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
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 ‘Never Let Me Go’ in comparison to ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’ in AOS1: Unit 4, Reading & Comparing Texts, Analytical Text Response, in the Victorian VCE 2023 Mainstream English Curriculum
Introduction
Novels ‘Never Let Me Go’, by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005), and ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’, by Steven Amsterdam (2009), offer thought-provoking views into alternative realities so close to our world that the parallels are obvious. Advances in medical treatments through gene therapy, and experimentation with cloning, are current issues where technological capability is, at times, ahead of the ethical considerations and restraints. Similarly, the Covid-19 pandemic, the environmental impact of climate change, the rise of oppressive political regimes, and the divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ are also much-debated topics in our own society.
Why Compare these 2 Texts?
Whilst these are two quite different novels, they both have young first-person protagonists who are exploring the worlds in which they live, searching for meaning and exploring their identities within this context. They form close friendships, fall in love, and create a sense of family and belonging. They also face loss, betrayal, and existential crises of a very real kind.
Speculative/Sci-fi or Dystopian Fiction?
Set in a parallel present or recent past, both novels can be categorised as speculative, sci-fi or dystopian fiction. The societies created in each text are recognisable to readers, even quite ordinary in the case of ‘Never Let Me Go’, but with a twist that jolts readers to question occurrences that might have once seemed acceptable by giving us a different viewpoint. In the case of ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’, we start somewhere familiar (Y2K panic) then are soon catapulted into an environmental catastrophe and a pandemic (Covid-19 or plague similarities) —although not beyond the bounds of belief—and the resulting social and political chaos. As with most speculative fiction, the texts ask ‘what if…?’ and try to answer it with their narratives.
Both Question Survival
Each text leads us to question what we are prepared to do to ensure our survival, collectively and individually. Both novelists position readers to see that human beings will ignore what they know is right, that they will bend their values and change their moral belief systems to get what they want, or need, to survive. Would you be prepared to steal, lie and cheat to meet you and your family’s needs? Would you be prepared to sacrifice the lives of other beings for your own?
What Makes us Human?
The novels, however, also come back to ideas about what makes us human. What is the essence of our ‘humanness’? They both suggest that what humans need above all is to belong, to find a tribe to protect them and to know who they are. Most times, these tribes are beneficial, but they can also be exclusive, divisive and threatening. The texts offer views of each of these. Mostly, however, each novel shows the importance of family or the need to belong to a family by whatever definition you give to this.
How much can we Control?
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have come to recognise that we can only control what we can control. Both of these novels celebrate this idea. Whilst the characters cannot control everything around them, what they do show is their resilience, their ability to adapt and change like the narrator of ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’, or their ability to find the positives in the people around them like Kathy in ‘Never Let Me Go’. This is all we can control.
Narrative Perspective & Style
Both have 1st Person Perspective of the Protagonist
Both novels are written in the first person, from the perspective of the protagonist. Amsterdam’s unnamed narrator relates events in a fairly straightforward manner with not a great deal of internal monologue. The dialogue is narrated as it happens, and is often direct dialogue, related without any commentary from the narrator. It is written in the present tense and the readers are positioned to feel a close affinity with the narrator as he progresses through episodes of his life. Perhaps because of the nature of the discontinuous episodic structure, he is rarely shown to think back over his life to past events. Readers observe the way that the pragmatic narrator moves forward to deal with the next thing and then the next.
Contrastingly, readers meet Ishiguro’s narrator, thirty-one-year-old Kathy H. at a crucial moment in her life and in a state of emotional reflection, and all that is revealed is filtered through her memories. Written in the past tense, in a nonlinear time scale of memories Kathy uses a conversational and colloquial tone with use of analepsis (flashbacks) and prolepsis (flash forwards). However, the novel often positions readers to feel less sure of the accuracy of the naïve Kathy’s interpretation of the people and events of her past. In a sense, even though Kathy is recalling her own past, the author makes it clear that she is, at times, an unreliable narrator. Her interpretation of Ruth’s motives, for example, are somewhat naïve. Further, Ishiguro sometimes gives us Tommy’s dialogue as a differing perspective, but this perspective is also filtered through Kathy’s fond memories. The narration of ‘Never Let Me Go’ is complex and invites further consideration as do the writer’s intention.
Structure & Questions in ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’
In ‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’, the episodic structure of 9 stories /discontinuous narrative/ gaps can make it a frustrating read for those readers who might want a continuous narrative with neat resolutions. The first story ‘What We Know Now’ takes place on December 31, 1999 and the other stories are progressively later. For the most part, each new chapter opens a new episode without any reference to the events or people who were in the previous one.
The novel asks a number of ‘what if’ questions which it attempts to answer:
What if climate change immediately impacted our country?
What if the country and city divide became political?
What if the planet was overcome by a plague of insects?
What if a virus wiped out the majority of the population?
CHARACTERS IN ‘THINGS WE DIDN’T SEE COMING’
Unnamed narrator/protagonist in all 9 stories
Otis narrator’s father in ‘What We Know Now’ & ‘Best Medicine’ stories
Cate narrator’s mother in ‘What We Know Now’ story
The grandparents of narrator in ‘What We Know Now’ & ‘The Theft That Got Me Here’ stories
Liz & Jenna are mother and daughter who protagonist meets in ‘Dry Land’ story
Margo is narrator’s love interest in ‘Cakewalk’, ‘Uses for Vinegar’& ‘The Forest for the Trees’ stories
Juliet is corrupt politician in ‘The Forest for the Trees’ story
Jeph 14-year-old orphan who has the narrator as a guardian in ‘Predisposed’ story
Karuna interviews narrator in ‘The Profit Motive’ story
Structure & Questions in ‘Never Let Me Go’
In ‘Never Let Me Go’ the novel is divided into 3 parts, with further chapter divisions. Part 1, chapters 1-9 is set in Hailsham. Part 2, chapters 10-17 is Life after Hailsham. Part 3, chapters 18-23 is Kathy’s life as a carer. The novel starts in ‘England, late 1990’s’ following narrator Kathy H. as a thirty-one-year-old carer who is about to become a donor and explores her memories of the past.
