SACE Board Stage 2 Subject: 2016
YEAR 12 ENGLISH STUDIES
Course outline and text selection
guide for students
CONTENTS
1. Preamble
1
2. Course Outline (shared texts studies only)
2
3. Assessment (shared studies and examination only)
3
4. Performance Standards
4
5. SACE Board list of Prescribed Texts for 2016
6
6. Prescribed Text List Annotations
7
7. St John’s 2014 course and assessment plan
14
8. Other sample courses based on shared text combinations
16
9. Voting form
18
Preamble
The purpose of this guide is to give students intending to study Year 12 English Studies in 2016 at
St John’s enough information to be able to make an informed choice in the selection of Shared
Texts, particularly for the external examination component.
Although it is ultimately the teacher’s decision to determine the best combination of texts, students’
preferences can potentially play an important role in their success in the subject.
The ideal balance that needs to be found is between the teacher’s interests, experience and
expertise; the interests and experience of the students; and the structural requirements of the course.
Lastly there is also the financial consideration of purchasing class sets of new print texts.
Taking all of this into account, students should use the Prescribed Texts List and Annotations
(along with their own independent research) to indicate their preferences for texts that they would
like to study. This can be done by numbering them from 1 (most preferred) to their least preferred
within the three genres of Drama (17 titles), Film (20) and Prose (20).
In addition to these Prescribed Texts, other texts from elsewhere may be used as the second of a
pair with a text from the prescribed list. Examples of these are given in the sample courses. Students
may, if they wish, nominate such texts from their own experience and knowledge alongside
prescribed texts from the list which could be studied together as ‘paired texts’.
How will these preferences influence the final course?
If there is a majority preference for particular texts (one or two from each of the three different
genres) then they will be included. For prose or drama texts that are not in the library’s collection of
class sets, a greater than 50% choice will indicate the value of purchasing a new class set.
The sample courses are included to give students some idea of how specific texts can be used to
meet the requirements of the subject’s Shared Texts component, which is assessed by the first two
sections of essay questions in the end of year examination.
1
Course Outline
Stage 2 English Studies is a 20-credit subject that consists of a text study and a text production study.
Students read a range of extended texts and a number of shorter texts. They analyse texts from a variety of
contexts, including the past, the present and everyday experience.
English Studies focuses on the skills and strategies of critical thinking needed to interpret texts. Through
shared and individual study of texts, students encounter different opinions about texts, have opportunities to
exchange and develop ideas, find evidence to support a personal view, and learn to construct logical and
convincing arguments.
Students compose responses that show the depth and clarity of their understanding. By focusing on the
creativity and craft of the authors, students can develop strategies to enhance their own skills in composing
texts and put into practice the techniques they have observed. Students extend their ability to sustain a
reasoned critical argument by developing strategies that allow them to weigh alternative opinions against
each other.
English Studies helps students to extend the scope of their reading and viewing. It enriches their personal
development by encouraging them to explore texts from a range of cultural and critical perspectives. It
encourages interest in many kinds of texts, and in making connections between texts and personal and
cultural experience.
TEXT STUDY
The text study comprises four shared studies and an individual study.
Shared Studies
Shared studies consist of a:




study of two single texts;
study of paired texts;
study of poetry
critical reading study of short texts.
Among the texts chosen for the four shared studies there must be:





at least one film text;
at least one extended prose text;
at least one written drama text;
at least 1000 lines of poetry;
a range of short texts for the critical reading study.
In small groups and large groups, students discuss their interpretations of texts. They develop pieces of
writing and oral presentations that show the depth and clarity of their critical understanding through
sustained and reasoned arguments about texts.
Study of Two Single Texts
This study focuses on the role of the author in composing the text and the part played by the reader in
making meaning of the text. The study of single texts is designed to address the ideas, experiences, and
emotions explored in the texts. It entails discussion about the place of language techniques and stylistic
features (such as narrative perspective and structure, setting, and characterisation) in achieving the author’s
purpose. Students could also consider the factors that affect different readers’ interpretations of a text.
The study of single texts is a shared activity based on texts chosen by the teacher from the list of prescribed
texts. A film text, a prose text, or a drama text may be used for this study, depending on the texts chosen for
the other studies.
2
Study of Paired Texts
Studying two texts in relation to each other allows students to broaden their understanding of the constructed
nature of texts and to gain a better understanding of the influence of sociocultural contexts on both the text
and the response of the reader. The influence of context on language and the way in which power, bias, and
discrimination are embedded in language can be considered.
By studying one text in relation to another, students can see that the same idea, experience, emotion, or
opinion can be treated in different ways. Students may explore ideas of intertextuality as their interpretation
and understanding of the texts chosen for study are informed by their awareness of other texts. Each of the
texts being studied forms part of the intertextual context for the other. Students consider the choices made by
authors and the interpretation made by readers.
One of the texts chosen for pairing must be from the list of prescribed texts on page eight. The other text may
be chosen from other sources. It may be an extended work, such as a play or play script, a feature film,
screenplay, or television miniseries, or an extended prose text. Poetry — either the work of a single poet or
an anthology of poems on a single theme — may be studied as the second text. Collections of short stories or
short films on a single theme or by a single author may also be used as the second text. Individual poems and
single, short occasional pieces are not appropriate for this study.
Texts may be paired as written and film versions, or written and television miniseries versions, provided that
the conventions of each text type are explicitly identified and compared. Focusing on the narrative alone
would not be sufficient to meet the learning requirements.
A key concept in the effective pairing of texts for critical or analytical purposes is the tension between
similarity and difference. This must be taken into account when the two texts are chosen for study. For
example, very similar works by the same author may be a logical pairing but may not allow students to draw
sufficient comparisons. Similarly, two texts that are widely different in theme and style may be difficult to
connect effectively. The most productive pairings are those likely to provide ample scope for establishing
both similarities and differences.
The options for establishing a link between the paired texts are:





the same author
a common theme, idea, or topic
the same historical or literary period or a different historical or literary period
the same text type or a different text type
similar or contrasting cultural perspectives.
Assessment Type 1: Shared Studies (30% – school assessed; externally moderated)
Students undertake six responses to their shared studies. The summative assessment will be based on six
tasks done over the year in response to the shared texts studied:
summative tasks
weightings
 study of two single texts;
2
11%
 study of paired texts;
1
7%
 study of poetry
1
7%
 critical reading study of short texts.
1
5%
A written response should be a maximum of 1000 words. An oral response should be a maximum of 6
minutes; a multimodal response should be of equivalent length.
In responses to the shared studies, students may consider the ways in which the creators and readers of texts
use language techniques to make meaning and to influence opinions.
Students also develop an understanding of the ways in which texts are composed for a range of purposes and
audiences. Students analyse ideas, values, and beliefs and, when appropriate, make connections with
personal experiences, ideas, values, and beliefs.
3
Students undertake comparative exercises in which they establish connections between texts by analysing
and synthesising similarities and differences in order to integrate their discussion. By completing responses
to texts students develop skills in supporting conclusions with direct reference to evidence from their
reading.
For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment
design criteria:




knowledge and understanding
analysis
application
communication.
Assessment Type 4: Examination (30% – externally assessed)
The 3-hour external examination requires students to write three responses. The examination is divided into
three sections and students must answer one question from each section:



Section A contains questions on the study of two single texts or the study of paired texts or the
study of poetry. The study that is the focus of this section in any given year will not be known in
advance.
Section B contains a range of questions on the two studies not included in Section A.
Section C contains questions based on the critical reading of one or more unseen short texts.
For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment
design criteria:




knowledge and understanding
analysis
application
communication.
Performance Standards
The performance standards describe five levels of achievement, A to E.
