This resource is for Mainstream English Year 12 Students in the Victorian VCE Curriculum studying the Comparative Texts ‘The Longest Memory’ and ‘The 7 Stages of Grieving’.
Below is a Draft Essay Plan how to answer the notion of betrayal in both texts.
Quotes Included in Prompt:
Quote #1 “I want to keep you alive, that is all. I do not care about your happiness; your life is everything to me.” (The Longest Memory p.135 ‘Forgetting’)
Quote #2 “I might be related, she answered, I never knew my family – maybe I could meet my real family and if not, I get to have a good cry, anyway.” (The 7 Stages of Grieving p.47 Scene 7)
Prompt: “Compare how the two texts portray the theme of betrayal”.
Define betrayal = It refers to ideas around disloyalty, faithlessness and the breaking of trust. It is concerned with not keeping your word and with giving up your integrity.
NOTE TO STUDENTS = Quotes must be included in your analysis of the prompt.
Comparative Text Essay Structure
Introduction = Main Contention & Message of Authors
Body Paragraph 1 = Cause/Accept Prompt / Topic Sentence / Text 1 Evidence & Explanations / Transitional Sentence from Text 1 to Text 2 / Text 2 Evidence & Explanations / Link back to topic
Body Paragraph 2 = Response/Develop Prompt Further / Topic Sentence / Text 1 Evidence & Explanations / Transitional Sentence from Text 1 to Text 2 / Text 2 Evidence & Explanations / Link back to topic
Body Paragraph 3 = Consequences / Topic Sentence / Text 1 Evidence & Explanations / Transitional Sentence from Text 1 to Text 2 / Text 2 Evidence & Explanations / Link back to topic
Conclusion = Sum up briefly / Message of Authors
Suggested Draft Introduction / Main Contention / Message of Authors
Fred D’Aguiar’s ‘The Longest Memory’ and Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman’s ‘The 7 Stages of Grieving’ explore issues around the betrayal of individuals and groups because of complicated ideas around racial superiority and discrimination.The writers explore the injustices that both African American slaves and Australian Indigenous people faced from groups that they should have been able to trust, but who breached that faith. In ‘The 7 Stages of Grieving’, the audience gains an overview through fragments of Indigenous history from the ‘Dreaming to Reconciliation’. In doing so, they can see the continuous anti-Aboriginal prejudice that individuals and institutions have used to betray the Indigenous community, destroying their families and leaving them with deep sorrow and grief. In contrast, ‘The Longest Memory’ explores one plantation over a shorter period of time. However, the effects of betrayal still leave nothing but grief and tragedy in its wake in the novella. Both texts demonstrate that when people or institutions that should have everyone’s interests at stake, instead choose the interests of only one group, the results are devastating.
Body Paragraph 1 focus = individuals betray others / include quote #1 with explanation
Body Paragraph 2 focus = groups and institutions betray by choosing the interests of one group over the other
Body Paragraph 3 focus = how the disloyalty and breaking of trust affects individuals and generational distress / include quote #2 with explanation
Suggested Draft Conclusion / Message of Authors
Whitechapel’s betrayal of his son in the opening scene of ‘The Longest Memory’ shocks both the readers and the other characters. While Whitechapel offers the explanation, he wanted to protect Chapel from further harm. More significant is the chain of broken trust in the overseer and Mr Whitechapel that such an injustice is carried out. The novella points to a much broader social and political responsibility and guilt for the unfairness of Chapel’s brutal death. On a similar note, ‘The 7 Stages of Grieving’ also points to a breaking of trust in the social and political sphere where institutionalised racism that began with the invasion in 1788 has continued to recent times. The play posits that the whole society is responsible to atone for the lack of trust and the injustices committed against indigenous Australians. Both texts demonstrate how whole societies that practice racism and injustice must atone for their self-interest and broken trust that caused generational trauma.
This Resource is for Year 12 English students studying Unit 4 AOS:1 Reading & Comparing Texts in the Victorian VCE Curriculum for 2023. Racism is an important theme comparison between the memoir ‘The Hate Race’ by Maxine Beneba Clarke and the film ‘Charlie’s Country’ by Rolf de Heer.
Why Compare ‘The Hate Race’ and ‘Charlie’s Country’?
Introduction
Maxine Beneba Clarke’s memoir ‘The Hate Race’ and Rolf de Heer’s film ‘Charlie’s Country’ explore the shifting experiences of racism in Australia. The texts foreground the complex and traumatic impact of racism on individuals, as well as the broader social ramifications of institutionalised racism. Beneba Clarke and de Heer shine a light on the corrosive and unexpected impacts of racism, and the way that this can shape an individual’s experience of the world around them. The texts reveal fundamental truths about the role of racism in contemporary Australia.
A comparison of ‘The Hate Race’ and ‘Charlie’s Country’ offers insight into the common experiences of people of colour, whilst also highlighting the unique experiences of First Nations people. The texts focus on modern day events, dispelling any notions of the elimination of racism in modern Australia. They share a grounding in the historical evolution of racism on both national and global scales. They offer insight into two very distinct geographical locations, again revealing the varied manifestations of both institutional and interpersonal racism.
The pain that is central to the experience of the protagonists in both texts is reflected through the prisms of the memoir and film respectively. Beneba Clarke’s work chronicles the experience of a child through the reflective lens of an adult. Conversely, de Heer’s film showcases the cumulative impact of racism on an adult.
‘The Hate Race’ Memoir is an Autobiographical Work
‘The Hate Race’ is an autobiographical work, a factual yet subjective narrative of events, experiences and emotions from the author’s own life. Specifically, the book is a memoir, since it does not reflect on Clarke’s whole life but on a particular and significant period of it – her childhood. The narrative illuminates how this period would inform the rest of her life (as suggested by the Prologue and Epilogue) when the adult Maxine undergoes experiences intertwined with the discrimination she faced for years as a young person. The book can also be considered a form of bildungsroman or ‘coming of age’ narrative that charts the social, emotional, and psychological growth and development of its protagonist.
‘The Hate Race’ situates the experience of an individual childhood within a broader social landscape. Beneba Clarke’s use of the memoir form allows her to paint a vivid picture of the social and historical forces that shaped the experiences of the author and her family. ‘The Hate Race’ offers an account of an Australian childhood that is distinctly recognisable—a fact that makes the characters’ experiences of racism all the more uncomfortable and undeniable.
The Title ‘The Hate Race’
The title signifies for minorities in Australia, life is constantly akin to a race. There is no rest, no comfort, and no sense of home when your mind is preoccupied with all the ways you don’t belong. Being denied a firm sense of self, and constantly being forced to justify one’s own existence is not easy, and becomes a ‘race against time’ to see who can cope and rise above, and who will be swept away along with the tide. If people of colour stop running, they run the risk of being consumed by the hatred themselves and become so cynical and disillusioned that they forget their culture and accede to the Anglocentric, white majority.
Structure of ‘The Hate Race’
The text follows a largely chronological structure, which has the effect of simulating the cumulative nature of Maxine’s experience of racism. There is an acute sense of the role that racism plays in ensuring childhood and adolescence are experienced differently by children of colour. The carefully placed layers of trauma may not have been fully comprehended by the author as a child, but the adult Beneba Clarke reflects the depth and extent of her wounds through a story told ‘just so’ (p. 3). The chapters of the memoir offer vignettes; seminal moments from Beneba Clarke’s childhood to reflect unflinchingly the toll on a life lived as a person of colour in Australia. Again, as Beneba Clarke notes in the text’s acknowledgements, these memories are about a ‘very specific’ (p. 257) aspect of her life. Racism alone is not her life story, but equally her life story cannot be told without understanding racism.
‘Charlie’s Country’ Film is a Fictional Drama
In contrast to ‘The Hate Race’ which is a factual memoir, ‘Charlie’s Country’ is a fictional drama that incorporates some details from life and some elements of the story that comes from the life of the main actor protagonist Charlie played by David Gulpilil. However, de Heer did not want the film to be interpreted as ‘being about one particular (real) individual’ but rather as ‘being about issues much more widespread, much more representative of many individuals’ (de Heer 2014). In this way, ‘The Hate Race’ and ‘Charlie’s Country’ approach some of their common themes from different directions. While the autobiographical genre of ‘The Hate Race’ concentrates on ideas central to the protagonists’ life, ‘Charlie’s Country’ is more interested in the impact of broad issues on an individual.
Rolf de Heer’s ‘Charlie’s Country’ is a stark, fictional film that adopts many of the hallmarks of documentary filmmaking; this is a film that aims to heighten consciousness about the plight of Aborigines impacted by the Australian Government’s intervention, in 2007, in the Northern Territory. The injustice of institutionalised racism is at the heart of this collaboration between Rolf de Heer and David Gulpilil. Their film focuses on the life of one Aboriginal man, Charlie, whose struggles to find a way to live in the modern world whilst staying true to his cultural identity are constantly thwarted by local, white authority figures.
