creative response Cate Kennedy

[cathlizross]

Hello everyone, and thank you in advance for any help given. I am working on my creative response for Cate Kennedy's "Ashes" and I am really happy with it - except for one paragraph where I am completely flummoxed. I want to create a metaphor for Chris' "coming out". So much of that short story speaks to me (the disappointed parents) so I have found it really great to write about. I guess what I want to show is Chris coming out to his mother who, deep down, already knows in my narrative. I just have writers block! Any hints and tips would be so welcomed. Thank you.

[Julian_Ln]

Hello everyone, and thank you in advance for any help given. I am working on my creative response for Cate Kennedy's "Ashes" and I am really happy with it - except for one paragraph where I am completely flummoxed. I want to create a metaphor for Chris' "coming out". So much of that short story speaks to me (the disappointed parents) so I have found it really great to write about. I guess what I want to show is Chris coming out to his mother who, deep down, already knows in my narrative. I just have writers block! Any hints and tips would be so welcomed. Thank you.

Hi, I did Cate Kennedy when I was in year 12, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts (take it as a grain of salt though ahah). I metaphor that I quite liked to use was either 'Gears' or a 'Butterfly' - 'Gears' (referring to the gears in a car or 'mental gears inside one's brain) is good to show a transition in a person's mentality or maturity such as the drive gear representing the courage and strength to move forward or the reverse gear to show how the character keeps dwelling on the past. Using the metaphor or symbol of a 'butterfly' could also be used to show transformation (from caterpillar to butterfly , and could be used to show for Chris is finally ready to 'reveal' another side (potentially more beautiful) of his true self.

Hope this was helpful, if you want more information, I have a sample essay using the metaphor 'Gears' for Cate Kennedy on my Youtube Channel linked in my bio below.

All the best,

J

[cathlizross]

I like both of those ideas however I have written the entire story which I am happy with - it's just the paragraph of him actually telling his mother the truth that I feel is not as good as the rest of the essay. I just don't know how to structure that conversation. They've come home from the lake, he's swept up the leaves, she's asked him to stay for dinner and my mind is just BLANK! So I feel like I can't introduce gears or butterfly as a stand alone metaphor. But I will have a look with those ideas in mind to see if it could work. Any further comments gratefully received. Thank you very much. PS What is a Premiers Award? I mean, I know what it is, but do you get a certificate or a million bucks or a gold cup? Fascinated

[Julian_Ln]

I like both of those ideas however I have written the entire story which I am happy with - it's just the paragraph of him actually telling his mother the truth that I feel is not as good as the rest of the essay. I just don't know how to structure that conversation. They've come home from the lake, he's swept up the leaves, she's asked him to stay for dinner and my mind is just BLANK! So I feel like I can't introduce gears or butterfly as a stand alone metaphor. But I will have a look with those ideas in mind to see if it could work. Any further comments gratefully received. Thank you very much. PS What is a Premiers Award? I mean, I know what it is, but do you get a certificate or a million bucks or a gold cup? Fascinated

Awesome that's great to hear If that's the case, gears is probably not suitable as you mentioned, maybe the 'butterfly' could work in a sentence or two to reflect the character's inner thoughts of wanting to 'transform'. Just as an idea, maybe a metaphor/motif of fire could work (since this is very typical of Cate Kennedy's writing) - for example, when he is telling his mother, there could be a deep fire burning within him (symbolising either fear, anxiety, anger etc any suitable emotion), and then this fire results in rejuvenation or a new mindset (sounds a bit counterintuitive, but if you think about bushfires, these large fires are what result in a new wave of growth of plants), so fire could also be used as a symbol for the growth of a new mindset by committing to a hard decision

Also the title of the book as 'fire' in it PS: Premier's award is just a piece of paper haha

[cathlizross]

Hey, I like that idea!! That's great cos it also goes with the Ashes as well. Brilliant!!!!!! Thank you very much.

Sorry you didn't get a million bucks. That's a bit lame.  I want to get a 50 in English so I might see you again  Thank you so much.

[Julian_Ln]

Hey, I like that idea!! That's great cos it also goes with the Ashes as well. Brilliant!!!!!! Thank you very much.

Sorry you didn't get a million bucks. That's a bit lame.  I want to get a 50 in English so I might see you again  Thank you so much.

Haha that's great to hear Happy to help in the future