to the camera’s indifferent gaze: Weddings,
graduations, births and official portraits taken
every ten years to falsify appearances”
Analysing Text 3
In Text 3, Hillary McPhee explores the trouble she has in reconciling her profession as a historian with her love of her family’s stories and her grandmother’s ability to tell them.
This is an autobiographical text. It is a memoir that discusses her experience of mixing her personal and professional lives and the consequences of this.
This text discusses the conflict between wanting to know the truth about something and enjoying the romance of how it has been told.
There are a couple of paradoxes in this text as well:
Next, let’s look at some evidence. This time we’ll look at three examples, because this text’s paradoxes need a little more framing. McPhee opens with an extended metaphor that introduces the ideas:
Example | Technique(s) | Explanation | |
Opening extended metaphor | “First came her stories like webs across the world. They crisscrossed the Atlantic on steamers and the Rockies by train…In the night under the pine trees, her house creaked and her stories invaded our dreams.” | Extended metaphor: Her stories are webs, they invade dreams | This extended metaphor explains the relationship between McPhee, her grandmother, and her grandmother’s stories. |
Paradox 1 | “Or so she said.” and “Or so the story goes …” | Juxtaposition: Between the content of the paragraph where she explores historical fact and compares to Grandmother’s narratives and the contradictory truncated sentences that conclude the paragraphs Contrast and contradiction throughout | McPhee struggles to reconcile her professional interest as a historian in her Grandmother’s life with her nostalgia and love of her grandmother’s stories. |
Paradox 2 | “The historian at the back of my brain says I should discover what is true and what is false” and “The rest of me… still sees… the shapes and shadows of other places she made my own.” | Contrast and irony | This reflects how facing paradoxes in one’s experience can leave an individual torn between their professional and ambitious self and the emotional person who has connections with family. |
Now we’ve got some evidence, we’re in a position to write a response.
Let’s look at the question again:
Example B (6 marks) English Standard and English Advanced “Compare how Text 2 and Text 3 explore the paradoxes in the human experience.”
So, this is a 6 mark question and requires us to compare the texts. This means that we need to use a miniature essay structure.
We then need to decide whether to use an integrated or divided response:
Your marks won’t be affected by your decision, only by the quality of your execution.
Our response will take the following structure:
Introduction : Two or three sentences outlining our response to the question and introducing the texts.
Body : An integrated response that analyses the texts and compares their representations of paradox in human experience across two paragraphs.
Conclusion : Two sentences that summarise your argument and connect it to the Module.
Okay, so what would this look like? Let’s look at the type of exemplary response a Matrix student would write.
Both Hillary McPhee and Vern Rustala explore the paradoxes we find in our human experiences. Rustala’s poem, “Looking in the Album,” delves into the idiosyncrasies and paradoxes of how we curate and remember our lives. While McPhee’s biographical excerpt catalogues the paradoxes and ironies she wrestled with while trying to balance her professional self with her personal self.
Memory and the process of remembering are rich with emotional complexity and, yet, fraught with paradox. Rustala employs a free-verse poem with heavy enjambment to reflect the conflicts and paradoxes of how we catalogue and record our lives. The persona’s observation that “Here the formal times are surrendered / to the camera’s indifferent gaze” combines enjambment and personification to convey the paradox of how we remember our lives. While humans keep photographs to remember important occasions and feel nostalgia for them as it is an important part of our emotional experience, the speaker observes that we relinquish control over them to an external force – one that is insouciant about our experience or feelings. In contrast, McPhee’s biography focuses on her own experiences and evokes nostalgia in her extended metaphor that “her stories [came] like webs across the world… and her stories invaded our dreams.” As Rustala’s images are a contrived remembrance of the past, so are McPhee’s grandmother’s. Only, in contrast, McPhee ascribes these partially fictionalised accounts a positive value.
“Looking in the Album’s” speaker is troubled by how photographs alter our past and, potentially, our memories when they observe that “[w]e burned the negatives that we felt did not give a true / account and with others made this abridgement of our lives.” The pun on “negatives” conflates photographic images with the poor experiences, developing the metaphor that by destroying negatives we are trying to cleanse ourselves of negative experiences. We can find a paradox at the heart of the ironic notion of manipulating things we feel do not “give a true account” of our lives. Essentially, Rustala is suggesting that we wish to have a true record, but adulterate it to suit our feelings. McPhee struggles with a similar yet different reconciliation between the true and romanticised accounts of her Grandmother’s life. In each paragraph McPhee explores the historical facts and contrasts them to her Grandmother’s accounts, instilling doubt into the veracity of her accounts with the truncated statements “[o]r so she said.” and “[o]r so the story goes …” These caveats frame the paradox she faces: she can’t be a nostalgic granddaughter and a historian at the same time. Pursuing truth comes at the expense of nostalgia. She makes this clear when she ironically observes that “[t]he historian at the back of my brain says I should discover what is true and what is false” while “[t]he rest of me… still sees… the shapes and shadows of other places she made my own.” The contrast between these two sides of her life highlights the emotional paradoxes that can affect our lives as we try to balance professional success with emotional fulfilment and happiness, nostalgia and fact.