Each level of achievement describes the knowledge, skills, and understanding that teachers and assessors
refer to in deciding, on the basis of the evidence provided, how well a student has demonstrated his or her
learning.
During the teaching and learning program the teacher gives students feedback on, and makes decisions
about, the quality of their learning, with reference to the performance standards.
Students can also refer to the performance standards to identify the knowledge, skills, and understanding that
they have demonstrated and those specific features that they still need to demonstrate to reach their highest
possible level of achievement.
At the student’s completion of study of each school-based assessment type, the teacher makes a decision
about the quality of the student’s learning by:


referring to the performance standards
assigning a grade between A+ and E– for the assessment type.
At the student’s completion of study of the subject, the teacher uses a SACE Board school assessment
calculator to combine the grades for the school-based assessment types and determine the student’s schoolbased assessment grade in the range A+ to E–. The calculator is available on the SACE Board website
(www.saceboard.sa.edu.au).
In the external assessment, assessors use the performance standards to make a decision about the quality of
students’ learning, based on the evidence provided.
The student’s school-based assessment and external assessment are combined for a final result, which is
reported as a grade between A+ to E–.
4
As an aid in choosing appropriate texts for the shared studies, the A, B and C bands of the performance
standards for Stage 2 English Studies, which will be used to assess responses to those texts in both the
examination and summative school tasks, are reproduced below:
A
B
Knowledge and
Understanding
Analysis
Application
Communication
Knowledge and understanding
of a wide range of ways in
which authors use stylistic
features and language
techniques to communicate
complex and familiar ideas,
and to influence the reader’s
response.
Analysis of complex
connections between
personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs,
and those explored in
familiar and unfamiliar texts.
Use of a wide range of language
skills and techniques to create
sophisticated and coherent texts
that address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Fluent and precise writing
and speaking, using
appropriate style and
structure for a range of
mainly unfamiliar
audiences and contexts.
Detailed knowledge and
understanding of the ideas,
values, and beliefs in familiar
and unfamiliar texts.
In comparative exercises, a
perceptive analysis of
connections between texts,
based on analysis and
synthesis of similarities
and/or differences.
Knowledge and understanding
of the ways in which creators
and readers of familiar and
unfamiliar texts use a range of
textual conventions to make
meaning.
Perceptive analysis of a
range of ways in which
authors use language
techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in
familiar and unfamiliar texts.
Knowledge and understanding
of the ways in which authors
use stylistic features and
language techniques to
communicate complex and
familiar ideas, and to influence
the reader’s response.
Analysis of some complex
connections between
personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs,
and those explored in
familiar, and some
unfamiliar, texts.
Knowledge and understanding
of some ideas, values, and
beliefs in familiar, and some
unfamiliar, texts.
In comparative exercises, a
clear analysis of
connections between texts,
based on analysis of
similarities and/or
differences.
Knowledge and understanding
of the ways in which creators
and readers of mainly familiar
texts use some textual
conventions to make meaning.
C
Knowledge and understanding
of a narrow range of ways in
which authors use stylistic
features and language
techniques to communicate
mainly familiar ideas, and to
influence the reader’s
response.
Knowledge and understanding
of some ideas, values, and
beliefs in mainly familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding
of some of the ways in which
creators and readers of a
range of familiar texts use
textual conventions to make
simple or factual meaning.
In comparative exercises, a
perceptive recognition of
connections between texts,
through responses that integrate
discussion of texts and move
easily between them.
Detailed and appropriate use of
evidence from texts to support
responses, with textual references
incorporated fluently in discussion.
Skills in using the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of text types for a range of
familiar and unfamiliar contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Use of a range of language skills
and techniques to create clear and
coherent texts that address the
meaning and intention of the task.
Analysis of a range of ways
in which authors use
language techniques to
influence opinions and
decisions in familiar, and
some unfamiliar, texts.
Analysis of simple
connections between
personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs,
and those explored in
familiar texts.
In comparative exercises,
recognition of connections
between texts, through responses
that compare and contrast texts in
an integrated way.
Appropriate use of evidence from
texts to support responses, with
textual references incorporated in
discussion.
In comparative exercises,
recognition of some connections
between texts, through responses
that compare and contrast texts,
usually in a sequential rather than
an integrated way.
Competent use of evidence from
texts to support responses, with
some use of textual references in
discussion.
Descriptive analysis of a
number of ways in which
authors use language
techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in
familiar texts.
Skills in using some of the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of some text types for
familiar contexts, audiences, and
purposes.
5
Mostly fluent and precise
writing and speaking,
using appropriate style
and structure for a range
of mostly familiar
audiences and contexts.
Appropriate use of form
and register to convey
complex and simple
meaning in a range of
familiar and unfamiliar
contexts.
Skills in using some of the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of text types for a range of
mainly familiar, and some
unfamiliar, contexts, audiences,
and purposes.
Use of language skills and
techniques to create texts that
address the meaning and intention
of the task.
In comparative exercises,
analysis of connections
between texts, based on
some understanding of
similarities and/or
differences.
Appropriate use of form
and register to convey
mostly complex meaning
in a range of unfamiliar
contexts.
Generally fluent and
functional writing and
speaking, using
appropriate style and
structure for familiar
audiences and contexts.
Appropriate use of form
and register to convey
simple meaning in a
narrow range of familiar
and unfamiliar contexts.
LIST OF PRESCRIBED TEXTS FOR 2016
DRAMA TEXTS
Author
Title
Beckett, Samuel
Bovell, Andrew
Davis, Jack
Enright, Nick, & Monjo, Justin
Harrison, Jane
Ibsen, Henrik
Miller, Arthur
Murray-Smith, Joanna
Pinter, Harold
Shaffer, Peter
Shakespeare, William
Stoppard, Tom
Williams, Tennessee
Williamson, David
FILM TEXTS†
Author
Publisher
Waiting for Godot
When the Rain Stops Falling
No Sugar
Cloudstreet
Stolen
A Doll’s House
The Crucible
The Female of the Species
The Caretaker
Equus
Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Richard III
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
The Glass Menagerie
Influence
Title
Author
Faber
Currency
Currency
Currency
Currency
Penguin
Penguin
Currency
Faber
Penguin
various
Penguin
Penguin
Currency
Title
Campion, Jane
The Piano
McTeigue, James
V for Vendetta
Clooney, George
Good Night, and Good Luck
Nair, Mira
Monsoon Wedding
Coen, Joel
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Niccol, Andrew
Gattaca
Donnersmark, Florian von The Lives of Others
Perkins, Rachel
Radiance
Fosse, Bob
Cabaret
Reed, Carol
The Third Man
Gast, Leon
When We Were Kings
Scott, Ridley
Blade Runner
Heer, Rolf de
The Tracker
Tamahori, Lee
Once Were Warriors
Hitchcock, Alfred
Psycho
Watt, Sarah
Look Both Ways
Lawrence, Ray
Lantana
Zhang Yimou
Raise the Red Lantern
Leigh, Mike
Secrets and Lies
Zinnemann, Fred
High Noon
†The version of a film listed for study will be the first cinematic release by the named director, or the director’s cut
POETS
Auden, W.H.
Blake, William
Dawe, Bruce
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Frost, Robert
Harwood, Gwen
PROSE TEXTS
Author
Achebe, Chinua
Allende, Isabel
Austen, Jane
Barker, Pat
Blain, Georgia
Deane, Seamus
Dickens, Charles
Drewe, Robert
Grenville, Kate
Guterson, David
Hardy, Thomas
Hosseini, Khaled
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Kesey, Ken
McEwan, Ian
Malouf, David
Martel, Yann
Orwell, George
Roy, Arundhati
Schlink, Bernard
Heaney, Seamus
Hopkins, G.M.