The novel asks a number of ‘what if’ questions which it asks the readers to consider their answers:
What makes us human?
What rights must all humans have?
What does an individual ‘owe’ society?
How we live our lives in order for it to be meaningful?
Why we should fight to ensure equality amongst all humans?
Why is organ trafficking unethical?
Is human cloning the future or is it unethical, just playing God?
CHARACTERS IN ‘NEVER LET ME GO’
Kathy H. narrator/protagonist
Ruth best friend of Kathy at Hailsham
Tommy student at Hailsham/has relationship with Ruth & later Kathy
Chrissie & Rodney veterans of the Cottages
Miss Lucy guardian at Hailsham
Miss Emily head guardian at Hailsham
Madame Marie-Claude founder of Hailsham and collects creative work of students for her gallery
Miss Geraldine guardian at Hailsham
Keffers looks after maintenance at The Cottages
COMPARISON THEMES IN BOTH TEXTS
dystopian society
humanity & compassion
human nature
forms of power & control
conformity & acceptance
survival
identity & freedom
dangers of technology
Information & knowledge
love & friendship
family
fear, hope & despair
empathy & compassion
impact of politics on people
bildungsroman
love & relationships
personal agency
memory, the past & time
fate, free will & choice
science without ethics
individual versus society
science fiction versus realism
manipulation of truth
exploitation & inequality
constant surveillance
dehumanisation
corporate domination
KEY CONCEPT
IDEAS FROM NEVER LET ME GO
IDEAS FROM THINGS WE DIDN’T SEE COMING
ENRICHED UNDERSTANDING OF THE KEY CONCEPT
The Importance of Connection
The students support each other through childhoodThey drift apart in adulthoodThey revisit their close bonds when the donations begin
Relationships can sometimes be destructiveWe need connection to others to surviveAt the end of our lives, connection matters
While we may drift apart from those we love over the course of our lives, both authors emphasise the importance of connections during hard times
Memories & The Present
The past can be a refugeThe details of the past can be hazyWe can get trapped in our memories
The past can be irrelevant, or at worst, a burdenThe present is what matters
While memories of the past can offer us safety and comfort, they cannot protect us from the present or our futures
Power & Control
Power structures exist that keep people in their place in societyThere is little point in struggling for control
Power structures are ambiguous and temporaryWe have control over our own lives
In the face of ever-changing and increasingly authoritarian power structures, the only control we have is over how we live our lives
Ethics & Morality
In the future we will be forced to make increasingly difficult ethical choicesWhat is a life worth?What is human?
Difficult circumstances lead to tough moral decisionsThere is rarely any clear ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ for every situation
Both authors reveal how difficult moral and ethical situations impact entire nations and individuals
Hope & Despair
The clones are capable of hope despite the knowledge of their fatesHumans are hopeful, even in the face of impending death
Some people fear the future and they may be proved rightSome people are willing to do whatever it takes to survive
In the face of our mortality, both authors demonstrate that life is filled with moments of both hope and despair
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Educational Resource is for Year 12 Mainstream English students from the Old English Curriculum Prior to 2024.
This resource material is covering the short story collection ‘Like a House on Fire’ by Cate Kennedy.
The “gift of ordinariness”
The collection of short stories catalogue moments that Cate Kennedy calls “the gift is the ordinariness, things that are well-used, unexpressed or taken for granted” from characters who experience dramatic events to the very mundane. Some characters in the stories expand their roles that they have fallen into with an understanding of their own humanity which allows them to view the humanity in others.
Symbolism on the Front Cover
Don’t forget to look at the cover of the ‘Scribe edition’ which uses simple visual symbolism that encapsulates the minuscule griefs and sorrows of the domestic stories. The household objects represented are all familiar mundane symbols of domesticity however, the objects are associated with a shattered domestic bliss that are unable to fulfill their potential. As such the objects are symbols of ideas and themes that resonate with the short stories within the collection. Many stories have personal tragedies that contain glimmers of hope or the possibility of better futures.
The All Important Themes, Ideas and Values
What is important studying the short stories is to consider the themes, ideas and values present in the whole text and noting, analysing and contrasting the themes shared by the whole collection. Look carefully at the age and narrative perspective of the protagonist in each story and how this impacts on your understanding of the key themes.
Major Themes from All Stories
poverty & disadvantage / financial & physical & mental challenges / isolation & loneliness / disappointment of reality / memories / despair / sadness / misery / isolation & loneliness / hope & tenacity / grief & triumph linked / resilience / possibility of change / ordinariness / intricate nature of things / humiliation / masculinity / communication / emotional & physical distance & lost connections / chaos versus order / intimacy / relationships with children / relationships with parents / relationships with partners / marriage / heroes & villains / conflict & unresolved differences / humour / families & relationships / domestic bliss shattered / manipulative people / false realities & disappointment / emotionally damaged people / incompatibility / disconnection / imperfections & dis-junctions that are the reality / homosexuality / accidents & their impacts / tragedies / events that shatter family life / birth & death / motherhood & fatherhood / miscarriage / waiting / morality & immorality / feeling of being trapped / strength in adversity / humanity / compassion / empathy / love / delicate optimism / survival / bleak endings with no hope
Lets look at the themes from the first story in the collection “Flexion”
3rd person limited voice = from Mrs Slovak’s perspective / Frank is husband who has the accident
“Flexion” Story Brief Summary
A woman witnesses what she believes will be the death of her husband Frank as he is crushed under their tractor. He survives, a harsh man who is unable to show gratitude towards the kindness of others, unable to ask for help, unable to show weakness or to tolerate perceived weakness. His wife takes an almost cruel satisfaction in becoming the dominant one in the relationship, until a moment of genuine warmth and shared understanding happens. His wife cares for him as he makes a slow, stubborn recovery. Gradually they both accept their new reality of his limitations and dependence on her.