The Title ‘Charlie’s Country’
The title of the film reflects a simple reality – this is Charlie’s country. Rather than a ‘country’ de Heer speaks of the Indigenous notion of connection to and respect for one’s traditional lands and country. Nurturing this connection is a sacred responsibility and the film reminds us that, despite Charlie’s many trials and tribulations, the land on which he lives is truly his own.
Structure of ‘Charlie’s Country’
The film adopts a chronological structure, tracking Charlie’s decision-making in regards to his attempts to regain meaning and purpose in his life as he tries to return to a more traditional way of relating to his environment. The structure of the film is also circular, Charlie ends up back in the place where he began, and seems in a similar state of something like static, confined despair. There is little sense that his journey has been moving forward, rather the places he finds himself (bush, hospital, prison) seem a series of sideways stumbles with no plan or intention. This echoes Maxine’s journey in ‘The Hate Race’, which begins and ends in the adult Clarke’s life, with matching scenes of discrimination, suggesting that her experiences repeat themselves over and over.
Charlie’s Country can be divided into 3 parts:
Part 1 – Intervention
Part 2 – Bush
Part 3 – Jail
Common Themes in ‘The Hate Race’ and ‘Charlie’s Country’
Racism & bullying
Discrimination– institutional versus interpersonal
Identity – personal and national
Prejudice
Growing up black in a white country
Intergenerational disadvantage
Belonging
Resilience & resourcefulness
Hopelessness & lack of agency
Repression
Gap between generations
Power of language & culture
Struggle of being an outsider
Friendship
Trauma & hate
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoomfor Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is for Year 11 English students studying in the Victorian VCE Curriculum.
The Author Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque was born in Osnabruck, Germany in 1898. He joined the German Army in 1916 to fight in World War 1, and was wounded. After the War ended in 1918, Remarque published his novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ – ten years later in 1928.
The novel is very realistic about the harsh realities of being an ordinary soldier in war, including none of the usual glory propaganda. It was a firmly anti-war novel and became an instant international success. In 1930 a film based on the novel was released. As the German Nazi party rose to power and prominence, the novel was being attacked as being anti-German or unpatriotic in 1931, and the film was banned. In 1932 Remarque and his wife fled to Switzerland for protection and by 1933 the Nazi Party banned Remarque’s books and burned them on bonfires.
The fact that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is based on the German soldiers’ experiences during War highlights the universal suffering and futility that War brings.
The Novel in Context of World War I – 1914 – 1918 (Estimated 9.7 million military soldiers died)
The First World War was one of the biggest wars that had ever been fought and saw the introduction of weapons of mass destruction such as gas, as well as other new war technology. There are many reasons for the outbreak of World War I, however the trigger was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian student. Other factors included diplomatic fall-outs, irrational nationalism, and a build-up of military might.
Europe was split into two opposing camps. France, Russia and Great Britain were in the Triple Entente and Germany, Italy and Austria/Hungary were part of the Triple Alliance. On July 28, 1914 Austria/Hungary declared war on Serbia, so Russia began to get ready for war, and then Germany declared war on Russia and (later) France. However, when Germany invaded Belgium – a neutral country, Britain joined the war for fear of follow-up attacks. Later the United States joined the Allies.
After Germany moved into France, the trench warfare began. This was a new method of warfare that had never been tried before and had been a military officer’s brainchild. It meant that both sides had dug trenches underground, and the middle became known as “no-man’s land”. The conditions in the trenches were horrific, especially as they were always wet and muddy and filled with rats, lice and disease. There was shelling and firing by guns all day and night, and no protection from the heat or winter cold. Many soldiers not only died from being hit by guns and grenades, but also from the diseases that were rampant in those conditions or deadly poison gas. The War also caused much mental anguish and suffering for the soldiers.
Propaganda in WWI Why Men Enlisted to Fight – Both British & German
If we look back to the time of the break out of World War 1 – 1914 and before this, the world was a much different and slower place. Mass communication, electronic media and global travel were barely available and this may explain the success of war campaigns to lure young men, some still in school, to sign up and fight for their country.
The values of the time were that:
It was an honour to fight for one’s country in a war
Those who did not fight were cowards and should be punished
People who went to war were heroes
There was much glory and pride in being a soldier
At the time, there were people who were ‘conscientious objectors’, who did not believe in war, but standing out for this cause was seen as a betrayal. Thus, we see that in ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, all of Paul’s class signed up to fight in the war, even though they were so young. The older men in the community were at first seen as too old to fight, so the first soldiers chosen were teenagers and those in their early twenties. The love of country and patriotism was valued highly, even though no one really knew about the horrors of war, back at home. Whilst there were official war photographers, artists, and reporters, most of what they were allowed to report back and produce would have been censored by their governments. All countries used propaganda to create fear amidst their citizens about the enemies, and to reinforce the need for men to sign up as soldiers.
The Truth about the Horrors of War
The truth about the horrors of World War I began to unfold as the soldiers realized they were just fodder for a huge killing machine that was war. Trench warfare was a new ‘idea’ that was being tested, and it allowed for massive amounts of death and disease. Paul and his friends realise when it is too late that there is no glory in this killing machine; they are just here to die. The fact that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is written by a German soldier reflects the universality of the horrors of war.
Poetry about War – Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen
The same sentiments and experiences are also found in Allied writing, art-works and poetry written by those who were there – for example poems by Wilfred Owen such as ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ about the horrors and pity of war. Owen’s poetry presents the utter brutality of trench warfare truthfully. The experience for the soldiers was a shocking one especially as many of the soldiers were just young teenagers who had been fed propaganda about how noble it would be to fight for one’s country in the War. In fact, the common saying was “How sweet and noble it is to die for one’s country”, but the soldiers quickly realised they had just been sent to killing fields.
Plot Summary of the Novel
Paul Baumer, 19 joins the German Army to fight in World War 1. Several of his friends from his class were inspired to join the War by their patriotic school master, Kantorek. They feel they have been tricked after a few weeks at war, as the soldiers are subject to cruelty, brutality, and suffering, often leading to death. In fact, after just two weeks, Paul’s company of soldiers’ experiences losses of over 50% of the men. One of Paul’s friends Kemmerich, also a classmate is in hospital with gangrene and dying. Another friend Muller becomes pragmatic and hopes for Kemmerich’s boots when he dies.
Life is made very unbearable by the cruel and sadistic Corporal Himmelstross. Life in the trenches is disgusting and many men are struck down by disease or death. Soon there are only 32 of Paul’s company remaining alive. Not only is war hell but Paul realises that when he has leave, he feels nothing and is just numb. When he has time to go home on leave for a few weeks, Paul finds he cannot relate to others. However, he goes to visit Kemmerich’s mother and tells her that her son’s death was painless. This lie makes her happy.
Back at war, Paul is forced to stab a French soldier to death and he is filled with remorse and guilt. He realises that the enemy is just another victim of war like all soldiers. Looking through his identification, he learns the man’s name was Gerard and he has a wife and two children, which upsets him even more. By 1918 just before the War ends, Paul is the only original member of his company left. Paul is killed in October 1918. The novel ends with a statement from the Army report for this day as ‘All quiet on the Western Front’.
The Narrator of the Novel
Who is telling this story? The novel is written mostly in the First person from the perspective of Paul Baumer until the end of the book, where it changes briefly to Third person – as a report excerpt. As such the reader follows the rise and fall of Paul’s sense of life and enthusiasm. We feel his betrayal and despair, his inability to feel pain as it may overwhelm him.
Structure of the Novel
It is divided into twelve chapters, where there is some overlap, reflecting the confusion and loss of time. The reader goes on Paul’s incredible journey from innocent adolescent to jaded and despairing ‘hollow man’ who has lost everything. The last few chapters especially reflect the desperate chaos that ensued once America joined the war and Germany was clearly losing the war. Due to the lack of resources and younger men, the dying soldiers were now being replaced by older men, and the pace became even more frantic and destructive. When Paul dies, and his death is objectively reported in the third person of a military report – “All quiet on the Western Front.”
Themes of the Novel
The Horror of War – The novel presents the horror and brutality of war, which was a sharp contrast to War literature before this novel. Traditionally war books, poems, songs etc. glorified war as a patriotic honour and duty. The novel presents war from the point of view of the ordinary soldier so it cannot hide the truth and the horror of the immense suffering. World War I was a complete shock and introduced a ‘new’ method of French warfare – long, drawn out battles, new technology/weapons, which increased the death toll. The novel ends with all the major characters dead – including the protagonist and narrator, Paul.
Nationalism – The novel depicts the lies behind nationalism, exposing it as a powerful tool. Paul discovers that war has nothing to do with ideals, but rather it becomes a fight to stay alive. Moreover, there is no real sense of fighting an enemy. The enemy becomes the government and authority figures that sent them to the War.
