The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis

Summary
Once again this is one of Poe’s shorter stories and is set somewhere in Italy. It is based around two main characters Montresor and Fortunato a wine seller. Somewhere along the way Fortunato has wronged Montresor and this has occurred several times and now Montresor seeks revenge.
There is a carnival going on at the time to celebrate the start of Lent and this is where Montresor runs into Fortunato. Fortunato is quite drunk and has obviously been having a good time at the festival.
Montresor tells Fortunato that he has recently come into possession of a cask of Amontillado which is a high quality wine from Spain. However Montresor is not sure whether the wine is genuine or not. Fortunato takes the opportunity being a wine expert and tells Montresor that he would be happy to check the quality of the wine.
The pair go to Montresors house and descend into the cellar where the wine is kept. There are also the skeletons of Montresors relatives that have been stored in the cellar as well. Fortunato is quite sick and appears to have a cold of some sort and Montresor keeps asking him if he is well enough to keep going.
Montresor give Fortunato some wine to make him feel better and gets him quite drunk.
The pair finally reach the end of a tunnel and Montresor quickly claps Fortunato in irons and proceeds to wall up the tunnel.
That is pretty much the end of it.
Analysis
Once again we have an unreliable narrator detailing the facts and we are not overly sure of his mental stability. The fact that Montresor was carrying a trowel with him suggests that this was a fairly premeditated course of action, but we are never quite sure how Montresor has been wronged. There is some interesting language use, the one that stood out for me was the coughing at the bottom of page 498 with the ‘ugh! Ugh!...’, it seems a little unnecessary but nothing is put in without a reason and perhaps Poe wanted to really emphasise the sickness of Fortunato. There is a little play on words in this story as well, think of the title the cask of Amontillado that a cask could mean a bottle of wine but also a coffin. Also when Montresor is asked if he is a mason he says yes but rather than meaning a free mason he means he is a stone mason which comes in handy when he is walling up the tunnel. Consider also Fortunato’s name in this case he is not fortunate at all.

The Masque of the Red Death Summary and Analysis

Summary
This story starts detailing some type of disease called the ‘Red Death’ and details the symptoms and appears to be some type of plague which kills people very quickly in fact in about half an hour.
We are not sure where the story is set but there is some suggestion that it is set somewhere in Italy. This is one of Poe’s stories that does not have a narrator to describe what is happening. The Prince of the region who is named Prospero decides to select his best friends to stay with him at his place in order to avoid the plague that is ravaging the town; they even go to the lengths of welding the doors to the house shut so that no one with the plague can enter. There are all sorts of entertainment held by Prospero as well as plenty of food and so on. After about six months when the plague is really at a peak, Prospero decides to hold a masked ball. It was such a huge event that it was held in seven rooms each of a different colour such as blue and purple and so on, each room also had a giant stained glass window of the same colour as the room. The seventh room was black but had a window the colour of scarlet so that it cast an eerie and bloodlike colour into the room, none of the partygoers would go into that room. In this room there is also a giant black clock which has a loud monotonous clang.
Everyone is having a great time at this party until the black clock strikes twelve when a mysterious figure appears among the partygoers. The figure is tall and gaunt and is wearing a hood and cloak which appears to have blood on it and it appears that the person has dressed up as the red death. Most of the partygoers try to avoid the person in the mask.
When the Prince Prospero notices the figure he flies into a rage and demands that the person in the mask be revealed. No-one helps Prospero so he chases the figure through each of the coloured rooms and carries a dagger. They eventually end up in the black room, and a cry is heard from Prospero at which point he drops the dagger and falls dead. The other partygoers grab the man in the mask only to discover there is no-one under the clothes. It is revealed at the end that the red death has made its way into the house and each of the revellers dies.
Analysis
This is quite different from Poe’s other stories and seems to have a more historical basis to the story particularly in relation to the plague. We have several images of death within the story including the black room with the blood red light shining in, as well as the idea of the black clock which implies that time is counting down towards death. I think the idea that Poe is trying to explore here is that no-one can escape death and that it is inevitable no matter how hard you try. The use of the third person narrative also lends a different feel to the story, perhaps this is done so that we feel less sympathy with the character particularly as he left so many people to die outside his house whilst he is having a great time inside.

The Purloined Letter Summary and Analysis

Summary
This is another story based on the detective C. Auguste Dupin, however this tends to jump straight into the story as there is an assumption that we already know of Dupin’s analytical skills and we don’t need to reinforce these. We get an idea that the police once again are unable to solve the crime, however they deny this instead saying that they just tell Dupin about it as it is an excessively odd case.
The case is based around a government official who allegedly steals a letter from the royal apartments. Apparently the letter would ruin the reputation of a woman of high standing, the government official realised that this was an important letter and decided to steal it. He switches the letter for one of his own and leaves the apartment.
The government official uses the letter to blackmail the lady and she turns to the police to help her out.
The police ransack the apartment to try to find the letter all to no avail and believe that the minister is keeping the letter at another location. Dupin believes that the letter is still at the ministers apartment as he would need it to hand in order to blackmail the lady.
Dupin tells the police to search the apartment again and it seems he only does this to make them see silly when they fail to find the letter.
Dupin supposes that the minister is storing the letter in plain sight and visits the ministers apartment and notices the letter in the letter rack, he decides not to take the letter as it would arouse suspicion so he decides to go back to the apartment again and this time swap the letter for another letter.
Apparently the minister had done something bad to Dupin in the past and Dupin was at last able to have his revenge and wrote this inside his replacement letter.
Analysis
Once again this story does appear a little clichéd but does build up some tension in the reader in order for them to try to work out the solution to the crime. It has an intelligent detective who uses cold logic in order to work out the solution to the crime, but also use some intuition in order to work out the solution. It does appear to be an overly simplistic crime and the ending to me seems a little contrived and disappointing. It certainly doesn’t seem as gruesome as “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and Poe seems to have wanted to create a more intelligent type of crime which really demonstrates Dupin’s skills.

The Oval Portrait Summary and Analysis

These summaries and analyses are my own views on the stories, however, I am happy to take any comments that you may have.

Summary
Once again in this story we have an unnamed narrator who we know very little about, apart from the fact that he has a valet called Pedro and that he has been injured whilst travelling in Italy. The narrator takes refuge in a gloomy mansion (just for something different), which is decorated with tapestries and paintings. The narrator appears fascinated by the paintings and discovers a book detailing the history of the paintings.
He reads on into the night and as he moves the candle closer to see more clearly the light hits a particular portrait. It is a portrait of a young lady. The narrator is not so taken in by the subject or her beauty but more that he is fixated on how lifelike the woman looks in the picture. The writer is disturbed by this picture and turns his attention back to the book.
The book explains the history of the picture and that it was the portrait of an artist’s wife. The artist seemed to love his art more than he loved his wife. She agrees to sit so that he can paint her though he tends to pay more attention to the canvas than his wife.
The wife sits for hours and starts to wither and fade but the artist does not notice, and it is almost that he is drawing the colours from his wife and putting them on the canvas.
When the artist finally finishes he states ‘This is indeed life itself!’, he is so excited by the work that he has done that he turns to his wife only to realise that she is dead.

