extension 1 English exam is tomorrow and I currently have 2 essays and 2 creative writing pieces prepared but I am unsure about which ones I should focus on and learn. My elective is Science fiction and I have one essay about the importance of characterisation and another about the human condition. Should I learn both or just one of them and which one would be more beneficial?
Hey!I think this does a stellar job at explaining everything:
Was wondering if you had any tips on what constitutes a 'good extension ATB creative.'
I'm also going out on a bit of a limb and am bringing in only one that my teachers have approved. It is broad also, not in terms of context but in terms of that it really just explores the nexus between political and personal spheres. However, it's just not 'it,' in my opinion? I know it's too late to write an entirely new one but even dependant on the question tomorrow, I feel I don't quite get to what extent the WOT are to be reflected within our pieces and how to respond to the stimuli given.
A 'good extension ATB creative' should encompass most, if not all, parts of the rubric - in particular making connections to each of the four key paradigms [scientific, religious, philosophical, economic]. It should be deeply grounded in contextual understanding - so the time period should be very obvious to the marker. At this point, what I'd suggest is to brainstorm ways you could potentially fit the aspects of the rubric into your creative piece - maybe look at past questions for guidance? The key words of the question should be integrated into your response in such a way that the marker doesn't have to go out of their way to look for it - they should be able to pick it up straight away without having to read over it again. However, I'd recommend any interpretation of given stimuli to be metaphorical - a literal interpretation should only ever be used if you're struggling to find any other way to fit it into your creative piece. What I would suggest in the exam is to look at the key terms of the question and throughout your response - whenever you make any sort of connection to it - to place emphasis on it, perhaps dwell on it a bit longer than intended to alert the marker that you are addressing the question. :)
Hi guys, I am doing Romanticism and was reading over the markers' notes from previous years and I don't quite understand one bit - 'In weaker responses, candidates often relied on explaining how individual elements of Romanticism, such as a belief in Imagination or Nature, were reflected in the texts, rather than a broader view of the ways of thinking present in the historical period. '
Could someone please explain?
Thank you :)
hey!
I'm currently revising my intro for ways of thinking:navigating the global, does this sound ok?
thanks!
"Globalisation is Apotent catalyst of 21st century paradigms, imbuing a plethora of challenges to a contemporary anthropocentric society. Composers engage in diverse ways of thinking about the repercussions of Globalisation, delving into the ethereality of humanity, identity, and the ‘local’, notion’s which are inevitably dwarfed by the rapid progression of globalisation." I do really enjoy this: You talk about the time, the who, the what, and I'm assuming the how is yet to come when you bring in some texts. How are you going to pair the texts with this? It is my suggestion that you bring in the texts one by one, and pair them with a particular way of thinking they explore. Is this in line with your plan? :)i currently have my the texts paired, each with their respective ideas? so texts 1 and 2 - idea 1 and texts 3 and 4 - idea 2 ?
i currently have my the texts paired, each with their respective ideas? so texts 1 and 2 - idea 1 and texts 3 and 4 - idea 2 ?
do you think one by one would be more effective?
That works wonderfully! And then a sentence at the end to sum it up sounds perfect. This genuinely sounds like a uniquely perfect introduction - I think you should be really chuffed with it! Are you doing textually integrated paragraphs or a paragraph per text, with concepts weaved throughout?ok thanks so much!
ok thanks so much!
at the moment i have a paragraph per text with concepts throughout, though i do understand how the makers value integration, so i might work on that tonight
thanks for your help!
Take me advice with a grain of salt because I'm making assumptions here about the romanticism course: I think they are saying that students are relying too much on the common characteristics/styles of the texts, rather than actually probing the ways of thinking. So, the way of thinking isn't "nature" - although that may be a strong stylistic feature of the text. The ways of thinking are actually the motivational drives for the work - what accelerates characters, what joins or discharges relationships, what drives society. All of the above. That's the way of thinking, which is what the module demands. The markers are saying that rather than relying on talking about elements of Romanticism texts, talk about the IDEAS within them, and then how they are displayed through the elements.
Does this make sense? :)
Thank you :)
So, using the 'nature' example, instead of just talking about the fact that nature was a feature of Romanticism I should go further to things like why and the impacts on people's lives and how nature influenced their way of thinking or how it became part of it?
Hi!
Just a question with after the bomb
If they ask a question about enduring relevance, how would you talk about it without sounding superficial
For example, without saying, we still have nuclear weapons today
Or is that not superficial to begin with
Thank you so much :)
Hi, for After the Bomb, what would be an example of a really broad thesis statement?
Hi, anyone have any suggestions for Romanticism related texts that would work well with A Vindication of the Rights of Woman? Or where to start some wide reading? :)
Thanks
Hey there,
I wasn't sure where to put this but I was really intrigued by the kitchen debate (both the video and transcript) and was wondering if there were any similar videos that showed capitalism and communism in direct conversation (seeing Nixon and Khrushev as direct embodiments respectively)? An entertaining video that clearly illustrated the dynamic between the two leaders and their views. Hoping to watch something similar soon.
Any recommendations would be appreciated!
Hey Elyse,
I was just wondering how relevant a creative piece on Perm-36 (or any of the camps which remained operational until the Gorbachev era) would be to the ATB module? I'm really interested in the GULAG camps and how their essential premise of productivity stood as a facade for the inhuman realities which lie within them.
This gives a decent summary of what the camps were: http://gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/stalin/ but i'm sure you've heard of them
I'm thinking of having a political prisoner as my protagonist as this is probably the best way to cover all the relevant paradigms. Do these starting points seem promising and personal enough to be unique (i.e. something worth basing a creative off)? If so, i'll probably contact you again to run a plot/draft past you :)
I'll be happy to hear any of the advice you have to offer :)
P.S. Feel free to be critical of this proposal, if there are better/broader ideas that I should consider instead, I will!
I can't be critical - I love this idea! In ATB - people tend to focus on one or the other: political or personal. It's because most people have a preference - some students love everything political abut the era whereas others love the shift in person ideologies.
Amazing, thank you so much for your feedback and support!!
As you can probably tell, I haven't settled for either "side" yet so I guess this piece should keep it open enough for me to enjoy both ;)
So think of Plath as the bottom of the spectrum here.
It goes like this in my head:
Men in politics who feel superior.
Men in society who are still being affected by politics, but are still above women.
Women who are to serve the men (this is super prevalent in The Applicant).
Plath - here place in the hierarchy is difficult. You could say she is more oppressed than other women because she mentally is oppressed by the stereotypes, whereas other women are complacent (not all - of course - but in general at the time).
Hey,
I was wondering how I should structure my paragraphs for a general essay. Should I use TEEL, or is there another way to structure paragraphs?
Thanks.
HEY :)
I know this is a major throw back, but my browsing (lol procrastination) has led me to stumble upon and think about your proposed hierarchy for men and women on the home front. Super cool idea by the way 8)
I was just curious about the reasons that led you to place men/women with greater political awareness lower than those who were less informed. My take was that, men who felt the consequences of the political turmoil more personally would be perceived as weak and even dissenting. The implied doubt that comes with this obviously poses a threat to the governing powers and the public who (thoughtlessly) follow, making them for the most part unpopular (to put it lightly). Of course, we can see the consequences of these decisions amplified through Plath's experience which is why I see (and agree) with her place in the 'hierarchy'. Was this sort of the line of thought you were conveying?
Even if our thoughts were in two completely places, I'd love to hear your reasons for the order and maybe even thoughts on my interpretation (if you'd call it that haha).
Anyway, thanks for reading and hoping to hear back soon ;D
This is absolutely the best kind of procrastination!
My hierarchy here is about the people least affected by politics, to the most. So, men in politics have the most power, they're the least likely victims. Men in the rest of society who don't have that direct control over politics, are the second group of least affected. Now, I'm being verrrrry basic here, because class or mental ability also come into these factors. But, men in general society are the next group. Followed by women. I would argue that because women were underrepresented (or like, not represented) in politics, seldom held positions of power in workplace or elsewhere, so voices were hardly heard on gendered issues.
So, for that reason, I think that men in politics had the most power, followed by men in society (purely because of their representation in politics, workplace, families and social context, and then women.
Plath had other experiences, characterised by being an artist of words, an educated woman, tortured creatively in her relationship, and her mental state.
Keen to know what you think, love a good ATB discussion :)
Ahhh ok, thanks for clearing that up :)! Well I don't have much to discuss now because I completely agree with where you're coming from haha. I'll definitely let you know if I have anything else to say (because I've been staring at my screen for 10 minutes) and we can pick up from there - maybe we'll end up discussing something completely differing who knows ;D
Hi
I have a few general questions about study and exam technique,
I apologise if the questions seem a bit vague, or even silly. As a new senior student, and member of atar notes, I hope you'll forgive me, if my questions aren't appropriately formatted, or are posted in the wrong thread.
Thank you
Hi, I have a tutorial presentation for the elective Navigating the Global and I am struggling to find a related text.
The Objective is:
The Board of Studies is reviewing their prescriptions list for English Extension 1.
You are to present a related text that you believe could be incorporated in the Prescribed Text list for the elective – Navigating the Global.
The presentation should be presented to a panel of experts and be between 6-8 minutes. You must incorporate ICT in the presentation.
I was wondering if there were any related texts that come to mind.
Thanks
Hey there! I hope you're enjoying Navigating The Global so far, I loved it so much 😃 What are your prescribed texts? Even though your assessment doesn't specifically mention it, I think it would make sense to choose a related text that you want to use for the rest of the year. I have a few related texts that I can suggest but it would make more sense to know your prescribed first.
Hi, yeah I really am enjoying the elective but i'm finding it a bit hard to wrap my head around it. My prescribed are - Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola, Journey to the Stone Country by Alex Miller and White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Thanks :)
Awesome 😃 Don't worry I remember feeling exactly the same as you this time last year! For better or worse, Extension English modules seem to have so much depth of content and so many ways of approaching it that you're pretty much always trying to get your head around something, even the day before the exam! So embrace that. 😀
I used (and loved) the short story Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice by Nam Le as well as the film The Rocket by Kim Mordaunt. There was definitely more resources and academic papers for Love and Honour, I found it harder to do contextual research for The Rocket, but they were both perfect for my essay (I used Adiga's novel and Levertov's poetry).
Here were some of my other short-listed texts:
- We Need New Names, NoViolet Bulawayo
- The Darjeeling Ltd, Wes Anderson
- The Global Soul, Pico Iyer
- Shaun Micallef's Stairway to Heaven, Shaun Micallef
- The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Hey,
Currently, I need to prep my knowledge on the paradigms in regards to Waiting for Godot. I've tried reading articles and what not but I just can't get my head around the main themes and ideologies explored in the text :) :), anything would help!
Thanks heaps!! :)
Hey,
Currently, I need to prep my knowledge on the paradigms in regards to Waiting for Godot. I've tried reading articles and what not but I just can't get my head around the main themes and ideologies explored in the text :) :), anything would help!
Thanks heaps!! :)
Hi, I have an idea for the setting of my ATB creative but I don't really know what will happen/what perspective I should take, any ideas would be great thanks :)
My setting is during the Cuban Missile Crisis, as the soviets tried to get Missiles to Cuba, the US started to drop depth charges if they saw submarines on the radar in order to get them to rise to the surface as they had a blockade on soviet missiles from Cuba. One time this happened (possibly the first time) a soviet sub thought that it was US fire and that WWIII had broken out. Because of this, they were going to launch their own nuclear weapons in retaliation but required unilateral approval from the three officers in command as they were too low to contact Moscow for info. It turns out that 2 of them agreed but 1, Vasili Arkhipov, didn't and in effect saved the world from nuclear annihilation. I'm not sure how to make this setting into a story/ what would really happen. Thanks.
