V C E ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS Anne Mitchell
5 COMPARATIVE This area of the VCE English/EAL course involves a comparative analysis of a pair of texts, explaining how the texts present ideas, issues and themes in similar and different ways. In Year 11, the pair of texts will be chosen by the school, while in Year 12, the pair of texts will be selected from List 2, set by the VCAA. One example of a pair of texts might be the play Life of Galileo, by Bertolt Brecht, about the astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei and his conflict with the religious authorities over the truth about the universe, and the film The Insider, directed by Michael Mann and starring Russell Crowe. The film is based on the true story of a scientist, who worked for a powerful tobacco company, and attempted to reveal the truth about the link between smoking and cancer. Although they have different sociohistorical settings, the texts explore similar key themes, such as: The quest for justice and the truth The individual in conflict with the authorities The power of religious and economic institutions Altruism vs. individualism Gender roles and relationships Some pairs of texts might have similar settings as well as exploring similar themes. For example, the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel and the film Schindler s List, directed by Steven Spielberg, are both set in Europe during the early 1940s and both texts explore issues connected with In the online support material, teachers will find a list of the Holocaust during World War II. However, the texts recommended pairs of texts and present their ideas in different ways and have different the themes they share, categorised according to messages for the readers/viewers. THEMES ANALYSIS OF TEXTS suitability for year levels. Some examples of typical themes to be found in literary texts are: Gender roles and relationships Growing up/coming of age Prejudice against those who are different Issues of identity and belonging Racism Experiences of war ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 1
Encountering conflict Dreams vs. reality Human connections with the landscape The quest for justice and the truth The human spirit Survival against all odds EXERCISE 1 The desire for power Visions of the future Journeys Being Australian In the space below, add the themes of your pair of texts, if they are not listed already. The individual in conflict with the authorities OR Highlight the themes from the above list that are evident in your set texts. IDEAS AND ISSUES Be sure to find out which of your set texts are the two for this outcome. The pair of texts will invite you to think critically about important issues connected with life and the world around us. Under the broad umbrella of a key theme, they will explore specific ideas, issues and questions, such as: How do childhood experiences shape our identity? The desire to belong is an intrinsic part of human nature. Jealousy can affect relationships. What will people do in order to survive? Humans like to control the environment they live in, often to the detriment of the landscape. What we imagine can be more frightening than reality. What we imagine can be more interesting and exciting than reality. Does the end result justify the means of achieving it? It is difficult to let go of the past. The human spirit is most apparent in situations involving conflict or catastrophe. What will people do in order to gain and maintain power? 2 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
People will often make great sacrifices to gain and maintain their freedom. What hinders justice? What can prevent the discovery of the truth? Will technology affect future societies in positive or negative ways? Conflict is an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of human interaction. Conflict can lead to positive change. Is war ever justified? Is social networking making us antisocial? What does it mean to be an Australian citizen in the 21st century? How do the texts present gender stereotypes and do any characters challenge these views and roles? How do different types of governments function? What is the nature of good leadership? What kinds of difficulties are faced by minority groups? EXERCISE 2 In the space below, add the ideas, issues and questions suggested by your set texts, if they are not listed already. OR Highlight the ideas, issues and questions from the above list that are evident in your pair of texts. Example Many of you will know Shakespeare s tragedy Macbeth and the Disney animated film The Lion King (or the musical). Under the umbrella theme of The desire for power the ideas and issues raised by these texts include: Power corrupts. How does regicide disrupt the natural order of society and nature? It is evil to kill a king, but if the king is a good leader who is loved by the citizens, the crime is even more heinous. What happens if you do something that you know is wrong? What are the effects of a guilty conscience? ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 3