Themes from “Flexion”
accidents & their impact = the accident forces Frank to be dependent on his wife in a practical sense / power shift is a challenge for Frank but his wife likes the change as she feels ‘exhilaration’ at being able to force him into an action he is resisting
tragedy / family events that shatter life = the accident causes Frank to think “Now would be the good time to die” / the accident shows how clinging to an idea of what masculinity should be can end in destruction / “I’m not going to be a burden on anyone, is that clear?” he mutters to his wife
marital relationships = strained relationship between Frank Slovak and his wife made even more challenging by the accident / Kennedy suggests that the reason their marriage is particularly vulnerable at the moment is because they seem unable to communicate with one another effectively, and this impairs their ability to face challenges as a united team
birth & death = Mrs Slovak suffered greatly when she lost the unborn child and she resented Frank for pushing the tragedy away from public knowledge / irony Frank cheats death and has limited movement but has to relearn how to move again / yet people in the farming community help him
despair / humiliation / being trapped = Frank feels despair at not being able to run the farm like he used to / feels humiliated by his inability to work / farmers hate to be vulnerable and feels trapped by his lack of mobility / perceives his own physical weakness as unmanly / being a man requires physical strength, and that perception makes him feel useless to his wife or being a farmer
masculinity = humiliation is inherently linked to a sense of inadequate masculinity at his physical frailness not being able to provide for his wife and run the family farm / feels worthless and emasculated by the change of his life / as a farmer he feels that he should provide for his wife and the possibility he can’t, he suspects that he’s not a real man make him more angry / Kennedy suggests that conventional expectations of manhood can cause more harm than good in situations like these
disappointment with self / sadness = Frank is sullen and resentful he is now an invalid / used to be a strong farmer devoid of emotions / anger & loss of pride that Frank has to thank people who have helped on the farm while he has been in hospital
order versus chaos = Frank is a perfectionist type of man when his life is thrown into chaos after he sustains the serious injury from the tractor accident / he runs the farm ‘his way’ but the story illustrates how insisting on complete order can actually lead to increased chaos / some chaos, Kennedy suggests, is inevitable, and denying that fact only makes it truer / Kennedy depicts his need for control as overbearing and unhealthy
tenacity to fight on & survive = scowling face with a kind of ferocious, vindictive resolve to keep surviving despite the severe accident
humanity / compassion / empathy / love / delicate optimism = Mrs Slovak shows cautious expressions of affection and compassion for Frank when she reaches out to hold his hand as they lie in bed / despite her pure ‘loathing’ of him she finds herself determined to reach out and help ease his suffering / there is a small hope in a landscape of bleak acceptance as they face a difficult future together / a sense of delicate optimism in the conclusion of the story as the characters find a reason to carry on
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
For Year 12 Mainstream English Students studying the VCE Curriculum ‘After Darkness’ by Christine Piper, these resources are useful as revision of ‘Legacy and Message of Author’ which is critical for you to include in analytical essays.
‘Historical Amnesia’
The two nations that figure in Piper’s novel, Japan and Australia, were enemies in WWII, yet the ‘war’ is merely a backdrop to the narrative’s ideas. Piper interrogates two cases of ‘historical amnesia’. In Japan, a national reluctance to acknowledge and investigate the cruel testing on live humans of biological weapons by its Army Medical College in China in the 1930’s. In Australia, a silence about internment of ‘enemy aliens’.
Atonement
When dark things have been done in the name of any nation, there is a national decision or choice to be made, either to acknowledge the wrong and reconcile with the victims, a form of atonement or contrition [remorse] that is likely to ‘release’ perpetrators from their sense of guilt. Or to keep silent and pretend that the immoral or unethical actions did not happen. In Germany after WWII there were the Nuremberg trials and a long process of acknowledging the nation’s dark history. However, in Japan there were no such trials, and authorities have been reluctant to acknowledge atrocities. The contradiction between Japanese memory of wartime past is a struggle between forgetting and remembrance, tradition and progression.
National Identity, memory, forgetting merge with individual identity and belonging
The novel questions national identity, memory and forgetting that merge with questions about individual identity and belonging. Piper suggests that this conflicted Japanese war memory is personified in Dr Ibaraki, whose psychological struggle with his conscience, his sense of duty and his memories about his time at the Laboratory in Tokyo echoes Japan’s wider struggle to reconcile its three wartime identities of atomic bomb victim, protector of Asia and cruel aggressor.
National pride and national self-respect
The larger idea here is that there is a difference between national pride and national self-respect. A self-respecting nation can acknowledge cruelty and violence perpetrated in its name, whereas an overdeveloped sense of national identity, national pride taken to extremes of insensitivity, indifference and sometimes contempt for the rights of the people of other states and nations, can generate, intensify and prolong deadly conflict.