The Effects of War on Soldiers – Clearly millions of soldiers died or were seriously injured by the War. Those that did not die and managed to return home would never be the same again. Months or years of constant exposure to physical danger constant attacks and living with fear had severe consequences on their nerves and emotional well-being. To add to this burden, the trenches were filthy, rat-infested and damp/water logged habitats. The soldiers were also dealing with lice infestations and diseased/decaying corpses all around them. Sleep was disrupted; food was lacking or of poor quality and medical care was very limited and poor. This is a toxic burden that made life for the soldiers unbearable. To survive, many of the soldiers had to disconnect from their feelings. As Paul discovers, although this leads to a general numbness that becomes all pervading, it protected the soldiers from mental anguish to some extent. The men became somewhat desensitized to the suffering and deaths all around them.
Friendship Bonds – The bonds between friends and sticking together seemed to be the only thing that kept the men alive and sane, and sometimes even this was not enough. It is especially touching to see how the more experienced soldiers looked after the new recruits who had never seen so much death and suffering. In Chapter 4, a shell-shocked young recruit seeks comfort from Paul and begins to cry as he is supported and told he will soon get used to it. Throughout the novel, Paul and Kat are very close and have a rare moment of intimacy and celebration of friendship as they eat the goose. (Chapter 5) Paul is constantly watching others die, but at this moment with Kat he acknowledges the humanizing power of friendship and relationships.
Betrayal and the Loss of Innocence – These two themes belong together because when the young men, filled with life and hopes for the future entered the war, they had been encouraged to do so by the very people who had guided them their whole lives – parents, teachers, and other authority figures. As soon as they arrived at the war, they were shocked into the reality of what the war was and the first thing they lost was their innocence, and it would have been impossible to feel betrayed by those they had trusted. In fact, Paul and the others see right through the lies and become quickly aware of the reality, and that they are just part of a giant killing machine, and need to be sacrificed to make the governments ‘plans’ a reality. The horror of war is never-ending and the recruits just keep on coming and being sacrificed for some lofty ideals.
This Resource is for Year 11 English students studying in the Victorian VCE Curriculum.
Did you Love The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin or Hate it?
Science Fiction as a Genre is sometimes defined as being an analytical and foretelling narrative at which a type of prediction is made. Quite often Science Fiction is so bizarre that you read it and become so confused you put it down and never pick it up again.
For those students who have read The Left Hand of Darkness did you get the story the first time? Or did it take you repeated readings to understand it? Once you read the novel a couple of times so many layers become obvious that you can understand why Le Guin won many prestigious literary awards for her writing.
I must admit the first time I started to read The Left Hand of Darkness I had to ‘get my head around’ the structure of the narrative, the names of the characters, the countries, the Hainnish calendar and Ursula K. Le Guin’s terminology for her fictional Hainnish Universe all set in the year 4870. While The Left Hand of Darkness is definitely part of the Science Fiction Genre, the narrative does also cover other Genres such as Fantasy, Mythology, Legend, Folklore and Feminism.
This Analysis Uses Shortened Versions of the Names of Characters
In this analysis of The Left Hand of Darkness, I have used a shortened version of the names of the two main characters rather than use their much longer versions that Le Guin has in the novel. So Therem Harth rem ir Estraven is just ‘Estraven’ and Genly Ai is just ‘Genly’. All my page number references are for the 1992 Orbit Edition of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (as pictured above).
Le Guin’s Purpose of Meaning
Le Guin’s purpose in this novel was not, in her own words, “[to predict] that in a millennium or so we will all be androgynous, or [to announce] that… we damned well ought to be androgynous.” Rather, she is observing that, in some ways, “we already are.” Le Guin’s purpose is not to convince us to move in a certain direction towards the future; rather, she is enabling us to examine ourselves from a different perspective and embrace alternate forms of identity and reality.
Two Halves of the Whole – Yin and Yang
Once I began to understand that The Left Hand of Darkness is not simply a science fiction novel; I could see how Le Guin’s described the novel in her own words as ‘a thought-experiment’. It forces us to examine ourselves and the nature of our existence. It provides a deep, scholarly, metaphorical analysis on gender, patriotism, and the concept of opposites.
The more I delved into the story I began to appreciate the characters of Genly and Estraven and how Le Guin developed the concept of “self and other”. Then I discovered the clever contrasts Le Guin explored of the binaries and the juxtapositions that exist on almost every level of the novel.
What fascinated me the most was the Daoist philosophy of yin and yang, opposites and reversals, which is shaped so beautifully by Le Guin. In true Daoist fashion, The Left Hand of Darkness not only highlights opposites for the sake of contrast, but stresses the necessity of accepting both extremes to realise the whole. The entire story is one of integration, on the personal, international and cosmic level, from existing divisions towards reconciliation and balance.
Le Guin asks us to question the very nature of binaries [dualism] themselves as Estraven said in the lines of the Handdara to Genly (p.190):
Light is the left hand of darkness
and darkness the right hand of light
Two are one, life and death
together like lovers in kemmer,
like hands joined together,
like the end and the way.
The Bond between Genly and Estraven
The central bond between Genly and Estraven is explored by Le Guin with immense subtlety. Le Guin cleverly describes the changes in a relationship that almost founders on misapprehensions and mistakes. Estraven is Genly’s surest and most selfless ally, and yet is the person Genly most distrusts. In his innocence and ignorance it seems that Genly will not survive the power struggles of which he has become the living symbol.
As Genly comes to accept Estraven as he is, he becomes less absorbed, more aware of his actions on his companion and in the end a wiser and more appreciative person. Genly’s companionship (is it really love?) with Estraven profoundly changes him and how he perceives the alien world that is now his home. Genly’s growth highlights the notion that one’s own wholeness of being can arise from a relationship in which both parties strive to accept one another. Estraven admits to Genly that they were “… equals at last, equal, alien, alone” on the Gobrin Ice (p.189).
However, in a heart-breaking reversal of expectation it is Estraven who finally pays the price in chapter 19 ‘The Homecoming’.
The Inhospitable Landscape of Gethen
What I did love was Le Guin’s wonderful creation of the inhospitable landscape of Gethen. The journey that Estraven and Genly make together on foot across the Gobrin Ice is described in all its frozen spendour. I was awestruck by the bleak beauty of this fictional planet and the prose and imagery of Le Guin as Estraven and Genly trekked through a “deep cold porridge of rain-sodden snow” (p.176), past a volcano with “worms of fire crawl down its black sides” (p.184). Le Guin took not only Genly and Estraven on a bitter winter journey, but us as readers, as we too saw the raw fury of nature on display in Gethen.
What is the Significance of the Title?
The title comes from the Handdara religion recited in a poem by Estraven on page 190 (shown in detail above). It refers to dualism and the importance of unity of opposites.
Le Guin’s Style of Writing
Le Guin’s writing style is descriptive with finer details of life on Gethen from architecture to weather patterns, diets to travelling habits. The novel is a blend of nature writing with anthropology and an understanding of a people’s connection to that place. Her treatment of Gethen as both a setting and a character infuses her world with vivid descriptions of landscape, character stories, adventures and traditional mythology.
Le Guin’s Narrative and Tone
Some stories are in 1st person narrative when Genly is reporting or from Estraven’s journal but when myths, legends or tales are told the narrative is in 3rd person omniscient. The myths form a backdrop for the story and explain specific features about Gethenian culture as well as larger philosophical aspects of society.
Le Guin presents the novel as Genly’s field report to the Ekumen so his tone is exact. As Genly develops understanding of the Gethenians he evolves with more awareness and he becomes descriptive.
Estraven’s chapters take on a journalistic tone since they are journal entries. The mythological stories have a folk tale tone.
The narrative can also be seen as a Bildungsroman or coming of age story of Genly as his journey of transformation.
The Plot in a Nutshell
The plot consists of 3 major sections and a brief conclusion. The first section is set in Karhide, the second in Orgoreyn, the third on the Gobrin Ice and the conclusion is set in Karhide.
In a nutshell it is the story of an icy snowbound planet called Gethen (Winter) where a solitary envoy from the Ekumen, Genly Ai is sent to try and persuade the inhabitants of Gethen to join a federation of nations for the purpose of expanding trade and an interplanetary alliance. Gethen is an isolated and harsh world of ice and snow whose inhabitants are unique in their physiology as they are androgynous beings; neither male nor female. Unfortunately Genly discovers two hostile nations, Karhide and Orgoreyn gearing up for war and his arrival feeds the rivalries between the two states.
In Karhide, King Argaven is reluctant to accept Genly’s diplomatic mission. In Orgoreyn, Genly is seemingly accepted more easily by the political leaders, yet he is arrested, stripped of his clothes, drugged, and sent to a work camp.
Rescued by Estraven, the deposed Prime Minister of Karhide, Genly realizes that cultural differences, specifically shifgrethor, gender roles and Gethenian sexuality, had kept him from understanding their relationship previously.
During their 80-day journey across the frozen land of the Gobrin Ice to return to Karhide, Genly learns to understand and love Estraven and is able to fulfill his mission to join Karhide and Orgoreyn within the federation of the Ekumen.