Human experience is emotionally complex as we try to hold onto our past while struggling with the acceptable shape it must take. The differences between McPhee’s and Ruslata’s texts highlight this struggle – pointing to how sometimes our emotional security requires us to see things as they actually happened while at others we must shroud events in myth.
Now let’s look at some Dos and Don’ts for the unseen section of Paper 1.
Planning your time for Paper 1 is essential. You have 1 hour 40 minutes to complete the section. That breaks down to 45 minutes per section and 10 minutes reading time.
Do read the questions first.
Then read them again. To be efficient and accurate you need to read the unseen texts with the questions in mind.
Don’t just read the texts, analyse them.
As you read look for evidence that will help you answer the questions. The questions usually ask you to address specific ideas in each text. This is done to guide you to the examples you need to collect.
Do use your maths skills to calculate how much time to allocate to answering each question.
Each mark is worth 2.25 minutes of your time. This means that for a 2 mark question you don’t want to spend more than 5 minutes answering it. By this rationale, you want to be spending about 15-16 minutes on a miniature essay worth seven marks. If you don’t finish the question in the allotted time, cut your losses and start the next one.
Don’t answer the questions in order.
Make sure you analyse the texts based on the question, so you gather evidence for all of them. But don’t begin on the lower mark questions. Get the questions worth more in the bag, first.
Do respond to the question worth the most marks, first.
Be strategic and guarantee yourself the most marks that you can. Starting with the 6 or 7 mark question guarantees you a share of those marks. If you do run out of time before finishing one or two questions from the section, it is better that those questions are only worth one or two marks rather than a third of the paper!
Analysing texts on the fly is hard. You will need to practice this skill and ensure you are familiar with a wide range of literary and visual devices. If you need to brush up on them, we explain a comprehensive set of devices and techniques in our Essential Guide to English Techniques .
Don’t rush the reading of the unseen texts during the reading time.
Reading the questions will guide you as to how the text should be read and analysed. The questions will ask you to discuss how a composer represents a specific idea from the syllabus rubric. You want to identify that idea in the text, and note how they represent it.
Do try to identify multiple examples in each text.
Collecting as much evidence as possible on your first reading will make that easier. That way you have enough evidence to respond to several questions. You don’t have time to go back and do another reading.
Don’t get caught up in superficial analysis.
Techniques like alliteration and rhyme might have pleasing aesthetic qualities, but they are not as useful for representing concepts as metaphors or similes.
Do focus on higher order techniques.
Literary devices such as metaphor, motif, and irony over simple techniques such as alliteration. Your ability to spot higher order techniques will make analysing the texts far easier. Remember, you should practice on random short stories and poems you find on the internet.
Don’t ignore form and medium.
Your unseen texts will all have different forms. It is important that you take the time to think about how the composers’ choice of form influences meaning. Ask yourself, “what is the composer trying to achieve by utilising this form or medium?” You want to discuss this in your responses.
Do answer the questions clearly and concisely.
Ensure that you are answering the question asked. Before writing a response, reread the question to ensure that it will be a direct answer.
Don’t recount the text.
This will generally not constitute an answer to the question. Instead, respond as succinctly as possible to the question.
Do plan your responses according to their value.
As a rule, if the question is worth one mark, use at least one example and an explanation of its technique and effect. If the question is worth two marks, use at least two examples.
Don’t prioritise quantity over detail.
Remember, the markers are looking for detailed explanations of how an example represents an idea, not how many examples you can present. You need to respond to the ideas in the module. To do this effectively try to use terms and phrases from the Common Module rubric.
Written by Matrix English Team
© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Sample lesson sequences, sample assessment and resources for Texts and human experiences (English Standard).
Teachers can adapt the following units of work as required.
The following essay was written by Project Academy English Tutor, Marko Beocanin
Marko Beocanin
99.95 ATAR & 3 x State Ranker
The following essay was written by Project Academy English Teacher, Marko Beocanin.