Coercive notions of conformity, discretion & secrecy
Piper shows how coercive notions of conformity, discretion and secrecy can intensify and prolong conflict and cruelty, and how these can lead to shame and guilt for the perpetrators and rebellion or depression for the victims. Piper explores, how the bones of Shinjuku are still silent, waiting to reveal their truth. By not investigating the bones by Japanese authorities, is a failure to confront the truth about Japanese history, a denial of the past, a pretence, whereas investigating the bones is an act of coming to terms with the nation’s past, and an act of contrition and honesty.
Conflict of culture between personal feelings and public façade
Piper outlines in her novel the conflict between personal feelings (hone) and public façade (tatemae) which can lead to people being so restrained, reserved and discreet, that they do not have the courage and personal agency to speak up against corrupt superiors, nor to reconcile and forgive. We see this contrast between the Japanese character of Dr Ibaraki who is exhorted [urged] by his superiors in Tokyo to be discreet and to take the secret of the Laboratory “to the grave” so he keeps his inner feelings to himself throughout his time and aims not to bring shame upon his family. But the character of Johnny Chang, a half-caste Australian/Japanese, is a personable character ready to stand up for himself and his mates, with an assertiveness like rebellion, but he is honest and openly challenges the power, corruption and cruelty he sees in wartime Australia and at Loveday.
Piper’s play of light and darkness & the title
Piper’s descriptions of the light and darkness of Australian landscapes convey to the reader her ideas about the moral dilemmas that challenge both nation and individual. Australia’s silence about incarcerating people can be seen in the dead trees “I glimpsed the contours of a wide river, its surface glittering white. Dead trees haunted its edges, their limbs stretching skywards, as if begging for forgiveness (p.3). She also describes the threat of Japan’s moral compromise in “a thick bank of clouds” as an overcast day throws “sombre light on … Kimura’s face” (p.120).
The novel’s title seems to pose the question: What comes after the darkness? Piper implies that the light of truth, honesty, openness, reconciliation and forgiveness comes after the darkness. That to journey from one to the other, we must remember rather than forget, and share ourselves with others rather than withhold ourselves in secrecy or silence.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is ‘A Brief Synopsis’ only for Mainstream English Year 12 Students studying After Darkness by Christine Piper AOS1 Unit 3 Analytical Study in the VCE Victorian Curriculum.
Read my other Post on ‘Legacy and Message of Author’ as the two Posts link up.
Christine Piper’s historical fiction, After Darkness deals with suppressed fragments of the past and silenced memories. The protagonist, Dr Ibaraki attempts to move forward with life whilst also trying to hide past confrontations as well as any remnants of his past wrongdoings and memories. The novel chronicles 2 journeys – the first is Ibaraki’s physical journey from Japan to Broome, to South Australia and back to Japan. In the process, the young doctor undertakes a second, more private journey towards a greater understanding of self. What begins as escape from his past ends as an opportunity to redeem it.
Piper’s Message of Author is clear here – Ibaraki learns the notions of duty that have been inculcated [taught] from boyhood are less important than values such as empathy, forgiveness and the courage to speak out in the face of blatant immorality. The relationships Ibaraki forms during his exile, particularly at Loveday, are critical to this metamorphosis [transformation]. Therefore, the novel is a story of personal growth that charts the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist.
The text consists of three intertwined narrative strands
Ibaraki’s past in Tokyo in 1934
His arrival in Broome in 1938 to work in a hospital there, and
His arrival in a detainment camp in Loveday (South Australia) in 1942 after the outbreak of WW2.
The final chapter Tokyo 1989 concludes Ibaraki’s story, moving into the present tense to describe his life as an elderly man living in Tokyo. Now in his 80’s he has to face the guilt of his past by writing a letter to the media which resolves the conflict between his conscience and the cultural values that have silenced his voice for so many years. In a way everything in Ibaraki’s life has been leading to this moment.
Structure – Importance of Place
By moving between the 3 settings Piper emphasises the importance of place. Each setting plays a critical role in Ibaraki’s emotional journey. The chapters set in these different times and places are linked in that ideas or patterns of behaviour explored in one chapter, feed into the next. Within each setting, events move inexorably [inevitably] towards a climax that marks an important turning point in Ibaraki’s life. This structure enables the protagonist to look back on events with the hindsight imposed by time and distance, allowing Ibaraki to evaluate his choices and learn from past mistakes.
Historical Context of the Text
Piper draws on real events that occurred in Japan and Australia before and during WW2. The most infamous part of the historical context is Unit 731, a covert [secret] medical research branch of the Imperial Japanese Army. The young Dr Ibaraki is caught up in this research, where victims from Manchuria were injected with bubonic plague, typhoid, anthrax, cholera and other deadly pathogens, vivisections were conducted, without anaesthetic, to determine the progress of the diseases. For many years the Japanese Government suppressed the truth of these horrific crimes. It was not until 1989 that mass graves of bones were discovered in Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Local residents fought official attempts to shut down investigations but gradually the facts about the horror started to emerge.
Language Devices
Piper writes in expressive, controlled prose and uses imagery, simile, metaphor, personification, foreshadowing that not only establish context but also delineate Ibaraki’s relationship to the landscape. Often the imagery reflects his emotional state either directly or subliminally [subconsciously].