Analysis
This is an interesting idea and hearkens back to a similar story by Oscar Wilde in ‘The portrait of Dorian Gray’ where a painting and person are inextricably linked. We also have the idea of this over the top type of obsession particularly with the artist who is so engrossed in his work he fails to notice the declining health of his wife. It does seem strange that the wife would just sit there and die whilst her husband painted her, surely she would have said something to alert him. This idea of subservience within the story once again suggests the role of women in the society of the time. There is also a similar theme of the idea of beauty fading and being turned into something more macabre similar to Berenice who withers and fades from some strange disease. Is Poe here suggesting that sometimes we are too obsessed with beautiful things to our detriment?

Edgar Allan Poe Introduction

Ok better late than never here's is the start to Edgar Allan Poe. There will be summaries posted on this blog along with short analyses of the stories. I have tried to keep the summaries fairly casual and give my own views on the stories and what I think that Poe was trying to achieve.

Poe is viewed as the godfather of gothic horror, particularly in America and this can be seen with so many references to his work in modern literature and media such as 'The Simpsons' along with many modern horror movies that pay homage to his work. He was also responsible for the development of detective fiction and 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' can be seen as the first example of this type of fiction.

Some people view his work as cliched and stereotypical, such as the gothic mansions were so many of the stories take place, as well as the idea of gloomy and dark landscapes that help set the mood. I am sure we have all seen the start of horror movies with the ominous looking house that is surrounded by fog.

If you have already read some of the stories you would be aware that Poe spends a lot of time setting the mood of his stories and it can be quite often three or four pages into the story before the story really begins, this can be seen in 'The Fall of the House of Usher' as well as 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' and 'The Premature Burial'. Poe may have done this in order to help build the mood of his stories and there is the constant reference to gloom and dull, dark and dreary, it is meant to put us into a certain frame of mind for the rest of the story. It does sometimes take some perseverance to plow through the start of these stories and I recommend reading the summaries first in order to get an overview of the story which will then help with your understanding.

Speaking of which here are some good links to summaries and information on Poe's short stories.

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/index.html#PoeStudy
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/poestories/

Good luck and enjoy, remember if you have any questions you can post them here and I will get to them as soon as possible.

Cheers

Mr Hill

SAC reminder

Don't forget that the SAC is this week!
Key things to remember in regards to preparing for the SAC
* Make sure you have read the play
* Make sure that you have an understanding of the key characters within the play
* Make sure that you have an understanding of the background of the play in paticular Henry the VIII and his divorce
* Make sure that you have a good collection of quotes from the play and memorise these for the SAC.
* Remember how to structure a text response so that you have a clear introduction which demonstrates your view on the prompt, and that each paragraph explores a key idea in relation to this prompt.
* Every paragraph should start with a clear and succinct topic sentence, that is then explored in the body of the paragraph and supported with evidence and quotes from the text.

Good Luck

Symbolism in AMFAS

Robert Bolt uses symbolism to great effect within AMFAS. One of the main symbols is this of the river and water. In order to see the symbolism and the idea of the metaphor we have to first understand the characteristics of the river and water, that is that water can generally go where it wants, in paticular a river never runs straight it moves to suit itself, if it can't go in one direction it will quickly seek another, (remind you of any Tudor monarchs?) The first example of the use of this symbolism is when More is returning from Wolseys house and meets the boatman on the river. It is here that he is intercepted by both Cromwell and Signor Chapuys both of whom are trying to find out what More's conversation was about with Wolsey, and which side that More is taking in regards to the divorce. Both Chapuys and Cromwell leave feeling that More is on their side, which of course More has not revealed any particular leanings to either side. More then comments to the boatman that 'the river looks very black tonight. They say it is silting up, is that so?' In this case we can take the river to represent the moral landscape of England. The river they are talking about is the river Thames which is an icon of England and the London landscape.So, if the river indeed represents the moral environment of England and in particular that of the monarchy and government, then if the river is black it means that the morals of England are looking black, which could be construed as meaning that there is a loss of morals and this may refer to the fact of Henry wanting to seek the divorce or annulment of the marriage to Catherine. More also mentions it is silting up which suggest that it is getting harder and harder to move in this moral landscape and that you will eventually become stuck. On page 17 the boatman replies 'Not in the middle, sir. There's a channel there getting deeper all the time.' This suggests that it is More that is stuck in the middle and the fact that it is getting deeper could mean that More is becoming more and more seperated from what Henry and Cromwell want to achieve that he could eventually find himself in some trouble in the deep water and may in fact drown.

The second sybolic feature in the play is the gilded cup which More offers Rich at the start of the play. The cup was given to More as a bribe to help in a legal case he was looking in to. More does not want to keep the cup as it is tainted,and in his offering it to Rich it is almost as if he is testing him to see whether he is morally upstanding. Rich of course takes the cup which shows that he he is not too fussed about accepting these tainted goods. Rich states that he will sell the cup to buy some clothes like More's, suggesting he wants what More has, i.e status and power. This suggests that Rich is more Machiavellian and is prepared to do whatever it takes in order to move up in the world.

Class notes Monday April 13th 2010

This post will be from notes taken from both Year 12 English classes.

In the lesson we began to look at the text 'A Man for All Seasons' by Robert Bolt.
More specifically we looked at the events leading up to the start of the play and the history of Henry VIII.

Henry VIII was the third son of Henry VII and was originally destined to a life of serving the church. This was until his brother Arthur died at the age of fifteen and Henry inherited the throne.

This caused a few dilemmas as Arthur had been married to Catherine of Aragon who was Spanish royalty. This marriage had helped to secure an alliance between Spain and England. Now that Arthur was dead this could affect the alliance between the two countries.

Spain and England both decided that it would be in the best interests of both countries if Henry were to marry Catherine. The only problem here was that both Spain and England were Christian monarchies and under Christian law it was forbidden for a man to marry his brothers widow.

Spain and England both petitioned the Pope for a special dispensation to allow the marriage to go through, this was done and Henry married Catherine and ascended to the throne as Henry VIII.

Henry and Catherine settled down to married life and started to begin a family, this caused problems as Catherine was unable to provide Henry with a male heir. The only boy that was born died soon after birth.

Now if you recall Henry was originally destined for a life in the church so he had a good understanding of Christian law, and knew that the bible specifically mentioned that it was forbidden for a man to marry his brothers widow. Henry believed that he had been cursed by God for breaking Christian law, and this was why he was unable to have a male heir.

This may have been one of the reasons that Henry decided that he would divorce Catherine as he believed that the marriage was illegal and should be nullified. Another reason also was that he had become interested in one of Catherine's ladies in waiting, Anne Boleyn. Henry and Anne believed that they would be able to produce a male heir.

This is where the play begins....

Reminder

Hi everyone I hope you have all had a good break, by now you should be focussing on reading the next text which is 'A Man for All Seasons' by Robert Bolt. There is also a movie available which it would be worth viewing to help with your understanding of the text. You should also have prepared your oral which is due in week two of term two. There will also be a SAC which will be an expository response in the first week of term two.

Good luck with your studies.

