Encountering Conflict 2013
http://jonswilliams.wikispaces.com/
Text list (2 must be taught)
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Brecht, Bertolt, Life of Galileo (1)
Greene, Graham, The Quiet American (2)
Hillman, R & Mazari, N, The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif (A) (4)
Paradise Road, (Director: Bruce Beresford) (A) (3)
Style and Form
 Expository
Essay
Feature Article (magazine, newspaper, journal)
 Persuasive
Letter to the editor
Editorial
Speech
 Imaginative
Short story
Dialogue between characters
Audience
What I have found over the past few years teaching Creating and Presenting
regarding the importance of audience is the following. The more defined the
audience is when the student is writing, the more defined their piece of writing
becomes. (Ironic isn’t it how the overwhelming majority of students choose to
write in the somewhat generic expository essay style/form.) Think about this: if
the student knows who they are writing for this is going to shape their language,
expression, content, approach.
The most asked question – But how do I make it different to a text response?!
The way texts are read and studied in the Creating and Presenting area of study
is markedly different to how texts have been traditionally studied. The chosen
texts must read through the lens of ‘Encountering Conflict’. The student must be
able to identify what conflict is represented, who becomes involved and what
factors influence their involvement.
Also… a student can write an excellent piece (for example) without detailed
historical background of the culture in the text, as long as they respond directly
to the prompt, writing appropriately to style and form and use the selected text
as the basis for their piece of writing. The intention of Creating and Presenting is
to reward good writing.
Creating and Presenting is about allowing students to write in a style and form
that best suits them. As teachers, we guide students as they discover their
favoured method of writing.
High level Sample Expository Essay
Here is a high level expository essay. This demonstrates how the text (The
Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif) is seamlessly and purposefully integrated into this
more formal writing approach. You will find this sample piece @
http://jonswilliams.wikispaces.com/
Prompt: ‘We all have a responsibility to take an active role in the conflicts
around us.’
This piece is written as:
mode(style): expository
form: first person formal essay
When I was young, I once toted guns made of plastic, and felt a thrill as I sighted
down my crooked barrel. The click of the trigger brought honour and glory, and
no game compared to war. Yet as the years pass, I begin to realise the potential
horrors of conflict. Bullets are no longer plastic, war no longer a harmless game.
Its legacy is often not of the glory, adventure and honour I once imagined, but of
shell-shock, courage and atrocity. Sadly, the blights of conflict are not only death
and destruction, nor is its insidiousness exclusive to the clash of swords or the
buzz of bullets. The boiling pot of conflict also brings to the surface some of
humanities’ most detestable attributes as they partake and are actively
responsible [Responding to the prompt] for brutal conflict. However, a person’s active
responsibility in conflict may be for the better, and in other cases avoiding it is
best. To watch the fiery flames of the furnace is to observe the mystery of
humankind’s responsibility in conflict: it either blackens and burns, or refines in
its absence or participation. [Excellent introduction, providing a clear point of view and
directly responding to the prompt.]
Another mystery is the stars. I often look up to them and wonder what humanity
must sound like from the heavens. Surely it must be a symphony of tears and
screams; for ironically, that which is common to us all destroys us all. The
crimson thread of conflict, endured by every race and people, is the clash and
clamour that divides and degrades. It is these sorts of conflicts that we should
not hold the responsibility to take an active role [Responding to the prompt] as it is
only to result in pain and bloodshed. The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif, by Najaf
Mazari and Robert Hillman, explores this concept. The protagonist, Najaf Mazari,
has grown up in Afghanistan, a land which has long been divided by
international, tribal and civil war. [Clear knowledge of the text] The reality of
Afghanistan as being a land of conflict has simply become a fact of life to its
people where ‘safety’ is only an illusion. The bitter war between the Afghan
resistance, the Mujahedin, and Afghanistan’s Russian-backed communist
government has been one of the key causes of conflict. Both sides wished to
recruit every young Afghani male they could get their hands on. Najaf informs us
that to be caught simply means certain death in battle. The war between these
two forces has produced devastating effects on the people in Afghanistan, where
neither side were concerned about innocent civilians and acted with no real
conscience. It was simply a struggle to power and as a result countless have been
killed and maimed in their continuous battle. Surely innocent people do not have
the responsibility to partake in such horrific violence, in the acts of callous and
dangerous slaughtering others. Sadly, in this case, it is the innocent that suffer by
being forced to take an active role in the tragedy that is Afghanistan. [A clear and
powerful paragraph; the prompt was directly responded to.]