Major Themes/Issues/Ideas
Language / communication / storytelling / gender / politics/ religion / fear of difference & fear of change / the ‘other’ / acceptance / duty / man & the natural world / warfare / love / human relationships / dualism / yin & yang / unity / loyalty / betrayal / honour / ethnic differences /respecting differences / sexuality/ androgyny
Symbols and Motifs
Shadows / light / darkness / the ansible [communication device] / religious teachings / keystone / yin & yang / shifgrethor [equality or honour]
Characters – Major
Genly Ai= the first Envoy of the Ekumen on Gethen. He is the protagonist of the novel, a native of Terra (Earth).
Estraven, Therem Harth rem ir = is a Gethenian from the Domain of Estre in Kerm Land in the southern part of the Kardish continent. He is Prime Minister of Karhide at the beginning of the novel.
Argaven, Harge XV = is the King of Karhide during the events of the novel.
Tibe, Pemmer Harge rem ir = is Argaven’s cousin and later becomes Prime Minister of Karhide when Estraven is exiled.
Obsle, Yegey, Shusgis = are Commensals that rule Orgoreyn.
Faxe, The Weaver = is a Foreteller of Otherhord
Ashe = is Estraven’s former kemmering
Characters – Minor
Goss = helps Genly find his way to the Fastnesses
Mavriva = is a fur trader who helps Estraven
Thessicher = is a old friend of Estraven but later betrays him
This Resource is for Year 11 English students studying in the Victorian VCE Curriculum.
Look carefully at the similarities and differences between the two main characters Genly Ai and Therem Harth Rem Ir Estraven in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness. The list of differences and similarities between the two characters is from my interpretation only and therefore could be added to by students who develop their own interpretation of Genly and Estraven.
For ease of writing I call Genly Ai (Genly) and Therem Harth Rem Ir Estraven (Estraven) in the notes below.
Genly Ai
Genly’s Differences from Estraven
Genly Ai is from Terra (Earth), almost 30 years old
1st Envoy from the Ekumen to recruit the planet Gethen to the Ekumen to become part of a universal and mystical trade venture of planets
Different physical characteristics – tall, black skin, strong, less hair, large hands, not built for cold
Stereotypical male – heterosexual, sexually active all the time considered a ‘pervert’ by Gethenians
Has been in Karhide for 2 years in an attempt to gain favour with King Argaven and convince him and Karhide to join the Ekumen
Inability to trust and uncertainty factors influence his decisions & fear of the unknown
Gender fear of difference especially the feminine traits of Gethenians which he sees as negative traits
Non believer in androgynous Gethenians, can’t comprehend their reactions or faces that he sees as not human but like animals – cat, seal, an otter
Often is impatient, quick to despair and then to rejoice
Lacks insight to understand and seen as an alien in Gethen is not to be trusted
Has trouble communicating and understanding the intricate subtleties of ‘shifgrethor’
Unaware of other people’s motives especially Estraven
Does not have the qualities of the Handdara in regards to intuition or ‘nusuth’
Struggles with too much yang in order to create harmony at the beginning of the novel
Effectively in terms of dualism, Genly is the ‘right hand’ of Estraven (Le Guin stresses that each yang contains it’s yin, each yin contains it’s yang)
Genly’s Similarities with Estraven
Believes in the mission to persuade the inhabitants of Gethen to join the Ekumen for the purpose of expanding trade and interplanetary alliance
Even though Genly has been on Gethen for 2 years he does not give up trying to carry out his mission
This is similar to Estraven in his continued mission to join Gethen with the Ekumen as he believes in the benefits of uniting his planet with other worlds even if it means exile
Genly is loyal, honourable and idealistic like Estraven
They both have sacrificed a lot for their ambitions but see the big picture of helping humanity
Both are in exile, Genly from his planet and Estraven from his home of Estre
On the Gobrin Ice they both pull together for survival
On the Gobrin Ice Genly transforms and understands the significance of the yin and yang in Estraven and the importance of harmony as a whole person
Therefore Genly finally accepts Estraven as an androgynous person not as male/female but as one
The relationship of Genly with Estraven is described by Le Guin as ‘profound love’ and one that changes Genly
Therem Harth Rem Ir Estraven
Estraven’s Differences from Genly
Estraven is from the Domain of Estre in Kerm land, a southern end of Karhide on the planet Gethen (age not sure)
Prime Minister of Karhide at the start of the novel
Different physical characteristics – stocky, dark, with a layer of fat to protect against the cold, black eyes and sleek hair
He is an androgyne, neither male nor female but both, as are all Gethenians
Typical androgyne goes into kemmer
Had a son Sorve to his brother Arek and swore a ‘vow of faithfulness’ to Arek
He had a kemmering with Ashe and they had 2 sons
His personal life has been steeped in profound and tumultuous human emotions, involving love and death, which feed his soul
He is honest, quick minded, wise, versatile and adaptable, courageous, creative in responding to new situations, a shrewd politician, powerful, aggressive when needed & constantly pushing forward
He has a strength of character and diplomacy by preventing Karhide and Orgoreyn from going to war over the Sinnoth Valley dispute
Has highly trained skills of the Handdara which makes him respond intuitively doing no more or no less than what is required
His spiritualism is an important part of his character
He praises ‘darkness’ when it comes and it’s counterpart ‘light’
He is not moved by personal desire, interest or advantage and acts spontaneously in accordance with his true nature as the quality of the Handdara teaches
He uses his feminine intuition as a good quality and has perfected the balance of yin and yang in his harmonious actions which demonstrates that both male and female characteristics are necessary for survival
Effectively Estraven is the ‘left hand’ of Genly and without Estraven, Genly would not have been able to undertake his transformation of character that leads him to a deeper understanding of Gethenians and himself
Estraven is willing to sacrifice his life to achieve the success of the mission and the good of the whole world
Estraven’s Similarities with Genly
Believes in Genly’s mission to persuade the inhabitants of Gethen to join the Ekumen for the purpose of expanding trade and interplanetary alliance
Estraven continues his belief in the mission to join Gethen with the Ekumen as he believes in the benefits of uniting his planet with other worlds even if it means his exile
Both are in exile, Genly from his planet and Estraven from his home of Estre
Estraven is loyal, honourable and idealistic like Genly
They both have sacrificed a lot for their ambitions but see the big picture of helping humanity
On the Gobrin Ice they both pull together for survival
Accepts Genly as different, but it is the likeness, the wholeness that he understands and the importance of harmony
The relationship of Estraven with Genly is described by Le Guin as ‘profound love’ and one that embodies Genly’s physical as well as spiritual journey to greater self knowledge and understanding
This Resource is for Years 10/11/12 Mainstream English students studying Analysing and Exploring Argument in the Victorian Curriculum.
Just as writers and speakers use techniques such as exaggeration, tone and emotive language to manipulate and position readers, so too can cartoonists use many highly persuasive techniques.
Use the same questioning techniques for analysing cartoons as you do for analysing articles. Ask What / How / Why the author uses his/her language with the intention to persuade the audience to Think (Logos) / Feel (Pathos) / Do something (Ethos).
When analysing a cartoon, ask yourself the following questions:
What is the main point of the cartoon? Does the cartoon align with the author’s point of view on the issue in the article you are also analysing? Be mindful, if the cartoon is a stand-alone, it may have its own point of view that is either the same or different to the article.
What is the issue being represented? What is the context of this issue?
Who is the target audience the cartoon creator is aiming for? What is the intended impact/effect of the cartoon on the reader/audience?
Who are the central figures/characters? What are they doing or saying? How are they represented? For example, a cartoonist may represent members of a group as similar to make a point about their powerlessness, their loss of identity, their mindlessness and so on. Sometimes animals are used to represent humans in order to critique behaviour or an individual’s point of view.
What visual strategies are used to persuade the audience to agree with the point of view presented? Look at:
Composition of cartoon – number of items/subjects and their position within the text and in relation to one another
Size of cartoon and characters in connection with composition – are the characters exaggerated
Layout of fonts used in text – can often use small text but big heads on characters to exaggerate the sarcastic tone
Colours and shade – what do the colours symbolise
Black = evil/power/death
White = purity/simplicity/cleanliness
Red = warmth/comfort/anger/embarrassment
Yellow = cheeriness/frustration/attention seeking
Blue = calmness/tranquillity/sadness/misery
Purple = royalty/wealth/wisdom
Green = calm/tranquillity/nature/envy
Brown = earth/nature/strength/security
Red+blue+white = flags symbolise patriotism
The focus and emphasis – where is the reader’s attention drawn to first
Labelling and stereotypes – often characters are stereotypical ie. blond, blue eyed, suntanned, muscular lifesaver is supposed to be typical Australian male but it is not accurate representation
Speech bubbles, dialogue, body text can often state contention or reinforce issue
Loaded language – language that has a deeper meaning than is shown on the surface
Captions – words outside frame of text can state contention, what do they add and how do they persuade
Symbols, motifs, icons – images that represent the ideas or concepts, can appeal to the audience
Angles used and white space ie. blank space left – can draw audience away towards some text to make a further impact on the issue or detract from it
Obvious tone ie political cartoons are often humorous and sarcastic (use verbal irony)
Facial expressions – how do the characters expressions compare to one another, are they expressions we would expect
Context to main issue – does the cartoon support or oppose the main issue
What is significant about the background and foreground of the cartoon?