Marko’s Achievements:
Marko kindly agreed to share his essay and thorough annotations to help demystify for HSC students what comprises an upper Band 6 response!
Marko’s following essay was written in response to the question:
“The representation of human experiences makes us more aware of the intricate nature of humanity.” In your response, discuss this statement with detailed reference to George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’.
George Orwell’s 1949 Swiftian satire Nineteen Eighty-Four invites us to appreciate the intricate nature of humanity by representing how the abuse of power by totalitarian governments degrades our individual and collective experiences. (Link to rubric through individual/collective experiences, and a clear cause and effect argument: totalitarian governance -> degraded human experience. Also, comments on the genre of Swiftian satire. Value!) Orwell explores how oppressive authorities suppress the intricate societal pillars of culture, expression and freedom to maintain power. He then reveals how this suppression brutalises individual human behaviour and motivations because it undermines emotion and intricate thought. (Link to rubric through ‘human behaviour and motivations’, and extended cause and effect in which the first paragraph explores the collective ‘cause’ and the second paragraph explores the individual ‘effect’. This is an easy way to structure your arguments whilst continuously engaging with the rubric!) Ultimately, he argues that we must resist the political apathy that enables oppressive governments to maintain power and crush human intricacy. Therefore, his representation of human experiences not only challenges us to consider the intricate nature of humanity, but exhorts us to greater political vigilance so we can preserve it. (Concluding sentence that broadens the scope of the question and reaffirms the purpose of the text).
Orwell makes us aware of the intricate nature of humanity by representing how totalitarian authorities suppress intricate collective experiences of culture, expression and freedom in order to assert control. (This is the ‘collective’ paragraph – a cause and effect argument that relates the question to the loss of human intricacy in the collective as a result of totalitarian rule). His bleak vision was informed by Stalin’s USSR: a regime built upon the fabrication of history in Stalin’s ‘cult of personality’, and ruthlessly enforced by the NKVD. (Specific context – an actual specific regime is named and some details about its enforcement are given). The symbolic colourlessness and propaganda-poster motif he uses to describe London reflects the loss of human intricacy and culture under such leadership: “there seemed to be no colour in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere.” (First example sets up the world of the text, and the degraded collective experience). Orwell uses the telescreens, dramatically capitalised “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” posters and allusions to Stalin in Big Brother’s “black-moustachio’d face” as metonyms for how governmental surveillance dominates both physical and cultural collective experiences. Winston’s metatextual construction of the fictitious “Comrade Ogilvy” serves as a symbol for the vast, worthless masses of information produced by totalitarian governments to undermine the intricacy of real human history: “Comrade Ogilvy, who had never existed…would exist just as authentically, and upon the same evidence, as Charlemagne or Julius Caesar.” Similarly, Orwell’s satirical representation of Newspeak ignites the idea that political slovenliness causes self-expression to degrade, which in turn destroys our capacity for intricate thought and resistance: “we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.” (The examples above prove that the government’s leadership style truly is totalitarian, and that it results in a loss of intricacy and ‘humanity’ in the collective. It’s good to cover a variety of examples that explore different facets of the collective – for example, the first example establishes the extreme surveillance, the second example establishes the loss of ‘truth’/history, and the third example establishes the loss of language). The political bitterness that marks Nineteen Eighty-Four as a Swiftian satire (This is a link to the ‘Swiftian’ term used in the thesis statement. It’s important to refer back to any descriptive terms you use in your thesis) ultimately culminates in O’Brien’s monologue, where Orwell juxtaposes the politicised verb “abolish” to symbols of human intricacy, “we shall abolish the orgasm…there will be no art, no literature, no science…when we are omnipotent”, to express how totalitarian rulers suppress collective experiences to gain metaphoric omnipotence. Thus, Orwell makes us aware of the intricate nature of humanity by representing a future in which totalitarian governments suppress it. (A linking sentence that ties it all back to the question and rephrases the point)
Orwell then argues that the effect of this suppression is a loss of human intricacy that brutalises society and devalues individual experiences. (Cause and effect argument that links collective suppression to a loss of human intricacy on an individual scale – continuous engagement with the question and the rubric!) Orwell’s exposure to the widespread hysteria of Hitler’s Nazi regime, caused by the Nuremberg Rallies and Joseph Goebbels’ virulent anti-semitic propaganda, informs his representation of Oceania’s dehumanised masses. (More specific context around the Nazis, and a specific link to how it informed his work) The burlesque Two Minute Hate reveals human inconsistency by representing how even introspective, intelligent characters can be stripped of their intricacy and compassion by the experience of collective hysteria: even Winston wishes to “flog [Julia] to death with a rubber truncheon…ravish her and cut her throat at the moment of climax”, and