Ayriane De Luna

Year 11 English Eisermann

Motorcycle Diaries - Stage One: Departure

Vignette #1 - Lovesick Pause
Textual Analysis
1. Although a planned adventure, prompted by the desire to discover,
Guevara experiences a sense of loss at leaving Chichina, his girlfriend.
How has the composer successfully conveyed the struggle that
characterised his departure from his familiar life?
Guevara has incorporated poetry relatable to his situation, in an attempt to evoke the
struggle he has encountered upon his departure. The poem depicts circumstances
parallel to his, an individual torn between their lover and the need to escape and explore
my heart swaying between her and the street, the road, retelling the emotional and
internal struggle Guevara experiences on the beginning of his journey. Guevara was
anticipating a change in the tides, through the personification of the ocean ..I heard
the oceans warning. Its vast and jarring rhythm hammered at the fortress within me and
threatened its imposing security the negative connotations to his departure from
everyday life and an environment of familiarity threatened the security and comfort he
has cultivated, emphasising the struggle to deviate from routine and what he is used to.
Characterisation of his struggle to deviate from familiar life is highlighted in the
metaphor My head rested in the lap tying me to this land, lulled by everything around
his love for Chichia still tying him to his home and the prominent reason he wishes to
stay, and the unfortunate circumstances of his predicament. The journey is also a
catalyst to Guevaras realisation of Chichias materialistic love for him you dont need
particularly sensitive fingers to weigh all 29 carats of my love the metaphor of the worth
of the bracelet a superficial comparison to the worth of his love, forcing Guevara to be
able to leave her and convince him to pursue this journey.
2. In what ways is the allure of the new and undiscovered presented as a
powerful force in the vignette?
Guevara is presented as an individual with an unquenchable thirst of curiosity, the life of
travelling appealing to him and of course becomes a powerful force compelling him to
leave his familiar life and explore. The vignette conveys the tempting nature of the new
and undiscovered, especially in Guevaras situation, the journey he embarks on very
demanding, which worsens, considering the equipment he has to work with (the dodgy
motorcycle). To pursue this life he wants to leave, he is to make sacrifices, the first being
to leave his lover, Chichia. The pain of his decision is conveyed through implementing a
poem to describe his emotions I dont know where I found the strength to free myself
from her eyes/to slip from her arms the metaphor emphasising the difficulty of his
sacrifice, and also shows his dedication to persist. Philosophical afterthought provides

Ayriane De Luna

Year 11 English Eisermann

some insight to his way of thinking I doubt whether if driftwood has the right to say I
win, when the tide throws it onto the beach it seeks his way of perceiving the situation
reflective of his attitude, the driftwood a representation of himself, the tides a
representation of fate, and of course, the beach his intended destination. He ponders
whether its his achievement if he ends up where his intentions were heading, or if some
other higher power is guiding him to where he is supposed to go and if it is the right
direction. The tides also symbolise its ability to entice Guevara, the allure of the new and
undiscovered guiding him to go on this journey.
Image Analysis
Core Thinking Routine: See/Think/Wonder
Alberto Granado on board the Modesta Victoria , crossing into Chile.
This image captures the very blatant and physical nature of discovery, Guevara standing
in the foreground with the serene view of the mountains in the background, his journey
making the first very obvious discoveries: geographical and physical. Coming from the
beginning of the journey, we witness their initial adventurous spirit, the excitement and
thrill evident in their eagerness to depart for their journey; their attitudes still nave and
hopeful for discovery. It displays the physical beauty of the world, and the vast amount of
unexplored places the world contains, which also tempts and inspires the audience to
step out of their comfort and delve into more of the world.
The way he has captioned the image is almost poetic, the imagery at the beginning
representing their optimism towards the journey A gentle sun illuminated the new day
and the conversational language towards the end relates to the audience on a personal
level carrying the bike on the Modesta Victoria was not an easy task, but with patience
we eventually did it, helping us to empathise with Guevara and his situation. His
perseverance shows through, their dedication to the effort of this journey inspiring to the
audience. The innocence is also still evident in the caption, as the fatigue has not settled
in and they are still driven by thoughts of unexplored places and new discoveries.
Pisac, a village in the Peruvian Andes.
The image does not convey much except for a rundown village, which may be a
discovery for the audience, an insight to one of the villages from the Andes. We are able
to observe their socioeconomic situation, their living conditions, the way they dressed,
and possibly events and routines they had. Guevara would also have had similar cultural
discoveries of this new area, the different ways that they lived in comparison to the
lifestyle he was used to in Argentina and also the lifestyle he has cultivated on his
journey. The image is not very appealing, but shows the little hidden places of culture
which is still able to entice the audience to venture out and widen the expanses of their
cultural knowledge.