Keats, John
Kroll, Jeri
Malouf, David
Marvell, Andrew
Mtshali, Oswald Mbuyiseni
Murray, Les
Nichols, Grace
Noonuccal, Oodgeroo
Owen, Wilfred
Plath, Sylvia
Shakespeare, William
Slessor, Kenneth
Title
Soyinka, Wole
Strauss, Jennifer
Sykes, Bobbi
Thomas, Dylan
Wright, Judith
Yeats, W.B.
Publisher
Things Fall Apart
Eva Luna
Pride and Prejudice
Border Crossing
Candelo
Reading in the Dark
Great Expectations
The Shark Net
The Secret River
Snow Falling on Cedars
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Kite Runner
Never Let Me Go
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Atonement
Fly Away Peter
Life of Pi
Nineteen Eighty-Four
The God of Small Things
The Reader
6
Reed Education
Penguin
Penguin
Penguin
Penguin
Random House
Penguin
Penguin
Text Publishing
Allen & Unwin
Penguin
Allen & Unwin
Faber
Pan Macmillan
Vintage
Random House
Canongate
Penguin
HarperCollins
Allen & Unwin
English Studies
Prescribed Text List Annotations
These annotations cover all texts on the prescribed reading list and were provided by the SACE Board to assist teachers
with text selection. They are not presented as the only possible interpretation of the text, or as a favoured reading. Texts
have been arranged under the headings of Drama, Film and Prose texts, and presented alphabetically by author’s name.
While the SACE Board does not prescribe editions of written texts, some bibliographic information has been provided
to assist readers to choose and obtain texts for study. The version of a film listed for study will be the first cinematic
release by the named film director. Where a director’s cut of the film is available, this will be acceptable for study.
 NB: Aside from film texts (which can be purchased singly), those asterisked titles (*) bulleted in bold are
already available in the library as class sets (from 13 to 25 copies)
DRAMA TEXTS
Beckett, Samuel;
Waiting for Godot (Faber) *
 A play that has come to epitomise more than any other the absurdity of the human predicament in the modern
age, Becket creates a powerful and moving parable out of the barest of means: two sad clown-like characters
waiting for a third who never arrives.
Bovell, Andrew;
When the Rain Stops Falling (Currency, 2008)
Set against the wonder of the Australian landscape and a dramatically changing climate, When the Rain Stops Falling
weaves together four generations of interconnected stories, revealing the patterns of betrayal and abandonment within a
family over eighty years, from 1959 to 2039.
Davis, Jack;
No Sugar (Currency, 1986, 118 pp.)
The Millimurra family in rural WA show spirited defiance of the authoritarian regime imposed by the 1930s
government on aboriginal people. The corruption of officials like N. S. Neal, superintendent of the Moore River
Settlement, is set against the paternalistic belief of A. O. Neville, the ironically titled Chief Protector of Aborigines, that
‘the native must be helped in spite of himself.’ Documented references to the Oombulgari Massacre, and the whipping
of the pregnant Mary highlight the plight of these marginalised people in times of great economic hardship for all.
Enright, Nick & Justin Monjo
Cloudstreet (Currency Press, 1999, 122 pp)
This adaptation of Tim Winton’s novel traces the fortunes of the Lamb and the Pickles families over three decades as
they inhabit the one ramshackle house in suburban Perth, after World War II. The episodic structure is tied together by
the descriptive narrative of the ‘black man’ and explores the themes of family, reconciliation and spirituality which
characterise all Winton’s work. The play, although long in performance, is accessible as a written text and is enlivened
by earthy humour and lively idiomatic dialogue.
Harrison, Jane;
Stolen (Currency, 1998/2000, 36 pp.)
This play tells the story of five Aboriginal children removed from their parents and brought up in a children’s home.
Their experiences are presented in an episodic form moving back and forth in time, showing the outcomes of this policy
in their various lives, ranging from confusion to tragic despair, expressed in a tone of regret rather than resentment.
Ibsen, Henrik;
A Doll’s House (Penguin, 1965,124 pp.) *
 Nora’s courageous decision at the end of the play to leave her husband and children to seek her own
independence makes a powerful statement about the role of women in 19 th century society. In the course of the
play, we see this competent, determined woman treated as if she is no more than a doll, and forced into deception
to preserve domestic harmony. When she realises that her husband will not risk his reputation to protect her, she
shuts the door on that part of her life despite facing a very uncertain future. This is arguably the most influential
19th century play on modern theatre.
Miller, Arthur;
The Crucible (Penguin, 1976, 160 pp.) *
 The Salem witch trials of the late 17th century provide the metaphor for Miller’s parable of the McCarthy trials of
the 1950s. John Proctor’s agonising struggle with guilt emphasises the restrictive nature of the Puritan society.
The play explores the fate of citizens when the law of church and state is manipulated for personal gain and
individuals have to decide, at great personal cost, where their loyalty lies.
Murray-Smith, Joanna;
The Female of the Species (Currency)
Thirty years after 1970’s pioneering feminist and academic Margot Mason wrote her groundbreaking work, she has
writer’s block. An unannounced visitor and committed fan of Margot and her work offers a potential solution – until
Molly produces a gun and calmly informs Margot that she intends to kill her for warping her mother's mind and ruining
7
her life with her hit book The Cerebral Vagina. Inspired by Germaine Greer’s 2000 experience of being held captive in
her Essex country house, Joanna Murray-Smith’s wicked comedy deftly walks the tightrope between satire and farce.
Pinter, Harold;
The Caretaker (Faber)
A wheedling, garrulous old tramp comes to live with two neurotic brothers, one of whom underwent electroshock
therapy as a mental patient. The tramp’s attempts to establish himself in the household upset the precarious balance of
the brothers’ lives, and they end up evicting him. Typical of Pinter’s ambivalent plays in its plot, presentation of
character, and ending, it is nevertheless a work of undeniable power and originality. Through the disruption of a pair of
characters’ stereotyped relations and role-playing by the entrance of a stranger; the audience sees the psychic stability of
the couple break down as their fears, jealousies, hatreds, sexual preoccupations, and loneliness emerge from beneath a
screen of bizarre yet commonplace conversation.
Shaffer, Peter;
Equus (Penguin, 1999, 108 pp.) *
 When Alan Strang makes an horrific attack on the eyes of horses in the stables in which he works, a psychiatrist,
Martin Dysart, is asked to help him. His investigation of the sexual guilt and the pain induced in the young man
by his religious upbringing forces Dysart to confront the lack of passion in his own middle class life. The play
has an episodic structure, and combines elements of Greek chorus and ritual drama with Brechtian influences, to
present a powerful psychological drama.
Shakespeare, William;
Hamlet (Cambridge School Shakespeare, 2008) *
 Faced with the responsibility of avenging his father’s murder, Hamlet is racked with self-doubt and cannot bring
himself to kill his uncle. His loss of faith in the loyalty of those around him, particularly his mother and Ophelia,
accentuates his melancholy and indecision. While he finally achieves his goal, it is at great cost to himself and
others.
Shakespeare, William;
King Lear (various publishers)
When the arrogant King Lear chooses to abdicate, he exposes himself to the mercy of his grasping daughters who
restrict his powers and drive him mad. In the sub plot, the self-centred, cunning Edmund also betrays his father for his
own ends. In both cases, one child remains loyal to an undeserving parent who learns humility from the experience. The
play explores themes of family loyalty, appearance and reality, self-knowledge, deception, and betrayal.
