English A: Language and Literature

Lisa van den Berg

V5B
29-01-2021
1.1 
The signifier is the thing we see and signified is what the message behind it is.
Text 1.1-1.3 each depict an apple, the same signifier, but what is signified in each image is
different.
Signifier Signified

Text 1.1 - apple means apples (food) are to be found there

Text 1.2 - apple means the forbidden fruit in the story of Adam and Eve

Text 1.3 - apple means the branding of Apple Inc.

1.2
A symbol stands for something abstract, an icon resembles the thing it represents and a logo
is a design used to represent an organisation so that the company or organisation becomes
associated with the design.
Signifier Signified

Text 1.4 - hammer and sickle means a symbol for communism (agriculture and labor)

Text 1.5 - dove means a symbol for freedom

Text 1.6 - envelope means a logo which is associated with email

Text 1.7 - emoji means an icon which resembles the emtion it represents

TOK page 3

1.3 
a) The creator of this image has chosen a white dress, because in the advertisement text it
says “and besides tasting great, it happens to go really well with my outfits”. This refers to
the milk moustache she has from the drink, matching her white dress.
b) The few colours used in the image are natural colours: black, white and skin tone. This
indicates that the milk is a healthy and natural drink.
c) The dark space behind Gabriela Sabatini makes the white colour very noticeable. This is
smart because the colour white is associated with milk (as milk is white).
d) The milk moustache represents that the milk is very good, because she drank it so fast
that she got a milk moustache.
1.4
The slogan of Polo is “Small but tough”, and this illustration shows the
exact opposite: “Big but not tough”. King Kong’s big arms (seen on the
intersection of the top row and the left column, and the intersection of the
bottom row and the right column) suggest that he is very big and, as we
see at the intersection of the top row and the right column, he seems to
have the face of someone who’s in pain. This explains the slogan. The
intersection of the bottom row and the left column shows why King Kong is
in pain. His hand is folded over is foot, with which he probably stood on
something.

1.5
a) Signified in Text 1.8 is that the woman in the picture drank milk. In Text 1.9, it is signified
that King Kong, an enormous monkey, is not as though as he looks.
b) In Text 1.8, the milk moustache is the signifier that constructed this meaning. In Text 1.9
it is the expression of King Kong’s face and his hands grabbing his right foot, indicating that
he is in much pain.
c) Text 1.8: the woman quickly drank the milk, which resulted in her getting a milk
moustache. She is a tennis player, which is why she drank the milk, because she was about
to play a match. After the image, she probably went on to her match, all strengthened and
full of energy because of the milk!
Text 1.9: King Kong was walking through the city when he stepped on something that hurt
his foot (maybe a car or a building). He was in great pain and grabbed his foot in a reflex.
After the image his pain probably subsided, after which he carefully continued his journey
through the city.
d) The purpose of Text 1.8 is to show people how healthy and useful the milk is. The story
tells that a professional tennis player used the drink to prepare for a match, which makes
consumers associate it with a healthy and responsible lifestyle.
In Text 1.9, the purpose is to show that things can be small and tough. The story about King
Kong, a giant ape, getting hurt displays the opposite of the product and, on top of that,
conveys a funny message which makes the advertisement memorable.

1.6
a) Text 1.10 shows three identical images of a rug and would therefore be difficult to
understand without the captions. The caption gives context to the purpose of the rug by
labelling the meaning it can have for certain types of people. This also explains the
advertisement, which is trying to convey the message how people value things differently,
because without the captions many people would have a different word pop into their head
(that word likely to be one of those captions).
b) Text 1.11 shows three different images all labelled “accomplishment”. One
accomplishment is harder to achieve than the other, but the value it carries is not defined
by that. While an accomplishment can be seen as a regular activity, it can still have as much
meaning to someone as an extraordinary and outstanding accomplishment can have to
another.
1.7
Sarah Palin has a confident pose which conveys strength. Red, the colour of the Republicans,
adds to this as it is the colour associated with power and is widely associated with the
Republican party, therefore speaking to the people she wants to reach (Republican voters).
She also accomplishes reaching her voters by posing with the American flag, which
represents patriotism; something deeply embedded in American, especially Republican,
culture.
Her sporty clothing symbolises fitness and capability of ruling, and therefore strength. The
headline reads “How do you solve a problem like Sarah?”. This can portray her either as a
strong or a weak politician, depending on the interpretation of the reader. It can be
interpreted as she being someone who knows how to handle problems very well and that
she will be sharing her knowledge about it in the magazine. On the other hand, it can also
be interpreted as if Sarah is a problem that needs to be solved.
There are more things which portray weakness. For example, she is leaning on the chair as if
she needs support and her sporty clothing can be interpreted as unprofessional for a
politician an therefore unfit to be such a figure.

1.8
Sarah’s smile makes her an approachable woman. Her friendly eyes are gazing into the
camera, ready to confront whoever is looking at her. They catch people’s attention because
they’re on the same height as the caption. While we’re reading we meet her gaze.
She has one hand on her hip, which symbolises strength and in the other one she has two
phones. This can mean that she gets regular calls, because she is an important and involved
person.
Her short shorts show her trained legs and athletic build and by rolling her sleeves up, she
exposes a lot of skin. This however doesn’t make her seem like a vulnerable woman, rather
a strong one who is ready to take on anything. Her torso also conveys this message of
confidence, by pointing her chest forward.