is only restored by compliance to the Christ-like totalitarian authority, “My-Saviour!”, Big Brother. (A link to the rubric with the ‘human inconsistency’ point) Orwell frequently juxtaposes dehumanising representations of the proles, “the proles are not human beings”, to political sloganism: “As the Party slogan put it: ‘Proles and animals are free’”, to argue that in such a collectively suppressed society, the upper class grow insensitive towards the intricate nature of those less privileged. (It’s important to link the proles into your argument – they’re often forgotten, but they’re a big part of the text!) He asserts that this loss of empathy degrades the authenticity and intricacy of human relationships, characterised by Winson’s paradoxically hyperbolic repulsion towards his wife: “[Katharine] had without exception the most stupid, vulgar, empty mind that he had every encountered”. (Continuous engagement with the question and rubric: make sure to recycle rubric terms – here, done with ‘paradoxically’ – and question terms – here, with ‘intricacy’) Winston’s “betrayal” of Julia symbolises how totalitarianism ultimately brutalises individuals by replacing their compassion for intricate ideals such as love with selfish pragmatism: “Do it to Julia…Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me!” Therefore, Orwell makes us more aware of the intricate nature of humanity by demonstrating how it can be robbed by suppressive governments and collective hysteria. (A linking sentence that sums up the paragraph).
By making us aware of how totalitarian governments suppress meaningful human experiences both individually and collectively, Orwell challenges us to resist so we can preserve our intricate nature. (This third paragraph discusses Orwell’s purpose as a composer. This can in general be a helpful way to structure paragraphs: Collective, Individual, Purpose) Orwell’s service in the 1930s Spanish Civil War as part of the Republican militia fighting against fascist-supported rebels positions him to satirise the political apathy of his audience. (Integration of personal context is useful here to justify Orwell’s motivations. It’s also a lot fresher than just including another totalitarian regime Orwell was exposed to) Orwell alludes to this through the metaphor of Winston’s diarising as an anomalous individual experience of resistance, ““[Winston] was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear,” which highlights how his intricate nature persists even in a suppressive society. Often, Orwell meta-fictively addresses his own context, as “a time when thought is free…when truth exists”, to establish an imperative to preserve our intricate human nature while we still can. The Julia romance trope (It’s good to include terms such as ‘trope’ which reflect your understanding of narrative structure and the overall form of the work.) represents how Winston’s gradual rejection of his political apathy empowered him to experience an authentic, intricately human relationship that subverts his totalitarian society: “the gesture with which [Julia] had thrown her clothes aside…[belonged] to an ancient time. Winston woke up with the word ‘Shakespeare’ on his lips.” Orwell juxtaposes Julia’s sexuality to Shakespeare, an immediately-recognisable metonym for culture and history, to argue that human intricacy can only be restored by actively resisting the dehumanising influence of the government. Orwell also represents Winston’s desensitised and immediate devotion to the Brotherhood to reflect how the preservation of human intricacy is a cause worth rebelling for, even by paradoxically unjust means: “[Winston was] prepared to commit murder…acts of sabotage which may cause the deaths of hundreds of innocent people…throw sulphuric acid in a child’s face.” (More chronological examples that show Winston’s transformation throughout the text. It’s useful to explore and contrast those who resist with those who don’t resist, and how just the act of resistance in some way restores our humanity! That’s why this paragraph comes after the ‘brutalised individual experience’ paragraph) However, Orwell ultimately asserts that it is too late for Winston to meaningfully restore humanity’s intricate nature, and concludes the text with his symbolic death and acceptance of the regime, “[Winston] had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” (It’s important to remember that Orwell ends the text so miserably so that he can motivate his audiences not to do the same thing). The futility of this ending ignites the idea that we must not only be aware of our intricate nature, but must actively resist oppressive governments while we still can in order to preserve it. (A linking sentence that ties the paragraph together and justifies the futility of the ending)
Therefore, Orwell’s representation of human experiences in Nineteen Eighty-Four encourages us to reflect personally on our own intricate human nature, and challenges us to fight to preserve it. (Engages with the question (through the reflection point), and includes Orwell’s purpose as a composer). His depiction of a totalitarian government’s unchecked assertion of power on human culture and freedom, and the brutalising impact this has on individual and collective experiences, ultimately galvanises us to reject political apathy. (Your argument summaries can often be combined into a sentence or two in the conclusion now that the marker knows what you’re talking about. This reinforces the cause and effect structure as well.) Thus, the role of storytelling for Orwell is not only to make us more aware of our intricate nature, but to prove that we must actively resist oppressive governments while we still can in order to preserve it. (The clincher! It’s often useful to add “not only” in your final sentence to reinforce the massive scope of the text)
If reading this essay has helped you, you may also enjoy reading Marko’s ultimate guide to writing 20/20 HSC English essays .