Shakespeare, William;
Othello (various publishers)
Recognised as one of the great tragedies of Shakespeare, Othello explores the destructive power of jealousy but also
reflects on the role of gender and race in human relationships of the time. The manipulation of the insecure Othello and
the self-effacing Desdemona by the opportunistic Iago, introduces an element of evil which is chilling but fascinating
Shakespeare, William;
Richard III (various publishers)
A study in political manipulation and betrayal, this play is dominated by Richard whose insolence and daring make him
attractive, despite his cold blooded grasp for power. He is unrepentant about his evil self-interest and hatred of peace.
He is always in control, and able to bend others to his will.
Stoppard, Tom;
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Grove Press, 1988,128 pp.)
Verging on the Theatre of the Absurd, Stoppard plays with intertextuality to explore notions of self determinism and
fate. As we gain insight into the two friends of Hamlet from Shakespeare’s play, we consider how much control they,
and we, actually have over what happens in life. The dialogue is witty and full of clever wordplay and double entendres.
Williams, Tennessee;

The Glass Menagerie (Blackwell, 2000, 144 pp.)*
Set in St. Louis in the 1930s, The Glass Menagerie is a 'memory play' about the Wingfield family: Tom, who is
torn between his obligation to his family and his desire to break away from the suffocating embrace of his
mother, Amanda and his shy and crippled sister Laura, whose memory he will never escape. Abandoned by her
husband, Amanda comforts herself with recollections of her earlier, more gracious life in the American Deep
South, when she was pursued by 'gentlemen callers'. Now she fights to provide a better life for her grown
children, while they struggle for a future that seems unlikely ever to fulfil their mother's hopes and dreams. But
a change in fortune suddenly seems possible with the arrival of a handsome and mysterious young visitor who
arrives without warning. The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams' evocation of loneliness and lost love, is
one of his most powerful and moving plays; an unforgettable American classic.
Williamson, David;
Influence (Currency Press, 1996, 74 pp)
Ziggy Blasco is a radio talk-back host whose power rests in his influence, filling the airwaves with appeals to commonsense, a hard line with terrorists and lashings at political correctness. Politicians beg to be on his show, but in private,
Ziggy’s influence is fading away. Socio-political drama delivered with Williamson’s typical bitingly funny dialogue.
8
FILM TEXTS
The Piano
Jane Campion (1993)
Ada’s treasured piano is left on the beach when she arrives in New Zealand for her arranged marriage. Her desperate
efforts to regain it lead to an analysis of resistance to oppression and entrapment, and the power of love. The film also
comments on colonialism and the role of migrants in colonial society. The director makes use of motifs and symbolism,
especially of hands and the piano itself. The landscape plays an important part in developing the themes.
Good Night, and Good Luck
George Clooney (2005)
Based on the real-life 1950’s conflict between principled CBS television broadcaster Edward R. Murrow (David
Strathairn) and Senator Joseph McCarthy, the story documents the impact of McCarthy’s discredited underhand
methods of hounding communists and their sympathizers. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public,
Murrow and his small team of journalists defy corporate sponsorship pressures to reveal the undemocratic nature of the
Senate committee’s activities. Beautifully shot in black and white, Clooney’s engaging dramatisation of a despicable
episode in recent US history is a shining example of good journalistic filmmaking depicting good journalism.
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Joel & Ethan Coen (2001)
Ed Crane is a laconic, colourless barber in Santa Rosa in 1949, the ultimate passive hero. The desire for a life of his
own away from his moody wife and loquacious brother-in-law leads him into a web of adultery, murder, and blackmail.
Brilliantly photographed in black and white, with elements of absurdist film noir and strong performances from Billy
Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand, this film rises above its slow pace to present an interesting view of the balance
of power between men and women.
The Lives of Others
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (2007)
At once a political thriller and human drama, The Lives of Others begins in East Berlin in 1984, five years before
Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall and ultimately takes us to 1991, in what is now the reunited Germany. Tracing
the gradual disillusionment of Captain Gerd Wiesler, a highly skilled officer who works for the Stasi, East Germany’s
all-powerful secret police, we watch him spy on a celebrated writer and actress couple, once believed to be above
suspicion. But what the officer discovers is about to dramatically change their lives – as well as his – in this seductively
thought provoking film.
Cabaret
Bob Fosse (1972)
Based on the writings of Christopher Isherwood, this film uses Berlin in the 1930’s as an allegorical setting for an
exploration of the social, political and racist turmoil of the times. The camera work and direction are admirable, and the
music and cabaret scenes reinforce the commentary on the moral degradation and political brutality of life in Germany
at the time of the rise of Nazism.
When We Were Kings
Leon Gast (1996)
Adapted from Norman Mailer’s prose text, The Fight, this documentary covers the 1974 heavyweight title match
between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire. While the tactics before and during the match are gripping, the
real subject of the film is the racial tension of the times in Black America and Africa, and the emerging post-colonial
nationalism of the country.
The Tracker
Rolf de Heer (2002)
In 1922, ‘somewhere in Australia’, three white men, The Fanatic, The Veteran and The Follower, are guided by an
aboriginal man, The Tracker (David Gulpilil) as they hunt an aboriginal accused of murder. This stereotyping of black
and white protagonists lends de Heer’s film the power of fable to explore contemporary white guilt, as well as offer a
vision of reconciliation, through a story of colonial conflict. Set in stunning landscapes, the film uses various media to
make its point, presenting incidents of violence metaphorically by cutting to aboriginal paintings; and the soundtrack
not only cues emotions but reinforces the dialogue and cultural background through Archie Roach’s haunting lyrics.
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s powerful, complex psychological thriller is the “mother” of all modern horror suspense films. The
nightmarish, disturbing film’s themes of corruptibility, confused identities, voyeurism, human vulnerabilities and
victimization, the deadly effects of money, Oedipal murder, and dark past histories are convincingly revealed through
the repeated uses of motifs, such as birds, eyes, hands, and mirrors.
9
Lantana
Ray Lawrence (2002)
Like its eponymous vine, this darkly deceptive movie intertwines the lives of several people around the death of an
unidentified woman. Few answers are uncovered during the initial police investigation, and as the film progresses, we
meet the rest of the cast who all seem to be hiding something, coming together in the end for a finale that reminds one
of Magnolia and Short Cuts. Capturing universally shared struggles and disguising them as personal tragedies, director
Ray Lawrence uses the searching of his characters to construct a prism that reflects parts of our own lives back at us.
Secrets and Lies
Mike Leigh (1996)
A young black woman looking for her biological mother is the catalyst for a dysfunctional family’s acceptance that the
secrets and lies, which have dominated their lives, must end. Leigh uses single camera, unedited shots to increase
emotional impact, and the acting is superlative, especially that of Brenda Blethyn and Timothy Spall. The film was
Palme D’Or winner at Cannes in 1996 and is an unsentimental reflection on life, both poignant and funny.
V for Vendetta
James McTeigue (2006)
Set against the futuristic landscape of a totalitarian Britain, V for Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young
woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo
Weaving) known only as “V.” Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V
ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the
truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in
the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.
Monsoon Wedding
Mira Nair (2001)
As the extended Verma family gather in Delhi from around the globe for the arranged wedding of Aditi, the family’s
hopes, fears, and secrets emerge and several stories intersect. The film is an exuberant celebration of life in Delhi, filled
with colour, music, and dance but it opens up some serious issues about love, family life, and cross cultural interaction.
All this, along with the hand held camera technique and the subtle, expressive performances of the cast, provides plenty
of opportunities for critical comment about a funny, entertaining film.
Gattaca
Andrew Niccol (1997)
Set in the not too distant future, Gattaca explores the concept of gene technology and the place of the human spirit in
overcoming genetic determinism. Vincent, is an in-valid, a love child, who refuses to accept his genetic fate of social
ostracism and uses another man’s genetic characteristics to join the elite Gattaca and travel to Titan. We are lead to
consider science’s definition of what is human in this dark society and to see the power of human relationships
Radiance
Rachel Perkins (1998)
Three estranged sisters reunite for the funeral of their mother and confront their shared history and relationships. Their
aboriginality adds to their sense of isolation, which is highlighted in the film by the location of their house and the silent
stares of the townspeople. Finally, they confront the facts of their childhood and face the future as adults.
