Landscapes of the Mind
Chopin, Kate. (). The Awakening. Tutor Tales [http://www.tutortales.org/belonging/related-text-the-awakening-by-kate-chopin/] has an excellent review (beware spoiler, though).
artworks
Banksy. Various works. Banksy is an anonymous grafitti/street artist (or collective?) whose work has commented on themes as diverse as the Israel/Palestine wall and the definition of Art. Usually spray-painted through a stencil, his works are deceptively simple twists on the everyday which invite us to discover the world in a new way, revealing inequality and hypocrisy through humour. You can view Banksy's artworks online [https://www.canvasartrocks.com/blogs/posts/70529347-121-amazing-banksy-graffiti-artworks-with-locations] and read a "biography" at The Smithsonian [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/]. In addition to investigating the context of the artwork you have chosen, discuss the use of contrasting styles and his symbolic use of colour and the way the visual techniques create the landscape anew in your own mind when you view them. Advanced students might choose to discover what has happened to these artworks as they are increasingly commodified and reduced to a part of the system (right down to merchandise in a gift shop!) he originally resisted.
songs
Tears for Fears. (). “Destination Unknown”. [Ms Carmyn has a copy – if you find it online, let her know!] In this song, the singer is lost in a nameless place desperately trying to contact the listener. In addition to the extended metaphor of the title and emotive language, discuss the sparse instrumentation at the beginning, the constantly falling melody and the relentless rhythm. An excellent defintion of an imaginary place.
Sting. (). “Moon over Bourbon Street” from A Dream of Blue Turtles. [Listen to it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd-F2rpXXZc ] If you’re a fan of novels like Twilight, Fallen or Hush, you’ll enjoy this ballad about a New Orleans werewolf. While the lyrics are simple, they are very moving and carry a tone of intense regret. Discuss juxtapositions such as “sinner” and “priest”, and the paradox of “I must love what I destroy and destroy the thing I love.” Link the instrumentation (jazz trumpet) to the setting Don’t use the fans’ clips which show vampires (not a werewolf who’s monster only on nights with a full moon)! This goes very well with Edward Scissorhands or The Corpse Bride and Bourbon street could be contrasted with themagtical landscape in The Tempest.
Pink Floyd. “Another Brick in the Wall” This punk-rock classic describes the institutional nature of education – instead of sharing paths to discovery, school creates mindless robotic machines. Watch the video about a young boy who gets into trouble for writing poetry instead of chanting mathematical equations at school, then dreams that school is a factory turning identical students into sausages until the kids fight back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4SKL7f9n58. Wikipaedia has useful summaries at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Brick_in_the_Wall , including analyses of techniques (but you will still need to link them to belonging before they will make sense in your essay!) It would work well with the sorts of discoveries made in Go back to where you come from or Motorcycle Diaries.
Bernstein, Leonard and Sondheim, Steven. “Somewhere” from West Side Story. [Watch online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BQMgCy-n6U].This is the pivotal moment in the Romeo and Juliet romance of the musical West Side Story – the equivalent to the balcony scene. The words are simple but heart-wrenchingly emotive, especially if you have watched the film and know exactly what happens next! Discuss the use of close-ups, the colours used to divide the protagonists as well as musical features such as the fact that it is a duet where two singers harmonise together, the long lyrical phrases in the melody and the slight accelerandos (=speed up eg in “hold my hand and I’ll take you there”) that represent them looking forward to discover a future where they will belong together. You could also look at the way the meaning of the song changes when it’s given a political context such as the holocaust memorial video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZAHNH2FT90.
short stories
Baynton, Barbara. (). “A Dreamer” in Bush Studies. Set in colonial Australia, this story depicts the Australian landscape as an destructive force that divides the protagonist from those she loves. Analyse the way the landscape and weather symbolise the protagonist’s psychological state, and discuss the force of love which gives her courage to discover a way to overcome all obstacles as well as the irony of the ending
Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. (Online at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5200/5200-h/5200-h.htm or http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/stories/kafka-e.htm) This German classic describes a day in the life of a man who wakes up in his family home having been turned into a giant insect. This story describes his discovery of his new body as well as the slow destruction of his relationship with his parents and sister who depended on his income as a travelling salesman. Rich in description and symbolism, this is an excellent text for advanced and extension students. A good analysis can be found at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/metamorph/context.html or http://www.shmoop.com/metamorphosis/ .