P.S If you have any questions about aceing HSC English , you are welcome to learn from Marko and join one of Project Academy’s HSC English classes on a 3 week trial .
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Texts and Human Experiences In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways language is used to shape these representations in a range of texts in a variety of forms, modes and media. Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the world differently, to challenge assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may also consider the role of storytelling throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures. By responding to a range of texts they further develop skills and confidence using various literary devices, language concepts, modes and media to formulate a considered response to texts.
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Explain how composers use character narratives to explore collective and individual experiences.
Texts are dramatised representations of reality that invites new perspectives on old ideas.
Composers closely examine human emotions and qualities to invite fresh perspectives on human experiences.
Individual experiences can be varied but they never wander far from the impacts of collective experience. To what extent is this true based on your text?
Composers reflect on the anomalies and paradoxes in their characters to provide new insight into human motivation.
Storytelling distinguishes individual emotions from the collective mentality. To what extent do you agree with this statement based on your prescribed text?
Texts represent emotions and qualities arising out of experiences from unique perspectives to show the encourage personal reflection. To what extent do you agree with this statement based on your prescribed text?
Explain how telling the story of individual experiences can invite new perspectives into collective experiences.
The telling of uncommon lives and cultures invites reflection on one’s own human experiences.
It is through seeing other lives and experiences that new perspectives and reflections arise.
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Now that you’ve started the Texts and Human Experiences Common Module for HSC English , you may have heard your teacher mention “related texts” once or twice. But what exactly is a related text and how do you possibly find one?
As the name implies, a related text is a text related both to the Common Module and to your prescribed text .
Even though you won’t be assessed on your understanding of your Common Module related texts for your final HSC exam, you will be assessed on them through your in-school assessment tasks (which makes up 50% of your mark)!
So it’s important to put effort into finding and analysing your related text, and we’re going to help you do just that!
What can you study as a related text? Top 5 Related Texts You Can Use for the Common Module The Complete List of Recommended Related Texts for Texts and Human Experiences How do you analyse and use these related texts?
The related texts you study will most likely align in some way with your prescribed text.
Seeing as all the prescribed texts are so vastly different, rather than having one generic list of texts, we have recommended five different related texts PER prescribed text . Sounds like a lot! If you’re looking for personalised support with the Common Module, our K-12 English tutors in Parramatta can help !
Each related text takes a different form and each one relates in one way or another to your prescribed text.
Note: NONE of the Common Module related texts on this list will take the same form as their corresponding prescribed text.
So for example, if you’re studying Billy Elliot you will not see any films listed as recommended related texts.
Teachers strongly discourage related texts taking the same form as the prescribed as it limits the amount of depth you can get into with your technical analysis.
Let’s get to it!
Here are our top 5 related texts for the top 5 prescribed texts for this module:, ‘the surfer’ by judith wright ( the boy behind the curtain).
Judith Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ is a great poem, which tackles the simultaneous love and fear of the ocean in a memorable way.
It’s also quite short, meaning that while there’s definitely enough to write about on it, it’s not too much of a challenge to get through. The reason I’ve paired it with The Boy Behind the Curtain is for its similarity to a number of the prescribed essays : it is about a passion for nature, like many of Winton’s essays, but it is also about its danger and the quickness with which it can end lives.
In terms of how it’s written, it is quite grandiose and abstract in its description of the ocean : “the grey-wolf sea lies, snarling, cold twilight wind splits the waves’ hair.”
This line shows the impressive way Wright creates an image of the ocean , capturing both a sense of beauty and terror within her description. In addition, its irregular structure and tonal shifts allow the short poem to present much in a small number of words.
You can read ‘The Surfer’ by Judith Wright.
James Joyce’s ‘Araby’ is a short story set in early 20th century Dublin, about a boy who believes he is deeply in love with the sister of one of his friends.