Language Devices Examples
Page
Language
Quote
Explanation
1
Sense of place & colour imagery of landscape
“The sun spread on the horizon, bleeding colour like a broken yolk”
Ibaraki abandons his customary restraint to describe what he sees around him evokes a strong sense of place
46
Colour imagery of landscape
“A pink spur of land crested with green rose out of the milky blue water”
At first sight of Broome Ibaraki is struck by the unexpected colours
46
Colour imagery of landscape
“a curve of rich red sand that bled into the azure sea”
Broome is a strange clash of colours nothing like Ibaraki had ever seen in Japan
125
Colour imagery & nature
“…the birds of paradise …spear shaped orange and blue petals perfectly encapsulate Broome’s hostile beauty”
Juxtaposing the open beak of a bird represented by the bird of paradise plant is both hostile and beautiful
3
Landscape imagery that delineates Ibaraki’s emotional state
“…. Haunted its edges, their limbs stretching skywards, as if begging for forgiveness”
Travelling to Loveday by train Ibaraki passes a river flanked by dead trees the image hints at the guilt that haunts Ibaraki
198
foreshadowing
“snow was falling as I walked home from the station – the first snow of the season”
Foreshadowing the storm about to come in his life
174
foreshadowing
“the rust coloured arc made me think of the transience of life. And how with just one ill wind, everything could change”
Foreshadowing trauma to come the fine red desert dirt is a reminder of life transience that everything can change & imminent crisis
13
Simile & Landscape imagery that delineates Ibaraki’s emotional state
“… like blistered skin”
Beside the camp Ibaraki sees a row of red gums with bark peeling from their trunks reminds him of the corrupted flesh of the victims in Unit 731 from Ibaraki’s past
204
Imagery of light and darkness
Plunged into “darkness”
Images of light and darkness are woven through the text, juxtaposing Ibaraki’s experiences in Tokyo with those in Australia. After his marriage fails, he is plunged into darkness
45
Imagery of darkness that delineates Ibaraki’s emotional state
“I was glad for the pocket of darkness that hid my tears”
Ibaraki does not share the nationalistic fervour of the other Japanese when Broome is bombed instead, he mourns the destruction of the town and concern for former friends left behind
274
Imagery of light and darkness
Broome is a “vivid wash of light”
Comparing to the darkness he felt in Japan, Broome is a bright light, suggesting that things have become clearer during his time in Australia
Title
metaphor
“After Darkness”
Darkness in the title acts as a metaphor for WW2 and the horror that affects nations and individuals alike.
The darkness also suggests the moral darkness that implicated Japan of committing war crimes on innocent people in Unit 731 representing the depths of depravity they reached.
After the darkness of war, the Japanese nation and individuals involved must make peace with themselves by coming to terms with their past.
Ibaraki writing a letter to the press exposes the darkness of Unit 731 to the light. Moral doubt and secrecy are replaced by moral clarity.
In Piper’s novel issues associated with Identity / Culture / Place underpin dilemmas about Truth / Lies / Secrecy / Openness / Honesty / Discretion / Guilt / Failure / Forgiveness & Renewal
Race & Identity, Racism vs Nationalism
The fraught relationship between race & identity is seen at individual & national levels. Physical hatred, fear and paranoia of the Japanese interned in Australia is a clear result of the war. Other differences are characters who do not fit one race or the other as half castes. The fenced off divide in the camp between the Japanese, Italians & Germans highlights segregation.
Duty
Characters are motivated by a sense of duty, beliefs & misconceptions about what this entails provide the moral tension at the heart of the novel. Ibaraki grew up with the weight of family expectations on him to be a doctor.
During his time at the lab he faces a conflict between his conscience and sense of duty that has been underlined all his life. Saving face and not bringing dishonour and shame on oneself or family is the dilemma Ibaraki faces regarding the work in Unit 731. But his greatest betrayal is to himself, not speaking out against the evil.
Choices
The overarching context of war determines the destinies of many of the characters in the text, exerting a crucial influence on the ways in which personal stories are played out. Ibaraki understands many of his choices have been driven by fear and his notions of duty and honour over conscience or love and as a result all his personal relationships have suffered as a result.
Loss
The text highlights the effect of men who find themselves classified as enemy aliens. The text also explores the idea of displacement when Ibaraki loses his job and marriage, he also loses his sense of belonging.
Guilt & Atonement
Working at the research unit in Tokyo Ibaraki naively thinks he is working to develop vaccines for good purposes but the opposite is the reality. This horrific past remains a wound that is impossible to forget. By exposing the truth in the 1980’s he redeems himself.
Silence, Keeping Secrets & Loneliness
The theme of silence is prevalent in the novel. Kimura threatens Ibaraki never to talk about the work in the lab. He hides secrets all through his life leaving him lonely. Piper stresses that opening up to people you care about is the way to maintain healthy relationships with mutual trust.
Past vs Present – concept of time
The dichotomy of past and present is encapsulated through the passing of time in the text mirrored with the three narrative strands and transformations in the environment as well as characters. Piper alludes to the fact that the present is impacted by the past.
Friendship
Piper exults the power of friendships formulated in life makes undergoing bad circumstances much better. Friends understand one another on an emotional level and provide support needed.
Personal Conscience, Regret & Shame
Personal conscience is a prominent theme that humanises the regrets and mistakes one can make in their life. Ibaraki pushes people away in order to realise that it makes the feeling of guilt and pain return. Piper considers the necessity to speak your mind when a problem arises as the detriments that could occur afterwards can cause guilt and shame to last a lifetime.
Hope
Piper postulates that hope can be a significant guiding force for an individual when they encounter difficult circumstances in life. Some characters enable Ibaraki to be a better person such as Johnny and Stan and they give the support he needs to overcome obstacles in life.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
For Mainstream English Year 12 students studying the film Rear Window Directed by Alfred Hitchcock for AOS1: Unit 3, Reading and Creating Texts, Analytical Response Outcome. See below some of the suspense scenes along with film techniques to help when you write your Analytical Response Essays.
