Module A:
Experience Through Language
(Distinctively Visual)
Core text:
The Shoehorn Sonata
John Misto
What does the syllabus say?
 In their responding
and composing
students explore the ways the images we
see and / or visualise in texts are created .
Students consider how the forms of language
of different texts create these images, affect
interpretation and shape meaning .
Students examine their prescribed text , in
addition to other texts providing examples of
the distinctively visual .
The module requires you to:
 have language as the focus of your study
 therefore, you also need to have it as the
focus of your
writing
 so, in other words, how can language shape
and change our perceptions of ourselves
and other people throughout the world?
Your option is ‘Distinctively Visual’
That means you will consider the way
 language and visual images are used to
shape meaning.
 how composers have used visual images to
. send messages or portray meaning
 how emphasis of particular aspects of a
. character , relationship or event build
meaning.
Images come from …
 the visual imagery used in the text
 the imagery that is conveyed through
language, including dialogue
or
stage directions
 it may help to consider body language ,
gestures, facial expressions , tone of voice
and how these convey meaning
 you would also need to consider costume,
style, setting . Mise-en-scene generally.
You will need to think about
the way the playwright has combined
 physical characterisation
 visual imagery
 language
 stage directions
to fully understand
 the plot
 important themes
 emotional characterisation
 the writer’s purpose
Remembering
that your core text is a play.
 It needs to be watched as theatre .
 The staging techniques contribute to the
overall impact of the text.
To engage fully with the ideas
presented in the text
 think about the defining moments in your
life
 decisions that have affected your life
 the ways in which events beyond our control
can affect our futures
 your right to physical and emotional freedom
as women
 the ability of the human spirit to endure
hardships