However, it is quite clear to the audience that his love has more to do with adolescent infatuation than genuine romance. While the text is quite dense, it’s worth unpacking, as there’s much to talk about, and the connections to The Merchant of Venice run throughout it, particularly in the ‘love’ of the protagonist.
Like the doubtful purity of Bassanio’s love for the wealthy Portia, the nameless protagonist is obsessed with the girl he is infatuated with.
There is also the common concept of a trial that the lover must face to prove himself: In T he Merchant of Venice , Bassanio has to select the correct casket to win Portia, while the protagonist of ‘Araby’ feels his journey to buy a gift for his beloved is a religious challenge.
Being a James Joyce story, the prose is quite dense and tricky, but it’s definitely rewarding once you burrow into it. Joyce makes a number of religious allusions and has strong imagery throughout, meaning there’s plenty to make an argument with.
The protagonist’s emotions are rendered in precise detail and if you’re willing to study hard on a story, you’ll go well with this one!
You can read ‘Araby’ by James Joyce.
The Lobster is a comedic dystopian film wherein the protagonist is sent to a hotel to find a mate, because he lives in a society where it has become illegal to be single.
It’s a satirical, dark, and quite violent film which touches on many of the same issues as George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four , only instead of being oppressively bleak, it has a deadpan sense of humour and while it is a very, very weird film, there’s plenty to analyse in terms of experiences it has in common with Orwell’s novel.
In addition, it’s also very much in conversation with Nineteen Eighty-Four , using references in the film amidst the silliness.
As well as these, it provides a commentary on individual autonomy, rebellion against an unjust system, and finding love in a repressive environment , which are all experiences also explored in Nineteen Eighty-Four .
The Lobster is a ‘weird indie film,’ and has a number of distinct visual features which you can analyse , like unusual camera angles, interesting choices of costume, and a very deep undercurrent of symbolism.
For a recap on the visual techniques you might have forgotten about … check out our article !
There’s much to say about this one — and much that has been said! Because it’s a recent film directed by a man with a huge following, much analyses is online, if you look around.
This poem, written by Ali Alizadeh, is about the persona’s attempt to make himself stand out amidst his peers in 1980’s Tehran, the capital of Iran, which had recently experienced the Islamic Revolution.
In his attempt to do so, he draws attention to his forbidden Michael Jackson cassette, only to discover that his peers are also commonly consuming American pop culture.
It stands as an interesting text to discuss alongside Billy Elliot : both deal with the childhood pressure to fit in and belong, but do so in very different ways.
The persona in ‘Listening to Michael Jackson in Tehran’ wishes to make his “cowardly, chubby, unpopular / self” be known as rebellious for his possession of a forbidden item , while the titular character of ‘Billy Elliot’ must deal with the stigma against the fact that he stands out.
While the poem might appear quite simple on first glance, it offers quite a lot to talk about: it has a strong ironic tone, through, makes allusions to pop culture, and uses highly evocative language to describe the persona’s experience.
Just be sure not to slip into confusing the poet with the persona, as often happens when students analyse poems written in the first-person: while it’s highly probable the poet is writing from personal experience, there’s still a difference between the two!
You can read ‘Listening to Michael Jackson in Tehran ’.
‘Lamb’ , winner of Tropfest all the way back in 2002, is great to pair with Favel Parrett’s ‘ Past The Shallows’ because it deals with similar issues to the novel, but in very different ways.
Both texts involve a father-son relationship, a struggle with the natural world, and a regional Australian setting.
However, the relationship is one which is positive in ‘Lamb’ , the struggle with nature is a drought, and rather than coastal Tasmania, the short film takes place in unspecified farmland. T his means that while there are parallels, you can also contrast the two texts’ different treatments of the same themes.
On a more technical level, ‘Lamb’ might seem to be fairly light in terms of analysis, but there’s plenty to talk about with a critical viewing.
For one, the film’s development of its atmosphere is simply yet intricate, with its score, minimal dialogue, and range of shots used to develop a strong sense of place and mood.
Other elements to discuss include the usage of props, like the bowl and the rope, to emphasise the hardships of the films’ characters and otherwise allow the audience to understand their internal worlds.