Baynton, Barbara. (). “A Dreamer” in Bush Studies. Set in colonial Australia, this story depicts the Australian landscape as an destructive force that divides the protagonist from those she loves. Analyse the way the landscape and weather symbolise the protagonist’s psychological state, and discuss the force of love which gives her courage to discover a way to overcome all obstacles as well as the irony of the ending
Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. (Online at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5200/5200-h/5200-h.htm or http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/stories/kafka-e.htm) This German classic describes a day in the life of a man who wakes up in his family home having been turned into a giant insect. This story describes his discovery of his new body as well as the slow destruction of his relationship with his parents and sister who depended on his income as a travelling salesman. Rich in description and symbolism, this is an excellent text for advanced and extension students. A good analysis can be found at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/metamorph/context.html or http://www.shmoop.com/metamorphosis/ .
novels
Blake, Bronwyn. Julia, My Sister. The way Julia copes with the physical and emotional changes in her life after being involved in a traumatic accident reveals many different paths of discovery (including one important twist). Pay special attention to the structural role of the songs threaded through the narrative and discuss the contrast between city and rural town lifestyles, especially the way the rich sensory descriptions of the outback depict the protagonist’s phychological state. The author’s view can be found at (Spoiler warning – read the book first!) http://www.bronwynblake.com.au/julia.html.
Fienberg, Anna. borrowed light. One of the most original novels about teenage pregnancy, this is the story of A-student, Callisto’s, changing relationships as she waits for her baby to be born. Discuss the way the extended metaphor of astronomy shapes the novel’s structure and symbolises the processes of alienation and belonging, but don’t forget about simple things like the way the dialogue and internal monologue shape your perception of Callisto.
Gervay, Susanne. Butterflies. Katherine was badly burned in her childhood and constant hospital visits have prevented her from fully connecting with her peers. However, she is determined to fit in and have a normal life. Discuss Katherine’s use of italics to let you into Katherine’s mind, paying particular attention to the sensory imagery, emotive language and symbolism (esp. of the title) as she discovers her identity
McCaffrey, Kate. In Ecstasy. In an effort to match up to her popular friend, Sophie, Mia begins taking drugs. Her new outgoing self attracts friends and a boyfriend, creating dependence she finds almost impossible to shake. Discuss the way the changing narrators affect the reader’s view of the situation as well as the metaphors used to depict particular states of mind. For a quick overview, read he review at http://katemccaffrey.wordpress.com/ . Recommended for standard students.
Maloney, James. Gracey. After winning a scholarship to an Anglo-Australian boarding school, Grace is crushed between Aboriginal and ‘White” communities. However, when Aboriginal bones are found by her brother, Dougy, in Gracey’s hometown, she is forced to re-examine her Aboriginal identity. Think about why Grace felt the need to change her name, discuss the interweaving of Grace and Dougy’s stories, and the way the two setting frame the character’s sense of belonging. A useful summary (spoiler alert!) at http://edmundrice.wordpress.com/students/mrs-thatchers-novel-summaries/gracey/. And list of characters and themes at http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/skins/uqp/_uploads/TeachersNotes/Gracey.pdf
Savides, Irene. Willow Tree and Olive. Memories of abuse are triggered by a guest speaker school PDHPE programme, causing Olive to run away from school and eventually re-evaluate her experiences while on holiday with distant family in Greece. Discuss the way the protagonist and her family deal with her slowly unfolding memories, paying particular attention to metaphor and the healing effects of the landscape.