The Third Man
Carol Reed (1949)
Set in post-World War II Vienna, this film, with screenplay by Graham Greene, is ‘ a powerful examination of
friendship and loyalty in the face of social obligations.’ As writer, Holly Martins, searches for his old friend, Harry
Lime, he is forced to confront the fact that Harry is a corrupt racketeer, prepared to betray his friends to escape
detection. Visually stylish, and filmed in black and white, the film has two famous sequences, one atop a ferris wheel,
and the other a chase through the sewers of the city. The musical score, composed and played by Anton Karas, is noted
for its solo use of the haunting zither.
Blade Runner
Ridley Scott (1982)
A blend of science fiction and film noir, this film presents a scenario in which a group of androids, ‘more human than
humans’, have returned to Earth in AD 2019. Adapted from Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,
this film raises many questions about where technology is leading us and has had a profound influence on sci-fi
dystopias since its release. The special effects are sophisticated, and there are some strong acting performances.
Teachers choosing this film may use either the first cinematic release, or the director’s cut.
Once Were Warriors
Lee Tamahori (1994)
This confronting film presents shocking images of domestic violence but manages to convey a message of underlying
hope through the refusal of Beth to allow her spirit to be broken by savage beatings from her husband, Jake. Adapted
from Alan Duff’s novel, to present the story from the woman’s perspective, the film explores the political sub-text of
Maori dislocation and could be compared to any analysis of indigenous alienation. This award winning film lead to
reforms in New Zealand law in relation to domestic violence.
10
Look Both Ways
Sarah Watt (1999)
Animator Sarah Watt’s first feature film explores the lives of a number of damaged people over one weekend in
Adelaide. An artist (Justine Clarke) arrives home after attending her father’s funeral to hear news of a train crash and
she is almost witness to the death of a man on a railway line. Nick, (William McInnes), who has just been diagnosed
with a spreading cancer, is a newspaper photographer who, with journalist Andy, (Anthony Hayes), covers the death of
the man on the tracks. He takes a photo of the man’s partner Julia, (Daniela Farinacci), which his editor, Phil, (Andrew
S. Gilbert), displays on the front page of the paper the next day. This is one of those films in which the paths of a
number of disparate characters cross during a short timeframe. The shadow of death hovers over these people, but the
film itself is a joyful affirmation of life.
Raise the Red Lantern
Zhang Yimou (1991)
The educated Songlian, sold into marriage by her impoverished mother, becomes the fourth wife of a rich landowner.
She enters a closed, dictatorial society, fraught with jealousy and tension, reflected in the composition of doorways and
courtyards in the film. This film can be seen as a parable for the restrictive nature of modern Chinese society and was
banned in China. Its use of colour is outstanding, and reinforces the emotional power of the film.
High Noon
Fred Zinneman (1952)
The moral dilemma faced by Will Kane, when the townspeople refuse to help him defend the town from four gunmen
seeking vengeance, lifts this film out of the straight Western genre. Zinneman uses real time, and the recurrent motif of
the clock, to increase the tension. Careful editing of camera angles and voice-over flashbacks highlight the increasing
isolation of the sheriff, and the theme song reinforces his integrity and sense of duty.
PROSE TEXTS
Achebe, Chinua;
Things Fall Apart (Heinemann Educational, 1986,158 pp.)
When the warrior, Okonkwo, a leader of an Igbo community, accidentally kills a clansman he is exiled for seven years
and then returns to face the breakdown of his society as a result of colonial intrusion. The tensions between his sense of
tradition and ritual and the fear and violence that beset his society illustrate the pressures of colonial expansion on
nineteenth century African society.
Allende, Isabel;
Eva Luna (Penguin, 1987, 272 pp.) *
 The South American novelist, Isabel Allende, is noted for the quality of magic realism in her novels. Eva Luna is
no exception, using setting, imagery, and symbolism to add this dimension to a novel about the power of
storytelling. As the stories of Eva and Rolf gradually come together, we are led to consider a range of themes,
like the role of women in society, the influence of cultural, political, and religious differences, and the power of
love and imagination. At times confronting in its portrayal of life in a corrupt and violent society, this novel is
thought provoking and intriguing.
Austen, Jane;
Pride and Prejudice (Nelson Read, 1999, 345 pp.) *
 This novel provides a picture of the life of gentrified society in late 18 th century England. The role of women and
marriage is held up for inspection as the strong female character, Elizabeth, overcomes the limitations of her
family, and the strict rules of society, to win the heart of the enigmatic Mr Darcy.
Barker, Pat;
Border Crossing (Penguin, 2001, 215 pp )
As in her Regeneration trilogy, Pat Barker chooses a psychologist as the protagonist to allow the novel to explore a
situation where an individual is under both internal and external pressure .Tom testified at the trial of Danny, aged ten,
when he was convicted of the murder of an old woman. When they meet thirteen years later, the progression of their
relationship, set against the breakdown of Tom’s marriage, is presented mostly from Tom’s perspective. The ambiguity
of Danny’s motives, both past and present gives an edge of tension, which underlies the events and dialogue and leads
to a gripping finale.
Blain, Georgia;
Candelo (Penguin, 1999, 248 pp.)
This novel by a young Australian author revolves around the relationship between the past and the present as the
mystery associated with the holiday house at Candelo, south of Sydney, gradually unfolds. The novel explores the
moral choices, which can haunt us, and the role of social class and education in the decisions we make. Family
relationships, especially those between mother and daughter, are another theme. There is a strong sense of landscape in
the novel, which is written in a taut style with short sentences and an interesting use of dialogue.
11
Deane, Seamus;
Reading in the Dark (Vintage, 1996, 233 pp)
Set in Northern Ireland, against a background of sectarian violence, this novel explores the strains put on family
relationships by political allegiances, and the secrets and betrayals which accompany them. Moving and funny at the
same time, it focuses on growing up and on the interaction of the past and present.
Dickens, Charles;
Great Expectations (Penguin, 2006, 560 pp.)
A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter,
decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor
– these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip’s life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins
to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens’s haunting late novel depicts Pip’s education and development through
adversity as he discovers the true nature of his ‘great expectations’ — a comment as much on the values of an age
dominated by class prejudices and modernity as on the characters’ weaknesses and misfortunes.
Drewe, Robert;
The Shark Net (Viking, 2000, 358 pp.)
This autobiographical account of Drewe’s fifteen years growing up in Perth in the fifties and sixties, is tied together by
his recurrent contact with Eric Cooke, the Claremont murderer, and by the power of his description of the city and its
beaches, complete with shark attacks. Through it, he weaves a finely drawn portrayal of family life that is both sensitive
and humorous.
Grenville, Kate;
The Secret River (Text Publishing, 2006, 352 pp)
In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New
South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife Sal and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot
understand. But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to
claim a hundred acres for himself. Aboriginal people already live on that river, and other recent arrivals — Thomas
Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan and Mrs Herring — are finding their own ways to respond to them. Thornhill, a man
neither better nor worse than most, soon has to make the most difficult choice of his life. Inspired by research into her
own family history, Kate Grenville vividly recreates the reality of settler life in a ground-breaking story about identity,
belonging and ownership.
Guterson, David;
Snow Falling on Cedars (Harcourt, 1994, 384 pp.)