While stars only hear one cacophony, it is conflict on the individual level
[Development of point of view/argument] where it is often most potent. Najaf recounts
encountering conflict at its worst when he is captured and brutally, repeatedly
tortured by the Taliban. It is important to note Najaf’s identity and situation as a
Hazara. Traditionally in Afghanistan has been ruled by the ethnic majority, the
Pashtun, whom the Taliban is largely constituted of. Cultural conflict lies at the
root of the Taliban, and like a fire proves a spark, being a Hazara meant trouble
with this group was unavoidable. Hence Najaf has two choices: [Response to the
prompt and direct use of the text] to attempt to fight against them, or to flee. The term
‘fleeing’ may hold cowardly connotations, however it is critical to understand
that Najaf holds a responsibility to himself – to remain alive, and in doing so he is
able to support others, such as his beloved family. [Strong argument] The chances of
taking the ‘safe’ option to leave his country were greater than escaping the
Taliban. It is essentially this responsibility that means he does not take an active
role in the conflict in Afghanistan. [Thoughtful insight]
But to return to the analogy of fire: [Clever link, clearly in control of the shaping and
development of ideas] without its purifying and regenerative force, refined gold
would not exist. There are times we should consider when we have
demonstrated responsibility to take an active role in conflict. Consider also the
wind – it may blow and howl and break the branches of the tree, and many have
been felled by its gust. However, what drives the roots of the tree deeper? What
makes it stronger? In life we must all experience times of testing. While
sometimes it may not be the safest option, one still has the responsibility in other
circumstances to stand up and take responsibility in times of trail and suffering.
This responsibility is not always negative. Away from war, as an Australian, we
know of the conflict between our global humanitarian obligations with border
security – our nation’s desire to protect its borders from illegal intrusion. [Good
link to the text] Playing on our fears and insecurities is the incident on September
11 of the terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Centre. Whilst we may
be afraid, it is stories like Najaf’s that remind us of the violence and bloodshed in
other countries and the desperate plights of refuges and harrowing journeys to
escape it. As compassionate and empathetic humans, we have, to an extent, the
responsibility to help these people, who are fleeing from persecution and war,
who eventually arrive on our shores. Najaf asks readers [Rich knowledge of the text]
to imagine if suddenly there were no Australians left and it was up to the
refugees incarcerated in detention centres to rebuild society. His answer is
simple – the refugees would become the new generation of Australian with all
their passion and hope for the future there would be artists, scientists,
mechanics, and like all societies, there would exist elements of the criminal class.
Najaf urges readers and our authorities to consider the humanity of refugees and
accentuate how asylum seekers have become victims of the broader conflict, the
war on terrorism, [Excellent link to previous ideas] which has affected the way
Australia encounters refugees. While we fear terrorism and terrorists, it is up to
us as a nation to act responsibly and take a role in such conflicts. [Ideas are skilfully
developed. Arguments are shaped with insight.]
When I was young I not only toted guns, I also aspired to the stars. I have learned
that I have the responsibility to partake in some conflicts and avoid others. [A
most effective return to the point of view] Previously mentioned were the stars, the wind
and the flame. All these are elements of nature which share in common of
humankind, conflict and their source of life. The fire is born of friction, the wind
of struggles between warm and cold air, and the stars of heavenly explosions .
[Colourful language] All are useful – the furnace refines, the wind propels, and by the
stars humans have navigated for centuries. [Sophisticated ideas] Likewise, I will
inevitably encounter a time where I must make a decision [Effective return to the
prompt] regarding my responsibilities to take an active role in a situation of
conflict, be it safe or not. I do not have the responsibility to participate in acts of
violence and destruction; however as a human being I am inclined to help others
actively in times of need, even when the situations may be deemed as dangerous.
From this I can only surmise that responsibility may be a gift or sin granted in
encounters of conflict, and it is ultimately up to us to use it wisely.
The exam
Assessment is based on the interrelationship among:
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the quality of writing in relation to the specified purpose
the handling of the prompt
the quality of ideas (this, of course, is formed by the study of the Context
and from the texts studied)
Students presented a range of approaches to writing in their responses. While
the expository approach was still the most popular, it was evident that students
are being encouraged to choose an approach that best suits their writing
and thinking. There continue to be fewer bland textual responses. (We have just
looked at a sample expository essay that expertly navigates this form of writing
and avoids being a ‘bland textual response’. It was pleasing to see the varied and
imaginative ways that students were able to explore the Context, the
nominated text and the prompt. Students who wrote excellent responses were
obviously thinking about responding to the prompt as written. They used their
understanding of the text(s) and concepts from their Context study to inform
the ideas they explored within their writing.