The question is “How does Hitchcock create suspense in the film Rear Window?”
Thorwald’s suspicious actions / limited information / close up / camera dissolves into black
Chapter 7 – Jeff wakes to the sound of thunder and rain / early hours of morning
Jeff watches Thorwald leave in the rain with a suitcase / close up of his watch reveals it is 1.55 am / its early hours of the morning / Thorwald leaves the lights on inside his apartment but the blinds remain down / Thorwald walks down the street, the darkness of the alley he enters raises the sense of suspense / we want to know why Thorwald is acting suspicious / Hitchcock has purposely limited our information by confining our point of view to that of Jeff / Hitchcock has drawn us into to participating through intellectual participation / This builds the suspense and engages us more in the film and particularly what Thorwald is doing / Later a close up of Jeff’s watch tells us it is 2.35 am when Thorwald returns with his case / Thorwald goes out again and returns as the buildings dissolve into black / Jeff struggles to stay awake and finally he is asleep / The audience but not Jeff sees Thorwald leave carrying a suitcase leading a woman who is dressed in a black hat and coat leave the apartment
Lisa searching for clues in Thorwald’s apartment / parallel editing / cross-cutting / cinematography / sound / close-ups / point of view shot
Chapter 15 – Lisa’s risk to prove herself to Jeff / Miss Lonelyhearts attempted suicide / Thorwald’s impending threat
Lisa has climbed up the fire escape onto a balcony and into Thorwald’s apartment via a window / She is rummaging through Thorwald’s apartment trying to search for clues / In this scene we have two views from Jeff’s point of view / One of these is Lisa searching the apartment and another of the hallway leading to Thorwald’s apartment / Thorwald had previously left the apartment after Jeff making a fake phone call to Thorwald telling him to meet him in a restaurant / Lisa finds Mrs Thorwald’s wedding ring / As we see this, we also see Thorwald coming up the hallway towards his apartment and we know that neither one knows the other is on the opposite side of the door / This captures the perfect parallel editing while building up suspense / We are helpless as an audience to helping Lisa / Jeff is watching in panic / Cross-cutting between Lisa’s search and Jeff’s agitated response heightens the suspense /
The drama also unfolds in Miss Lonelyhearts apartment as she writes her suicide note / cinematography shows both floors at the same time / Sound of music from the songwriter’s ‘Lisa’ ballad stops both Lisa momentarily from impending danger from Thorwald and Miss Lonelyhearts is distracted /
Thorwald then attacks Lisa / close up of Jeff’s anguished face as he watches helplessly / Lisa shows Jeff the ring behind her back / Thorwald realises he is being watched / Chilling point of view shot he looks directly at Jeff / Jeff tells Stella to “turn out the lights” in the apartment / The audience is warned of the threat Thorwald poses
Jeff waiting for Thorwald to enter his apartment / cross cutting /cinematography / close ups / high angle shot / sounds of footsteps & struggle
Chapter 16 – climax of the film
Jeff does not know what Thorwald is doing and then suddenly Jeff’s phone rings / Jeff answers the phone and there is no sound on the end / the absence of sound builds up even more suspense / camera zooms into close up of Jeff’s face, eyes darting with horror / high angle shot as Jeff twists his face, before pivoting to face the door, highlights his vulnerability / Jeff is waiting helpless and immobile in his apartment / The camera cross cuts back and forth between Thorwald who is slowly getting closer to Jeff while Jeff is waiting as suspense builds / Jeff hears loud footsteps on the stairs, seconds later, the light under the door goes out / Jeff is fully a participant in the drama rather just a spectator /
Thorwald enters the dark apartment and asks Jeff “What do you want from me?” / the camera pans back and forward from Thorwald to Jeff as Thorwald continues to demand what Jeff wants & asking for Jeff to “get the ring back” / Jeff explains he can’t because “the Police have it by now” / Thorwald knocks over a chair and tries to lunge at Jeff and is temporarily blinded by exploding flash bulbs / The white light followed by a dull red circle expands the fill the frame / Thorwald’s final lunge at Jeff is filmed from below emphasising the mortal threat he presents to the defenceless Jeff / Jeff looks over at the window and yells to Lisa and Doyle to attract their attention to his predicament / sounds of struggle with Thorwald trying to strangle Jeff /
As Jeff hangs from the balcony conveys the urgency of the situation / Camera cuts from Jeff struggling with Thorwald to shocked response of neighbours who come out of their apartments to see what’s going on / Police rush to the rescue as Doyle, Lisa and Stella run down to the courtyard / The Police grab Thorwald off Jeff / Jeff’s fall from the balcony is filmed with a high angle shot / Jeff hits the ground but he smiles with pride at Lisa protectively cradles his head in her lap / Jeff says to Lisa “Gee I’m proud of you” foreshadowing the start of a new chapter for them
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This Resource is for Mainstream English Year 12 students studying the film Rear Window Directed by Alfred Hitchcock for AOS1: Unit 3, Reading and Creating Texts, Analytical Response Outcome.
Gender Roles, Love & Marriage are important themes that Director Alfred Hitchcock critiques in the film Rear Window. These ideas should be included in essays as evidence of Hitchcock’s views of 1950’s American society.
Gender Roles in the 1950’s
Rear Window reflects the gender stereotypes of the 1950’s in a sexist era before the feminist movement made its mark; both men and women are constrained by cultural expectations and mores [customs & traditions] that were conservative.
Jeff’s own views on women are blinkered and he typecasts many of the women he observes: Miss Torso is viewed as a sexy single blonde / Miss Lonelyhearts as a middle aged spinster / Anna Thorward as a nagging wife.