1.9
Key feature Your sticky notes Body language Your sticky notes
Title Boring font in white Smiles and teeth She is smiling without
and calm colours: her teeth, which
suggest it is a rather makes her friendly
standard magazine and approachable,
but not too involved.
Ears and teasers There no ears and Gaze She is looking straight
teasers on this cover. into the camera. The
article is about
getting more
personal and her
direct gaze
encourages that.
Headlines The headline “This Position of hands She has her head
time it’s personal” resting into her right
makes the reader hand, and her left
 curious to what the hand resting on her
prime minister is leg. She is in a relaxed
going to reveal about and less formal
her personal life. position, which could
be referring to a
There are three other more personal
headlines, all interview.
constructed in the
same way as the
main headline. First,
a short description of
the headline to make
the reader curious
and then a short
explanation of it.
Photograph The photograph is Skin She is showing little
taken from quite up- skin, which indicates
close and on eye level that she is interested
which makes it like in showing her
the reader is looking cognitive abilities
at her from the rather than her
position of the body/athletic
camera. This has a abilities.
more personal effect.
Symbols Her ring can Torso Her torso is in a
symbolise that she is relaxed position: not
married. too much tilted
forwards. It gives her
an approachable
look.
Lighting and colour The lighting is dark
and consists of
neutral colours. This
gives a calm and
serious tone to the
picture.

Concept page 8
On the cover of this magazine, Julia Gillard is sitting in a relaxed position. She is representing
herself quite vulnerably, in a way a male politician would not. Men are often expected to be
masculine and showing confidence, while women are often expected to be kind and not too
confident, because that would make them bossy. These are all gender norms established
and upheld by society and therefore difficult to break

Concept page 9
Text 1.14 uses user interaction to engage with its audience. Text 1.15 uses the slogan “green
is more than a colour, it is a philosophy” on a green bag. This is funny, because it is not what
the audience expected when they first saw the green bag. Text 1.16 uses a bright blue
colour to advertise recycling. The colour blue is often associated with the blue, unpolluted
sky, which is what they want to preserve.
Finally, text 1.16 uses existing objects integrated into their advertising to catch peoples
attention. The chimney is used as the barrel of a gun, advertising against air pollution. This is
ironic, because they use an object they are advertising against in their advertisement

2.2
a) guerrilla advertising = an
advertisement where it’s
completed by interaction,
often with people not realising
they’re part of it (Frederik)
b) product placement = a form
of advertising where the
product is mentioned in a film Guerrilla advertising
or television programme
c) spoof ad = an advertisement which is a parody on an official
advertisement from a company, often funny by placing them in a
bad light
d) Sponsored content = material in an online publication which
resembles the publication's editorial content but is paid for by an
advertiser and intended to promote the advertiser's product. Sponsored content
e) interstitial = an advertisement which appears between content
and is full screen and interactive
f) publicity stunt = advertising by doing something unusual to attract people’s attention
g) celebrity endorsement = an advertisement featuring one or multiple celebrities with the
goal of reaching more people
h) co-branding = Co-branding is a marketing strategy that utilizes multiple brand names on a
good or service as part of a strategic alliance. Also known as a brand partnership, co-
branding encompasses several different types of branding collaborations, typically involving
the brands of at least two companies. (Mandy)
i) advertorial = an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper
giving information about the product in the style of an article
j) TV commercial = a TV commercial is a way for
companies/organization
s to sell a product, sell a service or to inform people about
certain matters through the means of television (Valentijn)
k) direct mail = advertising through mail, physically delivered in
the mailbox.
l) radio advertisement = advertising on commercial radio
stations by buying airtime to advertise their product
m) public service announcement = an announcement made for
the public to raise awareness of, and change their attitudes
PSA towards, a social issue
n) Branded goods = products that have a connection to a brand, which usually comes in the
form of the logo or slogan of a brand placed on the merchandise (Kim)
o) social media campaign = advertising on social media by coordinated marketing designed
to improve brand awareness, social media user interaction and business goals.
p) flash mob = a company organising that a group of people come together in a public place
to perform a dance or random act in public
q) subvertisement= a type of advertisement where another ad or idea is mocked or slightly
change (Dagmar)
r) outdoor advertising = advertising done outdoors by means of, for example, putting up
billboards beside the road or at sports games
s) transit advertising = advertising placed on or in any mode of transport
t) jingle = a tune that supports visual advertisements (Klaske)

2.3 Learner’s profile

Three principles that are important in my life are
honesty, doing the best you can and humour. If
everyone would go the extra mile for the
environment and try their best to do what’s
right, it would have a big impact.

Global warming is one of the major global issues

we are facing today. How big your carbon
footprint (how much you pollute the earth) is, is primarily in your own hands. You can make
a difference by choosing a greener lifestyle.
Cars are responsible for about 30% of the household’s emissions, so a green solution for
that would help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a lot and start battling the global
warming issue.

Electric cars are a very good solution to the issue of polluting cars. Although electricity and
battery production also cause carbon dioxide emissions, big steps are being taken to make
this process completely green, because it is possible. Tesla is taking the lead in the green
production of electricity, batteries and electric cars and therefore plays a big part in the
battle against global warming.

2.4
- problem and benefit
You have to refuel many times. The solution is Nano car: it’s more fuel-efficient.
They make it seem as if refuelling on a regular basis is a severe inconvenience. It’s not really
a problem to refuel
- bandwagon
600 000 people have already joined. “Why aren’t you joining?”
- testimonial
A celebrity uses or endorses that product, so you’ll want it too. A happy costumer talks
about his experience. It’s not a celebrity endorsement, just a testimonial (celebrity
endorsement is a type of testimonial)
- association
The sun is shining on the lake and the car. The car doesn’t have to stop at the gas station
(passing the sign already), because it does not need to refuel.
Clean car, nature
Nature = freedom, (freedom of movement); also
Car = yellow, yellow is happiness and the sun. Bright colour often associated with late
spring/summer and the sun, so happiness

AOE question page 12

Both advertisements have a slogan to catch the reader’s attention. The Ford ad focuses the
attention on “Burn less fuel. Burn less cash” and the Honda ad focuses on the environmental
side of fuel efficiency, with a long explanation under the slogan. The Ford ad seems to be
more convincing, because it has a short and catchy slogan and the position of the car
coming towards the reader immediately catches your attention. The Honda ad, on the other
hand, looks more boring and simpler: an ad that is easily overlooked.