Hey there! The Cuban Missile Crisis is an excellent facet of the Cold War to focus on! It has always been my own preference when writing to focus on personal situations, or personal relationships, amidst a political backdrop. Would you be interested in focusing on a human experience amidst this backdrop? You could write some sort of romance like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, where the romance kind of sits as a subplot that encompasses humanity. Or you could play into gender or race here, perhaps by being an African American woman who had intelligence the US needed but wasn't taken seriously? Or, we could look into Vasili Arkhipov particularly, and this is interesting! We can look into this character and why that decision was made. I don't know if the real reasons are readily available online? But, a suggestion is looking into creating a story about the personal reasons that Arkhipov said no. I'm actually really excited just thinking about reading it. Your imagination could run wild here, you could use flashbacks or diary entries. It could be about his wife's miscarriage because of the immense anxiety she felt about the war, causing other medical issues. It could be because of Arkhipov's faith, thus bringing in a religious paradigm. There are sooo many things you could work with for this.Hi, thanks it gave me a quite a few ideas, am I allowed to use Arkhipov as a character? Is it bad to follow the real life events to much? Someone told me that it is better to use a random person like a journalist or a spy or something, if it is ok to use the guy then that would make it much easier since I can use the real life events as a guide since I srsly suck at creative writing haha.
I'm really excited to see what you do with this, let me know what you think, or maybe this has given you some new ideas! :)
Hi, thanks it gave me a quite a few ideas, am I allowed to use Arkhipov as a character? Is it bad to follow the real life events to much? Someone told me that it is better to use a random person like a journalist or a spy or something, if it is ok to use the guy then that would make it much easier since I can use the real life events as a guide since I srsly suck at creative writing haha.
Hey there! You're asking a big question, it's Beckkett after all ;)
So much of Waiting for Godot's paradigms are about your interpretation. Following on from Sarah's suggestion about having a conversation about the text: What/Who do you think Godot is?
The most obvious answer for a lot of people is Godot is representative of God, or a deity. What are the complications with this? I mean, the name denotes it. But also: Godot never arrives (spoiler). So, does God never arrive? Is this a metanarrative for the existential crisis of the cold war? Everyone is waiting for a Heavenly saviour, everyone's waiting around, kicking dirt, just waiting to be saved - and that religious figure never delivers? So this is one of the main ways of thinking here: the religious way of thinking. This manifests itself in the text in more ways than just "What is Godot" but I think that question is a great place to start. Lucky's speech definitely suggests this reading. I suggest this article for some easy reading on this concept.
Another reading of the text would say that Godot is a socio-economic paradigm. We look at the relationship between Pozzo and Lucky and we very much see an exploitative relationship, a master and a slave. This can be seen that Pozzo is the embodiment of the aristocracy in capitalism, and Lucky is the embodiment of the working class. Later in the text, Pozzo returns as blind, Lucky is the same as before, except on a shorter rope so that they are more equal. Is this the start of communism in the text? Equality?
Vladimir and Estragon can be seen as the working class as well - they complete each other, they do as they are instructed to be promised something good (the arrival of Godot) but this never delivers. Thus, their belief in the coming of Godot is actually their oppressor and not just their saviour. Surprisingly, there's a good Prezi on this that I think would be worth checking out because it has quotes from the text there as well.
On perhaps the simplest viewing: we could say that Godot is just the embodiment of an empty promise. You could say the entire Cold War is an empty promise, with governments lying to their own people about their superiority, about the promise of elitism, capitalism, socialism, equality, and the promise of an ending war.
Thanks so much, I was also thinking to specifically explore the circular structure of the play that captures the essence of humanity (seen through all the characters) as a means of repetition and then to directly relate that to the philosophical paradigm e.g.. questioning of God, satirical humour that subverts to nihilism and the establishment of existentialism. And to maybe then explore the uncertainty of the era through the substance of time- then linking that directly to the cold war and what you suggested about 'waiting'? I'm not too sure as this is kind of just random babbling and procrastination- would love it if you could let me know if i was going in the right direction!! Thanks!!
Hey, I'm trying to write my entire first draft of my story today because I'm v far behind so if you could respond quickly that would be great. I have decided to try and follow the events of what happened in real life during Arkhipov's mission focusing on his ways of thinking about the war and his decisions as the creative element. As he was the captain of the fleet of 4 submarines making a mission, I'm not sure to what level his information about the cold war should be. Would he have known about the Cuban Missile Crisis? That 40+ nukes had already gone to Cuba? I'm also trying to make his decision really difficult for him by emphasising the many hypocrisy's of the west and possibly a religious element as USSR was atheist but not sure how to include that.
Thanks
Hi Aroon, I have never taken to study Arkhipov so you probably know more than me. You can have a look at this great resource I found, it might help with working out exactly how much people knew about different things. It's a great resource and hopefully it answers some questions for you. If you still have questions after reading this, let me know. I'm happy to do my best to help, but you have introduced Arkhipov to me, I didn't know of him before. So I'm learning too :)Oh sorry, haha, I was trying to get a general feel for how much a general/commander would know but thanks, this was a useful read, also just wanting to get perspective of what the common person knew etc.
Do you think it would be better to write it as a series of 2 or 3 letters or as a story, it feels kinda choppy writing it as a story however, the letter format would entail some form of knowledge of the future as he is writing in the future so idk. I'm also having a plot point that they can hear the radio transmissions through a receptor and they hear of the US invading Cuba and forming a blockade etc. I'm planning to make the main character think of this as hypocrisy of the west as the US stood for freedom, democracy and non-inference into political uprising as Cuba had become a communist state without the requirement of Russian "intervention" is this actually hypocrisy since they were doing it in order to defend democracy and the west
Hi, does anyone have any good recommendations for related texts for comedy? Thanks! :)
Hi!
I'm doing After the Bomb for extension. So far for my first task I used a Guardian article on the Rosenbergs and a George Orwell magazine article called 'As I Please' for my ORTs. I found these texts were great to analyse contrastingly against one another and against Sylvia's oeuvre however I don't know if I'm narrowing my focus too much by looking only at journalistic styles. Any opinions would be great!
Thanks :)
Hi :)
what do you think of "artist of the floating world" by Kazuo Ishiguro as a related text for Sylvia Plath's "Ariel" (ATB) ?
I haven't read it yet, but I know a quick summary. (The teacher marking hasn't read it either)
I can't find much analysis on it on the net, though--I like to reference other perspectives on the text//utilise analysis that I haven't thought of.
what do you think?
thanks :)
Hey i'm not too sure if you can do Ishiguro's Artist because it is in fact a prescribed text for the module :(
Hi! I'm studying Science Fiction this year and I haven't really been able to find a lot of notes from other people on the genre, so I'm a little bit lost on what sort of related texts I should use to link to Bladerunner and Neuromancer (and Dune, but I hopefully won't use that). I've never really been into the Sci-fi genre so I honestly have no idea what sort of texts would relate to these, so if anyone has any ideas that would be great!!
Also I was recommended Fahrenheit-451, but my teacher told me that it would be used A LOT, and I was wondering if that could impact negatively on my results?
Hi :)
what do you think of "artist of the floating world" by Kazuo Ishiguro as a related text for Sylvia Plath's "Ariel" (ATB) ?
I haven't read it yet, but I know a quick summary. (The teacher marking hasn't read it either)
I can't find much analysis on it on the net, though--I like to reference other perspectives on the text//utilise analysis that I haven't thought of.
what do you think?
thanks :)
hey i'm doing atb and want to centre my creative surrounding japan. what are some political, social, religious, philosophical paradigms that i could address?
Hi :)
I've decided on reading Hiroshima by John Hersey as a related text for Plath.
Does that sound okay?
Just wondering, how would I analyse a non-fiction text?
What sort of techniques should I be looking for before reading it?
Thank you!
Hey! Sounds good to me :)
I'd be looking at emotive language, elements of recounting (are each of the reflections in sequential order or do they flash back and forth), rhetorical questions, quotations, the formality of the language, imagery, tone...
Essentially, I would be looking at language form (syntax, paragraph structure) as the initial reading, and then look into the techniques of dialogue (I believe your book is 6 or so recounts?) and then anything else we usually look for in fiction may be prevalent too, like imagery, similes, etc.
HiHello :)
can I use John Hersey's Hiroshima as a related text for Ways of Thinking After the Bomb?
I think its a prescribed text for the module :-\
but I'm not completely sure...how do you check?
please let me know if its suitable
thanks,
bananna
Hello :)
Here is the document with the prescribed texts, move down to page 31 to see Ways of Thinking.
This is what the BOSTES FAQ says..."Students will not be disadvantaged by using a text from the Prescribed Texts list, provided it is relevant to the module/elective concerned." The link to that document is here. However, I would ask your teacher what he or she thinks about this, because it is a prescribed text from the module you are studying. It's not like you're studying Discovery and chose a related text from the Module C prescribed list, yknow? I don't want to spread misinformation, so I'd ask your teacher for their opinion.
Thank you! I'll ask my teacher and post what she says :)
I only just saw that you replied to this, but thank you! I decided to go with Fahrenheit, just because I read it and really liked it, and it linked in well with my other related texts (which are less common haha), but thank you! (:
hi, my teacher said I'd have to change it for the HSC, so I could probably do it for my upcoming class task.
But I am really scared, because my mid-yearlies are coming up and I have no related texts...please help!!! :'(
I wanted to use the same essay for my HSC because it would be easier
but I have no direction at the moment :(
Hey bananna, have you looked at the list of related texts that I used? The link attaches also to my own ATB essay, so you can see the way I used them. Some of the related texts suggested are available online and are quite short, so you could access them easily while you're cramming!
I have, but none of them really appeal to me or I'm thinking of using them as my 2nd related text (for waiting for godot or spy who came in from the cold)
i'm having a lot of trouble finding something i could use for Plath
hi,
when you quote a philosopher/essayist in a piece, must they be well-known?
also, can you quote essayists in advanced?
Reason I'm asking is that we're always encouraged to do so in ext 1, but never hear of it in adv
thank you!!
No they don't have to be well known, but yes you certainly can quote them in Advanced! You'll most likely see quoting scholars in Advanced in Module B, but it can be done in other modules too :)
thank you!
also, we have a task just on plath -1 poem and 1 related
in my first plath paragraph, i have 2 quotes from the same person--simone de beauvoir
i feel like they enhance my piece but,
is that fine or should I seek some variety?
thanks!
hi
also, (sorry for asking so many questions),
i want to compare Plath's (prescribed) arrival of the bee box and hiroshima by john hersey
one of the way s i want to do this is compare Plath's questioning of the unnatural role of women in society (and then provide a feminist reading of the poem) and the victims of hiroshima questioning the unnatural power of the bomb.
my question's got to do with how the construction of character explores ideas about power.
here are my topic sentences :
Influenced by a growing defiance of conservative societal values, composers writing in the post-bomb period pursue questions of the unnatural power of women in a patriarchal society. Such is true of Plath, a confessional poet, grappling with her identity alone, as a female in the early ‘60s.
While Plath confronts the post-war mentality of the unnatural treatment of a woman in a pre-dominantly male society, the victims of Hiroshima struggle to understand the extent of the unnatural power of the bomb that changed their lives.
is that a strong enough link (exploration of the natural/unnatural)?
should I provide a feminist viewpoint for Hiroshima as well?
thank you!
No i think that's definitely fine! :)
I just want to be clear on what you mean by the unnatural position? Do you mean, the position of women who have broken the bounds of the place the patriarchal demands sits them? What do you mean by unnatural? What is the unnatural treatment?
The link seems great, and your writing is very well articulated, but I just don't know what you mean by unnatural..
Providing a feminist critical theory to Hersey's work could be beneficial for linking, but don't force it if it isn't natural. You could be a little intersectional with this as well, and take on a marxist (class-based) reading that links the two together, if one lends itself to the other more.