Character description of The Common Man

The Common Man
The Common man represents a number of different yet ordinary citizens. He is first introduced as the steward in More’s household, but also fills the roles of boatman, publican, Rich’s steward, jailer, jury foreman at More’s trial and, most sinisterly, the Headsman who execute More. He is supposed to represent the “silent majority” of ordinary people who, like the average “man in the street” sometimes witness injustice without speaking out or acting to intervene. Bolt suggest that the common mans main concern is his own survival, and that if an opportunity arises for him to gain an advantage, he will grasp it with both hands. Bolt hoped that everyone would be able to indentify with the common man and see part of themselves in the character. The Common man’s only criterion for making decisions is how the chosen action will affect him personally. The Common Man does not seek any sort of high status and will not risk his life or personal welfare, ‘his motto is “better a live rat than a dead lion”.

Useful link for A Man for all Seasons

Here's a useful link to a site all about the trial of Thomas More. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTRIALS/more/more.html

Character description of Thomas More

More is temperate: Moderate in behaviour and attitudes; avoiding opinions and actions. More is honourable, astute, naive, loving, selfless, shrewd.
More begins as a highly respected figure in England and throughout Europe. A man for all seasons traces his downfall from a man who is honoured by all, including the King, to an outcast who is convicted and executed for treason. It is only when More’s commitment to his personal beliefs is put under duress that his integrity and strength of character are truly revealed.
More can seem somewhat naive because he believes that by offering no opinion in the matter of the King’s divorce he can remain impartial and somewhat safe from any danger. He even resigns his position as Lord Chancellor in order to secure his personal safety.
Alice is much more astute in understanding that More will be seen as an opponent because of his refusal to comment on the King’s behaviour. More is a victim of his own good reputation. More’s naivety is further demonstrated by his trust in the law, in fact this belief in the law is his downfall as Cromwell changes the law in order to trap More.

Word Definitions

Astute : marked by practical hardheaded intelligence; "a smart businessman"; "an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease"; Quick to notice or understand.
Naive : Lacking worldly experience and understanding.

Introduction to A Man for All Seasons

Man for All Seasons Resources
What I have posted here so far are the notes and summaries from what we have studied in class, these will be a great resource to aid your revision and study of Man for All Seasons.


Man for All Seasons Summaries

Act One. Page 1-10
The play opens in the household of Sir Thomas More in Chelsea. The Common Man establishes his position and sometime role as More’s steward. More and Richard Rich discuss Rich’s desire to obtain a prestigious position of employment in London Society. An important part in this section is when More gives a valuable goblet to Rich, More does not want to keep the Goblet because it was part of a bribe over a court case he was presiding over. The scene ends with the announcement of Cromwell as Cardinal Wolsey’s secretary, and with More being summoned to see Cardinal Wolsey on the “Kings business’.
Page 10-13
More visits Wolsey’s apartments and is chastised by Wolsey for being late. This scene shows that there is some sort of power struggle between More and Wolsey, and Wolsey displays his authority over More in subtle but clear ways. Wolsey reminds More that he lacks power and authority by asking him to comment on the letter he has written to the Pope ‘before’ he sends it; he is not going to change it, regardless of More’s opinion. When Wolsey sees King Henry arriving home he assumes that the King has been with his mistress Anne Boleyn, whom he despises. It becomes clear that Wolsey attempt to gain Mores support regarding the King’s wish for an annulment have failed.
Key Quotes Pg11 ‘Catherine’s his wife and she’s as barren as a brick.
Pg11-12 “Now we are to ask the pope to – dispense with his dispensation.

Page 13-16
After Leaving Wolsey’s apartments, More goes to the riverbank to hire a boat to take him home. There he meets Cromwell, it is important to note that in the stage directions Cromwell ‘steps from behind arch’ Cromwell is Wolsey’s ambitious secretary, and soon after, Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador to England meets with More as well. Both appear to have been ‘loitering’ near the boats in the hope of ‘accidentally’ running into More after his meeting with Wolsey. In turn Cromwell and Chapuys both flatter More, and want to know what transpired between him and Wolsey. More tells them nothing but leaves them both with the impression that he has given them the information that they desire. It is ironic that Cromwell, who has no respect for the law, quotes it to the boatman.
Key quotes
The river looks very black tonight. They say that it’s silting up Pg15-16
More’s comment shows that the river is used as a metaphor for the political world. It is becoming increasingly dark and difficult to navigate.
A heretic adheres to an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious teaching.

Page 16 -25
More returns home at 3am and is annoyed that Margaret’s suitor Will Roper is visiting at this late hour. Roper reveals that he has asked Margaret to marry him, and More objects to this on the grounds of Ropers changeable religious views, in More’s eyes Roper’s decision to abandon the Catholic church to follow the teachings of Martin Luther makes him a heretic. More refuses to discuss his meeting with Wolsey with his family, and when they raise the subject of Wolsey’s rumoured fall and ask whether More would want to be Lord Chancellor he gives a very adamant no.
In the next scene the Common Man informs the audience of Wolsey’s demise and More’s promotion to the prestigious and powerful role of Lord Chancellor. Cromwell meets Rich who is now Norfolks secretary. Chapuys joins them; it is clear that Chapuys and Cromwell do not like each other. Cromwell informs them that the King is planning a surprise visit to More’s house, and will pilot his new boat along the river. When the Common man enters in the role of More’s steward it becomes apparent that he is being paid as an informant by both Cromwell and Chapuys. He doesn’t reveal any signinficant information about More but the fact that they pay him more than he can earn in a fortnight indicates how desperate they are for information.

Page 25-41
The central focus of this scene is King Henry’s surprise visit to More’s home and the interactions that take place between the two men. With the King’s arrival imminent, there is excited confusion and panic when no-one can find More. When More is found, he seems to be unperturbed by the Kings visit. Henry requests a private meeting with More where he broaches the real business of the visit; to persuade More to support his plans for remarriage. Although More is distressed, he resists Henry’s persuasion and promises of reward whilst pledging his loyalty. Henry decides to leave suddenly but does reassure More that unless he openly opposes the King he will not be put under any pressure.
Roper also appears in this scene and warns More that Cromwell and Chapuys are gathering information on him. He also announces that he has changed his views on the church. More also states that he feels safe because he stands ‘on the wrong side of no statute, and no common law.’

Page 41-46
The Common Man now adopts the persona of publican. The setting is a private room in a tavern, significantly named “The Loyal Subject” where Rich has come to meet Cromwell, who is flushed with success after being promoted to the position of Secretary to the Council. Even though it is evident that he does not like Rich, Cromwell offers him the role of Collector of Revenues for York Diocese. Cromwell questions Rich about the circumstances surrounding More’s gift of the silver goblet, this foreshadows Cromwells plan to frame More for judicial corruption. It is clear now that Rich will now act as Cromwells’ co-conspirator, thus trading his innocence for worldly success.
Key Quote “There are some things one wouldn’t do for anything. Surely” Pg43
Rich tentatively puts this proposition to Cromwell, but seems not to believe it himself.

ACT TWO

More’s house Page 47-57
It is now May 1532, two years have passed since Cromwells conversation with Rich at the end of Act One. In the meantime Henry has replaced the Roman Catholic Church by instituting the Church of England. The Common Man tells us that in the last two years those opposing the new church have suffered “disaster”. When More learns that the Archbishops have agreed to fall under Henry’s new Church he decides to resign he signals his desire to resign by removing his chains of office. More gathers his staff and tells them that due to a change in his economic status, he will now have not income. The Common Man declines to work for More at a reduced wage and leaves his service. We get the idea that More now wants to fly under the radar and not attract any attention to himself.
Key Quote: Obscurity’s what I have need of now. Pg 53. More believes that security lies in keeping his thoughts about the King’s actions private; therefore, he will not share his views with anyone, including his family.