3.1
Ed’s Heinz Ad -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keOaQm6RpBg
Why is Ed Sheeran in a fancy restaurant?
To show that it doesn’t matter how fancy a meal can be, ketchup always makes it better.

3.2
a) what would you think of the product?
It is unclear what the product is. It could be a sledgehammer, a computer, etc.
New, modern and liberating (sledgehammer breaking the screen) product
“1984 will not be like 1984”, the product will change everything because it is innovative (in a
positive way). A paradigm shift because of the product.
b) I would not know why 1984 won’t be like 1984, so it makes me curious on how Macintosh
will change the world, and what it is exactly.
It’s also creepy and nerving, especially the beginning, because of the eerie vibe and the
scary music
c) The woman who hits the telescreen with the sledgehammer is wearing colour (only one)
and is wearing a tank top with a computer on it. She could be a symbol of Macintosh
liberating people from a dystopian world.
Technology can take freedom away or can liberate people. They are trying to convey the
message that they want freedom for everyone. The citizens finally see the light, the light of
the new product
d) The sound is an alarm, because the woman is doing something that is not allowed. There
is an eye-level view from the camera when filming the people, which gives you the feeling as
if you’re one of the citizens.
e) b – montage
c – camera angle (eye-level, part of the dystopian world), mise en scene (the mise en scene
is so and so)

AOE question page 15

If you know something is a classic it defines a lot. For example, “1984” is a classic so it must
have the key elements that create a good text.
When we define something as a classic, it means that it’s something that’s widely seen and
read by people. It doesn’t necessarily have to be good.
It has to be of a certain age to see if it can survive throughout a few decades. It withstood
the test of time and was not forgotten over time whether it’s good or bad.
So, how useful is it?
Quite useful because you know that lots of people know about it. Knowing that something is
a classic might change your view when reading/seeing the book/film.

TOK page 16
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is an
allegory about what people believe
to be true and what the actual
truth is. It states that prisoners are
chained together in a cave. They
are only able to see the shadows
that real objects are casting when
moved in front of a fire (as shown
in the picture). This is their reality,
which is not an accurate
representation of the real world.
Socrates explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and
comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not reality at all. They are literally
seeing the light when they are freed from the cave.
The 1984 Super Bowl commercial for the Apple Macintosh shows the same sequence. What
the prisoners perceive as their reality is what is shown on screen; similar to the prisoners
believing what they see on the cave wall is reality. When the screen is broken they see a
bright light, which represents them finally seeing actual reality; like philosophers do too
when they’re freed.

4.1
a) They’re all political cartoons describing relations between countries. Each cartoon depicts
a country with a negative connotation. There is evidence of bias when there is prejudice for
or against a person or group, all the texts have this.
Text 1.19 shows the US holding the world ‘hostage’ with its nuclear bombs. The person used
as a personification of the US seems unfit to be in such power because he looks bored and
uninterested with it. The US being in possession of nuclear weapons is depicted as a
negative thing. Therefore, this is quite biased because many also see it as a positive thing.
Text 1.20 shows the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. This is clearly biased,
because it depicts Russia as the bad guy, pretending to be saving Crimea, but actually
‘eating’ it. Although Russia is widely regarded to as a corrupt and bad country, many people,
especially Russians, do believe that Russia has the right to ‘return’ Crimea to Russia.
Lastly, text 1.21 shows the lies of America: how they say they want peace and disarmament
but do go on building military bases in other countries. This shows negative prejudice to
America.
b) Text 1.19 consists of mainly dark colours, with an exception to the globe which is
coloured light blue. This adds to the effect of the disgruntled and bored face of the US. It
immediately gives a negative tone to the cartoon, therefore depicting the US in a bad way.
Text 1.20 drew the countries as animals. Russia is depicted as a bear, the national animal,
also depicting Russia as a predator. Crimea is depicted as a fish, referring to their coastal
position and being hunted by a bear.
Text 1.21 establishes irony by captioning the cartoon with American values, and then
drawing America going against their own values.
c) Both Texts 1.19 and 1.21 are from the Cold War. Being about 40 years old, both of these
cartoons could still be applicant to the current global situation. The US is still in possession
of nuclear weapons and still has military bases in other countries, however, the US is less of
an extreme world power as it was in the Cold War so the cartoons are not as relevant as
they were back then.
Text 1.20 depicts a quite recent event which happened in 2014. As of today, 18 UN
members officially recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation, while 115 UN
members do not. The conflict is still ongoing and Crimea has been unwillingly integrated into
Russia.