Let me know your thoughts on unnatural and then I can be more critical in my advice to be more helpful! :)
hi,
sorry, I think i realised later on that my wording was unclear and changed my t.s a little
i now mean that it is unnatural to have an all-male power structure in society, because the world is not all-male.
(does that make sense or should I articulate it further in my essay?)
thanks for the advice!
btw this is the paragraph can you please tell me what you think?
thank you!!
Influenced by a growing defiance of conservative societal values, composers writing in the post-bomb period pursue questions of the power of women in an unnatural patriarchal society. Such is true of Plath, a confessional poet, grappling with her identity alone, as a female in the early ‘60s. As Simone de Beauvoir remarks, “the destiny that society traditionally offers women is marriage”. Plath acknowledges this likelihood, but attempts to dismiss it within the connotations imposed upon the word “I ordered” bringing to light the dichotomous thematic concerns over power and subjugation, nonetheless, foreshadowing her superiority complex. The persona establishes her dominance over the bees in the truncated sentence “I am the owner”: a direct defiance of post-war societal values. However, the audience sees a tonal shift in the sixth paragraph, where the persona wonders “how hungry they are” and debates freeing them: alluding to the myth of Daphne. This volte-face succeeds her epiphany that the bees, like her, are victims. However, the persona does not consider herself a mother to the bees, rather, a ‘protector’; diction free from gender bias. This echoes the persona’s disengagement with her identity as a mother in ‘Morning Song’, utilizing sibilance as the baby “shadows our safety”. As De Beauvoir colloquially states, a woman may feel detached from her child as “she has no past in common with this little stranger”, which is why the persona of ‘Arrival of the Bee Box’ does not identify with the term ‘mother’. Hence, it is this power struggle the persona faces that allows Plath to attempt to understand the position of women in an unnatural patriarchal society.
hey! I was just wondering, in terms of essay structure, is it okay to have less focus on your related texts? My teacher always says try to get an even amount of analysis in for each text, but would it be okay if I structured it like this? (give or take a few paragraphs)
P1 - Prescribed and related1
P2 - Prescribed and related2
P3 - Prescribed and related1
P4 - Prescribed and related2
or would it be better if I used one paragraph to integrate my two related texts? (:
That structure seems fine by me! Go with whatever works the best for your ideas, that's where you're going to get your marks!! 😃
hi,
sorry, I think i realised later on that my wording was unclear and changed my t.s a little
i now mean that it is unnatural to have an all-male power structure in society, because the world is not all-male.
(does that make sense or should I articulate it further in my essay?)
thanks for the advice!
btw this is the paragraph can you please tell me what you think?
thank you!!
how many words/paragraphs would you aim for in an extension essay during an exam? I'm writing a practice one right now and I think I'm only going to be able to fit in three integrated paragraphs (because they're overly long!!) during the exam tomorrow and I'm a bit worried that it won't be enough :(
Hey Guys,
In an English Extension 1 Exam how many words.pages do you suggest for the essay/creative?
Thanks,
Mary x
Hi !!
I needed some help in identifying themes in the comic When the Wind Blows by James Patterson that link to The Spy who came in from the cold, and the poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated !
thanks so much
Hey there, I was just wondering if you have any good ideas for related texts, my elective is after the bomb and I have slaughterhouse 5 to pair with waiting for Godot, but I was bit stuck on a female/ family view to pair with Sylvia Plath's poetry- any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!
Hey,
I've got an English Extension 1 exam tomorrow and apparently there is a difference between paradigms and ways of thinking.
I just wanted to know if there was a difference and what that is.
Thank you
Hey, I have an imaginative writing piece based around the After the bomb period, and one of the main things that I am having trouble with in writing my story- is how to make a good response on the era without being cliche. I just would like some advice on how to approach it, whether it be based around an era e.g. McCarthyism or around an influential figure. Any help would be great (:
hey everyone!Hey!
I'm in the middle of choosing the extension 1 related text (for after the bomb) and was just wondering whether they needed to be actually made/published during the after the bomb time frame? So if I were to do something like "Revolutionary Road", would I be able to use the film as my related text and discuss and film techniques and such even though it was made recently? My teacher mentioned something about this and how it was better to use a text from the time, but I'm a little confused right now.
Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!
Hi, I'm studying Gothic Literature atm for English Extension 1 (prelim) and I have an essay due soon. We have to include a critical/published opinion within our essay, but I'm not sure how to go about this. The essay is about Dracula (compared to my related text) so I was wondering if you have any advice on how to introduce these opinions? Do I incorporate them in my body paragraphs to support my arguments? How exactly do I use them to support what I'm saying? And where do I get them?
Hey there! To give you some very early pointers:That was so helpful, thankyou SO much <3 <3
-These should be included in your body paragraphs! They could fit in your intro or conclusion if they served the purpose of summarising so you can explore them properly in the body, but essentially you'd see them in the body.
-They'd be used to support your argument, or perhaps even to contradict your argument to show differing opinions. Perhaps it won't be a contradiction, but just a different perspective!
-Google your texts with the words "scholar" "university" "college" "academic" next to it and you'll get different search results each time. I find that doing this kind of thing takes you beyond sparknotes and what not. But you don't just need these opinions for your texts, you can find scholars on the context even! And then you can weave this into your response as well. Unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with Gothic Lit in order to suggest anyone in particular for you to search.
-So when you use them, you simply might use the scholar to support your opinion by bringing weight to it. You might use the scholar to say, "the text evidently was received in a similar way in the context of scholar blah blah as she says..." or, you could say, "In a feminist reading of the poem as provided by blah blah, the metaphor of the blah blah is seen in a new light..." OR, you could use the scholar to talk about the context and the text's reception within that. So many options! Using scholars is fun and I think that even just reading their work elevates your response because you start to emulate the higher order of thinking :)
hey guys
So I need to write a piece of creative writing for after the bomb and I have no idea where to really go with it. We have three stimuluses but if anyone can point me in the right direction in terms of themes to include or motifs that would be applicable to the era, it would much appreciated!
Thank you!!
I've written my essay and it's almost 1600 words, but I swear to god I cannot cut anything out of it (limit is 1100). How do you cut stuff out without erasing content? My analysis is fairly long admittedly, but I feel like it's a necessary long if that makes sense. For instance, if I cut out bits from it, not all of the techniques in the quote will be covered if that makes sense. Right now, I swear all of the content is relevant to the thesis so I'm really struggling. All my paragraphs are over 300 words with 2-3 ish quotes in them. Any advice on this? Apologies for all the questions haha
hey guys
So I need to write a piece of creative writing for after the bomb and I have no idea where to really go with it. We have three stimuluses but if anyone can point me in the right direction in terms of themes to include or motifs that would be applicable to the era, it would much appreciated!
Thank you!!
Hey Maria, would you mind posting up the stimulus to see what aspects of the rubric they would like you to focus on?
I suggest picking a narrative set clearly in the Cold War as it will definitely help centre your exploration of the ways of thinking. This may seem like super obvious advice but there's really an unlimited number of ways to try and capture, let's say existentialist/nihilistic thought in arenas that aren't explicitly set during the Cold War. So research up on some of the history, see which stories intrigue you and do some digging for what your chosen personality would have felt and how you can weave in the central questions of the time through the personal response you construct for them. I'm sure if you post up a brainstorm of some work that you've been thinking of that we can look over and give you some advice. But as the module is so broad it's hard for us to directly suggest something that you're looking for, especially when we don't exactly know what interests you haha. Do a bit of research, I'm sure you'll have fun and post back a brainstorm, plot summary, whatever you like and we can give it a look.
Hopefully this helped!
Hey Maria, would you mind posting up the stimulus to see what aspects of the rubric they would like you to focus on?
I suggest picking a narrative set clearly in the Cold War as it will definitely help centre your exploration of the ways of thinking. This may seem like super obvious advice but there's really an unlimited number of ways to try and capture, let's say existentialist/nihilistic thought in arenas that aren't explicitly set during the Cold War. So research up on some of the history, see which stories intrigue you and do some digging for what your chosen personality would have felt and how you can weave in the central questions of the time through the personal response you construct for them. I'm sure if you post up a brainstorm of some work that you've been thinking of that we can look over and give you some advice. But as the module is so broad it's hard for us to directly suggest something that you're looking for, especially when we don't exactly know what interests you haha. Do a bit of research, I'm sure you'll have fun and post back a brainstorm, plot summary, whatever you like and we can give it a look.
Hopefully this helped!
Hey!
I'm so so sorry about this hella late reply! This was such an awesome answer thank you so much! I'm literally a sad excuse for a human being and student and forgot completely about this task as its still a few weeks away. I will most definitely post the stimuli (when i figure out how to do that ahahah) I definitely want to look into the 1950's image of the suburban house wife as I think that's the most interesting idea yet and one of my prescribed text's is Sylvia Plath's poetry. I'll have a little brainstorm into that and definitely post back soon. Thanks again!
Is having two related texts, outside of the prescribed, enough for the HSC or should you have a 3rd just in case its a curveball kind of question?
Is having two related texts, outside of the prescribed, enough for the HSC or should you have a 3rd just in case its a curveball kind of question?
hey guys!
I've a creative writing task coming up pretty soon and it's based around after the bomb. I was thinking about writing a story that centers around the image of the typical suburban housewife that starts to rebel from her role in society and in the home through small and subtle acts almost. Does this sound like something somewhat relatable to the era?. I also need it to link to the stimulus "They could not have known the horrifying truth"
Does this sound alright to start, or if anyone has any points with how to even remotely begin it would be muuuuuch appreciated! Thank you so much!
I see no problem with this! It sounds great :) If it helps, I wrote a speech for my creative that followed a housewife after she's decided to rebel, it might give you some ideas! You can download it here :) (I used the same one for discovery with some adjustments, that's why it's in the discovery section ;) Happy to explore ideas with you if you'd like!Yep, I'll definetely have a read of the creative for ext. as well as advanced! I'll post back when i have something written for sure!! Thanks Elyse!!
HOW DOES ONE WRITE A REFLECTION SPEECH FOR FOUR MINUTES ABOUT A SELF COMPOSER CREATIVE?
Panicked,
Bigsweetpotato Farm
hiya guys!Heya Maria!
I seriously don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the spy who came in from the cold. If anyone out there has done it, could you maybe summeraise some key ideas or maybe even a thesis I could use when writing an essay. Your help would be muuuuch appreciated right now!! Thank you!!
Can anyone link me or post a good example of a literature review? My teacher is no help and I'm having issues writing mine, and need to do well considering it weighs 30% of my entire mark.
hiya guys!
I seriously don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the spy who came in from the cold. If anyone out there has done it, could you maybe summeraise some key ideas or maybe even a thesis I could use when writing an essay. Your help would be muuuuch appreciated right now!! Thank you!!
Hey there,
I've got some powerpoint slides which I think would be really useful for you!
man I seriously don't know how to thank you! You've effectively saved my ass for trials!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Hey there,
I have a powerpoint presentation and one of the dot points said a key feature of post modernism was the "Poetic singularity of events" what does that even mean? Any ideas would be super helpful :)
hiya guys!
I'm trying to work my way through some after the bomb essay questions and I was looking at the 2015 HSC question which was
"Our enemies are to be found abroad and at home. Let us never forget this."
I was wondering how could I argue this in relation to Waiting for Godot and Sylvia Plath in terms of thesis and themes? Any help would be much appreciated thank you!
Hey maria! Definitely a difficult question in that year!
I studied these two texts and these are my ideas:
If I'm taking a gendered approach to analysing Plath's work, I would perhaps consider how contextually, the USA perceived the enemy as always being abroad, but actually an enemy of direct threat to Plath was the alive and working patriarchy within politics and society. So her poetry, in some ways, target this enemy. Also, she, in some ways, sees herself and her intellect as the enemy. You could interpret this to be the enemy of herself, as she cannot lay still and subservient like this (I see this particularly in the Bee Box poems in her oeuvre).