Page 57-62 Cromwell Plots
Norfolk tries to protect More “...why not leave him silent?” pg 57 and argues that he is clearly a loyal subject of the King. Cromwell however will have none of it. He believe that More’s silence speaks volumes about his position on the King’s marriage and is determined to make a case against him. They interrogate the woman who tried to bribe More with the silver goblet, but finding that it is a “horse that won’t run” because More did not keep the bribe. Cromwell resolves to find “something better” pg60 with which to condemn him. Rich employs the Common Man as his steward.

Page 62-66 More’s House
More’s house in Chelsea is now a very different place: cold and dismal. Chapuys comes to visit and is still trying to win More’s support for Spain’s position. He leaves when his attempts are thwarted by More’s silence. The clergy has offered More a gift of money but, despite the family’s dire financial circumstances and against Alice and Margaret’s advice, he refuses it, fearing that the money will be construed as a bribe to secure his public opposition to Henry. Roper announces that More has been summonsed to go immediately before Cromwell to answer ‘certain charges” pg65
Key Quotes: If he’s opposed to Cromwell he’s for us. There’s no third alternative. Pg63 Chapuys does not foresee that silence will continue to be More’s third alternative.
My case is watertight pg 66 More continues to believe that he cannot be found guilty if he remains silent.

Page 66-70 Hampton Court
More appears before Cromwell while Rich acts as secretary, recording what is said. Cromwell interrogates more even though he asserts that there are “no charges”. He attempts to intimidate More by telling him that the King “is not pleased” with him. Cromwell tries to bribe More by stating that if More Cooperates the King will reward him. Pg67. More however is unmoved. They debate the King’s authority, each setting out their different positions. More is questioned about bribes and the book he helped the King to write, and then is allowed to go home for now.
Key quote: The King’s a man of conscience and he wants either Sir Thomas More to bless his marriage or Sir Thomas destroyed. Either will do. Pg70. Cromwell succinctly states the situation in which More finds himself.

Page 70-74 The Riverbank
After leaving Cromwell, More tries to catch a boat: however none will come for him, he has become a persona non grata. Norfolk appears and attempts to convince More to give up his silence. Norfolk states that More has become dangerous to know, and More ends up breaking off his friendship with Norfolk in order to protect him. Roper appears with Margaret and informs More that a new act of parliament is to be passed that demands all citizens have to pledge their support for the King’s marriage to Anne Boleyn by swearing an oath. Those who do not swear will be charged with high treason.

Page 74-81 The Tower of London
More has been imprisoned for over a year. The Common Man, in the persona of a jailer, outlines his perspective on the situation and informs the audience about the historical fates of a number of characters in the play. More is questioned by Cromwell, Cranmer and Norfolk. More still refuses to explain his reasons for not taking the oath even though Norfolk tries to persuade him to renege. Cromwell is desperate to obtain More’s oath and fears that if he has to execute More, the king will in turn execute him to keep his conscience clean.
Key Quote: Better a live rat than a dead lion Pg75
The Common Man prefers survival to heroism.

Mr Hill's email address

Hi if you would like to submit any work over the holidays you may submit it to the following address.

hill.eddy.p@edumail.vic.gov.au

Hope you are having a great break and look forward to catching up in a couple of weeks.

Examples of Conflict from Secret River Part Three

A Hundred Acres

At the start of this chapter William returns from one of his trips to discover that the Aboriginals have made a campsite on part of ‘his’ land. This is one of William’s biggest fears as he now realises that he will once again have to confront the Aboriginal’s over the land. We get the idea that William does not hate the Aboriginals, rather he does not want to be involved with them, he is happy for them to be around as long as they don’t affect him. William seems to openly avoid confrontation and conflict, and this is also true of his actions with Sal, as he avoids telling her his true feelings and thoughts in order to prevent an argument.

Page 194 – In this section William goes to ‘talk’ to the Aboriginals in order to make them move on. ‘Youse lot best bugger off’ are his first words, and it is quite clear that William is uncomfortable in having them camping near him and his family. The Aboriginal woman speaks back to him and give William the impression that they have firm ideas about staying. This is where we get to see that William is beginning to understand the Aboriginals in some way. William draws an outline of his land trying to explain to the Aboriginals that this is now his land. The Aboriginals offer him some of the daisy yams to eat which he refuses, and show this obstinate streak in him that he refuses to understand the Aboriginal culture and make some effort to build a relationship with them.

Page 200 – It is on these pages that we start to see that the Thornhills are starting to become more accustomed to the presence of the aboriginals, to the extent that they have given some of them names such as, ‘Whisker Harry’, ‘Black Dick’ etc. They may have done this to make them seem less threatening and to give them a point of reference and familiarity. We also see Sal trade with the aboriginal women, but the aboriginal women treat the bonnet that Sal gives them with disrespect. It seems at this stage of the novel we get more of an insight in to the aboriginals and realise that as strange as the aboriginals are to the Thorhills, the Thornhills are just as strange to them . We also get to see these ‘savages’ becoming more human as they express their sense of humour.

On page 203 – We see Ned and Dan scorn the aboriginals for their perceived lack of work, Ned and Dan view them as lazy as they do not do any ‘work’. This is of course biased in favour of the white settlers as they have differing opinions of what constitutes work.

On page 207-210 William visits Blackwood, who seems uncomfortable to have William there. There are several revelations in this section. It is revealed that Blackwood has had a child with an aboriginal woman, and that Blackwood has learnt some of the aboriginal language and is able to converse with the woman. Grenville seems to use Blackwood to show that there are two sides in this situation, there are those that want to eradicate the aboriginals, and there are those, like Blackwood, who want to work and live with them.

On page 211 we start to see the change in relationship between Dick and the rest of the Thornhill family. Dick is quite comfortable playing with the native children, and running around naked. William goes to fetch Dick and sees him watching an aboriginal man make fire. This is an important section as we see a change in William, as he goes to slap the aboriginal man on the shoulder he stops himself, as opposed to the earlier ‘slapping’ incident. There are two important quotes in this section the first is on page 214 ‘But we’ll get you all in the end. The words came out of his mouth before he had thought. There’s such a bleeding lot of us’ This seems almost prophetic.

On page 215 ‘The thought made him gentle. There won’t be no stopping us, he said. Pretty soon there won’t be nowhere left for you black buggers’
On page 215 we start to see the start of the conflict between William and Dick, as Dick start to argue with him about the aboriginals and the fact that they don’t need a flint to start a fire. William becomes so enraged with Dick that he beats him with his belt. He does later regret this, but this is the start of the break in the relationship between them.

On page 227 – We see a trade between William and the aboriginals when he trades some flour for a piece of Kangaroo. William only gets the foot of the Kangaroo which does not have much meat on it, and we get the idea that William feels he has been done down in the trade. However William does not make an issue of it, as he does not have the language to explain. It is almost as if there has been a power shift between the Aboriginals and the white settlers, the only thing William can do is scorn the aboriginals for the way that they are cooking the meat. It turns out the meat William is given is so chewy and tough the way they cook it, that it is almost inedible which makes William all the more angry.