Ayriane De Luna

Year 11 English Eisermann

The caption accompanies the image, the tired Guevara mentioning the amount of time
dedicated to arrive the little town and the rough conditions on which they had to trek on.
It begins to convey connotations of fatigue, us as the audience also begin to feel tired,
but the spirit of adventure and the sheet of ignorance slowly recedes, as he begins to
realise his passion to protect also arriving there, thought long before us, were the
swords of the Spanish soldiers, destroying Pisacs defenders, defences and even its
temple as he witnesses the injustice of the Spaniards. We also begin to see the spark
that ignites the flame of revolution, as we watch Guevaras experiences through his eyes
and develop an understanding of his attitude.

English Advanced Discovery Paragraph

500 Word Analysis
The Eagleman Stag by Michael Please
The Eagleman Stag directed by Michael Please explores aspects of psychological and
philosophical discovery, alongside scientific discovery. He evokes a dark comic take on
the way the protagonist, Peter Eagleman, who is a scientist, becomes obsessed with the
quickening perception of time that faces us as we age and his attempts to counter this
effect. The beginning stages of the discovery is evident through the middle of his life, as
he has already developed the maturity to ponder on philosophical thoughts such as the
relativity of each year to the rest of his life, and how each passing moment seems
quicker than the last. This is the initial discovery that the protagonist makes, acting as
the catalyst of a larger discovery with an overall deeper meaning, which is symbolised
through the image of the graph created on the table, time passed in comparison to the
quality of life. The blatant discovery made by the protagonist is of course the discovery
of the Eagleman Stag (a stag beetle) that possesses regenerative abilities, which he uses
to contribute and further his research, is the impetus to every following discovery both
psychological, philosophical and even emotional. Time immediately becomes a recurring
motif, the changing time zones of each vignette and the chronological nature of the
vignettes reflective of the limited concept of time, creating an underlying insecurity of
time against discovery. The condensed feature of the film depicting life generates an
attitude of urgency and the pressure to acquire knowledge. Close up of the sand timer
and the finger tapping, its skeletal figure supposedly the representation of death,
emphasises the anxiety of time passing, the tapping like the ticking of the clock and the
sand timer a portrayal of the restriction of life also conveys the limiting nature of
discovery, individuals are trapped in the confines of their time and life. His narration
displays examples of subtle transformations Fly, Fly, Fly, FlyLife the play on
assonance in the words reveal how transitions slowly come about, almost unnoticeable,
just like discoveries. Often individuals encounter a significant discovery with no

Ayriane De Luna

Year 11 English Eisermann

knowledge of it occurring. The tracking shot of a figure running through the buildings
represent the milestones and achievements the protagonist has achieved, taking note of
the non-linear line he is travelling in, as well as the metaphor integrated within the
narration With each new find/the sand/swells to rock both convey the changing nature
of both life and discoveries that we make, as we weave through different aspects of life,
which influence the changing elements of our discoveries. The birds eye camera angle
over the labyrinth or maze is representative of both the convoluted nature of the first
stages of discovery and discovery on a larger scale relative to an individuals inferiority
against it, that discoveries could potentially be larger than what we imagine or what we
can mentally fathom. Though discoveries can be tedious and perplexing, the significance
of a labyrinth utilised as a symbol and parallel for discovery explains that similar to the
way labyrinths branch out to useless dead ends yet have only a singular path leading to
the centre, ultimately a clearer understanding will be developed of the discovery,
through the epiphany of the individual, and the final message eventually delivered.