The less successful responses did not think critically about the idea that the
prompt was communicating or ignored the prompt altogether.
Students should not come to the examination with pre-prepared responses
relating to the concepts/issues central to their Context study and ignore the idea
the prompt is communicating.
(I would suggest, however, that it is perfectly acceptable and indeed something
that I encourage, for students to have identified the style and form that they will
be writing in for the exam. For example, one high scoring student chose to write
a letter adopting the persona of Deputy Governor Danforth from The Crucible.
What this student did so well was always responded directly to the prompt.)
The prompt should be seen as a springboard for effective writing; the ideas of
the prompts must be explored. It is important that students have an exact
understanding of the core of the prompt.
Use of text
While students are free to create a response that is an expository, persuasive or
imaginative piece of writing, the piece itself must explore the nominated Context
and respond to the prompt offered for that Context…Encountering Conflict.
In addition, the instructions are quite clear about the expectation of the
connection of the response to the student’s nominated text.
It is expected that the study of the texts forms the basis of a detailed
exploration of the Context.
While many classrooms supplement the study with a variety of other material,
and this is a rich way to develop an exploration of the central ideas in the
Context, the more specific aspects of the study of Context comes from the
selected texts.
This is why I suggest starting with a 3-5 lessons on introductory activities
looking at the general concept of encountering conflict and from thereon to focus
directly and specifically on the text being studied. Certainly draw parallels and
examples from the conflict encountered in the text, but when the student writes
about conflict encountered it has to be directly related to the text or an idea
coming from the text. Students must ensure that the connection between the
piece of writing and the nominated text is discernible and central in the ideas of
their pieces.
There is no provision for reflective commentary in the examination, so the
connections between the text and the prompt must be obvious within the
piece.
Please remember…these instructions come from the examiner’s report.
There can be no definitive advice on the success of relying on a single text or
employing both (or more).
The transference of ideas from the texts is critical. Students who
understood and could convey sophisticated ideas from their texts were the
most successful, regardless of the approach to writing selected. Students
and teachers must not disregard the fundamentals of good writing, including
audience, purpose, form and voice. These are set out in the assessment
criteria and the fundamentals of good writing should be embedded in the writing
itself.
I encourage you to search out sample pieces of writing, from textbooks and
colleagues. I subscribe to the concept of value added pedagogy, that is, help each
student to build upon and develop what they are currently doing. Help the
student to take real and achievable steps to writing in a more sharply focussed
and sophisticated manner.
Some critical advice for the exam
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Formulaic approaches were limiting.
Memorised responses failed to address the prompt(s).
Use texts as vehicles, not as the centre of the task.
Avoid retelling the plot.
Work on the transference of ideas that are offered by the texts.
Teach/learn a variety of forms of writing.
Incorporate texts in ways appropriate to the form.
Practise writing in a range of approaches, styles and forms.
Ensure there is adequate practice and strategies for exploring the prompt.
Develop more sophisticated imaginative pieces.
Develop pieces which are well crafted.
Teach/learn the use of text(s) to explain complexity, not as simple
illustration.
It may be useful to ask the question: ‘What does the text suggest about
our Context?’
Teaching the course
I would suggest with Creating and Presenting: Encountering Conflict, that you
start your class with a brief introduction (3-5 lessons?) on the general aspects of
this Context. Then you should get into the text you are using and draw out the
conflict encountered in this text, as the basis for your study. I am a strong
advocate of using a textbook (at Glen Waverley all students buy the textbook,
this may not be the case at your school). The reason I say this is that there is
some terrific material available.
My purpose is not to present a list of activities you can do in class (although
hopefully you will be presented with lots of ideas for the classroom) but my main
focus is to impart on to you a sense of engagement with encountering conflict. It
is a unit of work that has many possibilities and avenues of interest. It can be a
unit of work in which each student can connect with an individual style and form
of writing. I feel I benefit from this Context as it allows me to encourage students
to think about themselves and the world that they live in. Of course the pieces of
writing students create are constructed, artificial if you like, but we as teachers
can help the students create well-constructed artificial pieces.
Suggested introductory activities.
Watch the short Pixar film ‘One man band’. It can be found on You tube.
Use the following questions, as a way in to beginning to understand how to
analyse and critique how conflict is encountered in a text. You can use these
questions throughout the year (I do!) for all the texts you study.
 What conflict emerges in this text? What is it about? What happens?
 What instigated this conflict? Can you identify a perpetrator? What
prompted this person to instigate and subsequently engage in a conflict?
How do you know who the perpetrator is or how the conflict began?