On page 229 – We start to see the difference between the way the aboriginals survive and the way the Thornhills survive. It appears that the aboriginals have enough time to provide food and play with the family. Whereas the Thornhill’s have to work all day in order to provide food and survive so that they don’t really have time to spend relaxing with family.

On page 230 William visits Smasher. He reveals to William that he is now catching the fresh oysters and burning them to make lime for cement, this is of course depriving the aboriginals of one of their food sources and could bring them into conflict. On page 233 an Aboriginal man confronts Smasher and seems to be communicating the fact that Smasher is taking all of their food. Smasher ends up whipping the man, but the man catches hold of the whip. The aboriginal man eventually lets go and leaves in his canoe before Smasher can get his gun.

Oral Presentation Reminder

This is a reminder that your oral presentation is due to be presented in week two of term two. You are expected to present a 5 minute speech on a current issue from September 2009 onwards, that has received a fair amount of media coverage.

Some possible topics are:
Lowering the blood alcohol level to .02,Drinking age, Asylum seekers, Hoon drivers, Driver P-Plate restrictions, Myschool website, Whaling, ANZAC march whether families should be allowed to march.

These are just a few suggestions you may decide on a topic of your own choosing.

Remember a true issue has two sides and is debatable, use this to check whether you have chosen a suitable issue.

We will discuss this further in class.

What can we learn about conflict from 'The Secret River'

One of the most useful activities that I have used in class is to ask students what they think that Kate Grenville is trying to say about the nature of conflict and the factors that contribute to it.

For example: Conflict occurs betweent the powerful and the powerless: This is shown in several examples throughout the novel. At the start of the novel we have the Thornhills struggling to survive and resorting to theft in order to have enough food to eat, this of course brings them into conflict with the people that they are stealing from, as well as the law.

We also see this later on in the novel when we have the clash between the Aboriginals and the white settlers. The white settlers appear to have the power over the indigenous population in terms of pushing them off the land, this of course brings them into direct conflict which eventually ends in violence.

What other examples of conflict can you draw from 'The Secret River'. Perhaps Conflict is caused by fear, or Conflict arises from a lack of understanding. When you have come up with these examples try and support them with evidence from the text.

You will see that the statements you have created will be remarkably similar to the prompts that are used during SACs. It would then be useful to take these statements and write an essay based on them.

Good Luck

Recent Car Bombing in Northern Ireland

Here is an article about the recent car bombing in Northern Ireland on Monday.

N.Ireland car bomb will not derail peace: politicians
by Eamonn Mallie Eamonn Mallie
Tue Feb 23, 4:21 am ET

BELFAST (AFP) – A huge car bomb exploded outside a Northern Ireland court in an attack blamed on dissident republicans, just weeks after an agreement was finally brokered on devolving sensitive policing powers.

Police said it was a "sheer miracle" that no-one was killed or injured in the explosion in Newry, south of Belfast, which highlights the fragility of the peace in the British-ruled province.

The bomb went off at around 10:30 pm (2230 GMT) Monday as officers were evacuating the area after two coded warnings to a local hospital and business.

"It is only by sheer miracle that nobody was killed or injured," said the Police Service of Northern Ireland's area commander Sam Cordiner.

Conor Murphy, the local lawmaker for republicans Sinn Fein, also condemned in strong terms the blast, which was heard several miles away.

"The people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer the community except the prospect of a return to the past," he told reporters at the scene.

The attack came nearly three weeks after Northern Ireland's leaders sealed a hard-fought accord to transfer sensitive policing and justice powers from London to Belfast, the final major step to devolving power fully to Northern Ireland.

Responsibility for policing and justice is due to transfer from London to Belfast on April 12 and the Northern Ireland Assembly is to vote on the deal on March 9.

The negotiations between coalition government partners the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein on the issue were painful and drawn out.

The situation was complicated when First Minister Peter Robinson of the DUP temporarily stepped aside to fight allegations of financial impropriety linked to his wife's affair with a 19-year-old.

Robinson was cleared and is now back in office.

The BBC reported that police had been bracing themselves for some kind of dissident riposte to the deal.

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward said the latest act of "senseless violence" was committed by "a small handful of people who refuse to accept the people's overwhelming support for the peace process".

"On March 9, Northern Ireland's politicians in the assembly can send the unanimous message in the cross-community vote: politics is the way forward and the small number of dissident criminals will never be given the opportunity to turn back the success of the peace process," he added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Newry attack but Danny Kennedy, deputy leader of pro-British Ulster Unionist party, said dissident republicans had sent a warning about the device.

"A recognised code from dissidents accompanied a warning. It's likely there will be sizeable damage," said Kennedy.

Northern Ireland's three decades of violence known as "The Troubles", in which more than 3,500 people died, was largely ended by a 1998 peace deal which paved the way for the devolution of power from politicians in London to Belfast.

But there are still splinter groups opposed to the peace process.

Monday's incident came just days after a mortar bomb abandoned outside a police station in a nearby village failed to detonate.

A Catholic police officer was seriously injured after a car bomb attack last month and police stations have been shot at in recent weeks.

In September, army experts defused a massive roadside bomb near the border with the Irish Republic in South Armagh, averting what police said would have been a devastating explosion.

Last March, republicans shot dead two soldiers at an army barracks in County Antrim and two days later gunned down a police constable as he answered a call for help.

Wednesday English Study Group

VCE English Study Session

Need help, advice or just some time to continue your VCE English studies? Come along to the RASC and join in the VCE English Study session. Held every Wednesday 3:15 to 4:30- it’s up to you how long you stay and what aspect of English you work on. There will be at least one VCE English teacher available to support you. Y11 and Y12 students welcome.

Northern Ireland Car Bombing

Please click on the following link to go to a news article about the 2009 car bombing in Northern Ireland. Obviously this has some significance when it comes to the study of Omagh, but is also a great example of conflict in our society. It would be useful to start to study to understand the background to the violence in Northern Ireland in particular the time of the 'Troubles'. When looking at this example try to see if you can highlight the factors that lead to this conflict, what occured during this, and what were the consequences.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/6630265/400lb-car-bomb-goes-off-outside-Northern-Irelands-Policing-Board.html

Sample Essay Response

This is a copy of an essay that I wrote in relation to a given prompt on the context of conflict. This was written in about ten minutes and needs some work. I have included it so that you are able to look at it critically. Try and think what do I like or not like about? What are its strengths and weaknesses? What would I do differently?

