What is history? How do we know if a media form is accurately communicating historical truth?
The title of Carey's book True History of the Kelly Gang, clearly claims historical veracity (truth). It is, however, an artificial construction. A study of this work should focus on how this artificial history is constructed to seem real or 'true'. In turn, this idea suggests that all history then is in fact artificial and therefore subjective.
Roman Scholar HSC Tuition Dr Roman Danylak BA Hons PhD M: 0414 962 227 tutor@romanscholar.com
Friday 16 August 2013
Memorising your essay for the exam: a bad idea!!
A belief has emerged amongst HSC students that to get a good grade in English all you have to do is write one good essay and then ' tweak it' just to fit the question in the paper.
This is not a good idea.
Essays are unique responses to questions and examiners expect you to respond to the terms of the question. A pre-written essay is a response to one question only. What if the question is different? This is like believing that if you remember the numbers to some equations in a past exam, then the same number sequences will appear in you next exam. Clearly, this is not the case.
What you can and should memorise is the PLOT structure - what happens, when and where - and how the how the CHARACTERS behave in these situations. If you are familiar with the work then you can begin to properly respond to the question with your opinion of the work. You are asked about THEMES usually, which are the concerns or meaning of the work.
An essay is not a mobile phone where you can just change the settings expecting it to fall into a different pattern. Words have to be assembled to create meaning. That is your task in the English exam.
This is not a good idea.
Essays are unique responses to questions and examiners expect you to respond to the terms of the question. A pre-written essay is a response to one question only. What if the question is different? This is like believing that if you remember the numbers to some equations in a past exam, then the same number sequences will appear in you next exam. Clearly, this is not the case.
What you can and should memorise is the PLOT structure - what happens, when and where - and how the how the CHARACTERS behave in these situations. If you are familiar with the work then you can begin to properly respond to the question with your opinion of the work. You are asked about THEMES usually, which are the concerns or meaning of the work.
An essay is not a mobile phone where you can just change the settings expecting it to fall into a different pattern. Words have to be assembled to create meaning. That is your task in the English exam.
Monday 15 July 2013
Frankenstein and Blade Runner
Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) has as a secondary title, The Modern Prometheus. This comes from classical Greek mythology ( about 500 B.C) and tells us much about the PURPOSE of the novel.
Prometheus was the god who stole fire from the chief God Zeus and give it to the mortals. Zeus punishes him by sending down an eagle every day to eat his liver.
What this story symbolises as a myth - where myths are psychological truths - is that to gain knowledge is to take power into one owns hands. It is a responsibility.
Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner present us with the responsibility that scientific knowledge and invention has given us. In Frankenstein, the monster seeks a partner not unlike a human but Dr Frankenstein denies him. In Blade Runner, the replicants, near perfect humanoid robots want more life...but cannot have it.
Hamlet
Shakespeare's Hamlet does take some effort to understand.
We read plays and novels because we observe human behaviour in these works.
In the HSC you are are asked to comment on the behaviour of the CHARACTERS in the texts you have studied.
You enter the world of the text. When a character keeps doing something....then that is a THEME because the writer has decided to highlight that action.
When faced with the problem of bringing the murderer of his father to justice, how does Hamlet act? What are his thoughts? Was he successful? If not, why not?
We read plays and novels because we observe human behaviour in these works.
In the HSC you are are asked to comment on the behaviour of the CHARACTERS in the texts you have studied.
You enter the world of the text. When a character keeps doing something....then that is a THEME because the writer has decided to highlight that action.
When faced with the problem of bringing the murderer of his father to justice, how does Hamlet act? What are his thoughts? Was he successful? If not, why not?
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