As for Waiting for Godot...more difficult. There's no obvious enemy for me in this one, so I approach it by looking into the alternative readings. There are some perspectives floating around that particular characters are representative of economic theories like capitalism and socialism. This can work if you take on the reading that any of these alternate readings hold water. Undoubtedly, it's really hard to approach the "abroad" in this text. I think perhaps you could say that again, contextually, the concern was on a threat from abroad, the red threat! But this text adequately deals with the idea that religion, trust, politics (depending on the reading you espouse), are all relevant here!
Remember that even if the text doesn't specifically address the terms like "abroad" - you can claim that the context from which the text was born does, and this is why the text gears it's angle towards something more internal.
Hey maria! Definitely a difficult question in that year!Thanks so much Elyse! I think I'd actually implode if I got that question haha
I studied these two texts and these are my ideas:
If I'm taking a gendered approach to analysing Plath's work, I would perhaps consider how contextually, the USA perceived the enemy as always being abroad, but actually an enemy of direct threat to Plath was the alive and working patriarchy within politics and society. So her poetry, in some ways, target this enemy. Also, she, in some ways, sees herself and her intellect as the enemy. You could interpret this to be the enemy of herself, as she cannot lay still and subservient like this (I see this particularly in the Bee Box poems in her oeuvre).
As for Waiting for Godot...more difficult. There's no obvious enemy for me in this one, so I approach it by looking into the alternative readings. There are some perspectives floating around that particular characters are representative of economic theories like capitalism and socialism. This can work if you take on the reading that any of these alternate readings hold water. Undoubtedly, it's really hard to approach the "abroad" in this text. I think perhaps you could say that again, contextually, the concern was on a threat from abroad, the red threat! But this text adequately deals with the idea that religion, trust, politics (depending on the reading you espouse), are all relevant here!
Remember that even if the text doesn't specifically address the terms like "abroad" - you can claim that the context from which the text was born does, and this is why the text gears it's angle towards something more internal.
Hi just a question r.e Romanticism essay. Currently I am looking at Frankenstein by Shelley, Lime Tree Bower and Ancient Mariner by Coleridge and Chimney Sweep by Blake. Any suggestions for my 2nd ORT? I recently heard in your essay it is best to show the internal conflicts within the movement itself. For example, so far, in Frankenstein and Ancient Mariner I discuss the Romantic emphasis on idealism and how both texts explore the dangers if man's ambitions (idealism) go too far. I also go into the restorative and destructive powers of nature. In Lime Tree Bower I discuss the transformative powers of the imagination in nature while in Chimney Sweep I look into the proclamation of the individual and childhood as an innocent state free of society's corruption. Is there any ORTS you guys could suggest which either reflect the danger of individualism or any aspect of Romanticism I have not yet touched on.
Thanks :)
Looks like your essay atm is male centric. Perhaps look for a female composer to make sure you're covering the full breadth of Romanticism. Wuthering Heights is fantastic, but very very long. My Last Duchess by Browning is written by a male, but definitely explores the exploitation of women for the sake of 'art' in the period.
Interesting take thanks :) although Frankenstein is by Mary Shelley in case you may have got confused with percy shelley haha
No no, not confused. Just that she still writes using a male protagonist, and females are largely absent from the plot line. Whilst this is the basis for a large amount of feminist critique on the text in and of itself, it would still be beneficial to have an actual female voice within your work.
Oh okay that makes sense, could I ask you how you studied for the analytical side of Extension ie. did you have one base essay which you took into the exam and adpated to the question?
No I didn't. I basically had quotes that covered all parts of the syllabus, and wrote paragraphs based on such dot points. In the exam, I would pick the dot points that worked the best and write those. However, sometimes I felt like I needed to approach extension with a greater amount of originality, and so, would throw the dot points out the window. I can say that I had a fantastic contextual understanding of the period though, and as you said before, always debated intricacies within my essays. Once again, that may be why a female voice is important to your piece
hey I had a question about one of my related for Mod B: After the bomb. So currently, I'm using the 1959 Kitchen Debate as a related to pair with Plath. I thought it worked really well as I could talk about disillusioned female roles but also the thematic themes of the 'modern' kitchen. However, i've had so many mixed opinions about using that text as "its non fiction from 1959" saying that it doesn't really reflect the changing thoughts of the time period. I was wondering if you had any advice about using it or not?
Cheers,
Hi!
I'm doing After the bomb for English Extension 1 and my trials begin in two weeks. My core texts are the Spy who came in from the cold (novel) and Waiting for Godot (absurdist play). My chosen related texts are a French modernist film called Hiroshima Mon Amour and an American documentary film Hearts and Minds. However, I have been advised by my teacher that it is not recommended to do two film forms within our related text selection. Is that true? If so, would you advise that I change one of my related's or keep them as is? In terms of composition they're entirely different but I would really appreciate your opinion. I'm a little apprehensive to change with trials coming up.
Thanks! :)
Hi!Hey mersinah, I know a lot of students believe, or have been told, to not do the same text type for your related text in order to show some variety. Perhaps this holds water, but I was certainly never warned against it. In saying that, I never did double on the same text type anyway. But it was never something I was advised, and it's not something I've been able to find with weight from NESA. So, follow your teachers directions even if just for the internal assessments, I suggest! Also, I could never get my hands on Hiroshima Mon Amour. Where did you get it? I'd love to watch it!
I'm doing After the bomb for English Extension 1 and my trials begin in two weeks. My core texts are the Spy who came in from the cold (novel) and Waiting for Godot (absurdist play). My chosen related texts are a French modernist film called Hiroshima Mon Amour and an American documentary film Hearts and Minds. However, I have been advised by my teacher that it is not recommended to do two film forms within our related text selection. Is that true? If so, would you advise that I change one of my related's or keep them as is? In terms of composition they're entirely different but I would really appreciate your opinion. I'm a little apprehensive to change with trials coming up.
Thanks! :)
Hey - the first essay I'm ever going to write for Extension 1 will actually be my trial and I have no idea how to do it.
Skimming over some past trials, I see they request 2 prescribed and 2 related. How would I organise the structure of my essay? Would you happen to have a sample essay scaffold?
Thanks guys.
Hiya!
So, I'm not much of creative writer - I'm more analytical - and I am struggling to write a Romanticism creative piece. Are there any ideas that someone could give me to maybe start me off ? Help would be super appreciated!
Thanks!
I don't have much either but I would suggest looking into the context/history of the period and finding little examples that could make interesting stories eg. the Peterloo massacre :)Sounds interesting. I'll have a look! Thanks! :)
What is the best way to study for an ext1 english examhey!
Hi! Is it ideal to be referencing quotes of academics/philosophers in an extension essay? Thanks! :-)
hey everyone!
I'm currently revising waiting for godot and I was wondering if anyone had any good quotes or scenes that really focus on class struggle? I know the whole Lucky and Pozzo dynamic is about that, but is there a scene or some excerpts which really capture this?
Thank you!
Suggested word length and amount of pages used for creative and the essay?
You have an hour for each (or at least we do) so definitely aim for at least 8 for each with 10 being the ultimate goal :) But remember with the essay to be less descriptive and make sure everything you are saying is stuff that will get you marks!
Great thanks, do you know how many different paragraphs/ideas are recommended?
hey, just wondering how often (if ever) does the essay question ask for reference to 3 related texts? I've heard it's usually 2
Nah id be 100% certain it would be only 2, but if you want to prepare yourself just going over even a painting is a nice back up since you dont have to worry about memorising quotes. but yeah pretty sure it will only ask for 2
I personally structure my essays by each text eg. Para 1 Lime tree bower, Para 2 frankenstein para 3 chimney sweeper para 4 wuthering heights while making links in between eg. while coleridges LTB explores the transformative power of the creative mind of the individual, Mary Shelley in her novel Frankenstein highlights the potential flaws within man's creative genius.
Some people i know structure it as 1 para for each paradigm and how each text explores that but personally i just use my method because i find it simpler and less messy to follow but markers may like the second one equally!
thanks! and is it generally be the same for prescribed texts, as in they'll only ask for 2?
thanks! and is it generally be the same for prescribed texts, as in they'll only ask for 2?
From all the papers I have looked at they have only asked for two, would be a bit rough if they changed that but have you seen last year's paper (for ATB)? That seemed quite tough in contrast of previous years that have had broader questions asked
Oh i haven't seen it as I'm studying language and gender, but hopefully they don't make it too tough for our trials and HSC. Cheers
“Freedom is at the heart of After the Bomb. Yet control is also crucial.” Write an essay in which you evaluate the extent to which this is true with reference to TWO prescribed texts AND at least TWO texts of your own choosing.
Does anyone have ideas of how to tackle this for Waiting for Godot and Sylvia Plath? could you look at the composers freedom in determining insights of ATB? Or would a more straightforward essay talk about how the Cold War has eliminated one's freedom and morality, and how the poliitcal desire for control has eradicated the meaning of human existence?
Wow, that's a very interesting essay question - I think one way to approach this would be to do freedom as reflected in form.
In all honesty with you, this is very much an essay question that I'd disagree with. I'd pose that control has now place in the freedom, liberation and transcendence that permeated throughout ATB.
I'd really love a second opinion though.
hey, I was just wondering how many words most people write in extension exams for the creative and critical (I know its quality over quantity hahah, I'm just curious)?
I'm really struggling to incorporate every element my teacher wants into my essays in a reasonable word limit, and my trial exam is tomorrow.
thanks
Hey,
I'm in prelim English Ext 1 and we have an upcoming essay which will evaluate two of our core texts, along with two related texts—so four different texts in the entirety of the response. I haven't ever had to integrate this amount of texts into an essay, so I was wondering if you could provide any tips in terms of structure? If it helps, we're studying the Gothic genre. Thank you so much!
Hey,
I'm in prelim English Ext 1 and we have an upcoming essay which will evaluate two of our core texts, along with two related texts—so four different texts in the entirety of the response. I haven't ever had to integrate this amount of texts into an essay, so I was wondering if you could provide any tips in terms of structure? If it helps, we're studying the Gothic genre. Thank you so much!
Hey Lumenoria!
Great question. Genuinely, great question. I didn't do a four-text integrated essay until Year 12, and I wasn't even close to integrating any kind of sophisticated way until after my trials and about two weeks before my HSC. I restructured - everything. Funnily enough, an ATAR Notes guide helped me (AN wasn't even a thing during my HSC in NSW), and it is this one here. I restructured everything based on this model. It is skewed towards an ATB form, but hopefully it gives you some ideas about integrating the texts. You can be really creative with your structure in extension - but this is what I found to be very helpful, and then I manipulated it to my texts :)
Alright, that seriously is helpful, thankyou so much! Just one more thing, if my teacher preferably wanted us to write in the block linear essay structure rather than integrated paragraphs, would I be comparing the first core with the first related and then the second core to the second related? In other words, am I supposed to be drawing similarities/differences only of the core text with its related, or for all of them as a whole? I don't even know if I'm making sense rn, I'm kind of at a loss right now hahahha
Is it okay if I use another prescribed text (that my school doesn't study) as my related text? Because my teacher wants me to do that
Is it okay if I use another prescribed text (that my school doesn't study) as my related text? Because my teacher wants me to do that
This is what the NESA FAQ says:
RELATED TEXTS
What are related texts?
Some modules in Stage 6 English courses require students to study texts of their own choosing, in addition to their prescribed texts. The study of these ‘related’ texts provides students with the opportunity to explore a wider variety of texts related to the particular module. Students draw their chosen texts from a variety of sources, in a range of genres and media.
How should related texts be selected?
In Stage 6 English courses, it is expected that students will take responsibility for the selection and study of related texts. While teachers may provide advice and guidance, student skills in independent analysis and investigation and their growing independence as learners will be strengthened through their own selection and study of related texts.
Can a text from the HSC Prescribed Texts list be used as a related text?