 The trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, a Japanese Canadian fisherman, for the murder of Carl Heine is the context for
Guterson’s exploration of the tensions within an island community in the years following World War 2. Issues of
cross cultural romance, and racial prejudice are set against the background of howling snowstorms which
heighten the struggle of Ishmael Chambers to come to terms with his personal moral dilemma.
Hardy, Thomas;
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (Signet, 1963, 272 pp.)
The pure Tess is the victim of her family, the dashing Alec, and the patronising Angel Clare, and is generally
representative of the exploitation of women in 19 th century England. Through her misadventures, Hardy shows the
inequality of society and the effects of industrialisation on rural England.
Hosseini, Khaled;
The Kite Runner (Bloomsbury, 2004, 336 pp)
 Desperate to win the approval of his father, twelve-year-old Amir resolves to win the local kite-fighting
tournament to prove that he has the makings of a man. His loyal friend Hassan promises to help him; for he
always helps Amir. But while Hassan is merely a low-caste servant in 1970’s Afghanistan who is jeered at in the
street, Amir still feels jealous of his natural courage and the place he holds in his father’s heart. But neither of the
boys could foresee what would happen to Hassan on the afternoon of the tournament, which was to shatter their
lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must
return, to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.
Ishiguro, Kazuo;
Never Let Me Go (Vintage, 2005, 272 pp)
The elegance of Ishiguro’s prose and the pitch-perfect voice of his narrator conspire to usher readers convincingly into
the remembered world of Hailsham, a British boarding school for special students. The reminiscence is told from the
point of view of Kathy H., now 31, whose evocation of the sheltered estate’s sunlit rolling hills, guardians, dormitories,
and sports pavilions is imbued with undercurrents of muted tension and foreboding that presage a darker reality.
Ultimately, readers learn that the Hailsham children are clones, raised solely for the purpose of medical harvesting of
organs, their lifespan circumscribed by years when they are designated as carers, followed by a short period as active
donors, culminating in what is obliquely referred to as completion.
12
Kesey, Ken;
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Signet, 1963, 272 pp.) *
 Set in a mental hospital, the conflict between Randle Mc Murphy and Big Nurse represents the opposition of
individual freedom and institutionalised power in society. As he watches the often funny but ultimately tragic
struggle, the narrator, Chief Bromden finds the strength to overcome his withdrawal from society, which
vindicates the sacrifice that the unlikely saviour makes. The novel is written in a racy style, enriched by
symbolism.
McEwan, Ian;
Atonement (Random House 2001, 374 pp)*
 Ranging from 1935 to the turn of the 21st century Atonement is an exploration of guilt and the need for
forgiveness. Briony Tallis’ over active imagination leads her to accuse Robbie Turner of a crime for which he
pays a high price, first in prison and then in World War 2. Her sister, who loves Robbie, never forgives her and
Briony spends the rest of her life seeking atonement, first through nursing and then through writing as a form of
literary confession. By the end, this moving novel is as much about the interaction of writers and readers as it is
about the stresses and strains of human relationships.
Malouf, David;
Fly Away Peter (Vintage 1998, 144 pp.)
Jim Saddler’s physical journey from the bird sanctuary in Queensland to the war in Europe is the metaphor for his
progress from innocence to experience. He discovers within himself the opposing elements of peace and violence, and
love and hate; and Malouf uses the migration of the birds as the symbol of the unity he sees in the human psyche. The
contrasting settings are powerfully and poetically described, and reflect the ideas in the text.
Martel, Yann;
Life of Pi (Cannongate, 2001, 319 pp)
After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the
surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450 pound Bengal tiger and Pi –
a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for an extraordinary piece of literary fiction that is a triumph of storytelling
and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. Critics have compared it to Hemmingway’s The
Old Man and the Sea, but combining instead the magic realism of Latin American literature with the absurdity of
Beckett. Like much post-modern fiction, the story revels in ambiguity and is as much about the art of fiction as it is
about survival.
Orwell, George;
Nineteen Eighty-four (Penguin, 1990, 336 pp) *
 Set in an imaginary future in which the world is dominated by three perpetually warring totalitarian police states,
the book’s hero, the Englishman Winston Smith, is a minor party functionary in one of these states. His longing
for truth and decency leads him to secretly rebel against the government, which perpetuates its rule by
systematically distorting the truth and continuously rewriting history to suit its own purposes. Smith has a love
affair with a like-minded woman, but then they are both arrested by the Thought Police. The ensuing
imprisonment, torture, and re-education of Smith are intended not merely to break him physically or make him
submit but to root out his independent mental existence and his spiritual dignity until he can love only the figure
he previously most hated: the apparent leader of the party, Big Brother.
Roy, Arundhati;
The God of Small Things (Flamingo, 1997, 339 pp)
When the twins, Estha and Rahel return to Ayemenem twenty three years after Sophie Mol’s death, they still carry the
scars of the tragedy which resulted from their mother’s defiance of ‘The laws which lay down who should be loved, and
how much.’ Using an intricate structure and richly textured language, this novel presents the joy and anguish of
childhood in the framework of family life in India where ‘various kinds of despair competed for primacy.’
Schlink, Bernhard;
The Reader (Phoenix, 1999, 216 pp.)
Using the context of a long term relationship between Michael Berg and Hanna Schmitz which begins when he is
fifteen and she is thirty, Schlink explores the nature of love and the issue of collective German guilt for the Holocaust.
As Hanna is put on trial for her part in a heinous crime, we are forced to consider our answer when she asks the judge,
‘What would you have done?’ Schlink suggests that guilt is determined by specific situations rather than abstract
principles, and writes with a control which keeps the reader in thrall to the end.
13
Y12 English Studies
Thinking Makes It So 1
2014 course
STUDY OF TWO SINGLE TEXTS
The focus of this study should be the role of the author in constructing the text and the part played by the reader in making meaning of the text.
The study … should be designed to address the ideas, experiences, and emotions explored in the texts [and the] place of stylistic features, such
as narrative perspective and structure, setting, and characterisation, in achieving the author’s purpose … Students could also consider the
factors that affect different readers’ interpretations of a text. The study … will be a shared activity based on texts chosen by the teacher from the
list of prescribed texts. Teachers may choose a film text, a prose text, or a drama text for this study, depending on their selection of texts for the
other studies.
Borrow from the library and READ in the holidays
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Jane Austen
Novel
th
This novel provides a picture of the life of gentrified society in late 18 century England. The role of women and
marriage is held up for inspection as the strong female character, Elizabeth, overcomes the limitations of her
family, and the strict rules of society, to win the heart of the enigmatic Mr Darcy. Austen shows how sanity and
intelligence can break through the obscurities of social custom. The limitation suggested by her narrow range of
settings and characters is illusory; working within these chosen limits, she observed and described very closely
the subtleties of personal relationships, while also appealing to a sense of principle which she believed to be
threatened in a fragmenting and increasingly cosmopolitan society.
(4 preferences: 1 x 1st, 2 x 3rd & 1 x 4th)
Hamlet (1600)
William Shakespeare
Drama
Faced with the responsibility of avenging his father’s murder, Hamlet is racked with self-doubt and
cannot bring himself to kill his uncle. His loss of faith in the loyalty of those around him, particularly
his mother and Ophelia, accentuates his melancholy and indecision. While he finally achieves his
goal, it is at great cost to himself and others. Arguably Shakespeare’s most well-known drama, its
powerful blend of poetry, philosophy, suspense, action and mystery rests largely on a title character
whose age and circumstance makes him highly identifiable with adolescent readers. (The most
popular text overall, with 7 preferences: 5 x 1st & 2 x 2nd)
STUDY OF PAIRED TEXTS
Studying two texts in relation to each other allows students to widen their understanding of the constructed nature of texts and to gain a better
understanding of the influence of sociocultural contexts in generating both the text and the response of the reader. The influence of context on
language and the way in which power, bias, and discrimination are embedded in language can be considered. Studying one text in relation to
another allows students to recognise that the same idea, experience, emotion, or opinion can be explored in different ways. By exploring ideas of
intertextuality students can consider the choices made by authors and the interpretation made by readers. Teachers must choose one of the texts
for pairing from the list of prescribed texts. The other text may be chosen from other sources... Texts may be paired as written and film
versions, provided that the stylistic elements of each genre are explicitly identified and compared. Focusing on the narrative alone would not be
sufficient to meet the learning outcomes.