Some people can t be trusted. The supernatural world can have an impact on the natural world. Harmony is restored to the land when the rightful heirs take their place on the throne. There are several differences between this pair of texts, however. The most obvious difference is the medium through which the texts creators convey their messages one is a play and the other a film. Another difference is in the denouement of the texts: Shakespeare s play is a tragedy, and there are tragic consequences for the usurpers of the throne, while The Lion King has a happy ending, typical of a Disney film. In order to score well in this outcome, you must do more than comment on the similarities and differences in the genre and storyline, and you should avoid a superficial discussion of the texts messages. Your comparative analysis should focus on not only what the themes, ideas and issues are, but also how they are conveyed in the pair of texts. You must provide textual evidence. PROVIDING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE The work you did in Chapter 2 on deconstructing literary A second, in-depth reading texts will help you to focus on the various forms of textual of the pair of texts will evidence that you can use to support the points in your help you to achieve success in this outcome. (See page comparative analysis. XX for information about Evidence for the points you make could be drawn from the second reading.) textual features, such as: the interplay between the plot, the characters and the sociohistorical context of the texts the causes and effects of key events in the plot of each text how the dialogue conveys messages from the creator of each text to the reader or viewer if the text is multimodal and contains visual elements, how the visual and aural elements convey/reflect/enhance the messages the values that the texts endorse and/or challenge other stylistic features that convey the messages, such as metaphors, symbols, motifs, different narrative voices and language choices (for example, colloquialisms, slang, jargon, formal language, and so on). Also, you should try to incorporate some apt quotes from the texts to support your points. KEY QUESTIONS Here are some key questions to ask about the pair of texts in order to deepen your understanding of their messages and values before you begin to plan your comparative analysis. 1 How do both texts present a critical commentary on the times in which they were created? You can download this list of questions, with spaces for answers, from the online support material for this chapter. 4 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
2 What do the texts suggest about the sociohistorical contexts in which they are set? 3 Do the texts reflect the life experiences of their authors? Explain. 4 Does the form of each text affect its messages and values? If so, how? 5 Is there a particular audience for each text? Explain the links between audience, purpose and context of each text. 6 What political ideologies are evident in the pair of texts and how are they conveyed to us? 7 What does the creator of each text say to us about life and human relationships? 8 What kinds of actions are praised and which are condemned? How can you tell? 9 What kinds of expectations are placed on the characters and how do they deal with this? 10 Are the characters victims of social injustice, power and These questions authority, poverty, inequality, and so on? Alternatively, are the characters villains? How can you tell? RESPONDING TO A PROMPT would be good for pair and/or group discussion. As a prompt to guide your analysis, you will receive a statement or question relating to a common theme, or there will be a quotation from each text as stimulus. Examples 1 Compare the impact of surveillance on the citizens in Nineteen Eighty-four and The Lives of Others. 2 How do Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby comment on the difficulties of letting go of the past? 3 Justice is in the hands of the powerful. Discuss this statement in relation to Antigone and Twelve Angry Men. 4 How do the texts The Lieutenant and Life of Galileo explore the impact on individuals of inner and interpersonal conflicts? 5 In future societies, people will be denied their full humanity because of the restrictions imposed upon them. Discuss this statement in relation to Brave New World and Gattaca. 6 Compare how Montana 1948 and I m Not Scared explore the loss of childhood innocence. 7 Compare Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and A Doll s House, using the following quotations as the basis for your response: Roo (softly): Y know, a man s a fool to treat you as a woman. You re nothin but a little girl about twelve years old. (Summer of the Seventeenth Doll) Nora: I ve been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa s doll-child. (A Doll s House) 8 Compare The Crucible and On the Waterfront, using the following quotations as the basis for your response: ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 5
Proctor: Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (The Crucible) Terry: You don t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let s face it. (On the Waterfront) 9 Compare Wild Cat Falling and Stolen, using the following quotations as the basis for your response: All things are alien from me. I am rejected and I stand utterly alone. Nothing is mine or belongs to me and I belong nowhere in this world or the next. (Wild Cat Falling) Anne: I don t know where I belong anymore. (Stolen) 10 Compare The Quiet American and Every Man in this Village is a Liar, using the following quotations as the basis for your response: I m a reporter. I m not engagé... I don t take sides. I ll still be reporting, whoever wins. (The Quiet American) I wanted to see, and so I went along to watch.... I didn t go to Afghanistan with any strong convictions; I was a reporter, and I wanted to see. Only after covering it for years did I understand... (Every Man in this Village is a Liar) EXERCISE 3 Follow the wording of the above examples and devise three prompts for a comparative analysis. Prompt 3 must include relevant quotations from both texts, similar to examples 7 10 above. Texts: Prompt 1: Prompt 2: Prompt 3 (including quotations): 6 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