AOE question page 20

During the cold war, US-Soviet relations were really tensed and both countries portrayed
the other as the ‘bad guys’. This attitude towards each other is noticeable in these cartoons.
Text 1.19 shows the US as a serious threat to the entire world, which is also how the US saw
the Soviet Union. They accused each other of being liars and having bad intentions. This is
what text 1.21 shows very clearly. The US is depicted as a liar, who wants to convince the
world that they are the ‘good guys’ and value peace and disarmament, while they actually
do the opposite of everything they say they value.
4.2
Text 1.22
Caricature The caricature of Vladimir
Putin depicts his lack of
emotion. He seems
detached, cold and
determined
Symbolism The bear is a common
symbol for Russia. The star
on the bear’s hat is a
common symbol for the
Soviet Union. By putting up
the bear statue, it indicates
that nothing has really
changed
Labelling and captions The pedestal reads: ‘The
new and improved Russia’,
which adds meaning to the
image of Putin setting up
the bear resembling the old
Soviet Union.
Irony The bear resembles the old
Soviet Union, while de
pedestal reads: ‘The new
and improved Russia’. This
is rather ironic.
Topical Vladimir Putin was in the
news in 2007 as he was
running for President of
Russia for a second term
Another Putin cartoon
The caricature of Alexander
Lukashenko shows how
angry he is. The caricature
of Putin depicts him with a
lack of emotion.
The bat Lukashenko is
holding is a symbol for him
oppressing the population
of Belarus
Above Putin’s head on the
computer, it says ‘autocracy
101’ which adds meaning to
the ‘there are online
courses for everything
today..’. It explains that
Lukashenko is following an
online course from Putin on
how to ‘crush dissent’. The
people who Lukashenko is
crushing in his hand are
holding up signs, which is
the dissent he is trying to
stop.
‘There are online courses
for everything today’, is
supposed to be positive, but
Putin’s online course is
negative
There have been several big
protests in Belarus
throughout 2020, wanting
Lukashenko to leave. Putin
is talking about the
poisoning of Alexei Navalny,
an anti-corruption activist,
on 20 August 2020.
Belarus and Russia are both
autocracies and have close
relations.
4.3
Labelling: the graph is
labelled ‘Covid-19 Cases’
which adds meaning to the
comment of Mr. Trump
Symbolism: symbolises the
US presidency of Mr. Trump
(2016-2020)
Topical: Mr. Trump often
tends to avoid
commenting on criticism
Topical: The Covid- and/or bad events which
19 pandemic is a could be a result of his
current event ruling
Caricature: The caricature of
Trump depicts his noticeable
facial features. He seems
pleased with himself.
4.4

“It’s always nice to wake up with a blinding bright

smile!”

TOK page 24
Art expresses an emotion. What someone considers art is different per person, so there is
no universal definition of art. However, the presence of certain visual and textual aspects
form art: the style, the technique. Therefore, I think texts 1.23 and 1.24 can be considered
art even though they maybe didn’t need extraordinary skills to be created.

AOE Question page 25

The author has given form to what you see in text 1.23 by the use of black and white, the
position of the characters in the panels and the order of the panels. By using black and
white Satrapi shows that it was a sombre era in her life and it makes the graphic novel
recognizable.
In the first two frames, she positioned herself in nearly the same position. This gives us a
static frame and again shows the sombreness of the story. By immediately starting with
those two frames, she throws the reader into the story without any context. This context is
later given in the middle frames, when she talks about the revolution and then reveals the
result of the context: the veil becoming obligatory in 1980.
In the last two frames, she shows the reader what she and her classmates really think of the
veil becoming obligatory: they were still kids and refused to live the life that had been
forced upon them.
By the order of the panels and the use of style the author has given meaning to the story
and can influence how the reader interprets the story.

5.2
Caricature: exaggerating the most noticeable facial features of people in a cartoon, comic or
graphic novel.
Symbolism: using one thing – usually a physical object – to represent something more
abstract. In text 1.23 the veil is a symbol for oppression and the government meddling with
the lives of kids
Heading: a title or caption of a page, chapter, etc. It shows the subject of the chapter, to
give the reader an indication of what is going to happen/be talked about. The heading (font)
can also give an indication to the style of the comic or graphic novel. In text 1.23 “The veil”
is the heading of the chapter (probably) of the graphic novel.
Symmetry: balanced proportions. In text 1.23, the 1st and 2nd panels include near
symmetrical faces.
Dialogue: a conversation between two people or more
Voice-over: narration without an image of the person talking.
Memoir: a piece of writing based on the writer’s knowledge of famous events, people, etc.
Text 1.23 is a memoir, because the entire story is the retelling or Satrapi’s childhood.
Cartoon: a visual art form consisting of drawn images, often created for humorous effect. In
1.23 the style is simplified for effect.
Satire: the use of humour, especially irony, to ridicule and criticize someone’s or an
organization’s stupidity.
Uniformity: the fact of being the same
Point of view: the position from which something is observed.
Juxtaposition: placing two things together with a contrasting effect. For example: “Ask not
what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”

5.3
Caricature: the 5th panel with ‘symbols’ his mouth is a caricature.
Symbolism: the darts are a symbol for war and how pointless war is (last panel).
Heading: the heading is written in a childish way. It could be made by Calvin, the kid.
Symmetry: in every panel, Calvin is one the left, and Hobbes on the left.
Memoir: the writer’s reference to the Cold War.
Cartoon: the writer makes fun of the position of people in war: “fearless American defender
of liberty and democracy” and “you can be the loathsome godless communist oppressor.

International mindedness
In this comic, Calvin is not international minded at all. He describes himself as a “fearless
American defender of liberty and democracy”, and Hobbes as the “loathsome godless
communist oppressor”. He is indicating that the Americans are the ‘good guys’ and whoever
they are fighting are the ‘bad guys’. He therefore thinks he is allowed to use violence
because he is defending what is right. If this were seen from the side of America’s enemy,
they would have an opposite view on who is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and would therefore again
argue that they are allowed to use violence.
Eventually they are both immediately hit with a dart and are therefore ‘dead’ without
having come any closer to an agreement. War does not solve a disagreement between two
countries and only results in lost lives. By being diplomatic, no lives are lost and steps can be
taken to solve a come to an agreement.