Prescribed Text | Recommended Related Texts |
---|---|
The Merchant of Venice (Shakespearean drama) | (Franz Kafka, short story) (Craig Silvey, novel) (Billie Holiday, song) (James Joyce, short story) (Roman Polanski, film) |
1984 (novel) | (Claude McKay, poem) (Kurt Vonnegut, short story) (Katherine Ann Porter, short story) (Norman MacCaig, poem) (Bruce Miller’s adaptation of Atwood’s novel, media) |
The Boy Behind the Curtain (non-fiction) | (Amy Hempel, short story) (Tim Winton, short story) (Wes Anderson, film) (Judith Wright, poem) (Doris Lessing, short story) |
Collected poems of Rosemary Dobson (poetry) | (Ted Chiang, novella) (Kurt Vonnegut, short story) (Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano, film) (Kate Chopin, short story) (David O. Russell, film) |
Selected poems of Kenneth Slessor (poetry) | (Kate Chopin, short story) (Katherine Mansfield, short story) (David Malouf, short story) (Edvard Munch, painting) (Tim Winton, short story) |
All the Light We Cannot See (novel) | (Steven Spielberg, film) (Miklos Radnoti, poem) (Yvor Winters, poem) (Martin Scorcese, film) (Art Spiegelman, graphic novel) |
I am Malala (non-fiction) | (Sarah Kay, spoken word poem) (Khaled Hosseini, novel) (Steph Green, short film) (Peter Skryznecki, poem) , poem) |
Billy Elliot (film) | (Luka Lesson, spoken word poem) (Li Cunxin, picture book) (Ali Alizadeh, poem) (Alan Ginsberg, poem) (Tim Winton, short story) |
The Crucible (drama) | (Maya Angelou, poem) (Nathaniel Hawthorne, novel) (Joe Wright, episode from television series Black Mirror) (Percy Bysshe Shelley, poem) (Beau Willimon, media) |
Vertigo (novel) | (John Piller, poem) |
Rainbow’s End (drama) | (Wayne Blair, film) (Melanie Mununggurr-Williams, spoken word poetry) (Kevin Rudd, speech) (Natalie Cromb, short story) (Blackfella Films, media) |
Past the Shallows (novel) | (Gwen Harwood, poem) (Will Ferrell, speech) (Michael Leunig, cartoon - The Age, 8 October 1988) (Amy Green, TED talk) (Edgar Allan Poe, poem) |
Go Back to Where You Came From and The Response (media) | (Shaun Tan, graphic novel) (Blas Manuel de Luna, poem) (Hayan Charara, poem) (Mehreen Faruqi, speech) (Tropfest, short film) |
Wasteland (media) | (Andy Mulligan, novel) (Truth Thomas, poem) (Shinichi Hoshi, short story) (John Frederick Nims, poem) (Pixar, short film) |
If you’re looking for even MORE related text recommendations, check out our crowdsourced list of Related Texts!
Once you have settled on a related text, consider the following questions:
What human experiences are represented in this text? How are they represented? What similarities exist between your prescribed and related text? What differences exist between your prescribed and related text?
You should also create a TEE table to summarise your technical analysis.
Technique | Quote | Analysis |
---|---|---|
Technique goes here. | Quote goes here. | Brief analysis goes here. You can use dot points if you want. |
For a comprehensive guide on creating and using your TEE Tables check out our article.
Ensure you practise writing about your related text just as you would with your prescribed text. Get a hold of any practice essay questions you can and have a go at writing a paragraph or so on your related material.
We’ve got an article with practice short answer questions for Texts and Human Experiences. And an article with practice essay questions.
No matter which related text you pick, keep in mind that it’s a personal choice: if you can’t stand your chosen text, don’t stick with it!
As, hopefully, you stick with it, you’re going to want something that resonates with or compels you , which will encourage you to really know about whatever it is you pick inside and out.
Studying Kenneth Slessor’s poetry for Texts and Human Experiences? Check out our summary and analysis of Wild Grapes !
Check out our articles and guides below:
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20 Practice Essay Questions for HSC English Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences Question 1. Through the telling and receiving of stories, we become more aware of ourselves and our shared human experiences. Explore this statement with close reference to your prescribed text. Question 2
Some Common Module Questions. 1. 'Representations of historical collective human experiences influences how individuals live their lives today.'. Discuss this statement with reference to the text you have studied. 2. 'Without love, there can be no hate. Without lies, there can be no truth. Without deceit, there can be no honour.'.
With 20 Common Module practice essay questions to get HSC ready! We've put together these 20 questions so you can write plenty of practice essays in time for Day 1of the HSC! ... Common Module: Text and Human Experiences. Below are 20 practice questions for the Common Module Paper 1. Some of these questions are general questions and others are ...
