Module A Distinctly Visual Henry Lawson and related

Composers bring people and their experiences to life through using words to paint distinctly visual
images. Henry Lawsons short stories The Drovers Wife (1892) and the The Bush Undertaker
(1892) as well as A.B. Banjo Pattersons ballad The Man from Snowy River(1890) offer the reader
an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced everyday by individuals who live in a frontier
town. These texts explore reoccurring themes of social isolation and heroism and courage as a
result of their hostile environment.

Individuals who live within rural areas often experience loneliness due to social isolation. This is
explored in The Drovers wife, a short narrative of a mother who raises her four children in the
bush whilst her husband is away droving. The surrounding landscape as described by Lawson
provides the reader with a visual image of the Australian bush. For example, the opening visual
imagery of her two-roomed shack built of stringy bark and round timber places emphasis on

t
utility rather than luxury and comfort, revealing to the audience that survival is prioritised over

en
relaxation when living in the outback. It also explores social isolation through contrasting the two
m
different worlds within Australian society; wealth and poverty. This theme is continued when the
cu
mother dresses herself, tidies her children, and goes for a lonely walk along the bush-track as if
she were going to do a block in the city. This emphasises to the audience the irony of how she is
Do

trying to get a sense of a life that she does not have due to her isolated environment. Not only does
this express her aspirations of living in the big city, but also reveals the social barrier between
p

upper-working class and lower-class, hence highlighting how although city dwellers are looked up
wa

upon, they continue to look down on the people who are struggling financially. Lawsons The Bush
Undertaker voices the social isolation of an elderly man whom combats the brutality of the
ks

Australian bush with only his dog for companionship. After the undertaker stumbles upon the corpse
of his friend Brummy, his eyes lit up with satisfaction. The personification of his eyes lighting
in

up visually communicates his excitement of finding something significant within his isolated
Th

environment. Similarly to The Drovers Wife, the undertaker contrasts his idea of satisfaction of
finding a dead body, to what suburban civilians might find substantial. His madness is further
expressed through his vernacular speech come on Brummy and I told yer so when speaking to
the corpse. This leaves the audience with a sense of empathy for both the bush undertaker and the
drovers wife as it accentuates the impact of an isolated environment on individuals both physically
and emotionally. Pattersons ballad The Man from Snowy River carries the theme of social
isolation, demonstrated through the main protagonists segregation from the rest of the horsemen
throughout the poem. Negative adjectives are explored through the rule of three of the mans horse
being small.weedyand like a racehorse undersized. It conveys how the protagonists immediate
isolation poses as an obstacle in his journey of acceptance. It also communicates to the audience
how communities can continue to segregate within already isolated environments. Hence, Lawson
and Patterson paint distinctly visual images to emphasise the harshness and realities of the outback.

Heroism and courage are traits that can be gained from living in remote, physical environments. In
The Drovers Wife, Alligator, the courageous family dog, is perceived to be fearless, demonstrated
through the visual imagery of having numerous old wounds where the hair will not grow. This
reveals that he is not a very beautiful dog to look at due to all the battles he has fought to protect
his owners. Not only is the name Alligator ironic in itself as they live in a waterless environment,
but it is a metaphoric reference that he is armoured and protective of his family. This uncovers that
Alligator has heroic qualities that are essential in order for the family to survive in their vulnerable
location. The wifes heroine persona is also explored through anecdotal flashbacks. From pleuro-
pneumonia to fires and floods, her determination to survive has encouraged her to overcome
obstacles that the environment has thrown at her. Similarly in The Bush Undertaker, the elderly
man upholds courageous qualities that allow him to conquer the hardships of the land. He
demonstrates dignity to his dead friend by dragging his body home and throwing him a funeral. The
running monologue I expect Ill have tfix yer up for the last time an make yer decent reveals his
loyalty and heroism as he took the dignity to respect his friend, even though he was dead. This
expresses to the audience how living in the outback can offer confronting and provocative
experiences that teach people to grow both physical and mental strength. These heroic traits are
further carried in the main protagonists brumby in The Man from Snowy River. The horse
transitions from being perceived to be small and weedy in the beginning, to being hard, tough
and wiry. The rule of three and positive adjectives reveal how the horse is viewed under a positive

t
light after acting heroically. It highlights similarities between the undertaker and the protagonist in

en
the ballad as they both overcome confronting situations that allows them to become stronger. This
m
is emphasised when the protagonist risks his life when racing the brumbies down a steep hill, like a
torrent down its bed. The simile and overall fast pace of the poem creates tension and a sense of
cu
rhythm, whilst provoking the reader to admire the amount of courage it would take to be in this
Do

situation. Therefore, composers extrapolate upon how heroic and courageous qualities are derived
from overcoming everyday battles.
p