Practice SAC
Prompt: A conflict’s importance lies not in its causes but in its consequences.
Whilst the events during a conflict can be seen as significant, it is surely the consequences that are of the most importance. Conflicts can range from minor arguments to international clashes. The consequences can be enduring and far reaching, and can in some cases lead to further conflicts. It has to be also said that the consequences can have positive and negative outcomes.
It may be some time until we discover the consequences of any given conflict and this may be evident in events such as cultural clashes and international conflicts. Events such as the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima had far reaching implications other that the direct effects of death and injury, the advent of cancer and deformaties in future generations had a strong impact on the people of Japan. This is also true of the clash between the Aboriginals and White Settlers in Kate Grenville’s ‘The Secret River’. The ongoing dispute over land ownership eventually led to the death of many Aboriginals and a loss of rights. The effects of this can even been seen today in the case of Aboriginal land rights and court cases such as Mabo.
The outcomes of any conflict can be viewed as positive or negative depending on the view of the parties involved. It is inevitable in these disputes that one party is going to strive to achieve its goals. This is true of William Thornhill in ‘The Secret River’, he views the fact that he has claimed some land as a victory over his life of struggle, this is of course to the detriment of the Aboriginal people. William eventually goes on to great success but does feel some remorse over the fact that he participated in the massacre at Thomas Blackwood’s place, and he has to deal with the fact that he has lost his relationship with his son Dick.
We can also view conflict as a catalyst for change and the consequences of this is that change occurs because the conflict. This was evident after the terrorist attack in New York on the 9th of September. This attack lead to major changes in how people travelled, and how security checks were carried out in major airports.
Whilst the conflict may be seen as important at the time of the event, it is the consequences that we will have to live with, in some cases for many years. These conflicts will affect the involved parties in a variety of ways and will have positive or negative outcomes.

How to construct an expository essay.

How to structure an expository piece based on the context of conflict.
Prompt
‘When conflict arises, it is impossible not to take a side. Everyone has a role.’
Task
Use the prompt as the basis for a piece of writing exploring the idea that when conflict arises, it is impossible not to take a side. Everyone has a role. Your piece is to be published in an anthology of student writing intended for circulation to the wider school community. You must draw on ideas and issues suggested by a text or texts from the list above.
Purpose: Expository
Audience: The wider school community
Form: Essay
• The language employed in the expository essay is formal throughout.
Introduction
One of the great myths of conflict is that it can always be contained. Whether it is encountered in the personal or political sphere, conflict will often spread beyond the main combatants. History demonstrates that wars escalate in world where connections between individuals and states are so complex. An argument between friends will generally force those on the perimeter to choose sides. Conflict by its very nature creates polarities. Even when conflict is internal, it rarely remains so. When a dispute begins, the world is viewed in black and white terms, with no middle ground. Attempts to reconcile differences are often misinterpreted as tacit support for one side or the other.
The introduction identifies various forms of conflict and the likelihood of polarised responses.
Paragraph Two
Topic Sentence – Conflict is defined by incompatible positions that force individuals to take sides. The topic sentence defines conflict and refers to the factionalism that is often a consequence. The topic sentence defines conflict and refers to the factionalism that is often a consequence.
You should develop the topic sentence and textual evidence into a complete paragraph.
Textual Evidence
• Secret River
Thornhill does not necessarily seek to destroy the local indigenous people, but he is drawn in to the centre of the conflict by Saggity’s death. When he finds the dying man, he wishes “like a physical need, for it to be yesterday, or even an hour ago, a time in which this thing did not have to be dealt with”.



• Omagh
It is clear that the members of the Gallagher family are in no way active participants in the dispute in Northern Ireland, yet when Aiden is killed, Michael and, initially, Patty are drawn in by the death of their son.
• Social Parallel
Consider the ways in which neighbouring countries are destabilised when a war breaks out. Similarly, think about how quickly individuals are forced to take sides when two members of a friendship group argue.
• Use of social parallels – Social parallels can be drawn from your general knowledge and wider reading.

Paragraph Three
Topic Sentence – Conflict can rarely be contained and it inevitably spreads beyond the original dispute. The topic sentence suggests that conflict, once encountered, escalates beyond the original dispute.
Textual Evidence
• Secret River
The class conflict that divides England and makes crime a matter of survival creates a situation that makes transportation necessary because of overcrowded and expensive prisons. The transportation of men like Thornhill to Australia means that conflict with the Indigenous population is inevitable. The link between Thronhill’s experiences in London and the conflict that develops on the Hawkesbury suggests that conflict often has social causes.
• Omagh
The protracted Troubles in Northern Ireland form the backdrop to the more immediate conflict of the Omagh bombing. As the group tries to find those responsible, their search creates a conflict that threatens to destabilise peace negotiations.
• Social Parallel
While the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies (including Australia) was initially successful and deposed the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, it has led to further conflict between factions within the country, as well as social division in the participating countries.








Paragraph Four
Topic Sentence – The middle ground can be the most dangerous place in a conflict because both sides may regard this position with suspicion. This topic sentence identifies the danger posed to those who avoid taking sides when they encounter conflict.
Textual Evidence
• Secret River
One of Thornhill’s first encounters with the local Indigenous people begins with an offer of food but ends with an argument over a spade. Later, the old man offers Thronhill a “finger of root” to eat, which Thornhill rejects. In this way, Grenville shows how overtures of peace are regarded with suspicion.
• Omagh
A he seeks justice for the death of his son, Michael becomes a thorn in the side a various authorities in Northern Ireland, both IRA and RUC. At the same time, his relationship with his wife begins to disintegrate. The conflict that he encounters is thus both personal and political.
• Social Parallels
The experiences of UN peacekeepers in countries like Rwanda and Bosnia throughout the 1990s suggest the dangers of such a role. In both cases, the peacekeepers found themselves unable to retaliate against the aggressor and equally unable to protect the victims of the conflicts that they encountered. They were thus regarded with suspicion by both sides. The film Hotel Rwanda illustrates this process very clearly.

Conclusion – The conclusion sums up and restates the main ideas of the essay.
Sometimes conflict is like a bushfire: it spreads and spreads until everyone is forced to take some kind of action. It does not respect those who wish to stay out of its way, anymore than it does those who try to encounter it head-on. Arguments, disputes and battles of all sorts are an undeniable part of the fabric of human existence. The goal is always to look for a way to end the fighting and heal the wounds. It is thus crucial not to underestimate the momentum that develops so quickly when conflict arises.

Examples of conflict from The Secret River Part Two

On page 13-14 William and his father have to collect dog poo for the tanners to help in the leather making process. This is an examples of a personal or moral conflict in so much that William would prefer not to do this, and it is such a repulsive thing to do. However William has no choice as he says ‘the ache in his belly was even worse than the stink of the shit’. So we have once again an understanding that William will do whatever it takes to survive, even the most menial and degrading task in order to survive.

On page 17 we get to see something of Sal’s character as she has a go at a man whipping a little dog. Sal is obviously quite sensitive and William already feels the need to protect her from the world and from herself. This will become more important later in the novel as we get to see the different reactions to the Aboriginal’s from Sal and William.

On page 22 we start to see William becoming involved in more serious crimes as he is tempted to steal sugar from a barrel that some men have broken open. He is quite happy to lie about the situation to save himself and tells gangsman Mr Crocker ‘There was a man there bid me take it’. This however does not work and William is whipped for the crime. Rather than learning not to steal, William takes it as it is better not to be caught. He sees no wrong in stealing for the a ‘good cause’ that is providing for his family. He eventually learns tricks on how to steal without getting caught and has all the tools of the trade to help him with his theft.

On page 25 we see a change in fortune that Sals father takes William on as an apprentice waterman. Mr Middleton warns William however that ‘Any thieving and you are out on your ear’. Whilst this is a good opportunity for William, there is also the danger that he now has something that he can lose.

On page 26 William we see Williams understanding of social status as he witnesses Mr Middleton being talked down to by the apprenticeship guild. William explains ‘He had a sudden dizzying understanding of the way men were ranged on top of each other, all the way from the Thornhills at the bottom up to the King, or God at the top, each man higher than one, lower that another. We clearly see were William sees himself in the grand order of society.