Women are valued for their beauty and physical attributes rather than their skills or intelligence. When Lisa asks how far a woman must go in order to retain a man’s interest, Jeff responds “Well, if she’s pretty enough, she doesn’t have to go anywhere. She just has to ‘be’”.
A beautiful woman like Lisa has to continually fight the perception that her function is essentially decorative and that her value lies in the way she looks, rather than what she thinks, says or does. In this society women are objectified, viewed primarily through the lens of men’s sexual desire.
Gender Divide in Work Men & Women Do
The gender divide is exemplified by the contrasting work that men and women do which reflects a traditional gender bias. Men join the Army or Police; women become nurses or work in fashion. Jeff underrates Lisa’s job in fashion because his work expects an adrenaline rush every time he goes on a new assignment, while working on a fashion magazine as a model and columnist seems mere dabbling in the workforce. The magazine represents the established dichotomy [contrast] between the active masculine role and the more passive feminine role. Jeff’s publication company works for world of news while Lisa’s fashion magazine covers models and submissive women.
Jeff and Lisa’s Gender Dynamics
Hitchcock has the ability to control our “gaze” of Lisa and the attitude he would like us to have towards her. It is apparent through Hitchcock’s Rear Window that he alludes to varying gender norms. Once Jeff is in his wheel chair after the accident, his life remained stable and unchanging in terms of scenery. However, Lisa took on the ability to walk in and out of the apartment as she pleased. This perhaps put a spin on their original relationship when Jeff frequently travelled on various adventures in order to pursue his career as a famous photographer while Lisa remained in her job in New York City. As Lisa tries to convey to Jeff that she can be the jet-setting girl he wants her to be, he frequently denies her that right to even try. He constantly pushes Lisa away and is hesitant to continue their relationship onward. He also pushes her away while he gazes at the window at his various neighbours because she is seen as a distraction.
It is only until Lisa becomes part of that scene and wears the wedding band of the murderer’s wife, that Jeff will accept Lisa as she is and fully accepts that they may soon one day get married. The ring on her finger would symbolically represent Lisa and Jeff’s trust in one another and their changing relationship. The role switch enables Jeff to trust in Lisa that she will always be there for him and he can bring her along on his adventures.
Another way we can see the gender dynamic is through the wardrobe of these two characters. Jeff is constantly wearing his pyjamas and Lisa is the one frequently changing her clothes. She transforms from wearing couture into wearing a pants, suggesting that she must change her appearance in order to please him and the lifestyle that he wants to live. The fact that Lisa works in fashion and cares about her appearance not only shows that she is a woman of class but also one of status and importance. She graciously tries to provide Jeff which a safer and practical job, the exact opposite of his current one, yet he blatantly denies the offer. He acts as if a job in what’s perceived to be a “female dominated” is not good enough for him and also is opposed to the idea of a woman providing him with a job and not the other way around.
The Thorwald Case Casts Lisa in a New Role – Gender Role Reversal
The Thorwald case enables Lisa to successfully transition into Jeff’s domain. A reversal of gender roles follows. Confined to a wheelchair, Jeff has the passive role throughout the drama, while Lisa becomes his ‘legs’ and assumes the more active role, breaking into Thorwald’s apartment to look for evidence.
By subverting conventional male and female roles, the movie challenges the gender stereotyping of the prevailing culture. The lines polarising what men and women can and can’t do have become blurred. With 2 broken legs, Jeff’s emasculation [deprived of masculinity] is so complete by the end of the film that he is no longer in a position to object to Lisa’s presence in his professional life.
Throughout the film, Lisa never loses her femininity, even when she is climbing into a second floor window from a fire escape; she does it in high heels and a floral dress that billows gracefully over the sill. However, in the final scene Lisa is dressed casually in a shirt, jeans and loafers. The message here is that due to her physical activity breaking into Thorwald’s apartment, Jeff sees Lisa differently. In effect Lisa is literally ‘wearing the pants’ in the relationship.
In the past Jeff underestimated Lisa, misrepresenting her as a one dimensional Park Avenue socialite, but since she helped solve the murder mystery and put herself at risk to do so, Lisa demonstrates that women are more than capable of being both feminine and feminist. This is a prescient [prophetic & perceptive] message for Hitchcock to send out to his 1950’s audiences, male and female alike.
Love
To an extent it is possible to see the movie as a film about love in terms of its importance to human beings as well as the catastrophic situations which come about when love fails. It seems that Hitchcock filmed the love scenes like murder scenes and the murder scenes like love scenes. We see this in the ‘kiss scene’ when Jeff becomes aware of Lisa’s presence when her shadow falls ominously over his face, and for one second the sense of threat reigns.
At the beginning of the movie Jeff has two problems, which are intertwined throughout the film, firstly, he has defined his life by impermanence, independence and disconnection and now he is encased literally and metaphorically so that he is stilled, dependent and reliant on others. Second in his relationship with Lisa, this seems to reveal him as both neurotic and childishly frightened of commitment.
The other occupants of the apartments can be seen as representing the various roles available to women, and also the possibilities of love and marriage which Hitchcock depicts as inextricably joined. As Jeff becomes increasing obsessive in his conviction that there has been a murder in the opposite apartment, we look through his eyes into the characters’ personal lives.
It is impossible to avoid the idea that Hitchcock is suggesting that the human need for love and for connectedness to others is essential to our existence. Jeff even objectifies characters as an indication of his own human inadequacy. He uses the clichéd title of Miss Lonelyhearts combined with our position looking from the window across the courtyard controls our response to the pathos [sorrow] of her situation. The film seems to suggest that her life is not worth living without someone to love.
