Sida Y.

2015 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Discovery practice question: (I can’t remember where I got this one from)

“’The ramifications of discoveries can change an individual’s perspectives of

themselves and the world.’

Discuss this statement in reference to your prescribed text and one other text of your
choosing.”

Response

The progression of individuals is driven by their tenacity for discoveries. The process
of discovery by individuals can bring forth new eyes in which they not only perceive
the world in fundamentally different ways, but also of themselves. This aspect of
discovery is explored in the novel ‘Wrack’, written by James Bradley, and the film
‘Pi’, written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Both texts centralise on how
discoveries, which are derived from our tenacious pursuits, can radically change our
perspectives of ourselves and the world.

The evolution of individuals is first seeded by their tenacity for discoveries, which
ultimately fruit discoveries which will come to change them. The protagonist of
‘Wrack’ is David Norfolk, an archaeologist who unyieldingly believes in the existence
of a Portuguese ship which landed in Australia prior to the English. David’s quest for
the ship is seen to consume him, as he says to Claire, his past lover, that “when…
if… I find it, then I’ll understand.” David’s correction of himself in modality from
“when” to “if” illustrates the inner psychological conflict between his obsessive
persona and his rationality, as he has doubts in his fruitless search. David’s
obsession is accentuated via the use of a flashback, where he is seen to
acknowledge that the past is “shifting, uncertain”, and “as uncontrollable as it is
unknowable.” This starkly contrasts with the characterisation of David, thus making
prominent his radical beliefs which constitute his tenacious process of discovery,
which will ultimately change him.

The protagonist of ‘Pi’, Max Cohen, mirrors David as he is an obsessive

mathematician who is dogged in his quest to find a pattern in the stock market.
Max’s beliefs are revealed through his voiceovers. He states his hypothesis: “In the
stock market, there is a pattern as well … always has been.” The recurring
monologue throughout the film creates the genuineness in his radical, numerologist
views. This is furthered during a scene where he sees a homeless man wandering
on a beach, who only finds a seashell. Instead of recognising the paralleling futility
between the homeless man and himself, he sees the Fibonacci spiral on the
seashell. The use of symbolism in this scene portrays Max’s obsession in
discovering patterns in nature. While both protagonists undergo obsessive pursuits
as their processes of discovery, David’s quest is a result of his reconfigured
perceptions, as evident through the flashback, whereas Max merely acts to affirm the
extreme views he already harbours.
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The cycle of evolution of individuals is complete once they attain new eyes from their
experiences of discovery. In ‘Wrack’, David manages to find an old man, who
eventually reveals that he had burned the ship. David’s dismay is depicted by the
scarcity of his dialogue in the closure of the novel. This minimalistic depiction of
shock allows audiences to project their own subjective emotional responses onto
him, evoking the magnitude of impact this discovery has on David. His renewed
perspective is demonstrated in the final scene of the novel, of David and Claire
“standing close, not touching.” The significance of “not touching” is the
transformations which have occurred within them. As David and Claire’s relationship
symbolises their pasts, its overcoming represents David’s renewed belief that the
past is “uncontrollable”, and is freed of his past.

Max also undergoes transformations from his discoveries. Unlike David, Max
succeeds in his planned discovery, as he finds a number pattern which enables him
to predict movements in the stock market. However this discovery came at a great
cost, as his physical and mental health deteriorates. This is demonstrated by the
worsening of the cluster headaches Max suffers from throughout the film, as
portrayed by the progressively rapid cuts and the severity of camera shaking during
these sequences. At the climax of the film, as Max suffers the culmination of his
cluster headaches, he hallucinates embracing his neighbour Devi, who represents
Max’s sacrifices as she lives the contented and simplistic life Max cannot. The act of
Max embracing his antithesis symbolises his self-discovery, that his obsession with
numbers have brought him no ends in understanding the fundamentally chaotic
universe, but only towards his own detriment. His renewed perceptions are
exemplified as he destroys all traces of his work and performs the shocking act of
self-trepannation. Both protagonists are seen to gain new perceptions from their
processes of discovery. While Max appreciates the chaos of the universe for the first
time, David once again attains the perspective that the past is “uncertain”.

Through examining the novel ‘Wrack’ and the film ‘Pi’, the individual experiences of
discoveries are exemplified to radically impact not only on their perceptions of the
world, but also of themselves. It is therefore evident that the progression of
individuals is catalysed by their tenacity for discovery.

Time taken to handwrite: 36~ minutes

Mark: 15/15 for half-yearly exam, 13/15 for trial exam.

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Module A practice question: HSC 2011

“In what ways does a comparative study accentuate the distinct contexts of ‘Richard
III’ and ‘Looking for Richard’?”