 How did the characters in the text become involved in the conflict? What
does their involvement in the conflict tell us about the nature of
involvement and conflict? Who are we positioned to sympathise with in this
conflict? How does the writer elicit our sympathy for particular characters?
How do they provoke us to scorn others?
 How did people act and behave when faced with a conflict? What factors
influenced their behaviour? What were the similarities and differences
between their approaches? What can we learn from the characters, about
the ways people behave when faced with conflict?
 Was the conflict resolved? If yes, how and by whom? If no, why not? What
obstructed a resolution?
 What were the consequences of the conflict? Did the conflict have positive
or negative repercussions on this involved?
 What big ideas about conflict can we deduce from this conflict in this text?
(E.g. people can act in extraordinary and unexpected ways when faced
with conflict; often ordinary citizens are those most impacted by
conflict...)
Quotes for role plays
Put students into groups of 3. Each group is to select 1 or 2 quotes (luckydip). They are to discuss their interpretation of the quotes in their groups.
Then they are to select one of them to present in a role play to the rest of the
class. At the end of the role play, they should explain their interpretation of
the quote to the rest of the class. When the role plays have concluded, all
students can choose some of the quotes to add to their own ‘encountering
conflict’ resources and at least one of them to write about in some detail.
Scrunch and Throw
Give the students a piece of paper with all the letters of the alphabet written
down the left hand side of the page. Show an image(s) specific to a text or
more generally regarding the Context. Get the students to write down words
they associate with the image. Get the students to stand up and stand in a
circle. Get the students to scrunch up their piece of paper and throw it at
other students. They read the piece of paper, scrunch it up and throw it again.
Then get the students to sit down in a circle and write a word cloud using the
pieces of paper. Pass the pieces of paper around in the circle. Hopefully it will
stimulate their minds (and yours!). Adapt the instructions of this activity as
you see fit.
The Prompt
I find it to be a valuable exercise to get the students to think not only about
the mechanics of their writing i.e. audience, form, style, language and tone,
but also the underlying reasons and influences as to why they are writing in
this way. What I mean by this is that if the student understands that this task
has definite expectations regarding a prompt being directly responded to and
utilised, then (hopefully) the student will create a more sophisticated piece.
A way of beginning this process of discovery and understanding is by getting
the students to write a prompt themselves (you decide if it is better to get
them to work individually, in pairs, or in small groups). Then get them to
share their prompts with the class, write them on the board and discuss
them. Then compare the prompts with prompts from past exams.
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The ability to compromise is important when responding to conflict.
(2011 VCAA exam)
It is difficult to remain a bystander in any situation of conflict. (2010
VCAA exam)
It is the victims of conflict who show us what is really important. (2009
VCAA exam)
In times of conflict ordinary people can act in extraordinary ways. (2008
VCAA exam)
We all have a responsibility to take an active role in the conflicts around
us.
In a conflict, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the
problem.
If we don’t help those in conflict we are as bad as those who initiate the
conflict.
Conflict can create a legacy of tragedy.
History is shaped by conflict.
There is always more than one side to any conflict.’
‘Societies that have experienced historical conflict learn how to create
social harmony.’
‘At the heart of conflict is fear.’
‘Sometimes we need to close our eyes and minds to reality if we want to
avoid conflict.’
‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity’. Growth can come from
conflict.
‘For every problem there is a solution that is neat, simple and wrong’.
Conflict is often more complex than it first appears.
‘Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit grows
strong by conflict.’
Conflict can make us better people
Written Explanation
The following is a guide I use to get (some) students to write a fuller, more
coherent written explanation. It is by no means exhaustive or definitive in its
nature. It is just a guide.
I have chosen to write in the form of:
In this form I have focussed on language that is:
I have made an effort to not write in language that is:
because the audience may perceive my writing as:
(and therefore my purpose will not be as successfully achieved).
The structure of the ...form requires me to:
I have written my material for the audience of:
This audience may be interested in my content because of the following context:
The purpose of my writing is to relate to this audience in the following way:
My interpretation of the prompt has incorporated ideas that address the
following concepts:
The text has helped to inspire my writing by discussing the following themes:
These themes were raised by the following events in the text:
Final summary statement: After reading my writing I feel my audience will
learn:
and with this information they may feel: Lastly, the things I missed out and did
not achieve were:
Encountering
We must look closely at the implications of what is meant by “encountering”.
The reason being is that this Context is called Encountering Conflict. The
word ‘encountering’ forces us as readers to consider whether:
 an individual deserves conflict, that is, they are culpable (blameworthy)
 an individual is innocent in the face of a conflict
 the conflict is justifiable
 the conflict is without cause
These factors also determine the manner in which people respond to conflict
or struggle.