Marriage and Lonely Characters
If Jeff represents the emasculated post-war American man, Hitchcock’s female characters offer a range of possibilities for females in this era, though not necessarily a range of choices. Jeff’s sexist and childish fear of marriage is portrayed by Hitchcock’ as a refusal of life. To a great extent love and marriage go together in this film. Additionally out of this connection comes the idea that however difficult relationships and thus marriages are to maintain, so that they nourish and succour their members, the alternative is so painful that suicide might be the only choice.
Jeff is cynical about marriage is first revealed in the conversation with his editor Gunnison. If Lisa regards marriage as a partnership one that involves sharing and companionship, Jeff views it as a trap. Buried under his resistance is an element of guilt. He knows that Lisa loves him and a part of him also knows that it is unfair to string her along. However, using his career as the excuse for avoiding commitment, he would prefer to keep the relationship as it is. In weighing up his options, Jeff finds that his views on marriage are influenced by what he observes.
The Thorwalds mirror Jeff and Lisa. There is a superficial resemblance between the two women and each relationship has reached a crisis point. Mrs Thorwald and Lisa are also linked by their handbags and by the wedding ring. For Lisa the ring is a symbol of success, of knowledge achieved, and of hope for her own marriage. However it is also an ironic reminder of the failed marriage and the complete erasure of Mrs Thorwald.
Hitchcock also suggests that the newlyweds are on the way to a marriage like the Thorwalds. They are consumed by their sexual pleasure but by the end of the film are beginning to bicker. The film hints that there is more to understand about Miss Torso than Jeff’s reductive label conveys. The comical entrance of her husband Stanley reminds us that looks are not everything. Miss Lonelyhearts suffering is very real. Hitchcock makes it clear that her problem is the lack of love, synonymous with marriage. She is so lonely that she creates a fantasy dinner party guest, and she needs to drink to give her courage to go out in search of a man.
The composer is another lonely person. His attempt to compose his song is a thematic connector through the movie. Hitchcock links his unsatisfactory personal life with his frustrated professional life. It is his song, finally completed, that saves Miss Lonelyhearts and brings him success. Hitchcock hints at the possibility of a relationship between Miss Lonelyhearts and the composer with the song giving her a reason to live. She says “I can’t tell you what this music has meant to me”. He smiles fondly at her.
The movie ends with domestic justice – Thorwald is sent to jail, Miss Lonelyhearts finds a companion in the composer. Lisa metaphorically lets her hair down for Jeff by wearing jeans and attempts to read an adventure book. Both of the surviving women have reached their peak happiness in the prospect of marriage and both are seen in their male partner’s apartment, thus conforming to the man’s life instead of their own. With the final scene, Hitchcock imprisons the women in their endless quest to please men, with no indication of further ambitions or further capacities.
OR think of an alternative perspective on women (in particular Lisa) that Hitchcock has given viewers to consider. Why does Lisa put down the book on ‘The High Himalayas’ and picks up ‘Harper’s Bazaar’? Has she just won the gender race? Lisa is quite capable of being both feminine and a feminist. By subverting conventional male and female roles, Hitchcock challenges the gender stereotyping of the prevailing culture and sends a message to his 1950’s audiences ‘not to underestimate women’.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
This resource is for students studying the film ‘Rear Window’ in the Victorian Mainstream English VCE Year 12 Curriculum.
It is important to include Message of Hitchcock as Director in your Analytical Text Response Essays.
Below are Themes with Message of Director for Revision.
Themes: Voyeurism, Ethics, Morality, Looking, Seeing & The Male Gaze
Message of Director = Hitchcock does argue that voyeurism is in poor taste, but that it is also a natural aspect of the human condition to look and spy on other people. Hitchcock sends Jeff and the audience a message to choose carefully at what you look at because you might get involved in something more serious than you bargained for.
Themes: Community, Social Isolation, Loneliness, Alienation, Sights & Sounds
Message of Director = Hitchcock critiques the lack of neighbourly love for each other in the apartment block and the lack of trust which ultimately displays the apathy of the 1950’s society. Hitchcock demonstrates flaws in communal living between having a sense of community and looking out for one’s neighbours, but straying into voyeuristic territory.
Theme: Gender
Message of Director= Jeff’s perspective and male gaze allows males a measure of control and denies a female perspective in the film. Hitchcock portrays Lisa as embodying changes in the position of women in 1950’s, wanting the audience to consider women should not be underestimated.
Themes: Love & Marriage
Message of Director= Hitchcock suggests the need for love and for connectedness of others is essential in our existence. Hitchcock portrays relationships characterised by dissatisfaction and at times violent impulses. Cynically, Hitchcock suggests marital discontent is inevitable.
Themes: Confinement versus Expansion
Message of Director= Hitchcock demonstrates a society in which people are isolated in their own worlds without taking risks and living a narrow existence. He is somewhat pessimistic, though not completely hopeless, he challenges audiences to examine habits of their own especially in a world where sensitive information is at our fingertips.
Themes: Post-war Paranoia & Red Scare & Title Significance
Message of Director= Hitchcock critiques the notion of post-war paranoia by showing how the communist red scare pervaded 50’s society where neighbours spied on neighbours, the atmosphere of betrayal, lack of trust filtered down from HUAC to every part of American society. Hitchcock’s title ‘Rear Window’ also functions as a metaphor exposing Jeff’s repressed desires and fears but also the idea of a covert agenda, which is Jeff’s ethically murky voyeurism that uncovers a murder.
All Resources created by englishtutorlessons.com.au Online Tutoring using Zoom for Mainstream English Students in the Victorian Curriculum
