Year 12-English-Invictus & Ransom-A.

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Redeeming an individual’s past with intention is done by changing habits intrinsically and
ultimately alter the legacy one leaves behind. Both texts convey the notion that for real change
to occur there needs to be a transformation in attitude and a certain intention behind the new
change so the adjustments are permanent.Through deliberately altering his mindset, Priam
became determined to undertake ‘something new’ and ‘unaccustomed’ and for the real change
to happen it took courage and conviction to undertake what was truly ‘something impossible’.
The protagonist’s anticipation- at the ‘mystery’ behind the renewal of himself- as he left Troy,
suggested that for the King- whose ‘obligations’ were ‘tied’ to him- breaking free from his formal
roles was a internal liberation,as he released the expectations of others in return for a journey to
compensate for his past failures.Priam’s fractured sense of self placed him on the brink of
extraordinary self-revelations and catalysed an opportunity for him to redeem his past and
renew his legacy, highlighting that change can be due to the internal pressures which can help
break old harmful habits.Similarly, through Mandela’s uncompromising persistence about the
redemption of South Africa-as ‘circumstances demanded it’-an integral shift in attitude with his
27 years in prison, resulted in his passion and urgency for change, as he like Priam applied
entirely new and unprecedented ‘solutions’ to the country’s problems, often in ways that caused
consternation amongst his followers.Mandela’s aspirations to ‘restore’ the nation- by ‘surprising’
the Afrikaaners- implied that intrinsically changing one’s perspective on difficult circumstances
by choosing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘compassion’ rather than ‘violence’ can be arduous.A human’s
habit to naturally seeks for revenge and their desired method of justice does not promise
resolution but for full restoration to take place, the past must be subordinated for future
opportunities for personal growth through a hiatus to reboot and to exchange the negative
habits for reconciliation and ‘peace’.Malouf and Eastwood both accentuate that a more
permanent type of redemption only appears when a person softens their ingrained habits, and
actively reshapes their mindsets in order to shape how they’re remembered.

Exposure to alternate ways of thinking can encourage an individual to set aside their
stubbornness and adapt to new trends and circumstances, but societal change is much complex
than personal change. Both Eastwood and Malouf suggest that personal change can be
influenced by role models and the level of adaptation has a linear relationship to the maturity of
the individual. Within the world of Invictus,one’s change in attitude may be influenced by their
social interactions.The audience saw a change in Francois’ attitude as he surprisingly allowed
himself to be caught up in the ‘conundrum of Mandela’ -as the President urged change when
society outrightly refused- understanding that a greater level of success is possible if they are
prepared to open themselves up to new ideas. People like him who had previously regarded
‘blacks’ as merely servants, whereas now had a respect and something of the father/son
relationship emerging in the evolving relationship between the two men. Similarly, Achilles who
could have ended his grief by killing Priam at their first encounter- the representation of Hector
who killed his best friend- was confronted with a completely unexpected idea - that the enemy
would humble themselves and come to ransom just a dead body and that grief could be dealt
with in such manner instead of ‘all consuming rage’.Achilles is forced to reconsider who his true
enemy is and this new thinking changed from ‘implacable’ to something that ‘assuaged his
grief’-, but this ‘truce’ does not last long as indifferences remained between the Trojans and
Greeks indicating how societal grudges remain even if leaders have
reconciled.Likewise,Francois quiet reflection in the car with Nerine suggests that Mandela’s
wisdom brought a unique outlook for Francois-which he’d never ‘met before’- where he set
aside his naive attitude to adapt to the new South Africa that Mandela dreamt of. This personal
change for Francois did not reciprocate within the society immediately, as Mr Pienaar continued
to carry his judgement by mocking Mandela ‘charit[able] donation’ and continuing to be back
bencher in the last match highlighting that some individuals refusal to change can make them
outdated and this social pressure to rise above circumstances when it is demanded, is often too
difficult for some as they continue to hold the desire to be right. Collectively, both texts offer the
perspective that personal discovery of fresh ideas can act as a release of stubbornness, and
societal change is much more complicated as often communities-which are compiled of multiple
individuals- require time to heal from past actions and traumatic events.

Though an alternative view can ignite change, to transform one’s mindset is a long journey
which can be derailed by its arduous length.Both Invictus and Ransom emphasize that people
can often give up on the long journey to change, but determination to overcome such hurdles
through extrinsic motivations can help one to employ forward-thinking and view change as
beneficial for their pursuit of success.In Ransom, Malouf presents Hecuba as resistance to
change due to tradition and fear for Priam’s safety-in the ancient context this is perfectly
acceptable- but through the protagonist’s ‘defiant’ yet kind reassurance, Hecuba slowly
understand that the ‘unthinkable’ needs to done to attend to her wishes as a mother to bury her
son honourably.Trusting for change can be difficult hurdle to overcome, as seen by the grief that
Hecuba experiences as her ‘flesh’ is being ‘tumbled on the stones’, she prompted Helenus to
proclaim that an ‘eagle’- later mistaken as a ‘chickenhawk’ by Somax- to be seen in the sky-as a
sign of Jove’s favour.In the same vein, Jason’s mistrust of the new white bodyguards is rooted
from fear and offense of the past actions by these men. Mandela’s fatherly encouragement to
‘reconcil[e]’-depicted through the close over the shoulder shot and soft diffuse lighting-
emphasizes that advice from a role model can help diminish the apprehension an individual has
to change.Throughout the film, the audience see a transformation within Jason from the
intimidating exterior at the beginning to the slow friendship that developed between the men
displaying how people can change even if they say they resist the change.His great hatred for
rugby-though the white bodyguards loved it- slowly dissipated as he shows a sigh of relief as
Australia became defeated, serving as a climax point in his growth. Malouf and Eastwood
present that changing one’s mindset is a progressive journey, but there is no definite destination
as adapting to situations is an ongoing voyage that requires precautious trust and patience.