Students will not be disadvantaged by using a text from the Prescribed Texts list, provided it is relevant to the module/elective concerned.
So I'm conflicted about this. My instinct initially is to say no you can't use this as a related text because you might leave the marker thinking you haven't picked two related texts as the question asks (presuming the question will ask this). But these FAQ makes me think that it would technically be ok. Maybe check with your English coordinator for a second opinion.
Hey!
Sorry for asking so many questions, but I have my English Ext exams next Monday and I was wondering, for the essay, how would you suggest making links between the repressed female sexuality that was prevalent during the Victorian age to the evocation of fear and terror within Gothic Literature? I reckon the essay question will be about the evocation of fear and terror, but I want my thesis to be centralised around repressed female sexuality/ideals because it's a common theme that weaves throughout all 4 of my texts, which are - Dracula by Bram Stoker, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Turn of the Screw by Henry James and American Horror Story: Murder House. However, I'm at a loss as to how to execute this in an effective way. Or conversely, do you reckon it would be easier to approach this by centralising the essay around forms and features (general gothic conventions etc)? Also, when making references to context, how do you ensure you aren't being repetitive when linking to the general concept? I feel like the ideas conveyed are relatively similar in each of these texts, ao that's a major concern of mine - the last thing I want to do is be wasting words redundantly! I hope this is making sense to you. Any help would be appreciated deeply, thankyou :))
Hi,
I was wondering how to tackle this question, it seems like a monster imo.
"Without art the human spirit would disintegrate into the anonymous statistics of history"
How do your 2 prescribed texts and 2 related texts show this statement to be true?
A monster indeed!
It really depends on your texts. But I studied ATB, and I'm inclined to talk about the human spirit as being the struggles of humanity (so essentially - the plot), the art as the way it's expressed, indicating the importance of the recreation of human experiences in literature/texts, and then using the end point to say that if stories were not told, history would be faceless.
This is approaching it when talking about the texts from the outside though, your texts might lend themselves to the expression of art and human spirit inside the text? I think Sylvia Plath would've been good for me for this, but not sure about how I would've done it for Waiting for Godot!
Definitely a monster. Do you think you'd take the first or second approach?
I probably would have done the first one, seeing as The Spy or Waiting for Godot doesn't really align with the other two.
I was thinking about writing how these texts (aka art) are essential for documenting their era'/ concerns and how without them, insight into such difficult time periods would be minimised, which subsequently eliminates our understanding of humanity and how we adjust in such difficult time periods
Two questions
1. Can I use a speech as a related text or is that frowned upon in comparison with other forms e.g. novels, films
2. How many quotes should I prepare per text as a minimum?
Thanks!
Hey there!
1. You can definitely use a speech :) The medium is really interesting because it allows you to know the composer's really well. You learn of their political perspectives/agenda and the rhetorical devices they employ to convince you of that. I assume you're doing after the bomb (sorry if you're not), so you can look at how the political and personal intersect in a way that is unique from your other texts. I'm sure the speaker's biography is up online, so that's definitely worth exploring as a part of your analysis :)
I haven't personally chosen to study a speech, but believe that it has a lot of potential. Maybe someone on the forums who has used a speech as their related could share with you some more tips on how to best analyse it :)
2. I don't think you can name an arbitrary number of quotes and be certain that that will get you through the exam. I recommend learning quotes that will allow you to explore the full breath of the text and enough so that you can be comfortable knowing that you can answer any question. You can gauge whether you know the text well enough by doing practice questions or at least planning responses to them. Whilst your doing that, take note if you find yourself resorting to the same arguments/evidence or feel that you're being forced to manipulate your arguments in strange ways just to make them fit. That could be a sign that you need more evidence to explore ideas that will then allow you to be comfortable answering the question with a whole new set of evidence. But if you were actually looking for a number, depending on the size of the text, I learn around 15 quotes but this definitely increases with larger texts like novels/plays. I tend to have the least textual evidence for my films.
Hopefully this helped. I wasn't too sure what you were exactly looking for so let me know if you want more things clarified - these were fairly generalised answers :)
Sounds stellar to me! The only thing I think you need to flesh out (which you might already intend to do) is the "insight into such difficult time periods would be minimised" according to...? in the eyes of? I mean, I think you need to talk about the way modern citizens would look at it as black and white, but the texts give this period colour.
What is the correct formation sort of thing for introducing texts? Sooo many teachers have taught me different! Like do we underline the name of texts or 'put them in quotation marks'
How many paragraphs do people do for essays roughly? Would 3 be alright if they're very long paragraphs aka full essay including intro and conclusion totalling 1400 words?
I do:
INTRO
PRESCRIBED TEXT 1
PRESCRIBED TEXT 2
ORT 1
ORT 2
CONCLUSION
1.8k
:)
I'm guessing you do integrated essay structure if you have 3 paras?
yussss, but 1.8k?? are you writing for the full hour and skimming close to not finishing, or finishing before, or using up some of your creative time?
well in the trial i wrote 13 pgs essay and 9 pgs creative and had 5 mins left i write crazy fast hahaha :P
That's amazing!!!!!
How many paragraphs do people do for essays roughly? Would 3 be alright if they're very long paragraphs aka full essay including intro and conclusion totalling 1400 words?
So I'm prepping for Extension a bit this week just because my next exam is Friday and so I have plenty of spare time. Does anyone have thoughts for the creative and the stimulus/prompt you reckon we will get? I can adapt my story with ease to everything except anything explicitly about the setting so hopefully fingers crossed that doesn't come up! I'm feeling like they may ask us to base our creative around a historical event or figure as they haven't done that yet and it would certainly catch people out! I'm just looking at my own creative now - it is set on a slave ship following the Abolition of the Slave Trade Movement and in essence follows a crewman's internal struggle in protesting against the injustice of slavery (the boat sinks at the end as a symbol of nature taking it's retribution on man's wrongdoings). Do you guys reckon this is placed within a historical event enough or would it have to explicitly be about the Abolition of the Slave Trade ie. set in the Parliament as it is happening? Also if it asked to be based off the life of a significant historical figure, does it have to be explicitly based off his/her life? My figure I would go with, Oloudah Equiano was a slave who campaigned for slave rights after being freed and basically I wanted to more focus on his experience on slave ship as to keep the majority of my story intact rather than his actual life. Would this be okay too? Just have a feeling that is the kind of prompt they could give us this year? Thanks :)
Hey there!
I am SO lost with preparing for extension english and would really love to hear from anyone who has a list of practice questions (both creative and critical) that they would be willing enough to share. It's just so hard to find papers for after the bomb and I don't want my first practice to be in the exam room. I hope you can all understand this, the exam is less than a week away and I think this is a great chance for all of us to work together and smash the exam :D
Let me know if you guys have anything!!
Hey guys - just for Romanticism - I am confused as to what Idealism actually means in the context of our studies. There's two ideas I can find:
1. The belief that what we call the "external world" is somehow created by our minds.
2. The desire to transform/make the world better.
Any ideas as to whether both are correct or only one? Thanks :)
Hi :)
Yes I believe what you've listed aligns with idealism. The Romantics envisioned a better, if not perfect society, which would be a product of innate human Reason and the power of the imagination. To me, they are a class of Utopian thinkers.
Hope that helps :)
Okay sweet thank you! I was also wondering (and Elyse if you had any opinions as well that would be great as I've seen you have posted a couple of things on this) for my Ext 1 essay, I am a bit confused as to how the integrated essay structure looks? Would it be doing 1 way of thinking eg. Individual and then throughout that whole paragraph discussing all texts I have studied as it just sounds really messy if you get it wrong haha! Was my essay I got you to mark Elyse integrated by nature due to the fact that all texts had to deal with the individual anyway? I just prefer to deal with each text in one paragraph and then if needed compare and contrast conceptually how they deal with ideas in relation to the other texts. So for instance, something like - While Coleridge highlights the power of the individual imagination, Shelley warns against this spirit of individualism through the construct of the 'Romantic overreacher'. Thanks so much :)
Hey sorry for belated reply
With integration, I do believe it's simply about linking the texts and then to Romantic ways of thinking as a whole. There's no single formula for this. I agree all texts in one para is messy - so break it up into ideas about the individual. Surely you can group your texts accordingly, as they will share common ground with certain ideas about the individual (you could also contrast them). And then make links back to the other authors/thinkers you have mentioned, like in the evaluative link at the bottom of the para to bolster it as a way of thinking - something all Romantics seem to advocate for.
Personally, I have not made paras based on ways of thinking i.e. solely nature, or the individual, etc... I've woven them into arguments I believe to be true of the Romantics - such as their desire to defy social and literary constraints, reimagine a better society and immortalise the soul. I've linked back to Nature, the imagination, the individual which are obviously key Romantic values. I've grouped texts according to their similarities and then made recurring 'grouping statements' where I refer to all composers and how their arguments fit nicely, or build on each other. They might even disagree of course.
So yea... sorry for rambling... there's no one way. Just make it clear, coherent and just do what you're comfortable with!! :)
*Praying for question that we can work with!!!!*
Hey sorry for belated reply
With integration, I do believe it's simply about linking the texts and then to Romantic ways of thinking as a whole. There's no single formula for this. I agree all texts in one para is messy - so break it up into ideas about the individual. Surely you can group your texts accordingly, as they will share common ground with certain ideas about the individual (you could also contrast them). And then make links back to the other authors/thinkers you have mentioned, like in the evaluative link at the bottom of the para to bolster it as a way of thinking - something all Romantics seem to advocate for.
Personally, I have not made paras based on ways of thinking i.e. solely nature, or the individual, etc... I've woven them into arguments I believe to be true of the Romantics - such as their desire to defy social and literary constraints, reimagine a better society and immortalise the soul. I've linked back to Nature, the imagination, the individual which are obviously key Romantic values. I've grouped texts according to their similarities and then made recurring 'grouping statements' where I refer to all composers and how their arguments fit nicely, or build on each other. They might even disagree of course.
So yea... sorry for rambling... there's no one way. Just make it clear, coherent and just do what you're comfortable with!! :)
*Praying for question that we can work with!!!!*
Okay sweet thank you! I was also wondering (and Elyse if you had any opinions as well that would be great as I've seen you have posted a couple of things on this) for my Ext 1 essay, I am a bit confused as to how the integrated essay structure looks? Would it be doing 1 way of thinking eg. Individual and then throughout that whole paragraph discussing all texts I have studied as it just sounds really messy if you get it wrong haha! Was my essay I got you to mark Elyse integrated by nature due to the fact that all texts had to deal with the individual anyway? I just prefer to deal with each text in one paragraph and then if needed compare and contrast conceptually how they deal with ideas in relation to the other texts. So for instance, something like - While Coleridge highlights the power of the individual imagination, Shelley warns against this spirit of individualism through the construct of the 'Romantic overreacher'. Thanks so much :)
Hey Elyse sorry had another question - if the question for the creative stipulates we base it off a historical event and my story is about the experience of life in the midst of the Abolition of the Slave Trade (I was going to include a letter from the guy's wife documenting the work of the government in bringing about the act and info about how the social and political aristocracy opposed it) is this alright or does it actually have to be about the slave trade act itself? And similarly for if it is based off a historical figure - does it have to follow their life or can I be creative about it ie. in the case of mine Olaudah Equiano, he did a lot of post slave stuff but I was just going to do a fictional account of his experience on a slave ship after gaining a british education etc. and he is at this point in his actual life a crewman on a slaveship and so i was going to explore his want to help the slaves vs the malevolence of the other crewmen). Would really appreciate some thoughts :)
Hello there, Elyse! I have the same prescribed texts for my HSC next year and I just started working with The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. I have a great understanding of the rubric because my teacher deconstructed it in depth but I am having trouble immersing myself in the novel itself. Do you have any particular recommendations in how I can approach reading the novel or ways to look at it for me to connect with it further?