Common Definitions of Encountering:
 A meeting, especially one that is unplanned, unexpected, or brief: a
chance encounter in the park
 A hostile or adversarial confrontation; a contest: a tense naval
encounter.
 An often violent meeting; a clash
 To confront in battle or contention
 To meet as an adversary or enemy
 To engage in conflict with
 To come upon or experience especially unexpectedly
Common definitions of conflict:
 Conflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests. A
conflict can be internal (within oneself) to individuals. Conflict as a
concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social
disagreement, conflicts of interests, and fights between individuals,
groups, or organizations. In political terms, "conflict" can refer to wars,
revolutions or other struggles, which may involve the use of force as in
the term armed conflict.
 Conflict occurs when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible
goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking capability.
 Conflict involves a clash of interests, values, actions or directions often
sparks a conflict. Conflicts refer to the existence of that clash.
 A disagreement through which the parties involved perceive a threat to
their needs, interests or concerns
 Peace and conflict research assume that conflicts are the expression of
opposing interests that they are characteristic for modern societies that
they are endemic in modern societies
The student as writer
OK. So as well as having an understanding of the types of conflict being
encountered and the nature of these conflicts it must be remembered that
ultimately the Creating and Presenting area of study is one which assesses the
student as a writer. The purpose of a context study is to derive ideas from texts
and develop ways of representing these in the students’ own writing. The writing
the students produce must reflect their engagement with the text of study.
In the exam the student must nominate one text. (NOT BOTH!) This nominated
text then becomes the focus of the piece of writing. The student may refer to the
other text, along with other references, but the text chosen must be used as the
basis for the piece of writing.
Obviously the style and form that is chosen will influence the use of
supplementary texts. For example, it would be quite expected (and useful – most
of the time – remembering it is not compulsory) for students to use
supplementary texts in an expository essay.
However, if a student were writing an Imaginative speech using the persona of
one of the characters, it would not be necessary to use supplementary texts. To
refer once again to the examiners’ report: There can be no definitive advice on the
success of relying on a single text or employing both (or more).
The transference of ideas from the texts is critical. Students who understood
and could convey sophisticated ideas from their texts were the most
successful, regardless of the approach to writing selected.
I encourage students to experiment with the different forms. They know their
strengths and through reading their work I can give them guidance and advice.
Let us refer back to what the examiners said about use of style and form.
Students presented a range of approaches to writing in their responses. While the
expository approach was still the most popular, it was evident that students are
being encouraged to choose an approach that best suits their writing and
thinking.
This year there were fewer bland textual responses. It was pleasing to see the
varied and imaginative ways that students were able to explore the Context, the
nominated text and the prompt.
It is most important to remember that the writing must be linked closely to the
prompt (this is why we did the previous activity on the prompt).
The student must demonstrate that they have thought about, processed and
provided detailed and insightful discussion that adds to their views on the
prompt.
The student can agree or disagree with the prompt – this gives the student a
central point of view to express in their writing, giving it more coherence and
unity. This is why I find it most useful to have class activities and discussion
centred around the prompt. It allows the student to become more versatile and
confident when dealing with different prompts.
One class activity is to compare the viewpoint expressed in a prompt (or
series of prompts) to the viewpoint(s) presented in your set text(s) – are
they the same, contrasting or completely different?
The overriding purpose for every response is to explore an aspect of
Encountering Conflict as directed by the prompt, drawing on relevant and
revealing ideas from the selected text and (possibly…it depends) other sources.
The specific purpose is what you want to convey to the reader. For example:
• To share your opinion on ideas raised by the prompt and the text
• To challenge your readers to consider an alternative point of view on
ideas raised by the prompt and the text
• To shed light on ideas raised by the prompt and the text
Examination assessment criteria
The examination will address all the criteria. All student responses will be
assessed against each criterion. The extent to which the response is
characterised by:
Section B – Writing in Context (Creating and presenting)
• understanding and effective exploration of the ideas, and/or arguments
relevant to the prompt/stimulus material
• effective use of detail and ideas drawn from the selected text as
appropriate to the task
• development in the writing of a coherent and effective structure in
response to the task, showing an understanding of the relationship
between purpose, form, language and audience
• controlled use of language appropriate to the purpose, form and
audience
Now let us look at a series of conflicts that are encountered.
A great way of getting students to think about these conflicts that are
encountered, is to divide students into small groups and give them a conflict.