On page 30-32 we see the clash between the gentleman on the boat and William Thornhill, and we begin to witness William’s frustration at his social position and he seems to believe that given different circumstances he would be the one who was successful. He says on page 32 ‘In any race for survival with this Henry, Thornhill knew he would have been victor....Thornhill was at the mercy of such mincing pansies, who looked at him as if he were of no more account than a bollard.’ This reflects his earlier statement that ‘William Thornhills will fill up the whole world.’ Page 11.

On page 58 when William has been caught stealing the timber he is about to be caught by Yates, William pleads with him and tells Yates that if he is captured he will hang. Yates is torn between helping a friend or doing his job. This is another example of some of the moral conflicts that are scattered throughout the novel.

SYDNEY
On page 77 we see a change in roles as Sal has taken charge of William in Australia. Sal does try to argue that she is not in charge of him, but is told ‘He might be your husband but you are the master now, dearie, he said.’ This is very much a reversal particularly in the patriarchal society of the time.

On page 79 we start to see the beginnings of the conflict between the white settlers and the Aboriginals as a drunken man warns them ‘Look out for the poxy savages, matey, ....They’s partial to a tasty bit of victuals like your boy there.’ Grenville seems to suggest here that a lot of the conflict is caused by misinformation and a developing sense of fear and possibly a sense of naivety. Thornill does not really have any experience of the Aboriginals, but is now given cause to fear them as he is told they are dangerous. The fact that Thornhill is given this information by a drunken man, can also seem that the whites are only interested in getting drunk, compared to the Aboriginals. The white settlers in this case seem to be portrayed in a poor light.

On page 80 we start to see the clash between Thornhill and indeed all the white settlers and the environment. Most of the times in the novel we are given the impression that the Aboriginals are one with the environment whereas the white settlers tend to struggle against it. ‘Having never seen anywhere else, Thornhill had imagined that all the world was the same as London.....This place was like nothing he had ever seen.’
During this chapter we also see the potential for conflict between Sal and William, as Sal and William promise that they will stay for five years and then return to London. However as William starts to become successful he starts to consider staying longer, he does not tell Sal this. Once again this is an idea that Grenville believes that conflict is caused by lack of communication, and sometimes it is the things that are not said that can cause conflict as well. It is in fact almost inevitable.

On page 91 we see a comparison between the Aboriginals and the white settlers. Grenville uses this device to compare the Aboriginals and the white settlers. ‘Scabby Bill’ is described as having scars on his chest but they are described as ‘The scars on Scabby Bill’s chest were different. It seemed that the point was not so much the pain as the scars themselves. Unlike the net of crisscross scars on Daniel Ellison’s back, they were carefully drawn. Each scar lined up neat next to its neighbour, a language of skin’. This suggests that the Aboriginal scars are a badge of honour, whereas the convicts scars are a constant reminder of their wrongdoings.
In this chapter we also see the different ways that Sal and William try to work with the Aboriginals. Sal tries the easy route of giving them stuff in the hope that they will take the stuff and leave with no problems. We also start to witness the Aboriginals becoming ‘corrupted’ by the white settlers, in particular Scabby Bill on page 91 ‘.. what he preferred was a sup of rum. Liqour seemed to act on him with astonishing power’ The Aboriginals are almost treated as a novelty as they get drunk so quickly, and Scabby Bill is provided with rum in return for him dancing for the whites.

On page 92 we also start to see that the white settlers in their claims on land are slowly encroaching on the Aboriginal land, as well as seeing that there is a marked difference between how the Aboriginals and the white settlers view possession of land. Page 93 ‘There were no signs that the blacks felt the place belonged to them. They had no fences that said this is mine. No house that said, this is our home. There were no fields or flocks that said, we have put the labour of our hands into this place’ Once again we can see the possibility of conflict between the two ideologies of land ownership, and also have the understanding that eventually there will be more settlers coming to Australia and that conflict with the Aboriginals is inevitable as they claim more and more land.

Page 93 – There is shown the difference between the Aboriginals concept of ownership of land compared to that of the White settlers.

Page 102 – Conflict with the environment ‘he could make out a crooked hut, but tiny in this massive place, and around it a clearing like something flayed’. The whites trying to show their ownership over the land.

Page 103 – The clash between Blackwood and Smasher, Smasher treats the Aboriginals badly compared to how Blackwood treats them. The conflict between white settlers.

Page 107 – Blackwood defines his relationship with the land which echoes the same relathionship with the Aboriginals, ‘give a little, take a little, that’s the only way.’
Page 110 – The clash between William and Sal about whether to return home, William wants to expand his business, and Sal is quite clear about what she wants ‘I ain’t coming at it, Will and that’s flat.’

A Clearing in the forest
Page 134 – ‘Now there was a place where a man had laid his mark over the face of the land. It was astonishing how little it took to own a piece of the earth’ Shows the whites understanding of land ownership, they have no regard to the fact that other people may in fact need that land as well.

Page 140 – 141 The incident with the Aboriginals where they have dug up the daisies for food. Willie describes the Aboriginals as savages, shows that they have no understanding of the Aboriginal culture.

Page 142-148 The ‘slapping’ incident this is the first real clash between William and the Aboriginals, and shows William trying to show that he is superior to the Aboriginals, but also shows the fear that the Thornhill’s have of the Aboriginals. We also see the different ways that Sal and William deal with the Aboriginals, William resorts to violence, whereas Sal tries to placate them with food and gifts.

Page 150 We get to see that there is this unspoken tension between William and Sal about returning to England

Page 154 The fish symbol that is carved into the rock, William starts to understand the relationship that the Aboriginals have with the land, and also how long they have been around.

Page 157 Smasher Sullivan tells stories of what the Aboriginals are doing to white settlers, showing once again that fear can be a great source of conflict.

Page 160 We get to see that William struggles to tame the land ‘Chopping, clearing, building, he was discovering anew William Thornhill, though: a man who could labour against wilderness until it yielded up a dwelling.’

Page 163 We get to see that Sagitty Birtles claims that he is constantly robbed by the blacks, so to justify the actions he takes against them.

Page 166 We get to see Mrs Herring who has learnt to live with the Aboriginals ‘I give them when they ask...They help themselves now and then, I turn a blind eye.’

Page 168 Blackwood explains about the daisy yams that William dug up, explaining that they were good eating, and the fact that once they were dug up they didn’t seem to grow back again, thus denying the Aboriginals one of their food sources.

Page 175 We see Thornhill asserting his authority over his convict servants reminding them that he should be called Mr Thornhill. Once again we see the clash between status.

A Hundred Acres

Lesson Notes Tuesday 16th February

Lesson Notes Tuesday 16th February 2010
In the back of your books create a glossary words that you are not sure of. I will also be adding words to this glossary to help expand your vocabulary. As you read your text pick out any words that you don’t understand, find a definition for them and add these to your glossary.
Below are the words we went through today.
Definitions
Facetious (adj).
Playfully jocular; humorous
Esoteric (adj).
1.
a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult. See Synonyms at mysterious.
b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people.
2.
a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests.
b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.
Eclectic (adj).
1. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles: an eclectic taste in music; an eclectic approach to managing the economy.
2. Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources: "a popular bar patronized by an eclectic collection of artists, writers, secretaries and aging soldiers on reserve duty" (Curtis Wilkie).
Obstreperous (adj).
1. Noisily and stubbornly defiant.
2. Aggressively boisterous.
Asinine (adj).
1. Utterly stupid or silly: asinine behavior.
2. Of, relating to, or resembling an ass.