When writing your analysis discuss how the visual language comments on the issue and how the cartoon creator positions the audience by using the visual techniques. Keeping in mind what the creator’s purpose is and how the cartoonist wants to position the reader – to think (logos) / feel (pathos) / do something (ethos)
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoomfor Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is for Year 12 English students studying Unit 4 AOS:1 Reading & Comparing Texts in the Victorian VCE Curriculum for 2023. While Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler was compared in 2022 to The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, the play has a new comparative text in 2023, the novel My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin.
Introduction
Anna Ziegler’s play ‘Photograph 51’ and Miles Franklin’s novel ‘My Brilliant Career’ explore concepts with very different women protagonists. Both protagonists have their own individual personalities, dispositions, ages and external contexts. As such it is important to understand the cultural and social surroundings of each character as well as how they are affected by other people and their settings. In ‘My Brilliant Career’ the characters are all seen in relation to Sybylla Melvyn because it is her ‘yarn’ and so the story unfolds based on her whims and experiences. Within ‘Photograph 51’, Rosalind Franklin is stripped of participation in the narrative and seems completely unaware of her significance or importance to her society or its later historical record of her achievements.
The Historical and Cultural Context of Both Texts is Important in Comparing Them
‘Photograph 51’ is based on the modern viewpoint of Anna Ziegler and her interest in feminist and historical ideas that reconceptualise key events in history. The play’s historical context is based around the results of post WWII and movements in the 1950’s scientific world. ‘Photograph 51’ is a single act play with its action occurring between 1951 and 1953 at a time in Britain when there was a pervasive attitude that a woman’s place was better served in the home than having a career, along with an entrenched gender bias which had tragic consequences for Rosalind Franklin.
‘My Brilliant Career’ was written by Stella Maria Miles Franklin an Australian writer who wrote her novel in 1899 and it was not published until 1901 the year of the Australian Federation. The novel’s historical context of Australia’s Federation plays a huge role in the narrative that describes a masculine society with aspects of Australian rural life that that held women in a constricting place. While Ziegler’s play is feminist in its nature, Franklin’s novel is proto-feminist because it comes before the first feminist movements began. Franklin’s novel was written 7 years before women had the right to vote and they still lacked social and economic prospects. Franklin has Sybylla reflect that “… it was only men who could take the world by its ears and conquer their fate …” (p.61).
Both Texts Explore Ideas About
Power in its various forms, including patriarchal power within society of financial, political and legal power; physical and intellectual power.
Identity and its connections with physical appearance, self-perception and the expectations of others.
Women’s roles/gender are shown in differing representations of the feminine in various types of characters but because both Sybylla and Rosalind were independent and intelligent, neither one conformed to social expectations about gender and destiny.
Storytelling and the power of narrative is demonstrated in the power of taking control of one’s own story. In My Brilliant Career it is Sybylla’s own voice that exposes gender inequality in 19th century Australia and her simple ‘yarn’ becomes other Australian women’s stories of restrictive conformation to society’s standards. However, Rosalind in Photograph 51 who is isolated and vilified, is unable to take control of her narrative.
Truth and Lies is shown in Zeigler’s play suggests that it does matter who found the answer to DNA with Wilkin’s tacit approval of Crick and Watson’s use of Rosalind’s research data is shown in his comment that it doesn’t matter who found the answer. Sybylla narrates her own story that seeks her own personal truth as to how she wants to live her life, knowing that because she is a girl, and ugly at that, her ambitions are continually thwarted.
Ambition for Sybylla is boundless and no matter how hard she tries to fit in to her socially acceptable female role she always longs for the “mystical better things” (p.65) in her wish to achieve something. Rosalind’s ambition is equally intense and her determination and desire to do her scientific work with her personal challenge to be “always right” (p.46), drove her to become a scientist who paid meticulous attention to detail.
Respect for Rosalind is being treated with a level of importance by her male colleagues for the significant work she did for discovery of DNA and being worthy of respect. Unfortunately only Gosling and Caspar truly respect Rosalind but she is disrespected throughout the narrative by the other hypocritical male scientists. With Sybylla’s story a coming of age narrative, respect for and of others is part of her development as she is coming to terms with her true values. Aunt Helen is the only person Sybylla respects; in contrast she loses respect for her father when he drinks and destroys the family’s financial security.
Expectations fall into 3 categories for Sybylla – first, societal expectations of Australia in the 1890’s, second her personal desires balanced against what is expected of her in terms of propriety and correct moral and social behaviour and third a feminist concern of hope for women in a world made for men. While Rosalind looks back reflects on her desires to live with decisions she has made otherwise she dies in “regret” (p.83) but Sybylla looks forward with expectation, tempered with uncertainty, still seeking independence in an unknown future.
Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler
Structure & Style
As a single act play, it includes six characters each of whom presents their perspective on events unfolding between 1951 and 1953 at King’s College, London. There is a juxtaposition of the past and present which interrupts the linear structure of the narrative. The action of Ziegler’s play mainly focuses upon Dr Rosalind Franklin, a real-life scientist who is arguably the person who discovered the molecular structure of DNA. Her research was crucial to the three men who would ultimately be awarded the coveted Nobel Prize in 1962. Ziegler’s characters are therefore all real people; however, she freely admits to altering the time structure of events, re-arranging facts and creating interactions between characters that allow her to creatively explore the main themes of the play.
‘Photograph 51’ is structured as a circular narrative, not quite from the start but as Franklin and Wilkins return to Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale at the play’s conclusion, our minds are taken back to their discussion of the play that first occurs. This doubling effect, or repetition, brings to mind one of the key symbols of the play, the double helix. Ziegler, as she wants her audience to view events from different perspectives, also ‘relies on characters stepping forward occasionally as a sort of Greek chorus to fill in the background details’. This is often found in the voice of Caspar who questions the behaviour of Wilkins, Watson and Crick about what really happened. There are no traditional scene changes but the play looks to alterations in lighting and character groupings to suggest structural shifts. The action of the play is fluid moving with characters all having equal speaking parts like an ensemble piece.
Ziegler’s stage directions also indicate to the audience when she is instructing one of her characters to break the fourth wall (talk directly to the audience). An example is Rosalind’s line: ‘(To the audience.) I have two tumours.’ With the spotlight on her as she says these words, only the audience is meant to hear.
Feminist Literature & Challenging the Historical Invisibility of Women
The idea of challenging the historical invisibility of women is implicit in the play where the work of an extraordinary woman Rosalind Franklin is made visible. Ziegler’s play highlights the ways in which stories told by men have worked to minimise or downplay the roles played by women. According to Watson Rosalind “misunderstood the terms of her contract” (p.13) when in fact crucial details are “changed” after her arrival. As readers we hope that had Rosalind Franklin lived long enough the Nobel Prize Committee would have surely awarded her a Nobel prize for her conceptual understanding of the structure of the DNA molecule. However, Ziegler’s play recognises Franklin’s contribution even if the sexist attitudes ingrained in science at the time did not.
When asked about Rosalind Franklin as a feminist, Ziegler argued that was not her intention but audiences may interpret the character differently: ‘But more importantly, I agree that Rosalind wouldn’t want to be considered a feminist icon and I didn’t set out to make her into one. All I can say is that, if the play has contributed to that sense of her, I hope it’s not because it paints her as a victim, but because it shows that she persevered in the name of the work and the work alone at a time when she had to ignore that it was difficult for her to do so.’
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
Structure & Style
The novel ‘My Brilliant Career’ has a conventional linear structure with Sybylla’s voice telling her own personal growth story during 19th century rural Australia. Using a male pseudonym Franklin wrote her story of a young woman who was held back socially by a strict patriarchal society. The novel includes an Introduction by Jennifer Byrne (vii-xiv) followed by a Preface by Henry Lawson and a further Introduction by Sybylla (pp.1-3) then the novel extends across 38 chapters. Each voice is of Sybylla’s own perspective of the contrasts between the settings from Bruggabrong, Possum Gully, Caddagat, Five Bob Downs and Barney’s Gap.
The diametrically opposed physical spaces of Caddagat and Barney’s Gap echo the oppositional forces in Sybylla herself (the feminine and the tomboy), and parallel opposing genres of romanticism and realism in the novel. What is important to note is the Federation Drought of the 1890’s that caused enormous stock losses and many landowners became bankrupt. The economic depression was a tumultuous time for the young states of Australia with banks failing and unemployment soaring. Sybylla’s novel provides a palpable insight into the terrible conditions of the time along with her descriptions of the harsh weather of “scorching furnace-breath winds [that] shrivelled every blade of grass, dust and the moan of starving stock filled the air” (p.33).