Hi!
I saw the question about the historical event/figure and now I have more questions- if we were asked to write about a historical figure would a letter from a fictional character to the historical figure work? Or could I use Coleridge as a historical figure and have him talking to someone about their experiences? I read somewhere that he talked to common people to gather stories for Lyrical Ballads, so could I make one up? And for the historical event I have a story that references the French Reign of Terror, it's not so much a first-hand description of it but the protagonist is pro-revolution, then he learns about the reign of terror and is disillusioned, but he then discovers that imagination and beauty can be the path to a free world instead.
My Romanticism creatives sound so weird when I describe them haha
Hey guys just had a question on the 2016 question:
‘Light can only be understood with the wisdom of darkness.’
To what extent has your understanding of the ways of thinking in Romanticism been shaped
by considering both the darkness and the light in the texts you have studied?
In your response, refer to TWO prescribed texts and at least TWO texts of your own choosing.
I just did this question and was wondering how many times you have to make the judgement on to what extent as I put in my intro to a significant extent for all my texts and so I don't know if I need to repeat that in my body paragraphs because at times it gets repetitive and wordy!
Thanks :)
I always wonder this too, cause whilst in legal putting it into every body is essential, this is more of a 'pretty' style of writing ;D I reckon just in intro is fine but interested to hear what Elyse thinks :)
Does anyone have any advice on creative writing for ATB? I have a piece prepared and it has fit relatively well with previous questions, but still kinda worried about the whole adapting to absurd stimuli/questions situation. Also WHAT THE HECK WAS LAST YEARS CW QUESTION??? How would anyone respond to that, on the spot, it's crazy!
I think number one thing is don't panic (easier said than done), and be creative when linking the stimulus to your own piece, particularly during reading time you can plan this in your head.
Last year's question thooooo holy craaappp!! I literally would've cried ;D It has made me be wary of what they could throw as us though!! Worried they'll make us do it from the setting of a prescribed... but got a small idea if that does occur.
Just literally think of the most absurd prompts to do with the extension 1 prescription, ways of thinking, paradigms and prescribed texts, and figure ways to link your own
Good luck!!! I am terrified fml hahaha I hope we get something good
how much is everyone planning on writing? I'm worried I'm doing too much, essay is 2200 and creative 1800.. time's not an issue, usually have between 8 and 15 minutes leftover, but as long as I'm on topic is that fine? xx
how much is everyone planning on writing? I'm worried I'm doing too much, essay is 2200 and creative 1800.. time's not an issue, usually have between 8 and 15 minutes leftover, but as long as I'm on topic is that fine? xx
My essay was a similar amount but I was sort of worried so cut it down to 1900, and my creative is 1500. I think if you are confident that you can finish on time and avoid going on a tangent then 100% write to the full capacity of your materials, will look very impressive too! How big is your writing/how many pages do you usually fill up?
I'm doing around 1.7-1.8k for essay and 1.4-1.5k for the creative. I'd be worried for you moreso just about the fact that the stimulus and questions can be quite specific so you need to make sure that you do have time (perhaps that 8-15 you usually have left over) to make sure you are explicitly adapting and answering what is set as the question. As you said, if your essay is that long, make sure you are making a point with everything you are saying and not being too repetitive :) For the creative, 1800 is definitely heaps (mines around 1.4-1.5k) but as long as its not heaps of description and moreso that many words to explore the complexity of romanticism or to fit in as many ideas as possible that's fine too! :) Just think of it like a discovery creative - you are essentially trying to fulfill bits of the rubric with every sentence! So make sure you are reflecting the ways of thinking of the romantic era in the majority of your sentences! Other than that yeah its all g as long as you have time to adapt to the painfully specific questions haha :) I could probably write more for the essay and creative eg. today i just did a practice essay and did 11pgs in 55 minutes so if i pushed (seeing my creative could get done in 45 or so) i could do heaps more but as i said i think it is about not just writing and writing but also taking time to still think and make sure what you write answers the question and is directly related to what is set :)
in exam booklet pages, i generally write bigger just because the lines are bigger so essay ends up being about 19 pages and creative around 16! thank you! :)
The time taken is practices during which ive been responding to questions as well, so its 8-15 leftover is including the time thinking about how I'm going to incorporate various stimuli and elements of the question. The essay is all good in terms of not going off topic. My creative increased in length a lot from trials because I've added in more elements, strengthening motifs and covering the whole rubric and all that good stuff. Most questions I've been able to adapt pretty easily to, the only one I've had trouble with was last years ahaha, so would definitely need a bit of time to think about a question like that! What do you think the questions will be on this year? I think for the creative maybe something about the relationship between two romantic paradigms, (maybe the imagination and idealism?) with a visual stimulus, then the essay I have no idea but I hope they don't do the same question for all of the 'texts and ways of thinking' electives like they did last year!!
Essentially, yes to all of the above! I learned how to write my Extension One English essay based off this guide (like, one of the only guides on AN about English when I did my HSC :')) and at first thought, ghee whiz that is so tightly structured but it works. Then two weeks before my exam I changed my entire structure from the most simplistic essay ever (completely non-integrated, like, one text per paragraph with one idea for each, no interaction between texts at all.) and worked at it every day to integrate it without being convoluted. I wouldn't mention the four texts in the one paragraph except for the intro. I think approaching one text per paragraph isn't a bad idea at all, especially if that is how you find it easiest to make the links - because afterall, cohesion is a part of the marking criteria! :)
Hello again ;) Well, a historical "event" I suppose implies a specific moment or happening, whereas a "significant period in history" would be more broad. So I think it really comes down to that wording. But the letter could be an excellent way to back yourself in this situation to provide enough for it to hit the stimulus. As for your second hypothetical stimulus, I also think that would be ok. E1 markers are creative and will see and note the links you make I'm sure, and they'll recognise your creative license to deviate from historical truth at times in order to promote the agenda they want from you in the exam. It really sounds like you've covered all bases here!
Hello and WELCOME to the forums! :)
I didn't like the Spy :( I read it and dragggged myself through it and when I got to the end I cried on the final pages. Like just a few tears, nothing too deep. I personally struggled to keep up with the characters and their interactions, I ultimately thought it was boring. What I did enjoy, were the few times there was a glimpse of real humanism, and the few great metaphors. So there's a scene with two trucks and a small car coming together in a collision, and then it kind of just vanishes in importance, but comes up again later. That amused me and I enjoyed it. But for the most part - I recommend just getting through it, and then you can go back and appreciate certain parts. The most human choices come towards the end of the novel, which is the part I could relate to and enjoy most. So hang in there!!
Hahaha, interesting, not weird ;) Yes, all of this sounds great and you're thinking clearly about important events and links which is the main thing! No matter what, if you are making conscious clear links (this means in an exam room, taking a breathe and thennnn going for it), then you will be satisfying the criteria.
I personally loved last year's question! My least favourite question is this one: In Romanticism, composers not only transform human experience through imagination but also manipulate textual forms and features in response to their times. Evaluate this statement. > SO MANY COMPONENTS!
For predictions:
Creative - I think will be to include a significant historical event or figure and explore how Romanticism deals with elements of protest/change.
Essay - Harder to predict but I'm thinking maybe a quote on individualism and how Romanticism explores the spirit of individualism. However, if they wanted to keep it similar to the creative I'm guessing it may be similar to my trial question R.E how Romanticism is a protest against historical events/prevailing ideas
Also, one part of the rubric they have not tested in the essay yet is the bit about: "The individual's pursuit for meaning and truth" so perhaps it could be: To what extent was the Romantic period concerned with the individual's search for truth and meaning? That would be a great question haha - nice and broad
I agree, something about individualism would be soo good! Do you mean the essay or the creative question? Essay was ok but the creative was insane ahah. I really like the one about textual forms actually, I talk about that a fair bit in my essay already. Something about protest and change may be too similar to the 2015 question (the one about the restless spirit breaking though old and confining forms), but would still be a great question, fingers crossed it's interesting but not impossible
Yeah textual form is easy enough to mention but also I do Wuthering Heights as one of my related texts and it doesnt contain strong references to the imagination haha! and it was the 2016 essay question not creative- that would have been so hard to come up with on the spot but luckily we can prepare now :)
I think you make really great points about what they could be, I would love one about the pursuit of meaning and truth but I have a feeling it will be an enduring value question, it was done in 2010, but most of the questions have been very context and form based and I think they might include one about enduring value either this year or next. My ideal question is one about the individual or human experience!
With Extension 1 essays being the most ambivalent and subject to convoluted questions, I'm surprised some of you are heading in with planned responses.
I actually do have a question - the story I have composed explores the Cold War angst through the famous 1972 Chess World Championship between Bobby Fischer (America) and Boris Spassky (Russia) and how this was a platform for the continuation of the Cold War and the attempts of one nation out-smarting the other.
I feel however that a lot of markers won't understand it and appreciate it, mainly because it is such a niche aspect of history, let alone the Cold War. I also feel that in order to appreciate this story, there is a need to understand, even briefly, the facts surrounding it whereas I feel the markers might just consider it a fabrication.
It's interesting because Bobby Fischer broke a long line of Soviet dominance in chess and was persuaded into playing by Henry Kissinger, a famous US diplomat. In fact, it's stated that Nixon and Brezhnev would watch the matches in their respective offices. Anyway, I don't really mean to ramble but I like the concept and feel it sheds light on an esoteric way in which the Cold War was fought.
Any thoughts guys? Thanks.
With Extension 1 essays being the most ambivalent and subject to convoluted questions, I'm surprised some of you are heading in with planned responses.
I actually do have a question - the story I have composed explores the Cold War angst through the famous 1972 Chess World Championship between Bobby Fischer (America) and Boris Spassky (Russia) and how this was a platform for the continuation of the Cold War and the attempts of one nation out-smarting the other.
I feel however that a lot of markers won't understand it and appreciate it, mainly because it is such a niche aspect of history, let alone the Cold War. I also feel that in order to appreciate this story, there is a need to understand, even briefly, the facts surrounding it whereas I feel the markers might just consider it a fabrication.
It's interesting because Bobby Fischer broke a long line of Soviet dominance in chess and was persuaded into playing by Henry Kissinger, a famous US diplomat. In fact, it's stated that Nixon and Brezhnev would watch the matches in their respective offices. Anyway, I don't really mean to ramble but I like the concept and feel it sheds light on an esoteric way in which the Cold War was fought.
Any thoughts guys? Thanks.
Hey! I think most of us here are just memorising quotes for the essay! Most of us, however, are going in with a prepared creative because it is hard unless you are gifted to write in the style of the period on the spot, but of course it's important to write something adaptable and to know how to adapt it to all the stimulus's that have been tested so far. As to your question I would say that if your story is highly different that could seriously work in your favour as markers mark so many papers and would likely find your story highly original and sophisticated. I am speaking from a Romantic student's view though so maybe someone who does your elective will disagree, but that's my thoughts!
I definitely didn't have a prepared! Just memorised quotes and basic points. I feel like prepared responses are so restrictive
How'd you go! How much did you write?
Hi
I am stressing over the conckusion I wrote for the hsc.
I completed it. And I decided to add something like “as Denise Lessing states.” Something like that.
But I didn’t have time finish writing it, so I crossed it out.
But turns out, I crossed a little off my previous concluding sentence as well.
The marker came round and I asked her what I should do, and she just said pack it away.
So I did
But I’m stressing because it was my last line and I’m scared they’re gonna think of my essay as incomplete.
Please tell me will I lose mars, for it?
I drew a little line like where I was meant to end it but I’m stil so scared.
Thank you
Hey guys,
I'm the 2018 cohort and I was wondering when i should start brainstorming for my ext 1 creative, because I'm pretty bad at them. Any advice on extension creatives by the way (and how they differ from advanced ones) ?
Thanks guys!