A key concept in effectively pairing two texts for critical or analytical purposes is the tension between similarity and difference. Teachers will
need to be mindful of this when choosing the two texts for study. For example, very similar works by the same author may be a logical pairing
but may not allow students to draw sufficient comparisons. Similarly, two texts that are widely different in theme and style may be difficult to
connect effectively. The most productive pairings are those likely to provide ample scope for establishing both similarities and differences.
Atonement (2001)
Ian McEwen
Novel
Ranging from 1935 to the turn of the 21 st century, Atonement is an exploration of guilt and the
need for forgiveness. Briony Tallis’ over active imagination leads her to accuse Robbie Turner
of a crime for which he pays a high price, first in prison and then in World War 2. Her sister,
who loves Robbie, never forgives her and Briony spends the rest of her life seeking atonement,
first through nursing and then through writing as a form of literary confession. By the end, this
moving novel is as much about the interaction of writers and readers as it is about the stresses
and strains of human relationships. (7 preferences: 1 x 1 st, 2 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd & 2 x 4th)
Life of Pi (2012)
Ang Lee
Film
After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue
Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a
female orang-utan, a 450 pound Bengal tiger and Pi – a 16-year-old Indian boy. Yann Martel’s
novel was long considered unfilmable, but director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon; Brokeback Mountain) transforms it into a cinematic tall-tale parable of the best kind,
managing to balance the serious elements with the fantastical ones, while making it all look
truly spectacular. The film explores questions about the nature of humanity, the ethical
implications of different definitions of personhood, the nature of truth and the place of logic
and reason in Eastern and Western philosophies (The Yann Martel novel from the prescribed
list received 5 preferences: 3 x 1st, 1 x 2nd & 1 x 3rd)
1
“…there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” Hamlet, II, ii. Text choices were based on a total of 7 returns of student votes derived from the
‘Course outline & text selection guide’.
14
The choice of paired texts is derived from the close majority preferences of students, who bothered to vote, for the novels
Atonement (second overall with 7 preferences, but only one 1st choice, after Hamlet), Life of Pi (fourth overall with 5 preferences,
after Psycho), and Pride & Prejudice (seventh overall with four preferences & one 1 st choice, after V for Vendetta). As the school
has a class set of Ian McEwan’s novel, I chose Ang Lee’s film adaptation of Yann Martell’s novel to connect with Atonement and
used Jane Austen’s novel as the first single text. Unfortunately, the two most popular film texts were vetoed for their disturbing
content. As the most popular text overall with 7 preferences (5 of them firsts), Hamlet was an obvious choice for the second
single, and only drama, text. Bell Shakespeare’s 2014 touring workshop on the play also supported that decision.
The pairing of Atonement with Life of Pi enables us to focus on themes of trauma, memory, forgiveness, love and the healing
power of storytelling. Both texts also experiment in very obvious ways with narrative structure, especially in their use of fiction to
explore the boundaries of reality and truth, and equally provide both hope for redemption and an ambivalent tone about the human
condition. The contrast in text type between novelistic prose and filmic adaptation, as well as the genres of historical romance and
magical realist adventure, should also prove a rich source of comparative study.
The key assessment criterion for the paired texts study is:
 How effectively does the student compare and contrast texts to evaluate the role of sociocultural and situational contexts?
The options for establishing a link between these paired texts could be:




A common theme, idea, or topic (e.g. relationships, memory, forgiveness, love,
truth and fiction)
The same historical or literary period (both are produced as early 21 st C.
postmodernist avant-garde texts – one literary the other ‘art-house’ 3D cinema –
but their textual settings differ between a social history of the English 20 th C. and
a fantastic Post-colonial story of individual survival at sea)
The same genre or different genres (novel vs. cinema; socio-historical mystery
vs. magic-realist adventure)
Similar or contrasting cultural perspectives (Spanish-Canadian vs. ChineseAmerican authors)
Assessment Plan: Thinking Makes It So
Term Component / texts
St John’s Grammar School 2014
Summative tasks
Weightings
1
Text Production #1: personal writing
Memoir – reconfiguring memory from photography
4%
1
Text Production #2: oral
Presentation to a book club / film society promoting the
first Individual Study text
4%
1
Single shared text: Pride & Prejudice (prose)
Analytical essay
5%
1
Critical Reading: various
Online annotations on class negotiated text(s)
5%
2
Poetry: 1,000 lines from Temporary Boxes
Multi-text comparative analytical essay
7%
2
Paired texts: Atonement (prose) and
Life of Pi (film)
Comparative critical reading of two extracts
7%
3
Text Production #3: oral
Presentation of an actors’ workshop performing a scene
from Hamlet
6%
3
Single shared text: Hamlet (drama)
Analytical essay (exam conditions)
6%
3
Text Production #4: opinion journalism
Feature article on a contemporary issue
6%
4
Individual Study: student choice
Critical Essay (comparative analytical)
20%
SCHOOL ASSESSMENT
4
EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Sub-total
Written three hour examination
30%
TOTAL
15
70%
100%
Other sample English Studies courses based on shared text combinations
CODE:
* = texts already held in St John’s library (sufficient for class sets of prose / drama texts)
† = texts not on prescribed SACE Board list (may only be paired with a prescribed text)
NOTE:
All courses would include a selection of poetry (1000 lines), which could vary in relation to text choices
COURSE A (2012)
Distant Dystopias, Parallel Lives
SINGLE TEXTS
Scott, Ridley
Miller, Arthur
Blade Runner
The Crucible
Film
Drama
PAIRED TEXTS
Orwell, George
McTeigue, James
Nineteen Eighty-Four
V for Vendetta
Prose
Film
COURSE B (2011)
The Sense of a Discerning Eye
SINGLE TEXTS
McEwan, Ian
Miller, Arthur
Atonement
The Crucible
Prose
Drama
PAIRED TEXTS
Orwell, George
McTeigue, James
Nineteen Eighty-Four
V for Vendetta
Prose
Film
COURSE C (2010)
The Price of Experience
SINGLE TEXTS
Hitchcock, Alfred
Shakespeare, William
Psycho
Hamlet* (18)
Film
Drama
PAIRED TEXTS
McEwan, Ian
Hosseini, Khaled
Atonement* (20)
The Kite Runner* (20)
Prose
Prose
COURSE D (2009)
Relationships, Time & Individual Perception
SINGLE TEXTS
Austen, Jane
Beckett, Samuel
Pride and Prejudice* (20)
Waiting for Godot* (18)
Prose
Drama
PAIRED TEXTS
Gondry, Michel
McEwan, Ian
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind †
Atonement* (20)
Film
Prose
COURSE E (2008)
Politics, Society & the Individual
SINGLE TEXTS
Ionesco, Eugene
Allende, Isabel
Rhinoceros* (20 – removed from the list in 2011) Drama
Eva Luna * (16)
Prose
PAIRED TEXTS
Donnersmarck, Florian von
Orwell, George
The Lives of Others
Nineteen Eighty Four*
16
Film
Prose
COURSE F (2007)
Landscapes of the Mind
SINGLE TEXTS
Shakespeare, William
Allende, Isabel
Hamlet*
Eva Luna * (16)
Drama
Prose
PAIRED TEXTS
Hitchcock, Alfred
Schaffer, Ian
Psycho*
Equus*
Film
Prose
COURSE G
History, Politics & the Personal
SINGLE TEXTS
Allende, Isabel
Guterson, David
Eva Luna * (16)
Snow Falling on Cedars* (13)
Prose
Prose
PAIRED TEXTS
Clooney, George
Miller, Arthur
Good Night, and Good Luck
The Crucible* (20)
Film
Drama
COURSE H
Family Relationships & the Individual
SINGLE TEXTS
McEwen, Ian
Shakespeare, William
Atonement*
Hamlet*
Prose
Drama
PAIRED TEXTS
Austen, Jane
Hogan, PJ
Pride and Prejudice*
Muriel’s Wedding†
Prose
Film
COURSE I
The Empire Writes Back
SINGLE TEXTS
Beckett, Samuel
Nair, Mira
Waiting for Godot*(20)
Monsoon Wedding
Drama
Film
PAIRED TEXTS
Dickens, Charles
Carey, Peter
Great Expectations
Jack Maggs†
Prose
Prose
COURSE J
Australian Stories
SINGLE TEXTS
Grenville, Kate
Malouf, David
The Secret River
Fly Away Peter
Prose
Prose
PAIRED TEXTS
Moffat, Tracy
Harrison, Jane
beDevil†
Stolen
Film
Drama
† Annotations of texts not on prescribed list but potentially paired with texts that are
Carey, Peter
Jack Maggs
Jack Maggs, a foundling trained as a thief, betrayed and deported to a penal colony in Australia, has reversed his
fortunes. Under threat of execution he returns to London after twenty years of exile to try to fulfil his well-concealed
heart’s desire. Masquerading as a footman, Maggs places himself in the rather eccentric household of Percy Buckle,
Esquire. But when the unlikely footman comes under the scrutiny of the brilliant and unscrupulous young novelist
Tobias Oates, an enthusiastic dabbler in mesmerism, Maggs’s secrets are revealed and he is forced to take desperate,
sometimes violent action. A powerful and unusual homage to Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, Jack Maggs
displays all of Peter Carey’s broad historical and artistic knowledge, his masterful command of character, and his
powerful moral vision.