Proto-feminist Novel Challenges Gender Expectations in 19th Century Australia
At a time when it was considered that the only suitable ambition for young women was to marry and raise a family, Franklin has Sybylla set out of the norm and desire to have a career and wish to live an independent life. In effect, Franklin gives her main protagonist a voice equal to her own abilities. In Sybylla’s own Introduction (p.1-3) she describes her manuscript as a “real yarn” (p.1) addressing her readers as ‘My Dear Fellow Australians’ (p.1) grouping women and men together under one banner and wanting to be heard.
From a young age Sybylla has a desire to write and throughout her narrative she expresses her opinion of marriage, redefines class boundaries and her completely different views of what was expected of ladies of her time. Describing herself as “unorthodox” (p.215) Sybylla is seen as different from the norm and at times does perform many “self-analysis” sessions on herself with one of her biggest regrets is that she is ugly. Forced to acknowledge she is not like the beautiful girls who choose the acceptable pathway of marriage, Sybylla knows she is in a different “sphere” (p.61) intellectually, because her desire is to have a career. Yet she is also egalitarian seeing herself as an “Australian peasant, cheerful, honest and brave” (p.391).
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoomfor Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is ‘A Brief Synopsis’ only for Mainstream English Year 12 Students studying Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel in AOS1, Unit 3: Analytical Study in the VCE Victorian Curriculum.
Introduction
Instead of Covid-19, Station Eleven’s world is devastated by the ‘Georgia Flu’. The fictional plague is more deadly and contagious than Covid-19; this flu virus kills 99% of the earth’s population in a matter of weeks. We, as readers, can see certain parallels with the pandemic that engulfs the world today, such as hoarding of groceries in the early days of Covid-19, overrun hospital emergency departments, face masks and the idea of some similarity to Station Eleven. Life imitating art.
Yet Station Eleven’s world is a story of complete collapse of civilisation and a rebirth in a world of survivors who are devoid of doctors, countries, communities, no technology and where luck or fate picks who lives or dies. Children learn to kill or be killed within an ever-thrumming baseline of danger.
However, Emily St. John Mandel’s novel Station Eleven is ‘speculative fiction’ that if there were a doomsday event, there may initially be a period of chaotic social collapse, but gradually the surviving people would organise themselves into communities akin to our contemporary civil society. Mandel worries that the civilisation we take for granted is fragile and vulnerable, and ‘could fail quite easily’, but she harbours ‘a possibly naïve but stubborn notion that the overwhelming majority of people on earth really just want to live peacefully and raise their kids and go about their business with a minimum of fear and insecurity.’
Emily St. John Mandel
Civilisation in a Post-pandemic World
While Mandel’s central thematic ideas are of truth, hope, love and moral courage, she leaves readers with something positive rather than negative. The characters are more often inspired by art, knowledge and concern for others than by fear, superficial ideas, authoritarianism or self-interest. The novel values: trusting rather than controlling others; connecting with and paying attention to each other rather than pursuing the illusory thrills of self-promotion and fame; and above all, creating rather than destroying. We see how interconnectivity both creates and dismantles civilisation.
Pivotal in the novel’s network of characters is the celebrity actor Arthur Leander, while the ‘Georgia Flu’ provides the pivotal moment of world-wide ‘collapse’ in a narrative timeline which, although presented non-chronologically, spans five decades. Arthur is performing as King Lear in Toronto’s Elgin Theatre when he, and within days the whole society, collapses. After this apocalypse, we follow Kirsten and her companions in the Travelling Symphony, Clark who becomes a museum curator in the airport lounge, and Jeevan the paramedic who eventually lives with his family in a community in Virginia. Readers gradually build a picture of the three decades preceding the apocalypse, as well as the two decades after it, piecing together as the narrative takes us back and forward in time the network of relationships among Arthur, his first wife Miranda, his other wives, his friend Clark, his putative rescuer and erstwhile paparazzo Jeevan, and his son Tyler’s future nemesis, Kirsten.
Perspective on the Text
Emily St. John Mandel’s novel invites readers, not so much to fear doomsday and its dystopian aftermath, as to think about what we truly value in the society we currently inhabit. Each of Mandel’s main characters represents the good in humanity; each of them is engaged in work that either cares for others and builds community or creates art that shows ‘the best of the world’. Kirsten, Clark, Miranda, Jeevan, even Arthur, each is honest, creative, and selfless yet strong, even though they are also being human but flawed in some way.
Structure of the Text
Mandel’s non-chronological narrative pivots around the moment of Arthur’s (and the world’s) collapse. Whilst the narrative point of view is generally omniscient, or third person, readers frequently have access to the thoughts of a character, Miranda, Clark, Jeevan or Kirsten. The reader becomes aware, after a while, that the non-linear recursive structure reflects the nature of memory. The plot unfurls across not only timelines but characters and Miranda’s comic book ‘Dr Eleven’ is the portkey that reveals the tangled web we weave of life.
The Importance of the Arts and Sciences
With Miranda’s art (Dr Eleven Comics) as its central motif, the novel highlights the importance in society of both the humanities and the sciences. We see Mandel’s characters devoting themselves to visual and performing arts because these show the best of a society, and to writing, history and the media because by keeping records of the past, humans have a hope of understanding the present and doing better in the future. We see the characters remembering electricity and aeroplanes, and hoping for the resurgence of these lost wonders of the world since they represent high points in humankind’s scientific knowledge.
Issues and Themes
Survival is insufficient / survival is arbitrary / human instinct
Contagion & disasters / death/ violence & abuse in a tarnished new world / fear
Society & the individual / communitarianism versus individualism
Isolation and loneliness versus community connectedness
Memory / the self & society/ loss / nostalgia / history / regret / remembering the old world / transience of memory
Creativity / arts / sciences / enduring nature of arts and power to reflect reality
Belonging
Hope / optimism / luck in a crisis
Truth
Love
Moral courage
Creating order from chaos
Trust & community
Beauty of life in the old world
Religion
Symbols
Station Eleven
The paperweight
Shakespeare
The Letters to Victoria
Luli the dog’s name
Flight/aeroplanes
Water imagery
Death imagery
Virus as an avenging angel
Analytical Text Response Topics
“Survival is insufficient.” How does Mandel show that there is more to life than mere survival?
“I see you, I see you, I see you.” ‘Miranda, more than other characters in the novel, makes the best of life despite feeling lonely and disconnected.’ Discuss.
To what extent does Station Eleven suggest that a crisis brings out the best in people?
‘Arthur may be the central character in Mandel’s novel, but he is not the main character.’ Discuss.
‘Station Eleven suggests that it is better to be inspired by truth and beauty than by success.’ Discuss.
Discuss the roles played by Dr. Eleven and the Museum of Civilisation in Mandel’s novel.
‘The characters in Station Eleven are sustained by their memories.’ Do you agree?
‘Station Eleven is more about creativity in the arts and sciences than about a post-pandemic dystopia.’ Do you agree?
‘Despite the extreme difficulty of their situation, none of the characters succumbs to fear or pessimism.’ Discuss.
‘The characters in Station Eleven are motivated more by love than fear.’ Discuss.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is for students in Year 12 studying ‘Nine Days’ in AOS1: Unit 3, Reading & Creating Texts, Analytical Text Response, in the Victorian VCE 2023 Mainstream English Curriculum
Introduction
Written by a contemporary Australian female writer, Toni Jordan’s 2012 novel Nine Days is a celebration of family life in inner city Richmond in Melbourne from 1938 to 2006. There are nine different narrators who give their insights into nine days over a time span of more than sixty years that includes stories about four generations of one major family (the Westaways).
Topics raised by the novel, include the impact in Australia of the Second World War; suburban life of the time; housing in Richmond during the mid-twentieth century; aspects of social class, religious sectarianism (Catholic–Protestant) antagonism; social customs, norms and attitudes, particularly as these affect women; views about unmarried mothers and babies born out of wedlock; and the industrial nature of Richmond.
At the heart of the narrative is the love story between Jack Husting and Connie Westaway, some details of which are kept secret until the last chapter. This non-chronological structure of the narrative drives readers to keep going, mimicking life in that it does not always make sense until we look back over it and get the full picture. Like life too, there is both joy and grief and the ways that characters learn to cope and adapt to changed circumstances.
Structure of the Text
The structure of the novel is not in chronological order, so readers must use the details to piece together the connections. The novel focuses on nine particular days, mainly around World War II, and has nine different narrators. The dates of the chapters and narrators are as follows:
The novel certainly values the strength of character shown in each generation as characters face the challenges of their time and place, and as they strive to improve their circumstances, and it does this with a light humour. Familial love is explicitly valued, as is romantic love, although both are represented in different ways by the very different characters involved. Jean, the mother of Connie, Francis and Kip, shows her love in ways that may be seen as bitter and harsh by the modern reader, but she is fiercely devoted to her aspirations for her family. Kip represents an ideal form of domestic masculinity, romantically devoted to his wife Annabel for over fifty years, and a loving father to their twin daughters, Charlotte and Stanzi. The two women of the third generation, idiosyncratic in their differences, ultimately form a very contemporary family, with two mothers (albeit non-gay) for Alec and Libby, who have two different fathers. Thus, Jordan implicitly values contemporary attitudes about family, sexuality and gender.