5.4
Key features Examples from text 1.23
Negative space The negative space, especially in the 1st panel, shows the sombre and
plain life of Satrapi she had.
Speech bubble There is a voice-over in every panel explaining what is happening and
telling the story. The speech bubbles are not extremely relevant to the
story and mainly monologue.
Panel Satrapi uses different sizes of panels to strengthen the effect of the
 camera angles used and it gives a clear overview to the story.
Gutter The gutter gives a good overview to the story and makes the order of
the panels clear.
Symbols The veil is a symbol for oppression.
Emanata There is not really an emanata in this text, though giddyap does come
closest to one. Giddyap is more of a turn of phrase.
Camera angle The camera angle in the first to panels is one eye-level, which makes
us emotionally connect easier, because we can see their eyes and are
much more intimate with them. The third panel is from slightly above
eye-level and the last two panels are completely from above. The
camera angle makes the size of people smaller and give the reader a
wider sense of what’s going on, though it is less intimate now.

5.5
Image A Image B Image C Image D
Simple-complex X
Iconic-realistic X
Subjective-objective X
Universal-specific X
Abstract-concrete X
Simple-complex: it is drawn in a simplistic way but does have some details. For example, the
eyes aren’t just dots, like in image A, but they’re more detailed with the iris drawn.
Iconic-realistic: it leans more towards the iconic side, because of the simplistic way some
things (e.g., the veil) are depicted. The absence of colour also adds to that. It is however not
as iconic as the platonic stuffed animal of Image A.
Subjective-objective: the writer is writing from her own memory and therefore tells
everything from her point of view and interpretation of the events.
Universal-specific: the depiction of the veil speaks to our imagination and understanding of
the veil. We don’t specifically see that it is a veil, because of the simplified representation,
but it speaks to our imagination.
Abstract-concrete: the pictures are quite simple, but they are not as abstract that we don’t
recognize it. What we see is happening is also what is actually happening, so we don’t have
to look for symbols to understand the meaning.

Concept page 29
By turning a subject into a cartoon, the artist makes a story attractive, especially for
children, and in that way simultaneously entertains and teaches people. It is also easier for
an artist to make a cartoon than very detailed drawings.

6.1
a) To make people aware of child labour. Criticism on modern life, this is related to Britain,
but it is also happening in the rest of the world. He is criticizing British people that are letting
children make their clothes just to have cheap clothes.
b) The boy in the picture is probably earning very little for the amount of work he is doing
and is therefore not able to buy any shoes.
c) Many of the products that are sold in the UK, especially clothes, are made by child
labourers in Asia.
d. Child labourers are often hired to sew clothes for a very little amount of money. The
sewing machine depicts the situation many children are in against their will.
e) He first painted the boy and the sewing machine with black and white graffiti. He then
put a glass plate over it and hung up the colourful Union Jack flags.
By painting the boy in black and white, he is showing the dreadful life that boy is leading.
The colourful flags are the contrary of that and depict the good situation the UK is in. While
their products are made by child labourers on the other side of the world.
f) Yes, Banksy put his opinion on child labour in it, and is trying to spread it through art.

6.2
- criticism
- use of dark colours
- negative message
- integrates existing objects into the artworks

Learner profile
Artists such as Banksy voice their political and social views by making street art and
therefore reaching the public. He makes many people aware of global issues some would
not have known or cared for if it wasn’t for him. By using street art in this way, Banksy can
influence people positively and should therefore be justified in breaking the law.
Street art is a great way of voicing your opinion and not having to show your face. In
countries where freedom of speech is not a right, or can have very bad consequences for
people, street art allows them to voice their opinions and, for example, stand up against a
dictatorship.

TOK page 31

- Late 1960s and 1970s

- Tagged his name and influenced many others to do the same
- New York Times did an article on him which gave him a lot of fame
- He is often considered to be the ‘father of modern graffiti’
a) Not a lot of skill is needed to write your name and your street with graffiti.
b) It was received well by the public and many people decided to copy him. Later on, he
became one of the most well-known graffiti-artists ever.
c) He liked to do it and his intentions were just to have fun.

Another criterium for defining art could be the expression of emotions, because art is a
creative aspect where people use their emotions to create something they think is beautiful.
Concept page 32
Banksy’s goal is to make people aware of global issues and Texts 1.25-1.27 each have their
own message. Text 1.25 addresses the cruelty of child labour and tries to show that the
British are contributing to it. Text 1.26 shows the lack of privacy citizens have, because the
government is always eavesdropping. Lastly, text 1.27 shows a “no trespassing” sign while
the ones that put up that sign were the ones that trespassed into the Native Americans land
in the first place.

The difference between murals and graffiti

In general, graffiti is associated with vandalism and a mural is often paid for by the owner of
a building, bridge, etc.

6.3
a)
- How do you decide where you are going to paint your art, considering you integrate pre-
existing objects into your art?
- Do you design your own stencils?
- Has your social commentary ever been taken the wrong way?

6.4

7.1
1=d
2=h
3=a
4=f
5=b
6=c
7=i
8=g
9=e

7.2
Ethos:
- from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy
- from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on
doors of perfect strangers
- dug into what little savings they had to give
- I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face
Pathos
- change has come to America
- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there
- I promise you – we as a people will get there
Logos
- There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as a president
- It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give
$5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

7.3
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so
conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here
gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should
do this
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—
this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far
above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what
we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be
dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly
advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave
the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that
government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

a) Tricolon: of the people, by the people, for the people

Repetition (anaphora): we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow
Metaphor: conceived in Liberty
shall have a new birth of freedom
Allusion: all men are equal (referring to the Declaration of Independence)
b) Archaic language: four score and seven
Antithesis: as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might
live
7.4
a) I have chosen the rhetorical device alliteration.
b) ‘life to love’, ‘drop by drop upon’
c) alliteration catches people’s attention and is, when used right, memorable.

