English

Stage 6

Module C: The Craft of Writing

Support Document

English Standard and English Advanced courses

Higher School Certificate
2019–2023
English Advanced Module C – The Craft of Writing

DESCRIPTION
In this module, students strengthen and extend their knowledge, skills and confidence as accomplished writers. Students write for a range of
audiences and purposes using language to convey ideas and emotions with power and precision.

Students appreciate, examine and analyse at least two short prescribed texts as well as texts from their own wide reading, as models and
stimulus for the development of their own complex ideas and written expression. They evaluate how writers use language creatively and
imaginatively for a range of purposes; to express insights, evoke emotion, describe the wonder of the natural world, shape a perspective or to
share an aesthetic vision.

Through the study of enduring, quality texts of the past as well as recognised contemporary works, students appreciate, analyse and evaluate
the versatility, power and aesthetics of language. Through considered appraisal and imaginative engagement with texts, students reflect on the
complex and recursive processes of writing to further develop their self-expression and apply their knowledge of textual forms and features in
their own sustained and cohesive compositions.

During the pre-writing stage, students generate and explore various concepts through discussion and speculation. Throughout the stages of
drafting and revising students experiment with various figurative, rhetorical and linguistic devices, for example allusion, imagery, narrative
voice, characterisation, and tone. Students consider purpose, audience and context to deliberately shape meaning. During the editing stages
students apply the conventions of syntax, spelling, punctuation and grammar appropriately and effectively for publication.

Students have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively to reflect, refine and strengthen their own skills in producing highly
crafted imaginative, discursive, persuasive and informative texts.

Note: Students may revisit prescribed texts from other modules to enhance their experiences of quality writing.

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PROSE FICTION

Text Overview Merit/Cultural Significance Suggested Source

The Awakening First published in 1899, this novella
presents a provocative study of
Kate Chopin
female identity and independence in a
repressive society. It features a strong
narrative voice, controlled descriptions
and dialogue, and the use of
foreshadowing, imagery and
symbolism.
Acclaimed as a short story writer in her Chopin, Kate
time, Kate Chopin’s novella received The Awakening and Selected Stories
renewed critical attention from the
Penguin Classics, 2003
1960s and is now regarded as an
important precursor of modern feminist ISBN: 9780142437322
literature.

The Fun of the The story features strong Elizabeth Harrower is an Australian Harrower, Elizabeth
Fair characterisation, vivid imagery and novelist and short story writer. She
A few days in the country and other
vibrant dialogue. It presents a received the Patrick White Award in
Elizabeth stories
poignant depiction of the protagonist’s 1996.
Harrower
emotional experiences. Text Publishing, 2016
ISBN: 9781925355550

Metamorphosis This 1915 novella fuses descriptions A novelist and short story writer, Franz Kafka, Franz
of quotidian domestic details and Kafka is widely acknowledged as one of
Franz Kafka Metamorphosis
realistic characterisation with fantastic the most influential figures of twentieth-
subject matter to explore themes of century literature. Penguin, 2010
alienation and existential anxiety and ISBN: 9780141194837
regret, and is regarded as a seminal
work of absurdist fiction.

13
Love and Honour First published in 2006 and combining Nam Le is an Australian writer of Le, Nam
and Pity and elements of autobiography, fiction and Vietnamese descent. He has received
The Boat
Pride and metafiction, the story presents an numerous awards including the
Compassion and examination of identity, familial Pushcart Prize, the Dylan Thomas Penguin, 2009
Sacrifice relationships and the narrator’s Prize, the Australian Prime Minister’s ISBN: 9780143009610
Vietnamese heritage. Literary Award and the Anisfield-Wolf
Nam Le
Book Award.

Thirteen Ways of Featuring the skilful use of narrative
Looking point of view to represent multiple
perspectives, the story features an
Colum McCann
observational style and episodic
structure.
Colum McCann is an Irish novelist and McCann, Colum
short story writer. He is the recipient of
Thirteen Ways of Looking
numerous awards and prizes including
the 2009 National Book Award and the Bloomsbury, 2016
2011 International IMPAC Dublin ISBN: 9781408869857
Literary Award.