In the second part of the lesson we reviewed a section of ‘The Secret River’ Page 139-141 which is where William Thornhill and his kids discover that someone has been digging on his land. Read through this section and answer the following questions.
1. Is there a point in this passage where the possibility of conflict emerges? What circumstances would be likely to produce such conflict?
2. What is Thornhill’s immediate reaction to the discovery he makes?
3. What do you think Thornhill means when he says, ‘just wild hogs or such. Moles. Something like that?’ What is suggested by Willie’s remark, ‘Moles you reckon moles’ Why do you think Willie is reluctant to contradict his father at this moment?
4. What later conflict in the story does this passage point to?
5. What is suggested in this passage about the role justice and injustice will play in the story that unfolds?

You should also now be reading up to the chapter ‘A Hundred Acres’, and still highlighting the sections where you find conflict. Remember to keep adding these to your tables in your folders.
If you have not handed in a written piece on a personal conflict you should hand these in as soon as possible, as well as completing the practice SAC as detailed below.
Year 12 English Encountering Conflict Practice SAC.
In a sustained piece of writing please respond to the following prompt.
Prompt – ‘When conflict arises, it is impossible not to take a side. Everyone has a role.’
Task: Use the prompt as a basis for a piece of writing exploring the idea that when conflict arises, it is impossible not to take a side. Everyone has a role.’
This should be written in an expository format.
Due Date Tuesday 16th February 2010
Word Count 400-500 words.

Devices that Kate Grenville uses to express conflict

Devices that Kate Grenville uses to express conflict
Language
This is an interesting device that Kate Grenville uses to express how conflict can be represented.
Consider the fact that throughout the novel the Aboriginals do not have any dialogue as such, the only reports that we have of them talking is described by the white settlers as something unintelligible and alien. Whilst with the white settlers we get to hear their conversations, thoughts and inner monologues which allow us to understand how they interpret their environment. We also get to see their views on the Aboriginals and can see that conflict appears to be inevitable.
Conversely we do not get to understand what the Aboriginals are thinking and only have their interactions with the white settlers to see how they behave and react.
I can be suggested that the lack of dialogue is representative of the actual lack of voice of the Aboriginals, perhaps this is Grenville making a statement that Aboriginals have no voice in Australian society. This also represents a lack of power, and perhaps suggests that Kate Grenville believes that conflict does tend to occur between the powerful and the powerless.
As you progress through the novel try and find examples where Grenville uses language to represent the conflict.
Names
It is also worth considering Grenville’s use of names in ‘The Secret River’, in so much that most of the white settlers have full names. This is as opposed to the Aboriginals who are only described by their appearance rather than their own names. For example, ‘Scabby Bill’, ‘Long Jack’ etc. This would suggest once again that these are names imposed on them by the white settlers and really does not give any credit to them. It is almost as if the white settlers have summed up the Aboriginals in a few words and have no interest in knowing any more about them than being able to describe them and use the names as a point of reference.
Once again it would be advantageous for you to start thinking what Kate Grenville is trying to say about the nature of conflict by doing this, is it that she is once again saying that it is this struggle between the powerful and the powerless as well as being a cultural conflict, this is something that you will have to think about throughout the novel.

Examples of conflict in 'The Secret River'

The Secret River Examples of Conflict

What is listed below are some examples of the conflicts that occur within the novel ‘The Secret River’. These are not the only examples but they are a guide to help you as you progress through the novel. Try and find your own examples and add these to the table that we have created in class, whether they are personal conflicts, social conflicts or national conflicts all conflicts should be able to fit under one of these. Remember also that it is worth colour coding your book either with highlighters or coloured tabs so that you have one colour for personal conflict, one colour for social conflict and one colour for national conflict, so that as you go through you use a colour for each example this will mean that when revising it will be easy to locate particular examples within the novel.
Strangers

Page 5-6 William Thornhill’s first encounter with an Aboriginal. In this example we see that the conflict with the Aboriginal seems to arise out of a sense of fear. The Aboriginal carries a spear and William seems to obsess about this, even imagining what it would feel like to be speared. He also fears for the safety of his family and describes them as ‘soft parcels of flesh: his wife and children’ as if to over exaggerate their vulnerability. This conflict also arises from a lack of understanding, some underlying prejudices and a lack of communication. William tells the Aboriginal to ‘be off’ which the Aboriginal begins to mimic, not really understanding what William wants. There is also William’s underlying assumption or prejudice that the Aboriginal is violent and only wants to cause harm to him and his family. This conflict could also be part of a power struggle as William tries to assert his authority over the Aboriginals, as he feel himself superior to them.

London

On page 9 we are introduced to the life of the Thornhill’s and already see the possibility of conflict arising particularly as it is mentioned that ‘The Thornhills all stole Turnips from time to time, running the risk of dogs getting them...’ This example shows that there is a conflict between the family and society as they need to steal to survive. As the term conflict means many things the constant struggle to survive is also part of this conflict. The family have the moral issue of whether to steal, but the parents also have the added burden of helping the family to survive. William is brought up with the mentality of doing whatever it takes to survive, which does eventually lead him to further conflict.
On page 11 we also see the conflict amongst the Thornhills themselves which falls under the category of interpersonal conflict. Mary tells William ‘Your name is common as dirt, William Thornhill, she said, and the anger rose up in him’. The idea that they would also fight amongst themselves shows that they are not always unified by a common goal of survival. William goes on to say ‘William Thornhills will fill up the whole world’. I believe that this suggests that it is the type of person that William is that will fill up the whole world rather than William populating the world himself. He seems to be defiant here and saying that one day it is people like him who will run the world and take over from the people that have kept him down for so long. We see this defiant streak in William that does inevitably lead him to further clashes throughout the novel.

Also on page 11 we get to understand one of the factors that drives William, ‘He was always hungry. That was a fact of life: the gnawing feeling in his belly, the flat taste in his mouth, the rage that there was never enough.’ It is this idea that William always wants more, the fact that he has been deprived for so long means that he feels that the world owes him something and he will do whatever it takes to achieve this, whether this is through violence, criminal activity or sheer will power. When he becomes a man and father and husband he wants the best for his family and wants to provide everything that he didn’t have. There are also examples in this section of William stealing food from his brothers mouth, just in order to have a little more food. The fact that he would take something off his brother in order to survive suggests how desperate their situation was.

Welcome to Year 12 English at MSC 2010

Hi and welcome to the class blog for Year 12 English at Melton Secondary College for 2010. This year will be the culmination of all that you have learned in the previous years and is the opportunity to really show what you are capable of. This blog is designed to be a resource for you throughout the year, it will contain summaries, class notes and extra study materials. You will be able to post comments and contribute to the blog. As I teach two classes for English both classes will use the same blog and hopefully this means that you will from your peers as well as your teacher. It will be updated on a regular basis and will cover all aspects of the subject.

Good luck with your studies throughout the year.

Mr Hill