Response

The understanding of contexts which influence composers is essential in attaining

informed appreciations of the ideas and attitudes offered by texts. The perspective of
Al Pacino’s ‘Looking for Richard (LFR)’ and Shakespeare’s play ‘King Richard III’
manifests through their distinct portrayals of the nature of truth and the didacticism
within both texts, which can be attributed to the immensely different cultural,
historical and social contexts of Pacino’s postmodern America and Shakespeare’s
17th century England. Through a comparative examination of the differences in its
portrayal, the distinct contexts of ‘LFR’ and the Shakespearean play from which it is
based upon can be acknowledged.

The nature of truth is a central theme of both texts. In ‘LFR’, Pacino offers a relative
concept of truth. Early in the film, a montage of vox populi is shown to present the
opinions and subjective truths of the people on the street, which is in discord with
Pacino’s own personal truth and exaltation of Shakespeare’s works. The contrasting
views establish a relative nature of truth. Pacino’s portrayal of truth is a result of the
cultural and social contexts of the late 20th century America, as Western civilisations
have adopted the liberal-democratic ideology into the core of its societies. Pacino’s
democratic depiction of truth is furthered in a voiceover as he proclaims that he is to
analyse ‘Richard III’ “from different angles”. This highlights Pacino’s democratic
methodology of reaching a personal truth through acknowledging many truths.

In ‘Richard III’, instead of portraying a relative concept of truth, Shakespeare

presents an absolute perspective of truth. During the opening scene, as Clarence
approaches, Richard mutters “dive thoughts, down to my soul…” The “soul”
represents the absolute and genuine, thus as Richard’s thoughts “dive” to the
otherworldly, a dichotomous concept of truth and deceit is created, accentuating
Richard’s duplicity. Shakespeare’s representation of truth can be attributed to the
historical context of 17th century England under the reigning Tudors. Due to ongoing
political turmoil, all plays were subject to censorship, thus Shakespeare seeks to use
an absolute nature of truth to highlight the injustices of the previous reign. This is
demonstrated in the following scene, where Richard woos a grieving Anne. “I would I
knew thy heart”, she expresses, to which Richard responds “’Tis figured in my
tongue.” The use of irony amplifies Richard’s role as the inherently dishonest vice
character. The “heart” has connotations with the genuine, while “tongue” has
connotations with superficiality. The juxtaposition between connotations furthers the
divide between truth and duplicity. While Shakespeare depicts an absolute nature of
truth, Pacino offers a relative, democratic perspective of truth. The differences in its
portrayal can be attributed to the stark differences in their contexts.
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Both texts exhibit didacticism in their purposes. In ‘LFR’, Pacino’s didacticism is in

garnering the appreciation of the contemporary audience for Shakespeare’s
literature. This is demonstrated through the accentuation of Pacino in a didactic role.
In a scene of the documentary, Pacino is seen performing the opening lines of
‘Richard III’ to an audience of students. The juxtaposition of his booming voice and
the silence he receives in return conveys the disinterest of the audience, thereby not
only presenting Pacino has a didactic figure, but also justifying the necessity of his
task. Pacino’s didacticism is a product of the cultural and social contexts of
postmodern America, as the difficulty of Shakespearean language fosters the
disinterest of the contemporary American audience. Pacino progresses in his
didactic aim as during scenes of the play, frequent cuts and voiceovers are used to
support the audience’s comprehension. Via such postmodern production techniques
which the contemporary audience recognises, Pacino attempts to amass
appreciation for Shakespeare’s plays.

In ‘Richard III’, Shakespeare’s didacticism is in seeking to reinforce the religious

virtues of Christian values and divine providence of the 17th century theocentric
England, which significantly contrasts with Pacino’s secular purpose the contexts of
contemporary America. In Richard’s final soliloquy, he metaphorically describes his
conscience as having “a thousand several tongues, / And every tongue brings in a
several tale, / And every tale condemns me for a villain.” The anthropomorphism of
Richard’s conscience as a terrifying beast elicits his guilt from his powerhungry and
morally dubious actions. Richard’s self-acknowledgment as a villain completes the
circular structure of the play, as in the opening soliloquy, he proclaims that he is
“determined to prove a villain.” This provides evidence for the play as a morality play,
as Richard understands that he is merely another victim of his atheistic will and
unchristian actions, thereby solidifying him as a tragic hero. While Shakespeare
seeks to reaffirm Christian morality, Pacino’s didacticism is in galvanising the
appreciation of the contemporary audience for Shakespeare’s works. The
incongruities in their didactic purposes highlight the distinguishing characteristics of
their contexts.

Via comparatively examining the differentiating portrayals of truth and didacticism in

‘LFR’ and ‘Richard III’, it becomes evident of their vastly different contexts. It is
therefore a necessity to understand the contexts of texts as a means to fully
appreciate their perspectives and meanings.