17
Gondry, Michel
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their
tumultuous relationship erased. Out of desperation, he contracts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwaik
(Tom Wilkinson), to have Clementine removed from his own memory. But as Joel’s memories progressively disappear,
he begins to rediscover their earlier passion. From deep within the recesses of his brain, Joel attempts to escape the
procedure. As Dr. Mierzwiak and his crew (Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood) chase him through the maze
of his memories, it’s clear that Joel just can’t get her out of his head.
Hogan, PJ
Muriel’s Wedding
Muriel is a socially awkward and naïve ugly duckling, which causes a group of “more modern” if not downright snobby
girls that she thought were her friends to oust her from their group (“You bring us down”). She is also a perpetual
daydreamer who yearns not for a marriage but for a wedding which will elevate her from her personal limitations and
the tedium of her life and hopefully free her from her demanding and at times psychologically abusive father. She
leaves her family behind in Porpoise Spit (a fictional place similar to Tweed Heads, New South Wales) to live in
Sydney and follow her dream. Muriel’s path from a life of predetermined social roles to one of a fully realised sense of
herself is both convincing and fantastical, a difficult feat for any director, but one which Hogan manages with apparent
ease.
Moffat, Tracy
beDevil
beDevil presents a trilogy of fantastical ghost stories in a meta-narrative, each combining the stories director Tracey
Moffatt heard as a child told by her natural Aboriginal mother and her fostered white mother. Carried out in a variety of
naturalistic and highly artificial styles, the three-way split narrative is united by the thematic presence of ghostly issues
that haunt Australians. The three episodes making up the feature are:
MR CHUCK: The sandy shores and breezy bungalows of Bribie Island play host to a strange and eerie story. Years back an
American GI drove his truck into the quicksand after a party. The pervasive malevolence of the GI’s presence is still felt by many
who live on the island. However, there is another underlying evil that remains unspoken. Rick experienced it and lived to tell the
tale.
CHOO CHOO CHOO CHOO: In the desolate plains of outback Queensland, Ruby (played by Moffatt herself) and her family are
haunted by invisible trains which run on a track beside their house. The ghost of a young girl killed by a train drives Ruby and her
family away. After many years Ruby returns to experience the ghostly presence yet again.
LOVIN’ THE SPIN I’M IN: Imelda’s people are Torres Strait Islanders, but when her son Bebe and his love, Minnie, leave their
community to escape opposition to their marriage, Imelda follows them to a small town in north Queensland. Tragedy strikes when
Bebe and Minnie die, but the doomed couple never find peace. Their spirits dance in a condemned warehouse, refusing to leave.
18
19

VO TI N G F O RM
NAME:
DRAMA TEXTS
Author
Beckett, Samuel
Bovell, Andrew
Davis, Jack
Enright, Nick & Justin Monjo
Harrison, Jane
Ibsen, Henrik
Miller, Arthur
Murray-Smith, Joanna
Pinter, Harold
Shaffer, Peter
Shakespeare, William
Shakespeare, William
Shakespeare, William
Shakespeare, William
Stoppard, Tom
Williams, Tennessee
Williamson, David
Title
Waiting for Godot*
When the Rain Stops Falling
No Sugar
Cloudstreet
Stolen
A Doll’s House *
The Crucible*
The Female of the Species
The Caretaker
Equus *
Hamlet*
King Lear
Othello (State Theatre 2014)
Richard III
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
The Glass Menagerie
Influence
Preference
FILM TEXTS
Author
Campion, Jane
Clooney, George
Coen, Joel
Donnersmarck, Florian von
Fosse, Bob
Gast, Leon
Heer, Rolf de
Hitchcock, Alfred
Lawrence, Ray
Leigh, Mike
McTeigue, James
Nair, Mira
Niccol, Andrew
Perkins, Rachel
Reed, Carol
Scott, Ridley
Tamahori, Lee
Watt, Sarah
Zhang Yimou
Zinnemann, Fred
Title
The Piano
Good Night, and Good Luck
The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Lives of Others
Cabaret
When We Were Kings
The Tracker
Psycho
Lantana
Secrets and Lies
V for Vendetta
Monsoon Wedding
Gattaca
Radiance
The Third Man
Blade Runner
Once Were Warriors
Look Both Ways
Raise the Red Lantern
High Noon
Preference
Title
Things Fall Apart
Eva Luna *
Pride and Prejudice *
Border Crossing
Candelo
Reading in the Dark Guildenstern are Dead
Great Expectations
The Shark Net
The Secret River
Snow Falling on Cedars *
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Kite Runner
Never Let Me Go
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest*
Atonement *
Fly Away Peter
Life of Pi
Nineteen Eighty-Four*
The God of Small Things
The Reader
Preference
PROSE TEXTS
Author
Achebe, Chinua
Allende, Isabel
Austen, Jane Florian von
Barker, Pat
Blain, Georgia
Deane, Seamus
Dickens, Charles
Drewe, Robert
Grenville, Kate
Guterson, David
Hardy, Thomas
Hosseini, Khaled
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Kesey, Ken
McEwan, Ian
Malouf, David
Martel, Yann
Orwell, George
Roy, Arundhati
Schlink, Bernard
(Write 1st to 4th preference in each of the three genres & return to Mr. Scobie)
Suggestions for a paired text NOT on the list
e.g. beDevil (Tracy Moffat-film)
Suggestions for a paired text NOT on the list
e.g. Wuthering Heights (E. Brontë-novel)
20
Suggestions for a paired text NOT on the list
e.g. Translations (Brian Friel -play)