Romantic Love
Romantic love is perhaps most poignantly portrayed in the story of Connie and Jack, but with a shocking end. When Connie is left, after Jack’s departure, with an unplanned pregnancy, no opportunity to get married, and a mother who herself is already familiar with the (illegal) process of procuring an abortion, the novel’s values seem clear. Its portrayal of Connie bleeding to death on a pavement, and of her brother Kip’s opinions about the importance of contraception, leave us in little doubt that the author values reproductive choice for women, whereas the Catholic Church frowns on contraception, and the State criminalises abortion, both with serious consequences for women. On the other hand, Charlotte, in the next generation, is free to make the decision not to have an abortion.
Themes
Family and Belonging = Nine Days explores the connections within families, changes over time in what constitutes a family, and our ties to each other. Through the focus on four different generations of the Westaway family, readers are shown connections over time. Families are celebrated and valued.
Relationships = The novel highlights family loyalty and obligation, and also shows readers the impact of love, celebrating both young romantic love and the deep attachment of life-long love. This is particularly seen through the characters of Kip and Annabel, as well as Connie and Jack Husting.
Dealing with Adversity = The novel explores how different characters in different decades struggle with adversity, and how they cope with loss, grief, poverty or loneliness.
Life during WW11 = The novel gives readers insight into the impact of the Second World War on the Melbourne population.
Social Attitudes & Norms Affecting Women = The novel follows the lives of female characters in different eras, and in doing so explores social attitudes and norms affecting women. Women’s work in both the domestic and public spheres is shown. Perhaps the most confronting issues the novel explores are about birth control and abortion. Other challenges faced by the women in the novel include the weight and self-image issues that Stanzi has.
Social Class, Religious Sectarianism & Status = Ada Husting, Jack’s mother, views their family as further up the social ladder than their neighbours, the Westaways. The Hustings are Protestant business owners, whereas the Westaways are Roman Catholic wage-earners. The sectarian divisions of the time are also reflected in Jean’s narrative.
Living For the Day = The novel celebrates the notion of living for the day and fully engaging with the people around you. Because of Kip’s early losses, he develops a kind of life philosophy which he attempts to instil in his daughters. He immerses himself fully in everyone and everything around him.
Language and Style
Narrative Voice = Because each chapter is narrated by a different character, each has an individual narrative voice that both reflects the character and includes references to the time in which they live. This kind of interior monologue allows us to see the world through the eyes of the narrator, while the dialogue gives us insight into other characters as well.
Humour = A distinctive feature throughout the text, humour is conveyed in both the dialogue and the interior voice of some characters. The narrative voices of Kip, Alec, Charlotte and Stanzi are particularly light-hearted and humorous.
Symbols
The structure of the novel is held together by several symbols which run through the episodes. These act as integrating devices and help the reader to recognise family connections, as well as each having an underlying significance.
The Photograph of Connie & Jack = The existence of the photograph is not known till late in the novel that provides a climax to Kip’s narration. The photo shows the passion between Connie & Jack that never had a chance to flourish but also represents other sweethearts who were separated by war. It adds to Connie’s sad story that ends in her death through an illegal abortion.
The Shilling = The lucky shilling connects the novel’s different episodes. It is given initially to Kip by Mr Husting, who likes and feels sorry for the cheeky young boy who tends his horse. He swears Kip to secrecy, knowing his wife would not approve. From Stanzi in the next chapter, we learn that it is one of her father’s ‘most prized possessions’.
The Amethyst Necklace = Another integrating device is the necklace, which is introduced to readers as a positive symbol in Charlotte’s chapter. She describes it as ‘my mother’s pendant’ and recounts how she received it for her eighteenth birthday. In this chapter she uses it for the so-called pendant test, which, according to superstition, indicates a baby’s gender. But for Charlotte it has a wider significance: she views the pendant as a link to the life of her family and their love.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is for students in Year 12 studying ‘All The Light We Cannot See’ in AOS1: Unit 3, Reading & Creating Texts, Analytical Text Response, in the Victorian VCE 2023 Mainstream English Curriculum
Introduction
War is a dark event in history
World War II, arguably one of the darkest events of human history, has been the basis of so much writing across so many genres and authors. Anthony Doerr’s novel alludes to the merciless anonymity of death in war, juxtaposes individualism with collective national mindlessness, and seeks out innocence amidst the brutality of war.
Through the Eyes of 2 Children
Doerr ties the lives and fates of the two protagonists Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig during the time of World War 11 and readers see through the eyes of these two children even though they are on opposite sides of the war. He explores how both of them struggle with identity, morality and hope, each in their own way. Their storylines converge in the bombing of Saint-Malo, demonstrating that war can be indiscriminate in its victims. War does not care if its victims are children or adults, innocent or guilty, French or German. However, their interaction also speaks to the humanity that lies in all of us, no matter how deeply buried.
Aspects of War & Light in Darkest of Times
The novel explores many aspects of the war, including the destruction, the Occupation of France, the development and training of young boys to become Nazi soldiers, as well as the need to protect the vast items of cultural and national significance, which Hitler was determined to have for the German Nazis. Doerr encourages readers to consider the ‘light’ that can emerge even in the darkest of times, to remain always morally vigilant and to applaud the bravery of those individuals who resist tyrannical regimes despite the risk to their personal safety.
Hope and Humanity in the Title
The title hints at literal sight, the limitations of the physical sense of sight, the text then suggests the most perceptive characters are blind or have limited sight. The Frenchman’s repeated plea to ‘open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever’ is a reminder of morality. Humanity is at the heart of the novel, identity, morality and hope shape what it means to be human but characters struggle with all these qualities at the same time. The focus on war is not about glorifying battles but on praising individuals who have the courage and strength to bear witness to the destruction and not give up hope.
Structure of the Text
Epigraphs
The Novel includes 2 epigraphs at the beginning introducing key themes and situate the text as a work of historical fiction. The first quote by historian Philip Beck details the destruction of Saint-Malo. The second from Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, introduces the idea of the influence of the radio the Nazi’s would not have been able to take power without it. These epigraphs introduce the idea that scientific knowledge can be deployed for useful purposes but also for senseless destruction.
14 Sections Marked by the Date
The novel contains 14 sections marked by the date to allow the reader to follow the non-chronological narrative. The first of these is titled ‘Zero’ and is set on 7 August 1944, the key date of the bombardment of Saint-Malo. Connotations of ‘ground zero’ are suggested by numbering in this manner, and every second section of the novel returns to the key dates of August 7, 8 and 9 when the lives of Marie-Laure, Werner and Von Rumpel intersect.
Short Chapters with Perspectives of Characters
Within each section are short chapters with deceptively simple titles that provide the reader with key information. The perspectives of Marie-Laure and Werner are prioritised throughout the novel with their points of view generally alternating to establish the similarities and differences in their experiences. Other characters narrate chapters to allow readers to understand how people other than the two teenagers were apprehensive about the war and to observe the callousness of those people in the Nazi regime as well as citizens who were willing to collaborate with the enemy for personal gain.
General Plot Overview
Chronologically, we start in 1934, five years before the war. Marie-Laure is a French girl who lives with her father Daniel Leblanc, working at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. As she starts to go blind, Daniel teaches her Braille, and makes her wooden models of their neighbourhood to help her navigate. Six years later, the Nazis invade France, and they flee the capital to find Daniel’s uncle Etienne, who lives in the seaside town of Saint-Malo; Daniel was also tasked with safeguarding a precious gem, the Sea of Flames, from the Nazis.
In Saint-Malo, Daniel also builds Marie-Laure a model of the town, hiding the gem inside. Meanwhile, she befriends Etienne, who suffers from agoraphobia as a result of the trauma from the First World War. He is charming and very knowledgeable about science, having made a series of scientific radio broadcasts with his brother Henri (who died in WWI). She also befriends his cook, Madame Manec, who participates in the resistance movement right up until she falls ill and dies.
Her father is also arrested (and would ultimately die in prison), and the loss of their loved ones prompts both Etienne and Marie-Laure to begin fighting back. Marie-Laure is also given a key to a grotto by the seaside which is full of molluscs, her favourite kind of animal.
On the other side of the war, Werner is, in 1934, an 8-year-old German boy growing up in an orphanage with his sister Jutta in the small mining town of Zollverein. They discover a radio, which allows them to listen to a broadcast from miles away (it was Henri and Etienne’s), and Werner learns French to try and understand it. One day, he repairs the radio of a Nazi official, who recruits him to the Hitler Youth on account of his ingenuity (and his very blonde hair and very blue eyes, considered to be desirable traits by the regime). Jutta grows increasingly distant from Werner during this time, as she questions the morality of the Nazis.