They must then find references from the text to support their findings. (With The
Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif I gave each student a chapter, they had to find a
quote that illustrated a conflict encountered.) Then come back together for a
class discussion and stick their findings on to a big mind map, from which they
can then take notes. This could take 2 or 3 lessons. It is a great way of allowing
students to present something tangible (an achievable task) and as a teacher you
can go around and have discussions with the groups and provide them with
guidance.
The way I suggest we approach this today, is you choose a text you are teaching,
possibly the first text you are teaching, and write down a response to each or any
of the following conflicts. You may want to spend more time on one or two
conflicts. You decide. You have 5 minutes. But first, let us look at an example.
Inner conflict
The Quiet American
“Why should I want to die when Phuong slept beside me every night? But I knew
the answer to that question. From childhood I had never believed in
permanence, and yet I had longed for it. Always I was afraid of losing happiness.
This month, next year, Phuong would leave me. If not next year, in three years.
Death was the only absolute value in my world. Lose life and one would lose
nothing again for ever. I envied those who could believe in a God and I distrusted
them. I felt they were keeping their courage up with a fable of the changeless and
the permanent. Death was far more certain than God, and with death there
would be no longer that daily possibility of love dying. The nightmare of a future
of boredom and indifference would lift. I could never have been a pacifist. To kill
a man was surely to grant him an immeasurable benefit. Oh yes, people always,
everywhere, loved their enemies. It was their friends they preserved for pain and
vacuity.” p. 36
Paradise Road
The singing soldier
The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif
Dedication: This book is dedicated to all those people of Afghanistan who have
lost so much in wars – their houses, their limbs and their lives – and to those
people working for peace throughout the world.
I DID NOT KNOW that I could feel this much sorrow without a body to bury. How
heartsick can I become before I break down and weep in front of everyone? I
wander about the camp with the blanket form my bed around my shoulders,
searching for a spot where I can’t be seen and can’t be heard. And where would
that be? I have been in the camp for three months. If such a spot exists, wouldn’t I
have discovered it before this day?
The camp is Woomera, or really my small part of Woomera, a section called
November. I share November with hundreds of people from lands I have never
visited, lands that are as mysterious to me as my own homeland of Afghanistan is
to the guards who keep watch on us day and night.
We who are watched and guarded, we who are questioned, probed, doubted –
we are all illegals. We have come to Australia without invitation. We have
jumped the queue. I had not heard an expression like that before I cam to
Australia – ‘jumping the queue’. It belongs to communities that place a very high
value on orderliness, on due process. It’s a good thing, of course, to value
orderliness. The community of Afghanistan is only orderly now and again. But it
was never my intention to jump this strange queue of which I had never heard. I
don’t think any of us here ever thought of stealing our way to the head of a long
line of people patiently waiting to cross a border to Australia.
Most of us would never have qualified for a place in the long line to start with. All
i wanted to do was stand up on the soil of a land where rockets did not land on
my house in the middle of the night and hold my arms wide and say, ‘Here I am.
My name is Najaaf Mazari. Do you have a use for me in this country?
I wander between buildings, I catch sight of the desert beyond the wire fences. I
come from a land of deserts, but this desert is not the same as those of
Afghanistan. It is difficult to say in what way it is different, but it is. If I were to
fall asleep in the desert of Afghanistan without a soul in sight and somehow
wake in the desert of Woomera, I would know in an instant that I was in a
strange place. It is not only my eyes that would tell me, but my skin. The touch of
the air itself would whisper it to me. My skin has lived all but six months of its 30
years inside a few square kilometres of Afghanistan. pp. 1-2
Life of Galileo
(1 of 2)
Scene 14: Galileo speaking with Andrea after having revealed he has continued
to write in secret. Stage directions state that he speaks: professorially, folding his
hands over his stomach.