8.2
Who What When Where Why How
Boris Formation of 2016 The Brexit is in the Birth of a The Prime
Johnson, Brexit United Kingdom. new Britain: Minister
Micheal government More precisely, the resigns and
Gove, David the resignation of formation of the
Cameron David Cameron a new formation of
and Nicola was in Downing government a “Brexit
Sturgeon Street. to support Government
the Vote
Leave result.

AOE Question page 47

Independent: The independent is often placed as a left wing or neutral newspaper. Text 1.39
shows it is quite a left wing newspaper. It is openly blaming Boris Johnson (Conservative
Party) for the mess the UK is in.
Daily Mail: The Daily Mail is a very right-winged newspaper. This is proven in Text 1.31,
where it greatly supports the Vote Leave organisation.
Daily Mirror: The Daily Mirror is often seen as a rather left-winged newspaper, which is
shown in Text 1.32. The newspaper seems to worryingly question what is happening due to
Brexit.
New York Post: The New York Post is the only American newspaper in this sequence. In
general, what is considered right-winged in the UK is considered left-winged in the USA.
Therefore, the newspapers seem quite right-winged when compared to UK newspapers.
Text 1.33 proves this as it greatly supports Brexit.
Daily Telegraph: the Daily Telegraph is often considered a little right-winged/primarily
neutral. As it does in Text 1.34, it often reports the current events quite objectively, but
sometimes leans to the right. For example, by calling the new Johnson and Gove
government a “dream team”.

8.3
a) 1.31
Facts – the subtext of the photo
Source – the photo is a source. But they don’t really use any other source
Quotations – no quotation.
Context – the rising of the people by casting their vote for the Brexit-referendum
Photograph – A photograph of Vote Leave supporters celebrating their victory
Heading – “Take a bow, Britain!” as in: well done Britain!
Newsworthiness – the results of the Brexit will have an influence on all the people of Britain,
so it is worthy of the news.
8.4
Heading Negativity Relevance Extraordinary
’18-year-old student There is nothing The news that a A satellite that
from Tamil Nadu negative about this young Indian weighs only 64
designs world’s story. In fact, it is invented this grams is rather
lightest satellite rather positive! satellite is relevant extraordinary. The
weighing just 64 to the readership of fact that the
grams’ the Times of India. inventor is so young
and from a small
town is also
extraordinary.
‘Dutch King secretly There is nothing It may be relevant to It is quite
piloted passenger negative about this the inhabitants of extraordinary that a
flights for 21 years story. the Netherlands king has been flying
with KLM’ because it involves passenger planes
their king.
’84 confirmed dead This story is very It is of national It doesn’t happen
after lorry crashes negative. relevance to hear much.
into crowd during because so many
Bastille Day people have died.
celebration’
‘FCC [[Federal This story is quite It is especially of A government
Communications negative, because it relevance to organisation is going
Commission] ends indicates that Americans because to allow
net neutrality, critics service providers the FCC is an discrimination of
cry “war on open don’t have to treat American content.
internet”’ all content equally. organisation.
‘Trump denies Not necessarily It involves possible Collusion between
collusion with negative, but it collusion between those two countries
Russia, calls depends on your two very powerful is extraordinary and
investigation a own view on countries, which the expressive
“witch hunt”’ politics. could affect the statement made by
whole world. Trump is, too.
‘Global warming Negative, because Global warming It was never possible
opens up shipping global warming has effects the whole to sail over the
routes over North come to the point world and this North Pole, so this is
Pole’ where ships are able informs people on extraordinary.
to sail over the to which point it has
North Pole, but on come.
the other hand,
positive for new
shipping routes.
‘FA [Football There is nothing This is relevant It is the first time
Association] negative about this because it expresses that this happens, so
includes women on story, it is quite the equality in the it is extraordinary
governing council’ positive. FA.
8.5
a) News satire:
The Babylon Bee – after capitol riots, sesame street pulls all episodes featuring the letter ‘Q’
https://babylonbee.com/news/after-capitol-riots-sesame-street-drops-all-episodes-
featuring-the-letter-q/?
utm_content=buffer74081&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign
=buffer
Photograph – a photograph depicting an episode of sesame street which features the letter
Headline - after capitol riots, sesame street pulls all episodes featuring the letter ‘Q’
Newsworthiness – extraordinary news, because a children’s show is pulling episodes
because it features a certain letter
Quotations - “Sure, we want the children to be educated,”
“But the letter ‘Q’ has become a dangerous letter. I mean, what if these kids grow up to be
terrorists-- or worse, Trump supporters? We must stop the process of radicalization early!”
- quotation from sesame street writer Ken Scarborough
Source – Sesame Street Writer Ken Scarborough
Fake news:
World news daily report - YOKO ONO: “I HAD AN AFFAIR WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN THE
’70S”
https://worldnewsdailyreport.com/yoko-ono-i-had-an-affair-with-hillary-clinton-in-the-70s/

AOE question page 49

Fake news, click bait and news satire don’t seem to be literature someone doing an IB
Diploma Programme should study, but recognizing the differences between them is a skill
which is very useful. By being able to identify if an article is fake, real or satire, you will
always be sure that you have the right sources when getting information on the internet.
The purpose of the IB Programme is to build up your critical thinking skills, not just accept
everything that’s given to you. Being able to identify texts adds to those skills and will
additionally be very useful in your life.

8.6
Mystery shrouds death of Jay Gatsby

Peter Parker 1922

Businessman and socialite gunned down in his own swimming pool.