Time taken to handwrite: 37~ minutes

Mark: 14/15 for Module A assessment, 19/20 for trial exam.

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Module B practice question: (modified from HSC 2014)

“In your view, how does Eliot’s portrayal of the complex nature of modernity
contribute to the enduring value of his poetry?”

Response

The swift industrialisation of the early 20th century has propagated much social
disillusionment among the higher classes of society. Such is exemplified in the
poetry of Thomas Stearns Eliot, as his poems centralise on the impacts of modernity
on individuals and society itself. The modernist themes prevalent within his poetry
are social superficiality, societal decay, and monotony, as they represent the
consequences of modernity. Through examining these ideas within his poems, the
resourcefulness and insight of which his literature encapsulates the complex nature
of modernity during his time can be acknowledged in justifying the enduring value of
his poetry.

Superficiality is an idea which we confront in our daily lives, in that what we sense
are mere presentations. In ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, the personal,
Prufrock, who represents the higher classes of the time, muses pessimistically that
“There will be time / To prepare a face to meet the faces you meet”. The repetition of
“face” evokes a sense of the prevalence of superficiality within the aristocratic social
setting. The use of second person narration in addressing the reader as “you” elicits
a feeling of hostility as the reader is polarised against the “faces”. Eliot connects the
idea of appearances to modernity through the industrial setting of ‘Prufrock’, thereby
presenting the idea that modernity has exacerbated the aspect of superficiality in
society. Prufrock continues that “There will be time to murder and create.” To
“murder” and to “create” are the polar extremities of the same primitive, animalistic
desire. Their juxtaposition highlights Prufrock’s indifference to its moral distinctions,
but rather he is attracted to the idea of genuine self-expression, which is prohibited
by the superficiality in his society. Eliot portrays the concept of superficiality as an as
aspect of the complex nature of modernity.

Societal decay is another theme of Eliot’s poetry, which he contends as a

consequence of modernity. In ‘Rhapsody on a Windy Night’, the psychedelic persona
describes the foundations of society as “Stiff and white”, “as if the world gave up /
The secret to its skeleton.” The association of society with death, as presented
through the connotations of “skeleton”, establishes the aspect of deterioration in
society. This is accentuated further through the tone of capitulation by the
personification of society, which presents the idea that society’s degradation is self-
inflicted and pertaining to its very nature. The persona continues with his bleak
imagery of “A broken spring upon a factory yard, / Hard and curled and ready to
snap.” The imagery of fragility, as created through the “broken spring”, is presented
in the context of industrialisation, portrayed through the symbolism of the “factory
yard”. An aspect of superficiality is also created by the contrasting imageries of the
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fragile “broken spring” and the firm façade of a “factory yard”. However it is distinct
from the portrayal of superficiality within ‘Prufrock’ as it represents societal
insecurities as a whole, rather than personal anxiety, despite both associating with
the idea of modernity. Eliot’s portrayal of societal decay further exemplifies the
complex nature of modernity and its consequences for society.

Eliot also explores the modernist concept of monotony. The observant persona of
‘Preludes’ reflects “At four and five and six o’ clock / And short square fingers stuffing
pipes; / Eyes assure of certain certainties.” The rapid succession of time conveys the
meaninglessness of temporal progression in the daily lives of urban dwellers as a
result of excessive routine. The repetition of “certain” depicts the rigid and scheduled
nature of modernity. The persona also mentions of a man whose “soul stretched
tightly across the skies / That fade behind a city block, / Or trampled by insistent
feet.” The “soul” represents self-expression and individuality. Thus the trampling of
his soul by laborious “insistent feet” or obstructed by “a city block” communicates
Eliot’s perspective of monotony as a severe consequence of industrialisation and
modernity, as it suppresses individual freedom and expression, paralleling with the
repression of self-expression in ‘Prufrock’. While distinct themes are portrayed
differently by Eliot within his poems, this contributes to the fundamental aspect of
textual integrity across his poetry, as his poems synchronise to create a visceral and
vividly profound image of the complex nature of modernity.

Through examining the different themes within Eliot’s poetry, it becomes evident of
his perspective of social superficiality, societal decay and monotony as
consequences of modernity. Eliot’s effectiveness in representing the complexity of
modernity not only demonstrates the insightfulness of his poetry in understanding the
impacts of modernity on individuals and society as a whole, but also encapsulates
the social reaction to the critical turning point of humanity, thereby justifying its
timeless, enduring value.

Time taken to handwrite: 35~ minutes

Mark: 15/15 for Module B assessment, 17/20 for trial exam (a rather
unaccommodating question).
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Module C practice question: (Carlingford 2015)

“To what extent are the representations by composers effective in portraying

people’s relationships with landscapes?”