In conclusion, Lawsons short stories The Drovers Wife and The Bush Undertaker, as well as
wa

Pattersons balled The Man from Snowy River highlight how composers use vivid words to paint
ks

distinctly visual images. They express how the themes of social isolation and heroism and courage
are inevitable aspects of living within the harsh Australian landscape.
in
Th
 Module B Close study of text Wilfred Owen

As Wilfred Owen once said; My subject is war and the pity of war. Wilfred Owen uses a variety of
poetic techniques to test the beliefs of the general public during WWI. His sonnet Dulce Et Decorum
Est (1920) reveals the scarring reality of what soldiers encountered on the western front, as well as
his sonnet Anthem for Doomed Youth (1917), which communicates the tragedy of death in battle.
Owen explores themes such as the horrors of war, as well as the concept of death and futility.

Owen raises public awareness of the war-related propagandist lies and glorified trappings through
highlighting the horrors of war. In Dulce Et Decorum Est, a group of fatigued soldiers are Bent
Double, like old beggars under sacks and coughing like hags. The similes fortify the physical
exhaustion soldiers battled with due to the ramifications of war. The introduction of the visual and
aural imagery immediately informs the audience of harsh circumstances that diminished the lives of
thousands of young men, hence metaphorically hitting them in the face with the reality of WW1.
The confronting nature of warfare is extrapolated upon in the repetition of Gas! GAS! Quick, boys.

t
The exclamation marks and shift in pace through the use of one syllable words introduce a sense of

en
urgency and importance. This ultimately exposes the provocative and life-threatening situations
m
that these men faced on the battlefront. It also uncovers the hidden truths behind the war
cu
propaganda which brainwashed individuals to idolise and support these unknown conditions.
Similarly in Anthem for Doomed Youth, Owen uses violent imagery to express the horrors of war.
Do

This is revealed through the rhetorical question What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
whereby a simile has been used to contrast the religious imagery of the bells with the inhumane
p

deaths of men who die like cattle. This extended symbolic reference suggests that soldiers were
wa

slaughtered in herds, hence contrasting the unpleasant realities about death on the western front
with the lie embedded within the title of Dulce, where it is good and right to die for ones
ks

country. Owen then answers his own question through the personification of the monstrous anger
of the guns and the stuttering rifles rapid rattle, which communicates to the audience how there
in

were no pleasant ceremonies on the front-only the overpowering sounds of guns. This extrapolates
Th

upon the evil and immoral personalities of the combatants behind their weapons. The alliteration
and onomatopoeia emphasise the powerful roars of the guns that are forever embedded within the
memories of soldiers whom are traumatised from the bloodshed. Therefore, Owen highlights the
horrors of war through revealing the violence and truth of what was encountered at this time.

