“Somebody who is just like all of us; men and women who understand the meaning of independence, and the importance of a generous heart… And I say that somebody, damn it, is a dog!”
Why is Red Dog important to the community of Dampier?

In the film Red Dog, Kriv Stenders explores how a group of independent and isolated miners are forged into a community by a smelly but lovable kelpie. Set in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, the inhabitants need a companion with whom they can share their feelings of loneliness and provide them with a sense of purpose.
Red Dog helps to build a community through his generous heart, as seen in his willingness to listen to the miners’ problems; his bravery, which is seen in his willingness to risk his life to save Jocko’s, and the loyalty that he inspires in others, as is seen with the town’s response to the Cribbages.
It is only through their friendship with Red Dog that the characters learn to love and trust again, form meaningful relationships and bond together as a community.
Introduce writer and text.
Answer topic directly.
Use key terms from topic.
State a firm opinion.
Outline the main arguments/points you will make.
Give an indication of the organisation of your essay.
Concluding sentence relating back to the topic and emphasising your contention.
Remember the importance of key words.

“Somebody who is just like all of us; men and women who understand the meaning of independence, and the importance of a generous heart… And I say that somebody, damn it, is a dog!”
Why is Red Dog important to the community of Dampier?

Red Dog’s independent nature is appealing to the miners because of their different backgrounds and their lack of shared connections.
Just as Red Dog hitches a ride into Dampier, the miners come from all around the world, and lack a common culture or sense of belonging.
At the beginning of the film, the Hamersley Iron
Mining community is little more than a group of homesick men. Red Dog “was an excellent listener” with whom the miners could share their worries and stories. He became “a doggie for all” but “no one in particular”, as he respected and helped all the miners equally.
Red Dog initially became valued by the community for these listening skills and the comfort he brought these otherwise lonely men.
TOPIC SENTENCE: this is the main idea of what you will be discussing in the paragraph.
EXPAND: Explain what you mean in greater detail, and give it a more specific focus.
EVIDENCE: Use quotes from the text to support your argument.
Include at least 1-2 quotations.
LINK: A Concluding sentence relating back to the topic.
Remember the importance of key words.

“Somebody who is just like all of us; men and women who understand the meaning of independence, and the importance of a generous heart… And I say that somebody, damn it, is a dog!”
Why is Red Dog important to the community of Dampier?

Red Dog is important to the community of Dampier because he is just like all of its members.
He reflects their independence, a shared life that has emerged despite a vast number of different backgrounds, the free spirit and wanderer in all their natures, and the capacity for companionship, loyalty and love.
He shows us that there is more to this community than a “bunch of dirty miners”; that beneath their dusty exterior, they are a community, and a dog, “who are loyal by nature, not design…[and] know the meaning of love and loss”.
Summing-up statement about the text and main idea of ideas you have covered. Remember the importance of key terms.
Summarise/draw together the content of the body of your essay, drawing together main points.
Give a final evaluation of issues/point of view.
Strong terminating sentence. It could relate back to the topic.

Have you proofread and ensured that:
 There are no SPELLING or GRAMMATICAL ERRORS?
 The LANGUAGE is FORMAL, and not conversational?
 CAPITALS ARE USED CORRECTLY, including in character names?
 The title of the book is ITALICISED whenever it is used?
 You have NOT used CONTRACTIONS (e.g. make sure you write “is not”, not “isn’t”)
 You have NOT used the first person (“I think that…”) or the second person (“you see this when…”)
 Quotation marks are used appropriately and appear EITHER SIDE of EVERY quote.