From: theyam
Hi,
I was wondering what the "ways of thinking" are present in the Spy Who Came in from the Cold in accordance with the syllabus?
Thanks.
Hi!
I'm doing the elective After the Bomb, and was going to use the Kitchen Debate and Grave of the Fireflies as my related text. However one of the questions in my upcoming assessment is "To what extent do composers use the construction of setting to explore ideas about alienation in the elective After the Bomb?", and since the Kitchen Debate doesn't have a composer, my teacher thinks it's not appropriate for the question to use. The other question for the assessment is about hope and despair, and I need to be able to fit another related text to both of these questions, as well as my prescribed texts Waiting for Godot and An Artist of the Floating world.
I was wondering for any suggestions for new ORTs that would work with that? The exams are in about a week and a half, so I'm a little panicked.
Thanks!!
Ruth
Hi!
Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Do you think it's ok for both of my related texts to be films, as I'm also doing Grave of the Fireflies?
I think my teacher thought it wasn't a good fit, as you have to talk about how the composers themselves use setting.
Thanks!
Ruth
Hi all! I'm struggling with thinking up creative ideas for my elective - Life Writing - which I can sustain over 1500 words. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or plot lines they could share? I feel like most ideas I come up with are pretty common like soldiers coming back from war and recounting their experiences, and I'm also not sure if that would be easy to adapt to stimuli. My teacher is also concerned about why the persona would write about their life - the purpose of the story, which I'm not too sure about. But yeah any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!'
'
Hey Emily!
So I didn't study life writing, so take this with a grain of salt. But what you've said your teacher is interested in really intrigues me. Maybe you could use this as your starting point? So you could look specifically into the reason why someone would be compelled to talk about their life. Maybe as a source of inspiration for future generations? I'm not sure - but can life writing be a speech? because speeches always have strong intentions. So think of a compelling reason why someone would want to share their life experience, and then decide on what that life experience might be.
What do you think?
How do you structure an extension english essay?
Hello guys
Would anyone have any suggestions on what would link well to the following texts I have so far for After the Bomb: The Spy who came in from the Cold, Plath's poetry, The Kitchen Debate.
I'm thinking of Duck and Cover but I'm not sure how to link them to my texts so far, also I don't plan on using Godot for trials, is that risky?
thank guys :)
Hi! I'm desperately in need of help with an idea for my creative writing for after the bomb! My current idea (Which my teacher approves) is surrounding the expectations of Jackie Kennedy after the assassination of her husband. I have a fairly solid idea to use a non-linear structure and use poetic epigraphs at the start of each new paragraph/section, to represent 'A good wife's guide to grief'. However, I'm concerned whether focusing on a particular historical figure is appropriate or not encouraged? In doing this will it limit my potential marks? Any perspectives on this would be greatly appreciated
Hi @theyam! I'm doing the Spy as well! (but not the other two you mentioned).
I think not using Godot for Trials is completely fine. I'm not cause my teacher told me I can't use it yet. (kind of annoying)... :)
But in answer to your question, any text should be fine as long as you analyse it strongly alongside your prescribed ones.
For Duck and Cover, you could make a paradigm table to see what values and themes match up with your other texts. (I have attached the one that our class created together for Spy. Feel free to use all the notes there! I don't mind sharing more stuff if you ask for more). Otherwise, if you have time, Grave of the Fireflies is a strong related text. It's a Studio Gibli Film (anime) and set in World War Two, with heaps on paradigms and motifs.
Hope this helps! ;D
From LochNess
What are the chances that they will ask for THREE prescribed and ONE related?
Hey, everyone!
I just received my Trials results for Extension 1 English and am pretty happy with them. My creative is only just getting into the A range so I would like to boost it up before HSC. One comment I keep getting on it is clarifying on the time frame to show context more clearly. The story is set in 1974 Japan and I use Japanese words, places and events to shape it but I was wondering if I needed to specify the year itself and how I could do it subtly. So far, I placed the setting by referencing the Japanese oil crisis in 1973 being over, mentioning the Sumitomo high rise building which was finished in 1974 and quoting lyrics from one of the number one hit songs in 1974. I think it's because I've done the research that it seems explicit and so it might not actually be to the marker. Should I try to insert the year in and how should I do it?
Hey,
I am planning on preparing the majority of my reponses for Adv English, do you suggest doing the same for Extension 1?
Hi, I'm basically wondering about all the possible ways to structure an extension essay, given we have 4 texts to analyse? My elective is Science Fiction, thank you :)
Hey! I was wondering if I could write about the Vietnam War for my creative? My module is After the Bomb and I was wondering if the Vietnam War fits within the context of ATB.
My previous creative was based on the Hiroshima bombing, however my teacher said that it /just/ touches upon the time constraints of the module and suggested I change it.
Hey! I'm doing After the Bomb as well, and I'm sure there shouldn't be a problem with that concept. My first creative is set in the Philippines and draws upon elements from the Vietnam War, and I haven't been told off for setting my story in a non-western environment (yet). The rubric doesn't stipulate any specific setting for the Cold War, even though it's main conflict was in Western vs. Soviet Russia, it had global rammifications (e.g, Vietnam and Korean War, rising fear of Communists in the Philippines, etc.)
Hope that helps!
Hi guys, this is my first post, not sure if I'm doing this correctly but just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a related text for the module worlds of upheaval? I am currently studying Frankenstein, so if anyone had some suggestions that would be great :) Thank you!
Hi guys, this is my first post, not sure if I'm doing this correctly but just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a related text for the module worlds of upheaval? I am currently studying Frankenstein, so if anyone had some suggestions that would be great :) Thank you!
Hey, Meg!
Welcome to the forum ;D It's lovely to have you :) Since you mentioned it, I just realised there isn't an official Related Texts resource yet for Extension 1 English. I've informed my friend darcyynic who made the Advanced English Related Texts list and she will get on that straight away ;D I do have some related text suggestions below to add on from meerae's awesome ones :) These are for the elective overall, as opposed to just, but can also work with, Frankenstein.
Related Text Suggestions
- Francisco Goya's painting The Third of May, 1808 (1814); war, morality, conscience, political division.
- George Orwell's essay Shooting an Elephant (1936); imperialism, corruption, conscience, morality.
- Thomas McGrath's poem All The Dead Soldiers (1967); war, death, disillusionment, morality.
- James G. Ballard's novel Empire of the Sun (1984); war, death, disillusionment, morality, conscience.
- John F. Kennedy's speech Ich Bin Ein Berliner (1963); communism, political division, morality, conscience.
Hope this helps! Would love to know what you end up choosing ;D
Angelina ;D
Hey
I am currently trying to improve my personal influence on the texts I am studying in class by writing some notes (without googling or researching) about things that I have noticed such as themes and context but I still feel that it is not personal. What should I be writing notes about to help personalize my response?
thank you :)
Hey
I am currently trying to improve my personal influence on the texts I am studying in class by writing some notes (without googling or researching) about things that I have noticed such as themes and context but I still feel that it is not personal. What should I be writing notes about to help personalize my response?
thank you :)
Hi,
My extension assessment is a creative piece and we have to: illuminate the complexity of individual and collective lives in literary worlds. It should also explore and reflect on the relationship between the individual and society in times of upheaval. the text we're studying is frankenstein, so i was thinking of doing something set in the Romantic period, maybe the French revolution. does anyone have an plot/storyline ideas bc im so so stuck :/
thanks!
Hi!
I have a question on note taking for extension - last term I studied Frankenstein for the World of Upheaval elective, so when creating my tables with quotes, technique, analysis, etc, should I only include quotes that reflect the world of upheaval? I'm just struggling on what aspects of the text I should be analysing
thanks!
Hey guys,
So I have a couple of questions for my extension essay (it's on Worlds of Upheaval):
-should I do an integrated essay? How? After hearing about it on the forums, I asked my teacher about it, but she didn't recommend it. I've always been taught to have a separate paragraph for each text and my teacher's a HSC marker, so I'm not sure what style to stick with.
-with the common module, what does 'identity, voice and points of view' mean? Does this refer to the author and their context or the way that the text has been written?
-how would you say the film Metropolis challenges literary conventions and traditional societal values/activates a change in attitudes?
Thanks :)
Hey guys,
So I have a couple of questions for my extension essay (it's on Worlds of Upheaval):
-should I do an integrated essay? How? After hearing about it on the forums, I asked my teacher about it, but she didn't recommend it. I've always been taught to have a separate paragraph for each text and my teacher's a HSC marker, so I'm not sure what style to stick with.
-with the common module, what does 'identity, voice and points of view' mean? Does this refer to the author and their context or the way that the text has been written?
-how would you say the film Metropolis challenges literary conventions and traditional societal values/activates a change in attitudes?
Thanks :)
"It is ingrained in the human nature that in periods of social and political change and upheaval, individuals and communities will seek justice and restoration. To what extent do the texts you studied explore this idea through characterisation and setting?"
My teacher has overwhelmed us, stating it requires "12 body paragraphs."
Thanks in advance for your help!
Heyy, Infectmarshroom.
I'd say 12 paragraphs is a bit ridiculous and unrealistic to replicate for the HSC examination. I generally recommend 3 - 4 paragraphs (probably 4 for this assignment) depending on how many text's you have to discuss. By doing 3-4, you're ensuring you have ample textual analysis and a detailed, cohesive discussion. Perhaps ask your teacher to clarify what they meant, because I can't imagine anybody doing 12 paragraphs.
Regarding structure, our teacher recommends discussing them in chronological order of their context so we can discuss how themes have evolved - allowing us to readily draw connections between texts. For your essay, I think it might be interesting to simultaneously talk about setting and characterisation. For instance, how you may discuss a symbiotic relationship between a character and their setting, allowing for an analysis of pathetic fallacy. This way you can cut down 6 paragraphs to 4.
Eg: Para 1: Text 1 (Setting + Characterisation)
Para 2: Text 2 (Setting + Characterisation)
Para 3: Text 3 (Setting + Characterisation)
Para 4: Text 4 (Setting + Characterisation)
I'm unsure what text's you're studying but maybe a setting is looking particularly grim and so a character may be enraged and such be determined to seek justice and restoration.
I hope this has helped. If you do take my advice check with your teacher and other markers at your school because at the end of the day, they're the ones grading the paper.
Cheers :)
Hey nishta!
Angelina went into everything quite well, I just wanted to add my perspective on integrated paragraphs from what I heard yesterday at the ext1 English day.
My teacher is very against integrated paragraphs, but my head teacher is all for them (which made loads of conflict last term when we were writing our essays last term). At the lectures yesterday, I asked as many HSC markers that I could find about their view and a lot of them felt that for most electives, doing it textually allows you to go more in depth, especially because most electives need you to go in a lot of depth.
Of course, there is no right or wrong structure and so I'd recommend to do the structure that you can do especially well, because thats the best way to impress the markers.
Hope this helps!
meerae :)
Hey, nishta!
I've got some suggestions which you can feel free to take on board if you wish based on personal experience, as well as what I have learnt from diving into the new syllabus more for Extension 1.
I would firstly say yes to integrated essays! My school highly encouraged them and as a result, so do I! They enable you to better engage with synthesis, especially with an Ext 1 essay which has up to five different texts (if you are doing poetry). However, if your teacher has recommended against using it and you are much more used to writing separate paragraphs for each text, go with that for your internals. Your teacher will be the one marking that essay so you'll want to appeal to what she has taught. After your Trials are done, work with what you think will maximise your performance. A marker is not going to deduct students' marks if they use one structure over another but there will be issues if your essay doesn't make sense and have cohesion.