What Time Is It A self-conscious metafiction Colum McCann is an Irish novelist and McCann, Colum
Now, Where You composed in thirteen sections, the short story writer. He is the recipient of
Thirteen Ways of Looking
Are? story explores both the possibilities numerous awards and prizes including
and the limitations of conventional the 2009 National Book Award and the Bloomsbury, 2016
Colum McCann
storytelling. 2011 International IMPAC Dublin
ISBN: 9781408869857
Literary Award.

The Ghost of Published in 1987, the story is
Firozsha Baag narrated from the point of view of a
Goan servant and presents
Rohinton Mistry
meticulously drawn characters and a
sensitive evocation of place.
Rohinton Mistry is a Canadian author of Mistry, Rohinton
Indian descent. Among his numerous
Tales from Firozsha Baag
awards are the 1991 and 1996
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Faber and Faber, 2006
2012 Neustadt International Prize for ISBN: 9780571230563
Literature. He was appointed as a
Member of the Order of Canada in
2015.

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NONFICTION
Text Overview
How to Marry This 2016 review essay adopts a witty
Your Daughters and playful tone as it narrates the
author’s experience of reading Jane
Helen Garner
Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice
for, perhaps, the first time.
Eight Days in a Published in 2006, the essay offers a
Corset feminist perspective on clothing and
combines historical and literary
Siri Hustvedt
references with personal anecdotes.
First-person narration and the
inclusion of snippets of dialogue
create an informal discursive tone.
Politics and the First published in 1946, the essay
English presents a forceful argument about
Language the relationship between language
and thought. Various excerpts and
George Orwell
examples are dissected to illustrate
the dishonesty that lies at the heart of
political rhetoric and good and bad
elements of writing style.
Merit/Cultural Significance Suggested Source
Helen Garner is a celebrated Australian Garner, Helen
writer of fiction and nonfiction. She has
Everywhere I Look
received numerous awards and prizes
including the Melbourne Prize for Text Publishing, 2016
Literature, the Victorian Premier’s ISBN: 9781925355369
Literary Award for Fiction, the
Queensland Premier’s Award for Fiction
and the Windham-Campbell Literature
Prize for nonfiction.
Siri Hustvedt is an award-winning Hustvedt, Siri
American author of essays, nonfiction
A Plea for Eros
and fiction. She has received honorary
doctorates from the University of Oslo, Sceptre, 2006
Université Stendhal (Université ISBN: 9780340839782
Grenoble Alpes) and the Johannes
Gutenberg University of Mainz.
As a highly regarded and influential Orwell, George
British novelist and essayist of the
George Orwell: Essays
twentieth century, the Orwell Prize for
political writing and the Orwell Award Penguin, 2000
for critical analysis of public discourse ISBN: 9780141183060
are named in honour of George Orwell.
15
That Crafty Adapted from a lecture presented to
Feeling university writing students in 2008,
this essay adopts a lively, self-
Zadie Smith
conscious style and incorporates a
broad range of literary and cultural
references to reflect on different
approaches to writing fiction.
SPEECHES
Text Overview
Spotty-Handed By turns humorous and wryly
Villainesses subversive, this 1994 speech provides
a modern feminist perspective on the
Margaret Atwood
representation of female characters in
literature and culture throughout
history.
A Home in This 2011 speech incorporates literary
Fiction and cultural references and personal
anecdotes to narrate the author’s
Geraldine Brooks
development as a writer of fiction and
the awe and appreciation she holds
for the power of language.
Zadie Smith is a critically acclaimed Smith, Zadie
English author and professor of creative
Changing My Mind: Occasional
writing at New York University. She was
Essays
made a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Literature in 2002 and has won the Penguin, 2011
James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the ISBN: 9780141019468
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the