Essay Question 3. Essay Question 4. Essay Question 5. Essay Question 6. Essay Question 7. Essay Question 8. Essay Question 9. Essay Question 10. Essay Question generator on the HSC Common Module Learn with flashcards, games and more — for free.
Question 43. "Life itself, my wife and all the world / Are not with me esteemed above thy life." (Bassiano to Antonio, IV.i.275-276, The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare) How does Shakespeare represent the importance of connection with others in providing value to human experiences?
The Common Module is a unit of study for English shared by most of the levels of English. The Common Module forms the content of your first term in Year 12. All students in Year 12 will study the Common Module at the same time. The only students who will not encounter some form of Texts and Human Experiences are those studying English Life ...
Paper 1 - Texts and Human Experiences. is sectionUse Text 1 to answer this question. 3 marksExplain how the experience of. cartoon. Use Text 2 to answer this question. 3 marksWhat experience has the person. ?Use Text 3 and Text 4 to answer the question 6 marksCompare how texts 3 and 4 reveal how challe.
Texts studied in this module, whether they are literary works, films, poetry, or other forms of media, are chosen for their ability to engage with and illuminate different facets of human experiences. Students are encouraged to explore how these texts comment on the richness and complexities of being human. This module takes up around a quarter ...
The Common Module is the first assessable component of the HSC, known as 'Paper 1', and is a compulsory exam for all HSC students. Within Paper 1, students must complete a comprehension paper and essay question on the theme of 'Texts and Human Experiences'.
Read all the questions including the essay question - often the short answer questions get you thinking about the module and can help generate ideas for the essay Then, for section 1 - short answer, read text 1 with question 1 open right next to it so that you are only looking for that answer and not for all the other interesting things you ...
Essay Questions: Common Module - Human Experiences. All of the following questions must be discussed with close reference to your prescribed text. The human experience is riddled with anomalies and inconsistencies that allow readers to deepen and challenge their assumptions about the wider world. The study of shared human experiences acts as a ...
Module Description. In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways language is ...
long response or essay section. The short response questions will involve 3-4 unseen texts and a series of 4 or 5 questions. This section will be worth 20 marks. You will have 10 minutes reading time and 45 minutes writing time to complete each section.
Common Module Cheat Sheet Module Description ... Essay Length For paper 1 unseen texts, a good estimate is 2-3 lines per mark, while the extended response should be ~800 words/6 pages. If you don't hit those numbers, that's totally fine, it's just a good estimate. ... Texts and Human Experiences Cheat Sheet - HSC English https://schoolnotes.xyz ...
Year 12 - Common module - Texts and human experiences - English Standard. Sample lesson sequences, sample assessment and resources for Texts and human experiences (English Standard). Teachers can adapt the following units of work as required.
Common Module: Nineteen Eighty-Four Essay Question. Marko's following essay was written in response to the question: "The representation of human experiences makes us more aware of the intricate nature of humanity." In your response, discuss this statement with detailed reference to George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.
Check out how to ace HSC English Paper 1 for the Common Module here! Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences Short Answer Questions. As this is a new module created by NESA, you probably haven't had much luck accessing any short answer practice questions for it. Luckily, we've created two brand new short answer sections with stimulus ...
Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences Essay Practice Questions. Hey, everyone! This thread here is a compilation of sample questions for the Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences. I will update the list with the rest of the prescribed texts as time goes. Feel free to comment any questions you come across that might be worth sharing!
Texts and Human Experiences In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways ...
Sample Essay's: PAPER I Common module: Texts and human experiences Key terms: - Individual human experience : Experiences that we attain due to our choices or elements of. one's life - Collective human experience: Universal experiences such as adulthood, coming of age, relationships etc
Searching for more English short answer practice questions for Texts and Human Experiences?. Look no further! We've got a sample paper you can use right here. We've put together a whole range of Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences short answer practice questions with sample answers so you know exactly what your responses should include to get full marks in the HSC English exam!
Question 1Explain how composers use character narratives to explore collective and individual experiences. Question 2Texts are dramatised representations of reality that invites new perspectives on old ideas. Question 3Composers closely examine human emotions and qualities to invite fresh perspectives on human experiences.Question 4Individual experiences can be varied but they never wander far ...
The Complete List of Recommended Common Module Related Texts for Texts and Human Experiences. Prescribed Text. Recommended Related Texts. The Merchant of Venice (Shakespearean drama) 'In the Penal Colony' (Franz Kafka, short story) Jasper Jones (Craig Silvey, novel) 'Strange Fruit' (Billie Holiday, song) 'Araby' (James Joyce, short ...