Structure of the response There are several possible ways to think about the content and structure of your body paragraphs. Approach 1 This involves organising your paragraphs according to the key ideas and issues that are evident in both texts and analysing how these ideas are conveyed in similar and different ways. You can see in the table below how the ideas in each row could be developed into body paragraphs. Prompt: Compare the impact of the desire for power on the characters and events in Macbeth and The Lion King. Text type (Novel, play, film, etc.) Sociohistorical context (Describe the setting time and place) TEXT 1: MACBETH Play Key theme: The desire for power Ideas and issues (Make notes in each box about how each text conveys the idea. Note similarities as well as differences.) Scotland, medieval times 1 Unbridled ambition and desire for power Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth want to be king and queen of Scotland, and they murder King Duncan in order to achieve their goal. Just as Scar hires the hyenas, Macbeth hires assassins to murder those whom he fears may expose his crime or threaten his power. Lady Macbeth invites the evil spirits to fill her with gall, and her language includes references to direst cruelty, mischief, thick night and the dunnest smoke of hell, which suggest her evil intentions. TEXT 2: THE LION KING Film Africa, modern times Groups of students could work on different key themes and present their findings to the class. Scar, King Mufasa s brother, wants to be the Lion King and orchestrates the death of Mufasa in order to achieve his goal. Scar is envious of his brother s power, and that of his nephew, Simba, who is heir to the throne. Macbeth, on the other hand, admires King Duncan, which makes his crime even more heinous. Scar persuades Simba to flee, sending the hyenas to assassinate him. Scar emerges from the shadows. His mane is a darker colour than his brother s and his eyes are green (suggesting envy). These stylistic features are symbolic of his evil nature. Dark shadows, fire, sharp cliffs and Nazilike goose-stepping hyena-soldiers are featured in the scene when Scar sings about his desire to become king. This suggests the evil nature of his ambition. continued ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 7
TEXT 1: MACBETH TEXT 2: THE LION KING (Make notes in each box about how each text conveys the idea. Note similarities as well as differences.) (Make notes in each box about how each text conveys the idea. Note similarities as well as differences.) 2 Gaining power does not necessarily lead to happiness, and some are plagued by guilt and remorse Macbeth and his wife suffer from guilty consciences, evidenced by their disrupted sleep. Macbeth says his mind is full of scorpions. Macbeth is unhappy as king; he is plagued by worries and doubts, and he is becoming increasingly alienated from his wife. Lady Macbeth commits suicide. 3 Regicide results in the disruption of the natural world The witches appear in the first scene during a thunderstorm, which reflects their role in the disruption of the natural world. Lennox: The night has been unruly: where we lay, / Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say, / Lamentings heard i the air, strange screams of death... The ghost of Banquo haunts Macbeth. Scar is unhappy as king; he feels lonely and wants a partner, but the lioness he approaches rejects him. Unlike Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Scar feels no remorse at all, even as he meets his death. Simba is the one who feels guilty about his perceived role in his father s death, which is part of Scar s strategy, to ensure that Simba runs away, full of grief and remorse. Early in the film, Mufasa tells Simba that everything exists together in delicate balance ; shots of the Pride Lands are clear and brightly coloured, suggesting that, at this point in the film, the land and the animals are in harmony. Later in the film, however, we see a barren, devastated landscape. The camera reveals dead trees, dark shadows, hordes of hyenas, and black storm clouds. Nala tells Simba: Everything s destroyed. There s no food, no water. Simba, if you don t do something soon, everyone will starve. The ghost of Mufasa speaks to Simba, but this visitation is a positive encouragement for Simba, unlike in Macbeth, where the supernatural elements are forces of evil, rather than good. continued 8 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
TEXT 1: MACBETH TEXT 2: THE LION KING (Make notes in each box about how each text conveys the idea. Note similarities as well as differences.) (Make notes in each box about how each text conveys the idea. Note similarities as well as differences.) If you plan to use this approach, you will find a blank template of this table in the online support material. 4 Treachery is all around us, even in those whom we trust. Macbeth betrays his king and kinsman, Duncan, and his friend, Banquo. Macbeth trusts the witches, but their equivocation and deception give him false hope and contribute to his downfall. Metaphors: Fair is foul and foul is fair. (the witches) There s daggers in men s smiles. (Donalbain)... look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under t. (Lady Macbeth) Simba is betrayed by his uncle, and the hyenas betray the trust of Scar when they do not kill Simba according to Scar s instructions. Scar pretends to be upset at his brother s death: So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. The hyenas turn against their friend Scar at the end of the film and kill him. 5 When the rightful heir ascends the throne, order is restored to the kingdom. In the final lines of the play, Malcolm promises that order will be restored to the kingdom of Scotland. This idea is supported by his references to honour, love and God, and by the measured rhythms of his speech. Shooting stars symbolise positive results for the Pride Lands when Simba decides to return. The music builds to a crescendo as Simba ascends Pride Rock to take his rightful place as the Lion King. The fire symbolises the cleansing of the land of evil and the rain brings new life (as Simba and Nala s cub is presented to the kingdom). The acacia tree blooms after the fire, symbolising that the natural world has been restored. The theme song Circle of life reflects the idea that all is in harmony once again. ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 9