GALILEO: In my spare time, of which I have plenty, I have gone over my case and
considered how it is going to be judged by that world of science of which I no
longer count myself a member. Even a wool merchant has not only to buy cheap
and sell dear but also to ensure that the wool trade continues unimpeded. The
pursuit of science seems to me to demand particular courage in this respect. It
deals in knowledge procured through doubt. Creating knowledge for all about all,
it aims to turn all of us into doubters. Now the bulk of the population is kept by
its princes, landlords and priests in a pearly haze of superstition and old saws
which cloak what these people are up to. The poverty of the many is as old as the
hills, and from pulpit and lecture platform we hear that it is as hard as the hills to
get rid of. Our new art of doubting delighted the mass audience. They tore the
telescope out of our hands and trained it on their tormentors, the princes,
landlords and priests. These selfish and domineering men, having greedily
exploited the fruits of science, found that the cold eye of science had been turned
on a primaeval but contrived poverty that could clearly be swept away if they
were swept away themselves. They showered us with threats and bribes,
irresistible to feeble souls. But can we deny ourselves to the crowd and still
remain scientists? The movements of the heavenly bodies have become more
comprehensible, but the peoples are as far as ever from calculating the moves of
their rulers. The battle for a measurable heaven has been won thanks to doubt;
but thanks to credulity the Rome housewife’s battle for milk will be lost time and
time again. Science, Sarti, is involved in both these battles. A human race which
shambles around in a pearly haze of superstition and old saws, too ignorant to
develop its own power, will never be able to develop those powers of nature
which you people are revealing to it. To what end are you working? Presumably
for the principle that science’s sole aim must be to lighten the burden of human
existence. If the scientists, brought to heel by self-interested rulers, limit
themselves to piling up knowledge for knowledge’s sake, then science can be
crippled and your new machines will lead to nothing but new impositions. You
may in due course discover all that there is to discover, and your progress will
nonetheless be nothing but a progress away from mankind[sic]. The gap
between you and it may one day become so wide that your cry of triumph at
some new achievement will be echoed by a universal cry of horror. – As a
scientist I had a unique opportunity. In my day astronomy emerged into the
market place. Given this unique situation, if one man had put up a fight it might
have had tremendous repercussions.
Had I stood firm the scientists could have developed something like the doctors’
Hippocratic oath, a vow to use their knowledge exclusively for mankind’s[sic]
benefit. As things are, the best that can be hoped for is a race of inventive dwarfs
who can be hired for any purpose. What’s more, Sarti, I have come to the
conclusion that I was never in any real danger. For a few years I was as strong as
the authorities. And I handed my knowledge to those in power for them to use,
fail to use, misuse – whatever best suited their objectives.
I betrayed my profession. A man who does what I did cannot be tolerated in the
ranks of science.
Life of Galileo
(2 of 2)
Understanding the following dialogue seems crucial to me. The ideas within this
dialogue are central to the meaning of the TYPE(S) of conflict encountered in this
play. This Scene (8) is titled ‘A conversation’. The poem at the beginning of the
scene states:
Galileo, feeling, grim,
A young monk came to visit him
The monk was born of common folk.
It was of science they spoke.
The stage direction reads:
In the Florentine Ambassador’s palace in Rome Galileo is listening to the little
monk who whispered the papal astronomer’s remark to him after the meeting of
the Collegium Romanum.
GALILEO: Go on, go on. The habit you’re wearing gives you the right to say
whatever you want.
THE LITTLE MONK: I studied mathematic, Mr Galilei.
GALILEO: That might come in handy if it led you to admit that two and two
sometimes makes four.
THE LITTLE MONK: Mr Galilei, I have been unable to sleep for three days. I
couldn’t see how to reconcile the decree I had read with the moons of Jupiter
which I had observed. Today I decided to say an early mass and come to you.
GALILEO: In order to tell me Jupiter has no moons?
THE LITTLE MONK: No. I have managed to see the wisdom of the decree. It has
drawn my attention to the potential dangers for humanity in wholly unrestricted
research, and I have decided to give astronomy up. But I also wanted to explain
to you the motives which can make even an astronomer renounce pursuing that
doctrine any further.
GALILEO: I can assure you that such motives are familiar to me.
THE LITTLE MONK: I understand your bitterness. You have in mind certain
exceptional powers of enforcement at the Church’s disposal.
GALILEO: Just call them instruments of torture.
THE LITTLE MONK: But I am referring to other motives. Let me speak about
myself. My parents were peasants in the Campagna, and I grew up there. They
are simple people. They know all about olive trees, but not much else. As I study
the phases of Venus I can visualise my parents sitting round the fire with my
sister, eating their curded cheese. I see the beams above them, blackened by
hundreds of years of smoke, and I see every detail of their old worn hands and
the little spoons they are holding. They are badly off, but even their misfortunes
imply a certain order. There are so many cycles, ranging from washing the floor,
through the seasons of the olive crop to the paying of taxes. There is a regularity
about the disasters that befall them. My father’s back does not get bent all at
once, but more and more each spring he spends in the olive groves; just as the
successive childbirths that have made my mother increasingly sexless have
followed well-defined intervals. They draw the strength they need to carry their
baskets sweating up the stony tracks, to bear children and even to eat, from the
feeling of stability and necessity that comes of looing at the soil, at the annual
greening of the trees and at the little church, and of listening to the bible
passages read there every Sunday. They have been assured that God’s eye is
always on them – probingly, even anxiously -: that the whole drama of the world
is constructed around them so that they, the performers, may prove themselves
in their greater or lesser roles. What would my people say is I told them that they
happen to be on a small knob of stone twisting endlessly through the void round
a second-rate star, just one among myriads? What would be the value or
necessity then of so much patience, such understanding of their own poverty?