Orange Prize for Fiction.
Merit/Cultural Significance Suggested Source
Margaret Atwood is a highly regarded NESA NSW Syllabus website
Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic
and essayist. She has received
numerous awards and prizes including
the Canadian Governor General’s
Award, the Los Angeles Times Fiction
Award and the Booker Prize.
Geraldine Brooks is an Australian- NESA NSW Syllabus website
American author of fiction and
nonfiction. She was awarded the
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006 and
was made an Officer of the Order of
Australia in 2016.
16
Eulogy for The powerful use of rhetorical
Gough Whitlam devices, anecdotal recollections and
historical and cultural references
Noel Pearson
combine with the compelling narrative
and nuanced tone of the speech to
reframe the portrait and legacy of a
significant twentieth-century
Australian political leader.
POETRY
Text Overview
Stamp Collecting Published in 2008, the poem features
an autobiographical persona and
Kim Cheng Boey
establishes a nostalgic mood as a
father reflects on his family and
cultural heritage and the expatriate
experience.
Father and Child First published in 1969, the poem is
structured as a diptych and uses
Gwen Harwood
rhythm and rhyme, and imagery and
literary allusions, to portray the
relationship between a child and
father as it has changed over time.
Noel Pearson is an Aboriginal http://www.smh.com.au/comment/no
Australian lawyer, academic, land rights el-pearsons-eulogy-for-gough-
activist and political figure. His eulogy whitlam-in-full-20141105-
for former Australian Prime Minister 11haeu.html
Gough Whitlam delivered at a state
memorial service on 5 November 2014
has been hailed as one of the most
significant political speeches of our
time.
Merit/Cultural Significance Suggested Source
Kim Cheng Boey is an Australian poet Aitken, Adam; Boey, Kim Cheng and
of Chinese Singaporean descent. He Cahill, Michelle (eds)
won the Singapore National Book
Contemporary Asian Australian
Development Council of Singapore
Poets
Award for Poetry in 1992 and the
Singapore National Arts Council’s Puncher and Wattmann, 2013
Young Artist Award in 1996. His
ISBN: 9781921450655
collection Clear Brightness was
shortlisted for the 2014 Multicultural
NSW Award.
Regarded as one of Australia’s finest Harwood, Gwen
poets, Gwen Harwood was the recipient
Selected Poems
of numerous awards including the
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry and the Penguin, 2001
Patrick White Award. She was made an ISBN:9780141006680
Officer of the Order of Australia in 1989.
17
Thirteen Ways of First published in 1917, the poem
Looking at a presents a series of striking and
Blackbird evocative images and reflections.
Marked by contrasts and shifts in
Wallace Stevens
perspective, the clipped rhythms and
minimalist modes adopted in the
thirteen sections of the poem are
reminiscent of haiku.
The Lady of The long narrative poem is structured
Shallot as a ballad and recasts Arthurian
subject matter drawn from medieval
Alfred, Lord
legend to explore themes relating to
Tennyson
both female and artistic identities and
isolation from the world.
Picture a Vacuum Influenced by rap and hip-hop, this
(performance spoken-word poem utilises first and
poetry) second-person modes to explore the
individual’s relationship with and
Kate Tempest
experience of the cosmos.
A celebrated American poet of the Wallace Stevens: Selected Poems
twentieth century, Wallace Stevens won
Alfred A Knopf/Random House,
the National Book Award for Poetry in
2011
1951 and 1955, and the Pulitzer Prize
for Poetry in 1955. ISBN: 9780375711732
A much-loved Victorian poet and Alfred Lord Tennyson: Selected
important influence on the Pre- Poems
Raphaelite movement, Alfred, Lord Penguin Classics, 2007
Tennyson succeeded William
ISBN: 9780140424430
Wordsworth as Poet Laureate of Great
Britain and Ireland in 1850.
Kate Tempest is a critically acclaimed Tempest, Kate
spoken-word poet and playwright. She
Let Them Eat Chaos (CD)
won the Ted Hughes Award in 2012
and was the 2015–16 Visiting Fellow in 2016, Fiction Records
the Department of English at University
College London.
18