Académique Documents
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Culture Documents
Module B
Getting It Right!
YOUR TURN
The Frames
Your
personal
response to
the text
Your detailed
analysis of the
texts language,
content and
construction
Subjective
Cultural
Structural
Critical
Contextual
information:
responders
and
composers
What is textual
Integrity?
Textual integrity is achieved when all
components of the text style, characterisation,
form, language, etc - combine to form a cohesive
whole. The Board of Studies defines textual
integrity as the unity of a text; its coherent use
of form and language to produce an integrated
whole in terms of meaning and value. Thus, you
will have to demonstrate how your text displays
a unity of form and language to produce
meaning and value over a wide range of
contexts, including your own.
examples
The plot, characters and language in
Hamlet all work to reinforce the theme of
decay and corruption.
The gothic atmosphere of Moor House is
integral to understanding the plot and
character motivations in Jane Eyre.
YOUR TURN
Example 1:
The idea of the Divine Right of Kings was
very popular in Europe during
Shakespeares time. This notion, that kings
rule because God wants them to, could be
one of the reasons that Hamlet hesitates to
kill his uncle. To a modern audience this
makes less sense (living as we do after the
French and Russian revolutions) so we
look for answers in Hamlets character or in
his personal ethical code.
Example 2:
If your text is a more recent one, such as
Cloud Street, it might be useful to think
about different communities within our
modern society. Examine the significance
of the house in the novel for an Aboriginal
Australian who was a member of the Stolen
Generation or what the novel might mean to
someone who is unfamiliar with that aspect
of Australian history.
Avoid!!!
'No, Hamlet is not about Struggle and
Disillusionment. Here is my prepared response
instead blah, blah, blah'.
This is the WORST possible approach to the
HSC exam - they're putting ideas out there for
you to think about and write about. You MUST
develop an argument that responds DIRECTLY
to the essay question. If you don't, you'll get a
big fat 'D'.
Understanding a question-Hamlet
The dramatic portrayal of loss and alienation in Shakespeares Hamlet
gives the play its enduring quality.
To what extent does your interpretation of Hamlet reflect this point of
view?
In your response, make detailed reference to the play.
dramatic = identify, exemplify & discuss the dramatic and language
techniques used
Loss and alienation= how are these themes represented/ explored in the
play
enduring quality = do you think these themes have given the play a
enduring quality?
To what extent does your interpretation = discuss your personal
response to the play and the extent to which youd agree/ disagree
reflect the point of view given
Detailed reference = refer to specific scenes, give quotes, discuss
dramatic & language techniques in depth.
AN A RANGE INTRO
- HAMLET
William Shakespeares mastery as a
playwright and his keen observations of
human nature and its frailties, is what
allows him to explore the themes of loss
and alienation so effectively in his play
Hamlet. The enduring power of this
play is, therefore, due to both the
universal relevance of these themes and
Shakespeares dramatic representation
of them.
Understanding a question-Harwood
Interpretations of texts can shift and change with
time and place. Considering your time and
place, reflect on the ways in which context has
shaped your critical interpretation of the
prescribed text. In your response, refer to TWO
poems you have studied.
Interpretations= subjective responses of critics
and others
Considering your time and place= your personal
context
the ways in which context has shaped your critical
interpretation= show how your context has
influenced your critical interpretation
AN A RANGE INTRO
- HARWOOD
The mastery of Gwen Harwood lies in her contemplation
of universal concepts and truths absent from our
modern society. Harwood exemplifies the relationships
which appear subtracted and disvalued in our
contemporary world, the relationship between parent
and child, as observed in Father and Child and the
relationship of one with their soul, as depicted and
explored in Alter Ego. Her themes continue to
resonate thanks to the power of the poems themselves
to challenge what we see as important in our modern
age.
Understanding a
question- Speeches
How is your personal response to speeches
shaped by a perception of the passion of the
speaker? Refer to 3 speeches.
How = identify, exemplify & discuss the
rhetorical and language techniques used
Personal response = show your considered,
personal understanding of /attitude to
Perception of the passion = your
awareness/understanding of the speakers
feelings/ motivation & purpose
AN A RANGE INTRO
- SPEECHES
The passion of the speaker comes not only from
their ideas, but also in the way they craft and deliver
their speech. Therefore, it is the representation of
deeply held views and the ability of the speaker to
manipulate language so that it recreates their
passion to resonate with and captivate the audience.
This allows great speeches such as Aung San Suu
Kyis 1995, Keynote Address at the Beijing World
Conference on Women, Anwar Sadats groundbreaking speech to the Israeli Knesset in1977 and
Noel Pearsons 1996 speech An Australian History
for Us All to shape our personal response.
YOUR TURN
What do you think are the most
important events/ scenes/ ideas or
themes in the text you studied?
Which were the most influential
techniques used by the composer to
get these across?
Conclusions
Then finish of with a strong conclusion
which restates your thesis rather
than merely summing up your main
points. Use high modality language
where possible.
Do
know your text by studying it closely
demonstrate a detailed understanding
and appreciation of your text
consider the ongoing value of the text(s)
to different audiences in different
contexts
maintain the focus of the question by
planning your response
clearly connect your arguments to the
question
Dont
fail to read the question closely
use critical readings as an excuse for not
knowing the text they refer to
rely on recounting the plot
list readings or productions instead of
demonstrating a deeper understanding
fail to show how language and structure
affect the making of meaning
Last words
Attacking this module might mean doing a little a
self reflection and engaging with the world. What
are your values, how are they shaped by your
context and how do they affect your own reading
of the text? That last question is important
because it is your own reading of the text that the
markers want to read. Dont read a bunch of
criticism and regurgitate in the exam. Engage with
the text and its world, engage with yourself and
your own world, think about the connections
between the two and then write about it.
YOUR TURN
WHY
paragraph
WHY
paragraph
WHY
paragraph
Hope this
helps & good
luck for your
HSC!