The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman. HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. ISBN-13: 9780732288006. 435 pp. This is a superb fantasy for older teenage readers. It involves dragons, but this is most certainly not stereotypical. Beautifully written, it is the story of a young protagonist who discovers that denying her identity to fit in can only lead to disaster. This is suitable at all levels.
Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. Alienated from her stereotypical female peers during her internship at a prestigious women’s magazine in New York, the talented Esther becomes increasingly depressed and is committed to a mental asylum by her family. Discuss how Esthers narrative voice and tone (esp the internal monologue) and explore the various motifs (media, mirrors, photographs, blood) and symbols (bell jar, tree, headlines,) used to depict Esther’s resistance to traditional feminine roles and her eventual recognition of herself as an empowered individual. Some notes about this book can be found at http://www.shmoop.com/bell-jar/ and there is an academic essay at http://www.sylviaplath.de/plath/wagner2.html. that might be useful.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. (). Impossible Knife of Memory [F AND]
•Coelho, Paulo, Aleph
Fienberg, Anna. borrowed light. One of the most original novels about teenage pregnancy, this is the story of A-student, Callisto’s, changing relationships as she waits for her baby to be born. Discuss the way the extended metaphor of astronomy shapes the novel’s structure and symbolises the processes of alienation and belonging, but don’t forget about simple things like the way the dialogue and internal monologue shape your perception of Callisto.
Gervay, Susanne. Butterflies. Katherine was badly burned in her childhood and constant hospital visits have prevented her from fully connecting with her peers. However, she is determined to fit in and have a normal life. Discuss Katherine’s use of italics to let you into Katherine’s mind, paying particular attention to the sensory imagery, emotive language and symbolism (esp. of the title) as she discovers her identity
McCaffrey, Kate. In Ecstasy. In an effort to match up to her popular friend, Sophie, Mia begins taking drugs. Her new outgoing self attracts friends and a boyfriend, creating dependence she finds almost impossible to shake. Discuss the way the changing narrators affect the reader’s view of the situation as well as the metaphors used to depict particular states of mind. For a quick overview, read he review at http://katemccaffrey.wordpress.com/ . Recommended for standard students.
Maloney, James. Gracey. After winning a scholarship to an Anglo-Australian boarding school, Grace is crushed between Aboriginal and ‘White” communities. However, when Aboriginal bones are found by her brother, Dougy, in Gracey’s hometown, she is forced to re-examine her Aboriginal identity. Think about why Grace felt the need to change her name, discuss the interweaving of Grace and Dougy’s stories, and the way the two setting frame the character’s sense of belonging. A useful summary (spoiler alert!) at http://edmundrice.wordpress.com/students/mrs-thatchers-novel-summaries/gracey/. And list of characters and themes at http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/skins/uqp/_uploads/TeachersNotes/Gracey.pdf
Savides, Irene. Willow Tree and Olive. Memories of abuse are triggered by a guest speaker school PDHPE programme, causing Olive to run away from school and eventually re-evaluate her experiences while on holiday with distant family in Greece. Discuss the way the protagonist and her family deal with her slowly unfolding memories, paying particular attention to metaphor and the healing effects of the landscape.
The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman. HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. ISBN-13: 9780732288006. 435 pp. This is a superb fantasy for older teenage readers. It involves dragons, but this is most certainly not stereotypical. Beautifully written, it is the story of a young protagonist who discovers that denying her identity to fit in can only lead to disaster. This is suitable at all levels.
Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. Alienated from her stereotypical female peers during her internship at a prestigious women’s magazine in New York, the talented Esther becomes increasingly depressed and is committed to a mental asylum by her family. Discuss how Esthers narrative voice and tone (esp the internal monologue) and explore the various motifs (media, mirrors, photographs, blood) and symbols (bell jar, tree, headlines,) used to depict Esther’s resistance to traditional feminine roles and her eventual recognition of herself as an empowered individual. Some notes about this book can be found at http://www.shmoop.com/bell-jar/ and there is an academic essay at http://www.sylviaplath.de/plath/wagner2.html. that might be useful.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. (). Impossible Knife of Memory [F AND]
•Coelho, Paulo, Aleph
films
Cuaron, Alfonso (2013) Gravity is a thriller where the villain is space itself. When disaster strikes their space station, two astronauts are flung into space. This film lends itself particularly well to a feminist analysis as it examines the roles of a woman in the male-dominated world of astrophysics, as well as woman as mother and woman as hero. Pay special attention to the cinematography, especially the long shots and unusual lighting, and unusual soundtrack which create a sense of weightlessness and disorientation for the viewer. There is an excellent study guide to this film in Screen Education 73 (Autumn 2014) and some useful reviews at David Bordwell's Website on Cinema [http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2013/11/07/gravity-part-1-two-characters-adrift-in-an-experimental-film/]
Shyamalan, M. Knight. The Village. (coming soon. Ms Gregory has a copy.) A suspenseful film (think about the soundtrack here!) about social control set in a village cut off from the world by a forest full of monsters (but not a horror film). Focus and the way the camera makes the setting claustrophobic and the symbolism of the colour red as well as specific relationships between the characters. It has a great commentary which deconstructs the film techniques. An excellent analysis of the themes can be found at http://vhcook.com/film/filmthevill.htm. This review also responses to some of the criticisms about the film’s plot-twist. It would work well with As you like it or Skrzynecki’s poetry.
Sondheim, Steven. Into the Woods. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. A musical version of the ultimate postmodern fairytale: Cinderella, Red riding hood, Rapunzel, and Jack of Beanstalk fame journey into the woods to achieve their ‘wishes.’ Like some scenes in The Tempest, the woods are dark and dangerous, but they do teach each of the characters that caring about each other is the only way to achieve happiness. Analyse the stage set and soundtrack as well as lyrics such as “You are not alone”. Recommended for advanced students who are using a feminist or psychoanalytical approach to interpretation and standard students who are looking at the archeotypes using in Life of Pi.
Sondheim, Steven. Into the Woods. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. A musical version of the ultimate postmodern fairytale: Cinderella, Red riding hood, Rapunzel, and Jack of Beanstalk fame journey into the woods to achieve their ‘wishes.’ Like some scenes in The Tempest, the woods are dark and dangerous, but they do teach each of the characters that caring about each other is the only way to achieve happiness. Analyse the stage set and soundtrack as well as lyrics such as “You are not alone”. Recommended for advanced students who are using a feminist or psychoanalytical approach to interpretation and standard students who are looking at the archeotypes using in Life of Pi.
Wheedon, Joss. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Phases”. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. Almost any episode could be used to discuss discovery – there’s an essay on “Normal Again” in the O-drive. In this episode, a werewolf is discovered in Sunnydale and the heroes must find him before it is too late. This episode begins by using all the clichéd conventions of the horror genre (esp. the metaphor of teenage males as predatory wolves), then undoes these metaphors as they discover the werewolf needs to be protected. Listen to the excellent director’s commentary for techniques (lighting, camera angles, soundtrack etc) to discuss in your essay. Interesting essays from a film studies perspective can be found at http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage17/Albright.htm and http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/sf/sampleAPaperMrO3d.html.
The Darkside This is a horror film with a difference – it compiles real-life ghost stories collected from indigenous people, enabling the viewer to explore what lies beyond mundane reality and also to discover a uniquely Aboriginal perspective on the supernatural. You could choose to focus on one story or the way the stories are interwoven. Pay particular attention to the use of voiceover, lighting and camera angles to position the viewer. This film could work well with either Life of Pi or The Tempest, if you are focusing on the spiritual/supernatural aspects of your set text.
. (). Follow the Rabbitproof Fence. [].