Death and futility of battle is an undenied theme in Owens poems. In Dulce, a young soldier is
depicted to be floundring like a man in fire or lime after struggling to put on his gas mask. The
simile and conjugation of the verb floundring, emphasises the mans suffering and creates a sense
of immediacy. It also expresses how Owen has to describe and relate the scenario through similes to
express the burning, traumatic consequences of gas. The event is further brought to life through the
aural imagery of the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs. The onomatopoeia
emphasises the devastating, horrifying and scarring death of the soldier uncovering the ceaseless
realism of the waste of young, innocent lives. This is supported through the metaphor of the bodily
response as being bitter as cud. Here, Owen uses a reoccurring symbolic motif of the cattle such as
in Anthem for Doomed Youth, highlighting the disgusting regurgitation of green, bubbling material
which indicates the ultimate suffering of the man. The theme of futility is further carried in the title
Anthem for Doomed Youth, whereby Owen juxtaposes the irony between youth and doomed.
Usually, an anthem is a joyous song of celebration; however, when coupled with doomed youth,
the overall tone of the sonnet is transformed to be woeful as it implies the absence of hope for
young soldiers. Hence, Owen informs the reader about how there young men were never going to
experience pure happiness again as their youth and innocence is lost during the war. In the last
stanza, Owen writes not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes shall shine the holy glimmers of
goodbyes. The low-modality of boys instead of using the term men links back to the concept of
futility as it re-informs the reader of how these soldiers are still young. The metaphor depicts the
emotional aspect of grief as holy glimmers represent tears and goodbyes represent death. Owen
finalises the poem with the iambic pentameter slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. The symbol
refers to the closing and ending of another life and the keeping out of the realities of war. It fortifies
the matching image of the way people let in the good light and shut out the dark reality of death.
Therefore, Owen voices the waste of young lives and future generations due to a useless battle.

In conclusion, Owens poems Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth reveal the
scarring realities about the horrors of war, as well as the death and futility faced by soldiers on the
battlefront.

t
en
m
cu
Do
p
wa
ks
in
Th
 Module C Exploring Transitions Billy Elliot and related

An individuals understanding of themselves and of others can be determined by their transitions

through life. Stephan Daldrys feature film Billy Elliot (2000) challenges the social conventions
within a coal-mining town during the 80s. Similarly, Tracey Moffatts photo series Something More
#1 (1989) exposes a young, Indigenous womans attempt to transition from living in a monotonous
community to living in the big city in the search for something more. Both texts carry themes of
cultural and gender stereotypes, as well as class structure as an obstacle in ones transition.

Gender and cultural stereotypes can restrict or determine the route of an individuals transition. In
Billy Elliot, the main protagonist Billy takes his first step into his transition to becoming a Ballet
dancer, when he reveals his disinterest in traditional male sports, such as boxing. Daldry challenges
the ideology of males being good at hands-on masculine sport in the longshot of Billys boxing
coach reprimanding him - Youre a disgrace to those gloves, your father, and the tradition of
boxing. The negative, high-modality dialogue not only informs the audience of the dominating

t
persona of men within his community, but also Billys vulnerability within this gender stereotypical

en
society. The cutting shots of his father watching him from behind a wire cage further indicates Billys
m
separation from Jackie despite his willingness to please him. As part of the audience, we can sense
cu
how big the task will be for Billy to overcome this social hurdle and achieve his dream. After
establishing his indifference, Billys curiosity evokes him to join the young, female ballerinas at the
Do

bar. The panning shot along the ballet slippers juxtaposed with the Billys boxing shoes, voices the
two different worlds within Billys society. The obvious comparison of the footwear suggests his
p

struggle to fit-in within a world that he supposedly doesnt belong to. This conveys his next social
wa

hurdle on his path to a new life, as he must overcome the gender stereotypes of his community in
order to achieve his aspirations. This is where the Ballet teacher, Mrs Wilkinson is introduced as
ks

his mentor to assist and guide him to break through the social norms of the town. After Billy misses a
very important audition at the Royal School of Ballet, Mrs Wilkinson argues with Billys older
in

brother, Tony. The Mise en scene of Town called Malice overlays a visual of Billy using the
Th

power of dance to emphasise his frustration at his town. Billy dances around the streets of his town
and up a hill, only to end up slamming into a huge iron wall. The hill is a symbolic reference to the
hill that he must overcome to make his transition, whereas the iron wall is a symbolic statement of
the social barrier that prevents him from entering a new life. Correspondingly in Moffatts
Something More #1, a young, Aboriginal woman also seeks for something more than her dreary
life. In the first image, Moffatt has used an overly painted backdrop to initiate the barrier between
her dreams and her reality. Her use of a multicultural cast conveys how the culturally inaccurate
stereotypes within her community have played a role as an obstacle in her transitioning process. For
example, a white woman propped up against the frame of a door in a gestural way, as well as a man
captured wearing a traditional Chinese hat indicate the stigma and beliefs help within her rural
community. This reveals to the audience the similarities between the protagonists in both texts, as
the gender and cultural stereotypes of their towns suggest that they are unworthy of a better life.
Therefore, the process of transitions can ultimately affect the way individuals view themselves and
the world, whether it is in a positive or negative light.