NEW YORK - Police have confirmed the identity of the body found earlier today in the
swimming pool of the Gatsby estate in West Egg to be that of entrepreneur and socialite Jay
Gatsby. Authorities are operating on the theory that he was murdered by auto-mechanic
George Wilson, whose body was found in the woods near the estate. Wilson is thought to
have murdered Gatsby out of revenge before turning the same revolver on himself.

The murder-suicide comes after Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson's wife, was killed in a hit-and-
run incident on the previous evening outside her husband's gas station near Flushing in the
'Valley of Ashes'. Witnesses claim that the perpetrator drove a yellow Rolls Royce.
During the investigation of the Gatsby murder, police discovered a yellow Rolls Royce with
bloodstains and a broken headlight on the premises of the Gatsby estate. It is unclear,
however, if Mr. Gatsby was personally involved in the hit-and-run incident, as witnesses
claim to have seen a woman driving the automobile. The identity of the woman remains
unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.

Jay Gatsby was last seen leaving the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan on October 25 around 7 p.m.
He had rented a suite there for the afternoon. From his suite, a heated argument was heard
by guests. Receptionists confirm that he left the suite with a woman in a fit of rage.

Persons with information on the murder of Mr. Gatsby and Mrs. Wilson are asked to come
forward and provide local authorities with this information to assist investigations further.

Little is known about Jay Gatsby, despite the lavish parties that were hosted at his West Egg
mansion. It is believed that his extravagant lifestyle was financed by a flourishing business in
the illegal distribution of alcohol. One acquaintance of Gatsby's, who wishes to remain
anonymous, claims to have seen Gatsby with New York crime kingpin Meyer Wolfsheim,
though this cannot be confirmed.

To some, Jay Gatsby was known as an 'Oxford Man', though there is no record of him
attending any college in Oxford, England. Sources (source) within the US Army, however,
confirm that he received a scholarship (fact) to attend schooling in Oxford after his valiant
efforts in the Great War. Drafted into the Army, Gatsby quickly rose to the rank of Major.
Rumours that Gatsby was a German spy appear to be ill-founded.

Gatsby's neighbour, Nick Carraway, had this say about him: “Gatsby was misunderstood by
many, but he was a good man with a clear focus.” When asked what captured the focus of
this aloof, though well-known man, Carraway answered vaguely: ‘His focus was on the past,
and regaining what he had lost years ago. But it was in vain. He was like a boat rowing
against the tide. And the world of Old Money will never give an inch to people like Jay
Gatsby, people with New Money. They have to row their own boat. And for Gatsby, he
simply wasn't strong enough.’

It is thought that Jay Gatsby is survived by none. Any family members or relatives are asked
to make themselves known to the County of Great Neck.

An estate-sale will be organized by Nick Carraway and friend Jordan Baker on the 1st of
November. Proceeds from this sale will benefit the Golf for Youth Foundation, of which Ms.
Baker is the founder.

An open funeral will be held at Great Neck Memorial on October 31st at 3 p.m.

a) The students’ understanding of the novel. The student knows the characters and is able
to put the events in order. By describing a statement made by Nick Carraway, and therefore
embodying his character, the student shows that they know who the character is and how
he would have responded to questions from a newspaper.
b) The students’ understanding of the conventions of the text type. The student shows their
sources so that the reader knows where they get their information from. Furthermore, they
made sure all information is confirmed by authorities, or otherwise mentions that it is not. It
is written in a formal and informative way, exactly what an article should be.

8.7
a) This article is about Aleksei Navalny who was arrested when he landed in Moscow on the
17th of January: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/world/europe/navalny-russia-
return.html
c-d)
Text 1.35
is thought to Verb tense
[source] has confirmed Reported speech
the investigation is ongoing Active voice
[source] claim Reported speech
News article
show of fearlessness by Russia’s most Adjectives and adverbs
prominent opposition: sibilance and
alliteration
[quote] he said. [quote Quoted speech and use of pronouns
… - [extra information] - … -

9.1
a) In both a blog and a diary people keep a record of things that happen and are free to
write about whatever they want. However, a blog is a published on the World Wide Web
and a diary is personal and not shared with others.
b) Both an essay and a blog give the author’s opinion. However, an essay is always
structured and a blog post doesn’t necessarily have to.
c) similar because they both a allow the writer to express their opinion. The purpose of an
opinion column is to spread their opinion and convince people of it, but a blog is more to
just share their own thoughts. On top of that, an opinion column is published in a
newspaper and blog is published on a website.
d) Both a news report and a blog are posted on the World Wide Web, but a news report is
not free to write about anything like a blog is.
e) Both a review and a blog give the author’s opinion, though a review has to be structured
and a blog doesn’t have to be.
f) Personal events are described in both a journal and a blog. However, blog is posted on the
internet and a journal is personal, not shared with anyone. Journal is usually paperbound,
and a blog is online.
g) A website is where a blog is hosted. However, not every website hosts a blog.
h) A press release is an official statement from government, while a blog can be posted by
anyone.
i) Tweets have a limited number of words, while a blog doesn’t have a limit. They are both
published on the World Wide Web.
j) Both a blog and a Facebook page are published on the internet, however on a Facebook
post you can adjust who can read it.
9.2
I partly agree with this cartoon, because in a blog post people are able to write anything
they want and therefore write all kinds of nonsense, for example something they made. It is
also a place where everyone is allowed to voice their opinions freely and reach a lot of
people, which results in many conspiracy theorists to spread their information on blogs.
Blogs also serve as free advertisement, because you can post anything for free and reach a
large audience, so there is a lot of self-promotion.
However, on the other hand, many businesses and agencies have professional blogs which
can be useful to get updates on the business and, for example, events that are coming up.
Agree Disagree

Lisa → Everyone’s free to say anything they
want. Easily leads people down a path of self-
advertisement.
Kim → (of course false division) Growing
problem w/ blogging. Easy to spread conspiracy
theories and self-promote. People are mostly
attracted to these popular categories.
Klaske → There’s a lot of travel blogs
too and other useful information.
Mandy → Blogs might also start
discussion about current affairs, to
make the readership understand
something from the author’s POV.
Maurits → The division is not
representative. Not everything will
feature in equal parts. (⅓ division is
false)

9.3
I actually don’t read blogs, but I sometimes check the blog of NASA, which gives updates on
upcoming events.
This blog doesn’t fit into one of the three categories from the ‘Bog breakdown’ cartoon, it is
an informative blog updated by an official government agency.
I like to read this blog to keep up to date on upcoming events in spaceflight, which I am
interested in.
It is informative and formal language, which targets the audience of people interested in
spaceflight.