If you would like to write in an integrated style, here's a link to my Ext 1 essay that I wrote for the HSC. Although the syllabus has changed, you can clearly see the structure I have implemented to ensure the texts flow and develop one another's ideas. I've also attached a link to Emily's Lecture Slides from January for Ext 1 and you can see the different ways you can approach writing paragraphs in Ext 1 ;D Basically, do with what will make you feel most comfortable because there isn't a right or wrong way :)
As for the Common Module, "identity, voice and points of view" can be interpreted from both those lenses you have presented. It may refer to the composer and how their context, purpose and immediate audience has impacted their creative decisions within the text. It may also be explored within the characters, settings and other literary constructions within the texts. Those concepts are left open-ended for a reason and you can make the argument that the "identity, voice and points of views" expressed within the text reflect the composer's intentions and contextual values. That way, you develop a more layered argument and consider how the mechanisms of the text, and its conceptual foundations, are extensions of the composer. If you are having trouble with the Common Module, I did a break down which might help!
I didn't study Metropolis so I'm not too familiar with it but I would imagine it would both be a product of its time, as well as a challenger of its conventions, considering the nature of the module is on "upheaval" and that your text itself should embody that. With Frankenstein and Waiting for Godot, you can clearly see Romantic and Postmodern tendencies within those texts; I would imagine Modernist, and in particular German Expressionist, aesthetics similarly being so in Metropolis. Both the other two texts there have challenged notions of progress and responded to the societal values of their time in hopes of activating a change in attitudes for audiences on what they have readily accepted in their immediate worlds. I would consider how Metropolis is similarly a response to the instability and superficiality of the Weimar Republic, positioning audiences to evaluate their stance on society. Any innovative film techniques utilised to convey meaning would also be ideal to explore as they directly challenge traditional ways of representing ideas. I hope someone with more knowledge on the text can help you out with this question :)
Very long response from me today so hope something in it helps!
Angelina ;D
Hi,Hey there,
I have to write an essay critically analysing Frankenstein, Waiting for Godot and a related text for Worlds of Upheaval. In Frankenstein and Waiting for Godot, what upheaval should I talk about?
I was thinking for Frankenstein I can talk about science v nature & women, and for Godot, I was thinking post war existentialism.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!
I have an analytical response task for extension 1 english on literary homelands where we have to answer the question in reference to 2 related texts and 1 related text. In class we have been going through 3 point of comparisons between our two related and as formative tasks and have been advised to use three techniques per paragraph. My question is, how would i structure and essay with 3 texts? 2 are books, the related is something shorter. it is 1200 words and the question is "The nature of home is a complex interplay of both local and global influences. How have you found this to be true in your study of TWO prescribed texts and ONE related text of your own choosing?"
Thank you
Hi,
Seeing as we only write about 2 prescribed texts for the HSC, should I be studying my third one?
Thanks :)
Hi,
Seeing as we only write about 2 prescribed texts for the HSC, should I be studying my third one?
Thanks :)
As a rough guide, how long should you be writing in the 1 hour time frame for an essay?
My teacher says around 2000 words, but idk if I can write that much :0
Hey
For my Worlds of Upheaval Essay, we were told to have an underlying argument like a 'thread' throughout all of the texts we discuss such as human agency or something like that but i really have no idea how to approach this since - does anyone understand this?
How is everyone structuring the section 2 critical?
Are you integrating paragraphs or doing them textually?
I did them textually in my trial because my teacher hates integrated paragraphs, but I am told that markers expect integrated paragraphs because they're more sophisticated. What is everyone else doing?
thanks
meerae :)
I think for Extension you should definitely be looking to write integrated paragraphs. For my trials, I did a mix:
P1 - Prescribed #1
P2 - Prescribed #2 & Prescribed #1
P3 - Related
P4 - Prescribed #2 & Related & a bit of Prescribed #1 to tie it together
That being said, if you go on the ARC website for Extension 1 and look at some exemplar responses, there are definitely some top-performing essays that have textually-specific paragraphs, but that was generally in the early years of the old syllabus so the expectations may have changed now. Might need Angelina to confirm!
I think I did well for trials, but my feedback was that I should strengthen my related text analysis and plan some of the content I cover more closely (had a bit too much analysis for Heaney because he has three poems :-\). Also, I need to actually flesh out my second related which I have probably not prepared adequately for lol (wasn't asked in trials).
How are you going with Literary Worlds by the way? Are you preparing any imaginative(s) that you'll memorise? Starting today, I planned on doing 1.5/2 hours of creative writing a day in the lead-up to the HSC as prerparation for both Literary Worlds and Mod C for Advanced as I'm probably stronger at critical writing, but I'm not really sure if I'm meant to do more than that? Also, if you don't mind me asking what is your elective + texts?
Good luck!
hemlock :D
We're doing Literary Mindscapes and our texts are Emily Dickinson poetry, Hamlet and As I Lay Dying. Although, I refuse to touch the poetry.
My head teacher recommended doing;
P1: Prescribed #1 + Prescribed #2
P2: Prescribed #1 + Related #1
P3: Prescribed #2 + Related #2
Which seems like it'd work well, especially for ext but my ext teacher hates integrated paragraphs (and we have been marked down for using them), so I did it textually in my trials and somehow got 25, so now I don't know if I should remain textually or switch to integrated.
We were also not asked for a second related in trials, which was great because I got to write loads on my prescribed texts.
Unfortunately, Literary Worlds was somehow my weakest. I lost 4 marks for not actually quoting my creative in my reflection and that bought me down like crazy, and it was such a horrible place to lose marks.
I don't plan on having imaginatives memorised, for adv or ext, but I do have some plot structures that I can bring in to make work with whatever excerpt they decide to torture us with.
For Mod C, I am more of a discursive writer and don't know what I'd do if they don't give the option...
But 1.5-2 hours a day for creative writing is loadss, don't stress!
meerae :)
Hey,
In prep for HSC, does anyone have any, or know where to access practice exam questions for Worlds of Upheaval?
Thanks!
Hello, is writing a satirical piece for my Literary Worlds narrative a good idea?
Hey, currently thinking about possible related texts for my school prescribed texts of Frankenstein and Metropolis - both of which have themes/messages regarding industrialisation, science and social or class inequality. Could anyone suggest possible texts that would link well with my two prescribed texts?
Thanks :D
Hey, currently thinking about possible related texts for my school prescribed texts of Frankenstein and Metropolis - both of which have themes/messages regarding industrialisation, science and social or class inequality. Could anyone suggest possible texts that would link well with my two prescribed texts?Hey there,
Thanks :D
Hey, tafarax!
I think satire can be pulled off really well if you do the research and think carefully about how you wish to represent your ideas. It really depends on two key things; firstly, you need to still make sure it's driven by the "literary world" you have created. Your satire will need to be heavily setting-focused and have a strong grasp on a sense of place to fulfill the demands of the module. You may use your elective for inspiration and a basis to work with when constructing your fictional place and then allow the humour and irony to all come out of that.
The second thing you'll need to consider is the kind of question you're working with in your assessment and, long term, what you might get in the HSC. Your assessment should give you enough guidelines and direction to work with, along with room for creative freedom to allow your satirical narrative to emerge. In the exams you do, you'll need to tailor your story and prepared material around the unseen stimulus they provide you too so make sure you know your plot well and are flexible enough to adapt it. What were you planning on writing about/exploring? Might give me some more ideas to help you out :)
Angelina ;D
Hey Angelina, THANKS FOR THE ADVICE.
My assignment requires me to write a creative under a pseudonym, then analyse it into my essay as a related text for Frankenstein. The creative must have a 'world impacted by socio-political upheaval', and have the 'characters within fighting for justice, solace and peace.' My creative is mainly a satirical commentary of society during economic downturns where the main character is significantly affected and ends up involved in criminal activity which later leads to her demise... a bit overreaching but it's an exaggerated narrative. If you can offer any assistance, it would be splendid.
I tried my hand at normal narrations, but I absolutely SUCK octopuses at evocative language and realistic conversation. It always sounds strange and VERY sarcastic, hence I'm going full satirical for all my creatives, including my trials and my HSC. I have no idea how to research this though and would love all the help I can get.
Hey
I was wondering if anyone had any related texts for North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It's my prescribed text for Worlds of Upheaval, and I would really appreciate ideas like films or poetry for related materials (basically not another novel)
Thanks
Hi!
I'm choosing a RT for Elective 2 Worlds of Upheaval, my prescribed novel is North and South. I'm currently deciding between The Mask of Anarchy (Shelley) or The Cry of the Children (Browning). Which RT will make for the most interesting discussion or have the most to talk about in relation to the rubric? Thoughts?
Hey, spnmox!
Either text would pair well with North and South and have incredible similarities stylistically and thematically so I'm actually finding it hard to give on more of an edge over the other :o I think it's worth analysing both since they fit perfectly with the Worlds of Upheaval elective premise and can be great resources for supplementary study. I would personally like to give the Shelley a bit more of an edge just because of its more explicit references to industrialisation and the social issues that prevailed in England at the time, presenting a strong parallel with Gaskell's literary world. It's ultimately up to you to make the call though :D Hope this helps!
Angelina ;D
Hey all!
I need to select a related text for either Guillermo del Toro's film Pan's Labyrinth or Samuel T. Coleridge's poems Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Eolian Harp, Christabel, and Kubla Khan - for the Ext1 elective Reimagined Worlds.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions?? (Preferably for the film, if possible!) :)
hi! :D
my prescribed texts are frankenstein, metropolis, waiting for godot (we need to pick 2) and we also have to have 2 related texts.
it looks like frankenstein is romanticism, while the other 2 are from modernism/postmodernism eras. was wondering...for worlds of upheaval essay how do I link them together? is it enough to say they are all responses to upheavals (e.g. frankenstein responds to the upheaval caused by enlightenment era, abuse of science) ? if so, how do i go about picking related texts? so far, what i have in mind is Coleridge's this lime tree bower my prison, which forms a arc with frankenstein in that they complement each other; coleridge shows how imagination liberates individuals from their old pessimistic attitudes, whereas frankenstein discourages individuals from using imagination in a way that disrupts natural life cycle as victor frankenstein does. but how do I link these Romantic texts to modernism/postmodernism? would i be able to do an integrated essay or compare/contrast?
Thanks!
Thanks Angelina!! 8)
I wanted some help on how to create a thread through my essay. so far i came up with something along the lines of morality, but im unsure how to talk about this in terms of a world of upheaval.
My teacher gave me a sample essay talking about "composers represent how change may serve as liberation from the loss of past societal values in order to expose how individuals' beliefs are challenged by shifting sociopolitical and economic paradigms" as the thesis. what is the "past/original" value and what's the new? for example, in frankenstein, would the enlightenment era focus on scientific development be considered the "past/original" and romanticism as a reaction to this is the upheaval,, or is Enlightenment the upheaval that destroys the peace of the old world of nature? or am i on the wrong track completely in talking about upheaval?
how does my plan so far ? I havent invested heavily in related texts so far, so i would really appreciate any suggestions for better related texts! also better thread/core arguments that run through the essay (trying to get the overall general direction of my essay right)
thanks so much!! ;D
Carl16
Hello! Do you by any chance have some suggestions for The Left Hand of Darkness related texts? (no films, as I am doing Pan's Labyrinth as well)
Is it inadvisable to memorise an essay for the new syllabus? I wasn't initially going to memorise an essay, but having written practise responses in preparation for Trials and now HSC it seems all my responses follow essentially the same structure, so memorising an essay would probably allow me to capitalise on that fact. The only reason I'm debating this is because my teacher advised against it, saying that the new syllabus can be extremely specific in questions and so it may be hard to adapt a pre-prepared essay. Note this was only for Advanced though, so I'm not sure how it differs for Extension.
Hi!
I've recently begun practicing for my Common Module Exam in Term 1 on Literary Worlds and am having trouble critically analysing my given extracts. The question given to us was: "Evaluate the extent to which these texts align with and extend your understanding of the ways various voices are given representation within constructed literary worlds. Your response should draw on your knowledge and understanding of the module Literary Worlds. (10 marks )" and I am struggling with the structure of my response. Do you have any advice on what to do?
Thank you!
Jemma