Response

The subjective understandings we attain from texts are the result of representations
artistically shaped by composers as a means to portray certain ideas and
perspectives. The intrinsic relationship between humanity and landscapes is
illuminated by the non-fiction writer Alain de Botton in his book ‘The Art of Travel’,
and the director Spike Jonze in his science fiction romantic comedy film ‘Her’,
through exploring our relationships with landscapes as a derivative of our external
receptivity, and as a medium for bonding and solidarity. Via examining the ways in
which composers manipulate representations within their respective forms of
production, the extent of the effectiveness of their encapsulation of our relationships
with landscapes can be acknowledged.

An individual’s relationship with their landscape is at the mercy of their external

receptivity. In ‘The Art of Travel’, de Botton represents this idea through offering his
experiences of travelling to Barbados with a companion. After an argument, he
recalls “the smell of tears mixed with… sun cream and air conditioning.” The
composer’s effective use of olfactory imagery elicits the familiar atmosphere of
emotional discomfort and turmoil which audiences recognise. The solemn mood
created contrasts to a photograph of a sunny beach on Barbados pages earlier, thus
illustrating the gravity of which our relationships with landscapes are dependent on
our psyche and hence our external perception. De Botton further personifies this
principle as “rigid, unforgiving”, polarising our capacity to draw happiness” from our
surroundings and the need to “first satisfy a more important range of emotions”,
including “the need for understanding, for love, for expression and respect.” The
listing of social prerequisites accentuates effectively the complexity and difficulty of
our outer perceptivity in hindering our relationships with landscapes.

Jonze portrays similar ideas to de Botton of the correlation of our relationships with
landscapes and our external perception. Early in ‘Her’, an establishing shot of a
heavily polluted futuristic LA is shown. The despondent protagonist, Theodore, is
seen walking at the centre wearing primary red, juxtaposing against the tertiary
colours of the cityscape. The deliberate use of colour scheme draws attention away
from the setting and onto Theodore, thus portraying his lack of external perceptivity.
This is furthered by the “melancholic” music, which diverts attentiveness onto the
retired mood, mirroring de Botton’s representation of his experiences in Barbados.
Jonze completes his demonstration of the link between our outward receptivity and
our relationships with landscapes by offering a contrast. Later in the film, Theodore is
seen alleviated of his self-loathing and sits on a highrise garden. The primary colours
of the garden compete against those of Theodore’s, drawing attention onto the
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setting, thereby indicative of his external perceptivity and his appreciative and
harmonic relationship with his landscape. De Botton and Jonze successfully
portrays, through the use of techniques available to their respective textual mediums,
the dependency of our relationships with landscapes and our ability to perceive
beyond our solipsistic preoccupations.

Both composers also present the idea of our relationships with landscapes as a
medium for bonding and solidarity. De Botton illustrates this idea through an
anecdote of “two people standing on the edge of a rock overlooking a stream and a
grand wooded valley”, which “may transform their relationship … with each other.”
The minimalistic depiction of an imagined landscape allows the audience to project
their own subjective conceptions of a mesmerising natural landscape, which
compounds with the anecdotal narrative in propagating the magnitude of impact
landscapes may have on our interpersonal relationships. De Botton also offers the
perspective that we can derive feelings of solidarity and solace through our
relationships with landscapes. De Botton recounts a diner where his loneliness
“seemed to be acknowledged ad brutally celebrated by the architecture and lighting.”
The personification of the setting evokes a sense of solidarity which de Botton
contends that landscapes are capable of providing.

Jonze also communicates de Botton’s perspective of the psychological and

interpersonal effects of our relationships with landscapes. The final scene of ‘Her’ is
of Theodore and his friend Amy, who have both lost their artificially intelligent
companions, watching the dawning of LA on a highrise rooftop. Dawn is used as a
recurring motif throughout the film symbolising the simultaneous ending and
beginning of periods of Theodore’s life. The cuts between the close-up shots of the
character’s expressions establish the solace and understanding between them. A
medium shot is used to convey their feelings of mutuality, as they not only share
their feelings of loss, but also their relationship with the landscape of the consoling
dawn, which represents the promise of the temporariness of their feelings of loss.
Through a wealth of cinematographic techniques, Jonze effectively echoes and
compliments the perspectives offered by de Botton via his effective use of language
features, that our relationships with landscapes are capable of providing feelings of
bonding and solidarity.

Via examining the use of techniques unique to the production mediums of de Botton
and Jonze, it is exemplified that they succeed in portraying our relationships with
landscapes as a derivative of our external perceptivity and as a medium for bonding
and solidarity, thereby making prominent humanity’s relationship with landscapes.
Therefore, it is evident that the composers successfully and effectively encapsulate
our relationships with landscapes to an immense extent.

Time taken to handwrite: 40~ minutes

Mark: 18/20 for Module C assessment, 19/20 for trial exam.