9.4
I chose this sentence: “acknowledging differences and being supportive are not mutually
exclusive. If anything, they go hand in hand, because they allow women, trans and non-
trans, to talk honestly and see each other as people”
Question Answer and/or Reason

a) Look for one sentence that “acknowledging differences and being supportive are not
captures the author’s main mutually exclusive. If anything, they go hand in hand,
message → Post sentence in because they allow women, trans and non-trans, to talk
chat message to me honestly and see each other as people, instead of

b) Write this sentence on a
piece of paper and give it to
your teacher. Your teacher will
read out the various
sentences that were
identified.
reducing themselves to manicures and menstruation”
“But as Adichie said, acknowledging differences and
being supportive are not mutually exclusive”
“That trans people have long suffered from hideous
prejudice and violence, and continue to do so, is without
question” x2

“to me, it seems more a case of throwing out the

commonsensical baby with the transphobic bath water”

“Nowhere is the discussion about identity more

passionately felt than within the transgender
community”

c) Discuss, as a class, why you Lisa → Summary of what Freeman is trying to say
chose these sentences and try
to decide which one is most Dagmar → Provides a message similar to the first quote,
accurate. but in less words.

Jort → Captures how people suffer and deal with issues

unique to transgender women.

Maurits → Started with “to me”: indication writer’s

opinion.

Dagmar, Klaske, Valentijn & Lisa: “But as Adichie said,

acknowledging differences and being supportive are not
mutually exclusive”
It explains the respect women, trans and non-trans
should show each other, and not just seen from the
perspective of trans-gender women. It summarises
Freedman’s opinion on the whole topic, as she explained
the extremes of both sides.

d) Where does this message We weren’t able to choose best one in class, but we all
appear in the blog post? Is this had a sentence which was in the last paragraph
a typical place to write a
message in a blog post?
Discuss:

Learner profile
The author of text 1.37 suggests that men who want to be treated as women be treated as
men who want to be treated as women, therefore not treating them as just women. I do not
agree with this statement, because when someone is born in the wrong body, they should
not be treated by people keeping in the back of their heads that they were born with a
different sex than the gender they are identifying as. There is a difference between gender
and sex, namely sex being what is in your DNA and gender being what someone identifies
as. When someone identifies as a gender which is different from their sex, they should be
treated as the gender they identify as, and only that.

9.5
a) I do not agree with Hadley Freeman about how trans women should be treated. She
argues that the differences between women and trans women should be acknowledged, but
I feel like that is exactly what trans women do not want: they don’t want to stand out
anymore and be treated differently just because they were born in the wrong body. They
have struggled with being different their whole lives and deserve to be treated as equals to
women.
b) The Guardian newspaper targets a well-educated, relatively young, predominantly male
and liberal audience centered around London (The Reference, 2020). Because Hadley
Freeman’s target audience is well-educated, they are probably interested to learn about
modern topics like this and open-minded to people’s insights on this topic. The Reference
also states that readers of the Guardian take an interest in, among other things, women’s
issues and human rights charities: Text 1.37 addresses both of these topics.
https://www.reference.com/world-view/target-audience-guardian-newspaper-
d82394beddc67c7
c) Hadley Freeman writes about a very sensitive topic, but still manages to keep people
reading and stay open-minded to her suggestions on it. She does this by making some
occasional jokes and using arguments to support her opinion.
d) – Are you openminded to people who have different opinions than you?
e) The difference between a column and a blog is that a blog is highly interactive and more
casual in tone. Columns, however, are often published in a newspaper and therefore harder
for the reader to interact with. Furthermore, columns are often opinionated, way more than
blogs are. Based on this information, I think Hadley Freeman is an opinion columnist,
because she writes for newspapers and expresses an argumentized opinion.

9.6
I have chosen a blog post about the current affair of Redditors being responsible for huge
losses of hedge funds (short sellers).
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-short-selling-works-why-it-didnt-work-on-gamestop-
2021-1?international=true&r=US&IR=T

Key features Examples from the blog post

Topical Since the 12th of January the stock price of
GME (GameStop) has been rising
increasingly because of the interference of
Redditors. A community of 2 million people
on Reddit decided they wanted to get back
at the sneaky games hedge funds are
playing by short selling. They therefore
started to massively buy GME stock to
increase its price. By the immense increase
 ($20-$360), the hedge funds have already
lost about 13 billion dollars.
Voice The voice is quite formal
Examples ‘In shorting a stock, an investor borrows
shares from a lender, let’s say at $10 per
share. The investor then takes the
borrowed shares and sells them for that
same price. Once the stock goes down, to
let’s say $1 per share, the investor buys the
shares back and returns them to the lender,
pocketing $9 per share.’
Opinion ‘spoiled the strategy for GameStop bears’
By calling them bears, she puts them in a
negative light. She seems to be standing on
the side of ‘Reddit’s day-trader army’.