Ones social class is a determining factor in how efficient their transition is. In Billy Elliot, Tony
conforms to societys expectations by adhering to the stereotype of an angry, testosterone-fuelled
miner. This is conveyed in the scene where Tony runs through the homes of upper-class families in
an attempt to escape from the police. The cutting shots juxtapose the domestic lifestyles of the
individuals with the violence and mayhem occurring outside, thus communicating the two worlds of
Billy-frustration at his town and the peace of dance. During the miners strike, young working class
people used up-beat rock music to capture their angst and annoyance of their experiences. The non-
diegetic song London Calling captures Tonys experience of violence associated with his society,
and depicts the impact it has had on his understanding of the world. His vulnerability and
defencelessness is captured in the extreme long-shot where Tony stands unarmed in front of a large
group of lined-up riot police, proposing the power and number that people of authority had over the
lives of lower-working class families. The film comes to an end with slow motion long shots of Billy
jumping on his bed from his childhood, overlayed with Billys leaps of triumph as an adult Ballet
dancer. The juxtaposition of Billy jumping in front of dated wallpaper as a young boy, with Billy
mastering the art of ballet as an upper-working class male ultimately signifies his successful
transition. The non-diegetic song I danced myself right out of the womb is a metaphoric reference
to the long journey that Billy has taken to fulfil his dream. This reveals to the audience how Billy

t
persisted that his social status and communal beliefs would not stop him from transitioning into a

en
new life as he was born to dance. On the other hand, Moffatts Something More extrapolates on
m
how someone who lives poor, rural community is incapable of living in the big city. Similarly to
Billy, the protagonist is persistent and eager to move on from her current life. The black and white
cu
image of her hurriedly packing a higher-end dress expresses her readiness to leave her bland life
Do

behind her. She is captured holding the dress up to her chest, symbolising how she holds her dreams
closely to her heart. It also coveys how she does not have many expensive things due to her current
p

social status within her underprivileged hometown, therefore, the extreme close-up of Moffatt
wa

embracing the dress tightly relates with Billy Elliots Ballet slippers as they are physical forms of
motivation for their transitions. Unfortunately, unlike Billys successful transition, the last image
ks

illustrates her failure to transition through depicting her face down on the ground, her suitcase spilt
open next to an arrow that reads Brisbane 300 miles. The props and black and white theme
in

reveals a sense of defeat as she was so close to accomplishing her dream, however the social
Th

limitations of her community are too extreme for her to overcome at this point in her life. Her failed
attempt at finding something more in life may influence her self-perception and belief that she is
not worthy of a better life. Therefore, whether a transition is a success or a failure, both can
positively and negatively influence an individuals understandings of themselves and others.

In conclusion, Stephan Daldrys Billy Elliot, as well and Tracey Moffatts Something More #1 fortify
how an individuals understanding of themselves come through their breakthrough of cultural and
gender stereotypes and class structure. These aspects of life ultimately influence ones transitioning
process, hence impacting their personal beliefs and interpretations of the world.
 Discovery Essay Rainbows End and Eric
Although feelings of excitement or pleasure are generally associated with new discoveries, some
discoveries may provoke or upset individuals. Jane Harrisons play Rainbows End (2005) reveals
the challenges that Indigenous people faced in a racist society during the 1950s. Shaun Tans short
story Eric (2008) conveys the tale of a nut-sized exchange student who makes both exciting and
compelling discoveries whilst living with his host family in Australia. Both texts carry how discoveries
can be confronting and provocative, and can be evoked by curiosity, necessity and wonder.