Werner is trained to be a soldier along with a cohort of other boys, and additionally learns to use radio to locate enemy soldiers. He befriends Frederick, an innocent boy who was only there because his parents were rich. Frederick would eventually fall victim to the brutality of the instructors, and Werner tries to quit out of solidarity. Unfortunately, he is sent into the army to apply his training to actual warfare. He fights with Frank Volkheimer, a slightly ambiguous character who a tough and cruel soldier, but also displays a capacity to be kind and gentle (including a fondness for classical music). The war eventually takes them to Saint-Malo.
Also, around 1943 or so, a Nazi sergeant, Reinhold von Rumpel, begins to track down the Sea of Flames. He would have been successful ultimately had it not been for Werner, who stops him in order to save Marie Laure. As America begins to turn the war around, Werner is arrested and dies after stepping on a German landmine; Marie-Laure and Etienne move back to Paris. Marie-Laure eventually becomes a scientist specialising in the study of molluscs and has an extensive family of her own by 2014.
Characters
Marie-Laure LeBlanc
One of the two protagonists, Marie-Laure LeBlanc is an inquisitive, intellectually adventurous girl. She became blind at the age of six, but learns to adapt to this and continues to explore and discover. For most of the novel, Marie-Laure is a teenager, but by the end of the novel she’s an old woman. Marie-Laure is a warm, loving girl: at the beginning of the book, she loves her father, Daniel LeBlanc, before anyone else. After 1941, when Daniel leads her to the seaside town of Saint-Malo, she becomes close with her great-uncle, Etienne LeBlanc and her cook, Madame Manec. Marie-Laure is capable of feats of great daring. With Daniel’s help, she trains herself to walk through large cities using only her cane, and when the conflict between France and Germany escalates, she volunteers to participate in the French resistance. In spite of the joy, she gets from reading and exploring, Marie-Laure’s life is full of tragedy: the people she loves most disappear from her life, beginning with her father. As she grows older and becomes a scientist of molluscs, Marie-Laure comes to appreciate the paradox of her life: while she sometimes wants to be as stoic and “closed up” as the clams and whelks she studies, she secretly desires to reconnect with her loved ones.
Werner Pfennig
Werner Pfennig is a young, intelligent German boy and one of the two protagonists. Werner has whitish-blond hair, blue eyes, and is strikingly intelligent, so he seems like a model of the Nazis’ “Aryan ideal”—except that he has a stronger moral compass and a lesser sense of racial superiority than most of his peers. During his adolescence, Werner is close with his sister, Jutta Pfennig, with whom he lives at an orphanage (their father died in a mining accident, and their mother’s fate is unknown). As a respite from their oppressive surroundings, Werner and Jutta develop a love for science and the broadcasts they hear via their radio (broadcasts being made, unbeknownst to either of them, by Marie’s own grandfather Henri). As Werner grows older, he develops an aptitude for engineering and science, but is morally challenged when he is accepted into Schulpforta (a prestigious Nazi school) and then during his stint in the German army. Werner uses his skills to help Volkheimer and other soldiers murder hundreds of people—some of them civilians—and wonders, again and again, if he’ll be able to live with his choices. Throughout his time in the army, Werner remains devoted to his sister, Jutta, and often thinks back to their carefree days together in the orphanage. His favourite memory of Jutta—listening to radio broadcasts in the orphanage—ultimately contributes to his decision to spare Marie-Laure’s life when he realizes that she is connected to these broadcasts.
Daniel LeBlanc
Marie Laure’s father, Daniel LeBlanc, is selflessly devoted to his daughter—indeed, he spends long hours teaching her Braille and crafting elaborate models of Paris (and later Saint-Malo) to teach her how to walk through the city without her eyesight. In general, Daniel is clever and good with his hands—a talent that makes him an accomplished locksmith at the Museum of Natural History before he’s forced to flee the Germans along with his daughter. Because his employers at the Museum have tasked him with the protection of a priceless diamond, the Sea of Flames, Daniel leaves his daughter in Saint-Malo, is later imprisoned, and eventually dies of influenza. Daniel’s absence in Marie-Laure’s life is one of the defining and most tragic themes of the novel—a sign of their sincere love for one another.
Frank Volkheimer
Frank Volkheimer is the huge, intimidating, and morally ambiguous staff sergeant who works as an assistant at Werner’s school, the National Institute, and later commands Werner through his time in the German army. He can be tough and cruel, especially with prisoners of the German army, but he’s always gentle with Werner, and saves Werner’s life on more than one occasion. It’s left unclear how loyal Volkheimer is to the German army—it’s suggested that he’s willing to ignore orders from his commanders because he values his friendship with Werner more highly. In spite of his sins during World War II, Volkheimer is arguably “good” at heart, and his loyalty to Werner motivates much of the action in the final 100 pages of the book. At the end of the war, he is left a shell of his former self and like Frederick represents a victim of the damage war does when he is haunted by his wartime experiences and lives a life subjected to PTSD.
Jutta Pfennig
Werner’s beloved sister Jutta is the moral constant against which Werner measures his own sins. Jutta is intelligent, loving and artistic and has a well-developed sense of moral decency that enables her, even from a young age, to see through the German war propaganda and question the rightness of the country’s actions in ways others do not. This means that even when Werner is recruited for the prestigious Nazi school Schulpforta. Jutta is disgusted and when he’s sent off to fight in the Nazi army, she fears he will develop a dangerous loyalty to Nazi Germany. Nevertheless, Jutta and Werner remain extremely close with one another, and throughout World War II, they think of each other and remember their carefree days as children through memories and letters. Years after Werner’s death, Jutta continues to love and remember her brother, and his lasting influence leads her to eventually make contact with Marie-Laure.
Frau Elena
Frau Elena is the head of the orphanage where Jutta and Werner grow up. She’s a gentle, kind woman, and treats all her children well like a mother figure, despite a severe lack of resources. When the Nazis rise to power in Germany, she’s bullied for being a Frenchwoman—but her decision to teach all her children to speak French leads (years later) to the thematic centre of the novel: the encounter between Werner and Marie-Laure in Saint-Malo. She bolsters Werner’s self esteem by believing in him thinking ‘you’ll do something great’ in the future.
Great Uncle Etienne LeBlanc
Etienne LeBlanc is an old, eccentric, and extremely reclusive (it’s implied he has post-traumatic stress disorder from World War I) man who lives in the seaside town of Saint-Malo, France. When his nephew, Daniel LeBlanc, and his grandniece, Marie-Laure, come to live with him following the Nazi invasion of Paris, he becomes close with Marie-Laure, often spending long chunks of time reading books to her. As time passes, Marie-Laure’s courage inspires Etienne to take his own actions against the German soldiers, and he bravely aids the French resistance by broadcasting important information about the German troops on his radio. Etienne’s love for Marie-Laure is confirmed when, frightened that she’s been arrested, he overcomes his terror of going outside and rushes out of his house to find her. He later tells his grandniece, “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Frederick
Frederick is a fellow cadet with Werner at Schulpforta and they become friends. He demonstrates a mix of character traits, is patriotic and loyal to the Fuhrer and the Nazi cause and believes it is right to be at the school but at the same time he does disobey an order that he considers morally wrong. When he refuses to throw water on a prisoner, he represents a person with a strong conscience than any of the other students and does not retaliate when he is selected as the weakest of the group and punished with floggings at the hands of the teachers and fellow students. He inspires Werner to consider standing up against the regime but in the end, he receives injuries at the hands of his peers that ensure he will never function again normally, brain damaged and in need of care from his mother. He represents a moral character and like many others is a victim of the damage of the Nazi regime during the war.
Madame Manec
Worked for the LeBlancs since Etienne was a child. She is kind, insightful, dedicated, generous and warm and develops a strong relationship with Marie-Laure. She is actively involved in the French Resistance encouraging Etienne to become involved. She is one of the characters that Doerr considers is a strong person who put themselves at risk to oppose the German occupation of France. The novel shows that all kinds of people could find ways of fighting against the Nazis and remain loyal to France.
Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel
His motivation is to locate the real Sea of Flames in the hope that it will cure his cancer and give him immortality. He chases his target unrelentingly and later in the besieged city of Saint-Malo he waits in Marie’s house but Werner kills him and saves Marie. He represents the evil of the Nazi regime and the destructive nature of war where great art works and culture was looted by the Nazi’s for their own personal gain.
Themes & Symbols
War, destruction, victims & perpetrators
Nazi Regime & propaganda
Occupation of France & French Resistance
Fate
Free will
Pride, duty, loyalty & nationalism
Family loyalty & love
Science & logic
Sight, ways of seeing & perception
Blindness
Memories
Morality & integrity
Conformity & resistance
Weakness & strength
Purpose & belonging
Humanity
Hope
Light & dark
Hitler Youth & loyalty to Fuhrer
Sea of Flames
Models of Paris & Saint-Malo
Whelks, Molluscs & Shells
Radio
Power of art, artefacts & culture
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