Approach 2 For this approach you might have body paragraphs that are focused on a particular perspective or viewpoint. Perspectives could be based on literary theories. For example: a Marxist viewpoint, which focuses on ideas connected with class differences, power and social hierarchy a gender or feminist viewpoint, which focuses on the roles of men and women, looking for examples of patriarchy or stereotyping in the texts a psychoanalytical perspective, which focuses on characters motivations, their relationships with others, and their transformations. What are the texts saying about people and their relationships with others? a postcolonial perspective, which focuses on issues raised by the texts connected with the effects of imperialism and the exploitation of indigenous cultures by colonial powers. Alternatively, body paragraphs could focus on the following: the personal perspective What ideas and issues connected with the personal lives of the characters do the texts explore? the social perspective What ideas and issues connected with social interactions and expectations do the texts explore? the political perspective What do the texts say about power and politics in the worlds inhabited by the characters, and perhaps also the texts creators? the economic perspective What ideas and issues in the texts are connected with wealth and poverty? Does economic rationalism play a part in characters decisions? Or a combination of the two could work. See the example below. Example Prompt: Compare the interpersonal and inner conflicts faced by the characters in Life of Galileo and The Insider. Body paragraphs might focus on the following perspectives: Marxist perspective: Through knowledge, people can be liberated. If they are denied the truth, they remain victims of oppression. How do the texts convey these ideas and values? How do these ideas and values motivate the characters and influence their decisions? Psychoanalytical perspective: What do the texts suggest about human behaviour? What motivates the characters? How do they try to resolve their conflicts with others? Is compromise always possible? Social perspective: What expectations are placed on the characters by others? What is the impact of individualism on others, such as friends, family and work colleagues? Is it better to conform or rebel? Personal perspective: As a scientist, should you remain loyal to your employer at the expense of the truth? What is the personal cost to an individual who decides to stand up against a powerful system? How do people resolve their internal moral dilemmas? How do the texts answer these questions? 10 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
Economic perspective: To what extent are the characters in both texts motivated by issues connected with their financial situations? Approach 3 The third suggested approach involves taking one broad concept or key theme and breaking it down into its separate components. For example, under the umbrella theme of Conflict your paragraphs could focus on how each text presents ideas and issues related to various types of conflict. A theme umbrella might look like this: Interpersonal conflict War and violence THEME UMBREALLA Types of conflict Conflict of ideologies or values Individual vs. authority There is merit in all of the above approaches, and you, your teacher and your classmates will probably come up with other approaches, too. The pair of texts that have been set for you to study for this outcome might lend themselves to one particular approach over another. Inner moral conflict Cultural conflict There is a blank Theme umbrella in the online support material for this chapter, which you could use to explore a theme that is common to your pair of texts. INTEGRATED ANALYSIS OR SEPARATE? As well as deciding on the content of body paragraphs, you will need to decide if you will integrate your analysis that is, refer to both texts in each paragraph or discuss each text in a paragraph on its own. Both approaches will work; however, a more sophisticated response might integrate the discussion, comparing and contrasting the texts in each body paragraph. If you are adopting this structure, be careful that your paragraphs do not become too long. Try not to have paragraphs that are over 200 or 250 words in length. If you need to begin a new paragraph to introduce the second text s approach to the same idea that you are discussing, then do so. ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 11
INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS How you begin and end your comparative analysis will be a decision that you make with the help of your teacher. Below are some suggestions. The introduction should: mention the names of the texts and their creators address the theme suggested by the prompt statement or quotes indicate the focus of your body paragraphs. The introduction could: say something about the sociohistorical contexts of both texts mention the similarities and differences in stylistic features, such as genre, narrative structure, denouement, and so on. The conclusion should: sum up your points mention the prompt again mention the names of the texts and creators again. The conclusion could: sum up the key messages and values of both texts end with an apt quote. Example Texts: Wild Cat Falling, by Colin Johnson (novel) and Stolen, by Jane Harrison (play) Prompt: Compare Wild Cat Falling and Stolen, using the following quotations as the basis for your response: All things are alien from me. I am rejected and I stand utterly alone. Nothing is mine or belongs to me and I belong nowhere in this world or the next. (Wild Cat Falling) Anne: I don t know where I belong anymore. (Stolen) Introduction: The novel Wild Cat Falling, by Colin Johnson, and the play Stolen, by Jane Harrison, both present a view of Indigenous Australian life experiences. Johnson s autobiographical novel centres on the struggles of a young Aboriginal man trying to find his place in the society of 1960s Fremantle, WA, while Harrison s play explores the lasting impact on five Aboriginal children, who were stolen from their families. Although the texts are different in genre and sociohistorical setting, they both convey the author s messages and values concerning the search for identity and a sense of belonging. Conclusion: The novel Wild Cat Falling, by Colin Johnson, and the play Stolen, by Jane Harrison, are powerful Australian texts that raise important issues concerning the history and culture of Aboriginal people. They confront the audience, not only with ideas and messages to think about, but also with the hard-hitting language of Johnson s memoir and Harrison s unique staging choices. The texts leave us with a clearer understanding of the impact of society s values and attitudes on an individual s identity, and desire for recognition and acceptance. 12 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0
COHESION It is important that you are able to use linking words and phrases associated with comparing and contrasting, in order to ensure that your essay has cohesion. EXERCISE 4 To compare is to show similarities; to contrast is to show differences. Below is a list of sentence fragments, words and phrases for comparing and contrasting. Read through the list, paying special attention to the points about grammar and punctuation. The similarity between... and... can be seen in... There are obvious similarities between... and... There are many points of comparison between... and... There are obvious/minor/subtle/significant/major differences/similarities between the novel and the film. Some words and phrases need to be separated from the rest Say different from ; for of the sentence by a comma. For example: example: The denouement of the film is very different In contrast to the book, the film... from the play, as one is a Like the novel, the play... family melodrama and the Unlike the novel, the film... other is a tragedy. Just as the play..., so too does the film... Likewise, Similarly, Alternatively, the novel... Although the novel..., the film... Use a semicolon (or full stop) and two commas when you are using on the other hand and however: The novel...; the film, on the other hand,... The play.... The film, however,... For conjunctions used in the middle of sentences to join clauses, such as while, whereas and but, you only need a comma: The play..., while the film... Never start a sentence with The novel..., whereas the film... whereas. Use while. While the novel..., the film... The play..., but the film... More connectives are listed in Chapter 7 on page X. ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0 1 PREPARATION FOR VCE ENGLISH/EAL 13
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Your comparative analysis of a pair of texts will be assessed in the three areas that are outlined below. Note that this is not the official assessment rubric published by the VCAA, but an alternative that teachers might like to use on students practice pieces. Knowledge and understanding Knowledge of key aspects of both texts Depth of thinking Response to the prompt Appropriate and detailed evidence to support the analysis Structure and organisation Coherence and development of the analysis Logical ordering and linking of paragraphs Appropriate word length Expression and mechanics Use of appropriate metalanguage for a comparative analysis Expressiveness and fluency Control of the mechanics of Standard Australian English In the online support material, teachers will find a tick-the-box assessment template ( Analytical response to text ), using the following criteria. Ten tips for successful comparative analysis of texts 1 Know your pair of texts well. Have you read them for the second time? 2 Have you deconstructed the texts in the light of the information in Chapter 2? You should do this before you complete the assessment task. 3 Thoroughly brainstorm the ideas, issues and themes in your pair of texts and work out the best approach for your body paragraphs. 4 Write several practice essays, experimenting with the different approaches suggested in this chapter. 5 Make sure that you address the ideas contained in the prompt statement or quotations. 6 Structure your response in a logical way, using linking words and phrases to ensure that your essay has cohesion. 7 Be sure to devote each body paragraph to one point only and explore that point in depth and detail. 8 To support your points, provide evidence from both texts in the form of textual detail and quotes. 9 Aim for a minimum word length of 800 words (EAL 700 words). 10 Use appropriate metalanguage; vary your vocabulary; take care with your expression, and proofread your work thoroughly. 14 VCE ENGLISH/EAL STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 0 0000 0000 0