Discoveries may be provocative and confronting, and can offer renewed understandings of ourselves
and the world. In Rainbows End, a middle-aged Indigenous woman named Gladys aspires to be
accepted into the white community that has rejected and subjected her people to their current
living conditions. This is highlighted in the dream sequence where the reoccurring symbolic musical
motif Que Sera Sera plays. The line the futures not ours to see explores how the future events
for Gladys and the overall Indigenous population are outside of their control. However, her desire to
belong may evoke an exciting discovery as it suggests a resolution to move forward and embrace

t
new ideas. This is confronting to the audience as we discover the social divide between rural

en
Aborigines and the white residents of Shepparton. Errol Fisher, a young white Australian boy, opens
m
up a confronting foreign history into the Aboriginal world when he sells a set of Encyclopedias to
cu
Gladys. The Encyclopedias are symbolic of a new world of white knowledge; providing Gladys with
the discovery of how it is through Indigenous women educating themselves that they become active
Do

within their community. Errol makes a confronting discovery when Dolly (Gladys daughter) hands
Errol a can to use as a drinking vessel. The derogatory generalisation you people can make
p

something out of nothing highlights the tension provoked by the arrogance of non-Aboriginal
wa

people. Dolly is humiliated by the fact that her family has to utilise items discarded as rubbish due
to their poor living conditions fortifying how Dolly and Errols lives are so removed from each other
ks

that a relationship between them is unrealistic. Therefore, Errol makes the provocative discovery of
the abject circumstances in which Indigenous families lived. On the other hand, Eric by Shaun Tan
in

uses the protagonist as an extraordinary element to confront and provoke both the audience and
Th

the other characters in the story. Throughout the story, it is quite obvious that Eric has an obsession
with small, insignificant things that he found on the ground. The host family dismisses his peculiar
behaviour through the humour of It must be a cultural thing. The low-modality generalisation
uncovers the confronting rarity of someone who takes time to stop and appreciate the small things
in life. This also ties in with the discrimination in Rainbows End as the family highlights obvious
differences between them and Eric. This is further emphasised in the illumination on the double-
spread page of vivid plants that sprout from objects simple as spoons and bottle caps. This
metaphoric reference allows the audience to discover how simple things in life should not be
unappreciated as everyone and everything is extraordinary in their own way. Erics behaviour was a
little exasperating according to the host family. The high-modality descriptive word demonstrates
how individuals that were not accustomed to this way of life were provoked to try and understand a
different approach to life. Thus, Harrison and Tan extrapolate upon how both exciting and negative
discoveries can be confronting in a way that is either positive or negative.

Discoveries can be evoked by curiosity, necessity and wonder. For example, In Rainbows End, Errol
communicates his interest in the humpy through the stage direction He eyes the humpy, but DOLLY
wont acquiesce. This directly expresses to the audience Dollys embarrassment at the way that she
lives. It reveals Errols curiosity about the circumstances that Indigenous people had to live under
and highlights the significant difference between black and white societies, where Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) individuals expect white people to treat them with contempt. After Dolly
has a negative encounter with her cousin at the cork trees, Nan Dear reveals her similar experience
and lets Dolly in on the secret that Papa Dear is not the biological father of Gladys. Dollys curiosity
about Nan Dears past demonstrated through the ironic dialogue Not you, too, Nan conveys how
the secret causes a hidden barrier between them and Gladys. Though this, Nan Dear discovers the
freedom to tell the truth and transitions from thinking that white men are deceiving through her
observations of Errols supportiveness of Dolly. In contrast, Erics discoveries are mainly driven by his
curiosity about the things that he finds on the ground. The humour of Most of the time Eric seemed
more interested in small things he discovered on the ground demonstrates how he truly
appreciates the small things in life that people normally take for granted. It also reveals how his
discoveries, although are exciting for him, are provocative for others to observe, and provokes the
audience to view things in a new light. Tan uses framing to convey more than one scenario of Eric
observing his surroundings. This reinforces the important message of taking time out of our busy

t
lifestyles to ultimately observe and appreciate what we have as everything has purpose. Therefore,

en
discoveries sparked by curiosity, necessity and wonder can impact individuals perspectives of
m
themselves and of others in either a positive or negative light.
cu
In conclusion, Harrisons Rainbows End and Tans short story Eric both communicate how
Do

confronting or provocative discoveries, as well as discoveries sparked by curiosity, necessity or

wonder can eventually affirm or challenge the assumptions and beliefs of individuals, whether it be
in a good or bad way.
p
wa
ks
in
Th