Possible thesis statements:
A person’s ability to discover is dependent on the environments to which they are exposed
Relationships and inner journeys are key to discovering more about oneself
The physical act of discovering a new place acts as a catalyst for personal change
The way in which humans react to environments and situations they are exposed to influences the type of discoveries they undertake.
Introduction Outline:
Begin your essay with a strong thesis
Introduce ‘Away’ in detail by outlining the plays context, flipped time period (1986-1968)and author.
Introduce your related texts using the same explicit details
Link back to the question by stating these texts have strengthened your understanding of discovery.
Possible Paragraphs on Away:
1.
The setting of the oppressive and confined school hall in comparison to the unconfined and beautiful picturesque nature of the Australian beach. Discuss the fact that both settings reflect the Australian context and the ability for physical settings to act as a catalyst for personal discoveries. Use the techniques imagery and the fairy fantasy element of the storm as intertextuality due to the parallel with A Mid-Summer Nights Dream as techniques here. Symbolism is used here as the holiday represents tranquillity and freedom and the storm represents fate and the idea that some discoveries are stumbled upon and unplanned.
2.
The characterisation of Tom formulated by the play within a play structure as Gow uses the intertextuality quote again here. In this paragraph reference the fact that Tom plays three different characters within plays in Away here (Puck, The Fyling Dutchman and King Lear). Tom discovers more about himself as his maturity grows far beyond a regular teenager. He acts as a nurturing figure who helps restore Coral. Quote his role as Puck when he performs within the play ‘A Midsummer
Nights Dream’ at the school hall during the play’s epilogue here when Tom states Pucks line ‘shall restore amends’ and at the end of the play he states, ‘while we unburde’d crawl toward death.’ This illustrates Tom has accepted his fate and a discovery of self has taken place through his realisation.
3.
Coral’s character as representative of self-discovery through overcoming difficult situations. The death of Coral’s son is representative of the context of the Vietnam war where the ‘save our sons’ campaigns occurred. Her grief overcomes her persona and she feels confined by her husband at their holiday resort in Queensland. Coral is restored to her original self due to Tom’s nurturing role illustrated when she acts as the ‘strange women’ who turns into a mermaid and is restored to a women during the play due to a sailor who sacrifices his own happiness (played by Tom) for her.
This is rediscovery of self as she is remembering the women she once was and has accepted her son’s death to restore her individual paradigm.
4.
The Australian context representative by the flipped nature of the play which was written in 1986 and set in 1968. Both contexts illustrate a growing post war prosperity with growing economic

stability following anti-war campaigns due to the Vietnam war in the 60’s and Falklands war in
1982. With this in mind discuss Gwen as a product of her context and her obsessive, compulsive nature illustrating her need to remain wealthy as she has escaped the poor oppressed environment in which she was raised. Her self-discovery takes place as she recognises her flaws and accepts the downfalls of her personality. She also recognises the error in her ways on the realisation that Tom is dyeing, leading readers to recognise the harsh nature of her earlier words against Tom’s character.
She overcomes the fact that she judges people too quickly when she recognises nobody likes her.
Possible Related Texts:
1.
Shawshank Redemption: Directed by Frank Darabont in 1994
Within this paragraph you would discuss the fact that the ways in which individuals react to challenges they face within their setting is dependent on the setting itself and the individuals will power. Describe the confining an restrictive nature on institutions. Use a linking sentence here to link the restrictive nature of the setting to Away’s school hall setting. Explain links to discovery using the narraters voice over (Red) as a technique and discuss Andy’s quest to discover new knowledge when he opens the library and performs the guards tax returns to continue to stimulate his brain. Discuss
Andy’s characters will power and ability to plot to discover the world through his prison break.
2.
The Rabbits: Written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan in 1998
Talk about this picture book as an allegorical fable about colonisation, told from the viewpoint of the colonised recounting the physical discovery of new land and the impact this has on native peoples.
Within this paragraph discuss the negative impacts of discovery through the change in the physical environment. The environment (representative of Australia) becomes oppressed and degraded due to the poor treatment of the rabbits (representative of English settlers), illustrating not all discoveries have positive outcomes. Techniques used in this picture book include the allegory, colour as the beginning of the book uses bright earthy red and brown colours showing a thriving landscape in contrast with the end of the book which is almost completely black illustrating the land pollution and degradation. Discuss the physical size of the rabbits who are drawn much larger than the possums (as the salient image on most pages) and the recurring motif of clocks pictured throughout the book as symbolic of time passing as the environment weakens.
3.
Looking for Alibrandi: written by Melina Marchetta, published in 1992
This text focuses on the self-discovery of Josie who is trying to overcome the pressures of being a teenager and learns to balance life as a second generation migrant and young Australian adult.
Family relations and the discovery of what is really important to you is a key theme in the text, cantering on Josie’s relationships with her father and grandmother. Josie’s attraction and love interest spark interest in the play as she discovers her own femininity and is experimenting with young adulthood. The tragedy of her friends suicide is also relevant here as she learns more about the pressures of life at large. Techniques to discuss if doing this related text include dialogue which helps unfold Josie’s relationships. The first person narration is also notable as it makes the novel personal and helps readers relate to and establish a personal relationship with Josie. The use of exclamation marks and punctuation are important as they trace Josie’s multiple arguments throughout which stipulate her stereotypical role as a rebellious teenager.

4.
The Discovery Channel Theme Song
This song encompasses the physical aspects of discovery and illustrates human nature’s natural desire to discovery to satisfy their curiosity and psyche. If you focus on this text discuss the fact that physical environments heavily impact on self-discovery and elicit freedom and wonder in humans.
Compare this freedom and underpin the ability the natural environment has to heal and restore humans due to its beauty and our ability to interact with it in extreme an peaceful ways depending on our personalities. Techniques to include here would be the montage of images and different environments, the multiple personas as a number of people exploring the world sing the lyrics, repetition of the lyrics themselves and the strong use of natural colours to illustrate the worlds beauty.
5.
The Unsung Hero- Thai Insurance Advertisement
The persona of the main character is central to discovery here and it illustrates one humans ability to alter the lives of other and help them discover more about the world and better their situations. This text appeals to the viewer’s compassion and emotions and encourages humans to recognise the importance of helping others. The text illustrates that people can stumble across discoveries unexpectedly and that others can impact on a person’s ability to discover. Techniques involve the recurring motif of the dog following the man and the tree growing. The music also represents the changing tone of the song.