The Handmaidens Tale (1996) by author Margaret Atwood is an intense and powerful novel. One quickly notices that it resembles other dystopic novels such as Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World in that THT is concerned with authority, its abuse and the human condition.
THT is significantly different, however, as the oppressive social schema it presents is based on the notion of reproduction and the role of women. Some are slaves; others are privileged but whatever the case you must fit in and obey the order prescribed to serve the need to populate.
The novel is seen through the eyes of a young female biological slave Offred as she reflects on her options, swimming through a dangerous world.
Roman Scholar HSC Tuition Dr Roman Danylak BA Hons PhD M: 0414 962 227 tutor@romanscholar.com
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Monday 25 August 2014
The Fiftieth Gate: Simon Baker
The Fiftieth Gate is in essence a history, or to use a film term, a documentary. It focuses on the experience of The Holocaust in Eastern Europe occurring during WWII - (1939 -1945).
What is of particular interest is the way in which the book is composed; rather than being a single grand official narrative of the period, Baker uses a composite of narratives, both fictitious and real in conjunction with historical documents.
As such the book is a history with many narrative dimensions: spiritual, cultural, linguistic, factual and institutional. The transition from one narrative to another is often seamless, Baker making the point that our experiences of history and events, telling and retelling is complex.
What is of particular interest is the way in which the book is composed; rather than being a single grand official narrative of the period, Baker uses a composite of narratives, both fictitious and real in conjunction with historical documents.
As such the book is a history with many narrative dimensions: spiritual, cultural, linguistic, factual and institutional. The transition from one narrative to another is often seamless, Baker making the point that our experiences of history and events, telling and retelling is complex.
Sunday 29 June 2014
How do I approach creative writing?
Creative writing is about using your imagination.
When you are given stimulus it means you have to respond to an image or some words and use that to generate a very short story. The image usually has a theme, like Belonging. For example you may be shown a picture of a fish out of water; the idea is that fish usually belong in water.
Your task is to write a scene which describes this idea.
Students generally are too ambitious in their plot ideas. You only have 40 minutes in which to write. Its a good idea to create a character who is confronted by a single problem, the problem of not belonging. How does that look? What situation could describe being a fish out of water?
In this short time, the story must describe the problem and move to some resolution. Remember it is your job to keep the reader interested. What happens to the fish out of water character? Did she 'drown'? Did she learn to swim in air? What was it like being a fish out of water? Did she enjoy the freedom etc…..?
When you are given stimulus it means you have to respond to an image or some words and use that to generate a very short story. The image usually has a theme, like Belonging. For example you may be shown a picture of a fish out of water; the idea is that fish usually belong in water.
Your task is to write a scene which describes this idea.
Students generally are too ambitious in their plot ideas. You only have 40 minutes in which to write. Its a good idea to create a character who is confronted by a single problem, the problem of not belonging. How does that look? What situation could describe being a fish out of water?
In this short time, the story must describe the problem and move to some resolution. Remember it is your job to keep the reader interested. What happens to the fish out of water character? Did she 'drown'? Did she learn to swim in air? What was it like being a fish out of water? Did she enjoy the freedom etc…..?
Monday 9 September 2013
Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation
Dir: Sofia Coppola
Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola, is a romance. Bob (Bill Murray), a middle-aged American actor meets a younger woman, Charlotte, in Tokyo, Japan. Bob's life is
disjointed as he is ‘taking a break from his wife’. He is making ads in Japan and
the inability to understand the surrounding complex, seductive and fast paced Japan is mostly puzzling. His wife sends him carpet samples by post to look as decoration for the house back home in the USA - an absurd
gesture. He is confused and depressed as he attempts to decipher the meaning of his life in Japan.
Whilst being directed to drink scotch in an ad, a ten sentence translated direction is put into a few words. The scene is comic and ironic. We see Bob sitting on the edge of his bed looking lost and bemused by his predicament.
Whilst being directed to drink scotch in an ad, a ten sentence translated direction is put into a few words. The scene is comic and ironic. We see Bob sitting on the edge of his bed looking lost and bemused by his predicament.
Charlotte (Scarlet Johansen) is married to a photographer who pays her scant
attention. We see her swimming through brightly lit game parlours that are attractive
but meaningless. She says ‘I don’t know what I am meant to be’.
The irony is that these two characters who are in a foreign
setting and who are both estranged find meaning through each other. If Bob
cannot communicate with his wife, if communication is but a matter of faxes and
carpets being sent through the mail, then what hope does the wider gap of inter
cultural, cross-linguistic communication have?
Yet the two find comfort by at least expressing their dismay
to the other….in the end love, or at least the respect that listening affords,
wins in this film.
Sunday 25 August 2013
Emma and Clueless
In Austen's novel Emma and in Amerling's film Clueless, we watch two young women, fixated on being social matchmakers, ironically coming to a realisation that meeting and connecting with a partner does in fact call for genuine and heartfelt honesty.
Emma and Cher both play a game where they hold the pieces. The game becomes unpredictable when they are no longer controlling events but are themselves caught up in the matchmaking game, their hearts being drawn into what was for them a passionless arena.
In short, both works juxtapose pretentious social posturing against the more sincere concern of genuine love.
Emma and Cher both play a game where they hold the pieces. The game becomes unpredictable when they are no longer controlling events but are themselves caught up in the matchmaking game, their hearts being drawn into what was for them a passionless arena.
In short, both works juxtapose pretentious social posturing against the more sincere concern of genuine love.
Friday 16 August 2013
True History of the Kelly Gang
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.
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.
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.
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