What would be the use of Holy Scripture, which has explained and justified it all
– the sweat, the patience, the hunger, the submissiveness – and now turns out to
be full of errors? No: I can see their eyes wavering, I can see them letting their
spoons drop, I can see how betrayed and deceived they will feel. So nobody’s eye
is on us, they’ll say. Have we got to look after ourselves, old, uneducated and
worn-out as we are? The only part anybody has devised for us is this wretched,
earthly one, to be played out on tiny star wholly dependent on others, with
nothing revolving round it. Our poverty has no meaning: hunger is not trial of
strength, it’s merely not having eaten: effort is no virtue, it’s just bending and
carrying. Can you see now why I read into the Holy Congregations decree a noble
motherly compassion; a vast goodness of soul?
GALILEO: Goodness of soul! Aren’t you really saying that there’s nothing for
them, the wine has all been drunk, their lips are parched, so they had better kiss
the cassock? Why is there nothing for them? Why does order in this country
mean the orderliness of a bare cupboard, and necessity nothing but the need to
work oneself to death? When there are teeming vineyards and cornfields on
every side? Your Campagna peasants are paying for the wars which the
representative of gentle Jesus is waging in Germany and Spain. Why does he
make the earth the centre of the universe? So that the See of Peter can be the
centre of the earth! That’s what it is all about. You’re right, it’s not about the
planets, it’s about the peasants of the Campagna. And don’t talk to me about the
beauty given to phenomena by the patina of age! You know how the
Margaritifera oyster produces its pearl? By a mortally dangerous disease which
involves taking some unassimilable foreign body, like a grain of sand, and
wrapping it in a slimy ball. The process all but kills it. To hell with the pearl, give
me the healthy oyster. Virtues are not an offshoot of poverty, my dear fellow. If
your people were happy and prosperous they could develop the virtues of
happiness and prosperity. At present they virtues of exhaustion derive from
exhausted fields, and I reject them. Sir, my new pumps will perform more
miracles in that direction than all your ridiculous superhuman slaving. – ‘Be
fruitful and multiply’, since your fields are not fruitful and you are being
decimated by wars. Am I supposed to tell your people lies?
THE LITTLE MONK much agitated: We have the highest of all motives for keeping
our mouths shut – the peace of mind of the less fortunate.
GALILEO: Would you like me to show you a Cellini clock that Cardinal
Bellarmin’s coachman brought round this morning? My dear fellow, authority is
rewarding me for not disturbing the peace of mind of people like you parents, by
offering me the wine they press in the sweat of their countenance which we all
know to have been made in God’s image. If I were to agree to keep my mouth
shut my motive would be thoroughly low ones: an easy life, freedom from
persecution, and so on.
THE LITTLE MONK: Mr Galilei, I am a priest.
GALILEO: You’re also a physicist. And you can see that Venus has phases. Here ,
look out there! He points at the window. Can you see the little Priapus on the
fountain next to the laurel bush? The god of gardens, birds and thieves, rich in
two thousand years of bucolic indecency. Even when he was less of a liar. All
right, let’s drop it. I too am a son of the Church...
Also consider the following when looking at Encountering Conflict:
• Societal conflict
• Philosophical / ideological Conflict
• The factors which shaped and influenced experience
• Why the resolution of the conflict(s) is facilitated or hindered
• The effect and consequences of conflict on individuals
• The effect and consequences of conflict on the communities in which they
live
• The circumstances which gave rise to the conflicts
• The different ways people responded to conflict.
• How the resolution of the conflict(s) is facilitated or hindered
Mind mapping
Choose one of the texts you are studying for Creating and Presenting:
Encountering Conflict. Create a mind map that represents the main types of
conflict encountered. Remember to use the ideas that you have gathered from
the previous activity.
I am mindful that people are undoubtedly at different levels of confidence and
anxiety regarding this component of the VCE English course. My aim was not to
present specific insights into the texts; I avoided doing this as I wanted to focus
more on the demands and expectations of writing for Creating and Presenting. I
am assuming that you have your own understandings and interpretations of the
texts. Please use the textbooks available and VATE material. I would encourage
you to encourage the students to find their own voice and their own
understanding of the conflict encountered in the text(s). Of course there will be
students who will disregard this encouragement, but there is a lot of basic skills
and insights we as teachers can equip the students with… good luck!