Cuaron, Alfonso (2013) Gravity is a thriller where the villain is space itself. When disaster strikes their space station, two astronauts are flung into space. This film lends itself particularly well to a feminist analysis as it examines the roles of a woman in the male-dominated world of astrophysics, as well as woman as mother and woman as hero. Pay special attention to the cinematography, especially the long shots and unusual lighting, and unusual soundtrack which create a sense of weightlessness and disorientation for the viewer. There is an excellent study guide to this film in Screen Education 73 (Autumn 2014) and some useful reviews at David Bordwell's Website on Cinema [http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2013/11/07/gravity-part-1-two-characters-adrift-in-an-experimental-film/]
Shyamalan, M. Knight. The Village. (coming soon. Ms Gregory has a copy.) A suspenseful film (think about the soundtrack here!) about social control set in a village cut off from the world by a forest full of monsters (but not a horror film). Focus and the way the camera makes the setting claustrophobic and the symbolism of the colour red as well as specific relationships between the characters. It has a great commentary which deconstructs the film techniques. An excellent analysis of the themes can be found at http://vhcook.com/film/filmthevill.htm. This review also responses to some of the criticisms about the film’s plot-twist. It would work well with As you like it or Skrzynecki’s poetry.
Sondheim, Steven. Into the Woods. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. A musical version of the ultimate postmodern fairytale: Cinderella, Red riding hood, Rapunzel, and Jack of Beanstalk fame journey into the woods to achieve their ‘wishes.’ Like some scenes in The Tempest, the woods are dark and dangerous, but they do teach each of the characters that caring about each other is the only way to achieve happiness. Analyse the stage set and soundtrack as well as lyrics such as “You are not alone”. Recommended for advanced students who are using a feminist or psychoanalytical approach to interpretation and standard students who are looking at the archeotypes using in Life of Pi.
Sondheim, Steven. Into the Woods. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. A musical version of the ultimate postmodern fairytale: Cinderella, Red riding hood, Rapunzel, and Jack of Beanstalk fame journey into the woods to achieve their ‘wishes.’ Like some scenes in The Tempest, the woods are dark and dangerous, but they do teach each of the characters that caring about each other is the only way to achieve happiness. Analyse the stage set and soundtrack as well as lyrics such as “You are not alone”. Recommended for advanced students who are using a feminist or psychoanalytical approach to interpretation and standard students who are looking at the archeotypes using in Life of Pi.
Wheedon, Joss. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Phases”. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. Almost any episode could be used to discuss discovery – there’s an essay on “Normal Again” in the O-drive. In this episode, a werewolf is discovered in Sunnydale and the heroes must find him before it is too late. This episode begins by using all the clichéd conventions of the horror genre (esp. the metaphor of teenage males as predatory wolves), then undoes these metaphors as they discover the werewolf needs to be protected. Listen to the excellent director’s commentary for techniques (lighting, camera angles, soundtrack etc) to discuss in your essay. Interesting essays from a film studies perspective can be found at http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage17/Albright.htm and http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/sf/sampleAPaperMrO3d.html.
The Darkside This is a horror film with a difference – it compiles real-life ghost stories collected from indigenous people, enabling the viewer to explore what lies beyond mundane reality and also to discover a uniquely Aboriginal perspective on the supernatural. You could choose to focus on one story or the way the stories are interwoven. Pay particular attention to the use of voiceover, lighting and camera angles to position the viewer. This film could work well with either Life of Pi or The Tempest, if you are focusing on the spiritual/supernatural aspects of your set text.
. (). Follow the Rabbitproof Fence. [].
Non-fiction
Menzies, Gavin. (2002). 1421: The Year China Discovered the World. [NF 910.95]. This revisionist history asserts that a fleet of medieval Chinese ships circumnavigated the globe, discovering America, Australia and Antarctica. While this version of history has been well and truly debunked [See The myth of Menzies at http://www.1421exposed.com/], the book is a great resource for looking at the IDEA of discovery and how it has been used by historians and writers. It's a 640 page book, so only use one section - especially useful should be "The Emperor's Grand Plan" which sets "civilised" and "opulent" China against "backward, crude and barabaric" Europe. You might also choose to focus on the author's own voyage of historical discovery as retrieval process, uncovering buried history
Picture Books
Aaron Becker. 2013). Journey. This wordless picture book charts the adventures of a lonely/bored girl with a magical red crayon that charts her way into adventures, beginning with her drawing of a door on her bedroom wall which leads to a magical forest. Unlike Where the Wild Things are, her adventures take her beyond the forest to a magical city and into the sky. Focus on how the emotions she experiences at each place are conveyed and the symbolism of the pheonix and where he leads her.
Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley.(2015). Teacup. This lyrical but sparsely-worded story can be read as a tale about migration or the process of imaginative creation. The words are deceptively simple, relying on contrast and the accumulation of images to tell the story. Look at the symbolism of the items he takes with him (especially the teacup) as well as the sea, the boat and the tree. The illustrations are equally symbolic, using space, proportion and 'camera angles' to enrich the text. Better responses would also discuss the way the text and illustrations interact in the readers mind to discover the role of imagination and memory in creating identity.
poems
Armitage, Simon. (2008). "Out of the Blue" online at Scottish Poetry Library [http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/poems/out-blue-12]. This heart-wrenching poem commemoratesthe 5th anniversary of 9/11. Because it is told from the point of view of a man waving a shirt from high up in the building, it highlights the irony that the attention he is attracting cannot save him because it is the attention of TV viewers far from the site. This poem allows you to discover the power of the media representation of an event, as well as the powerlessness of media/viewers to change a situation - or, from an alternative perspective, the ruthlessness of media's quest for a story that will "sell". Focus on the first person narrator, the endless rhetorical questions and use of the present particle (-ing verbs) and gerund (-ing nouns) to put you inside the narrator's mind. An analysis of this poem can be found at BBC Bitesize [http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryconflict/outoftheblue1.shtml]
Dickinson, Emily . ( ) . "A Formal Feeling" online at Schmoop [http://www.shmoop.com/after-great-pain-a-formal-feeling-comes/poem-text.html]. This poem uses powerful imagery and unsettling rhythms to depict the cold, emotionless state of mind after a traumatic event. Focus on the use of symbolism and specific images that link to your set text. This poem would work well with a psychological view Life of Pi or Go back to where you came from.
Gregor, Debora. (1994). "Miranda's Drowned Book" online at Anna McHugh's blog [http://discoveryhsc.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/fascinating-related-text-dramatic.html] Rich in symbolism, this poem gives Miranda's perspective on her relationship with her father and the island landscape on which she was raised. Recommended for advanced students, especially if they are studying The Tempest (if you're not, read or watch the play so that you understand the context of Miranda's speech).
Hughs, Ted. (). Crow goes Hunting" online at the beckoning [http://www.thebeckoning.com/poetry/hughes/hughes2.html] describes what happens when Crow "decides to try words". The words he throws at Hare are in fact slippery beasts changing form constantly, leaving Crow "speechless with admiration". This poem is a deceptively simple account of the power of language, and a depiction of postmodern understandings of Truth as mutable and uncontainable. It would work very well with an analysis of Prospero's power (through language) over the Island in The Tempest or as an interpretation of the tiger's role in Life of Pi (who is who?). It couold also be used to unpack the way the director controls our reactions in reality TV series such as Go back to where you come from.
Poe, Edgar Allen. "Dreamland". Poe is well-known as a master of suspense, creating creepy gothic landscapes and characters which could grace any horror film. This poem celebrates the power of the imagination to create adn transform our emotions - in this case through eeie chasms filled with ghouls and other horrific creatures. Look for chains of metaphors and the emotions they evoke and compare these to the symbols in texts such as Life of Pi and The Tempest. You can find the poek online at Schmoop [http://www.shmoop.com/dream-land-poe/]
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass (1855). This book-length poem is an American classic. Although it is a tough read, if you sit back and let the language wash over you, you will find lots of relevant bits which link with your set text. At the heart of the poem is the insistence that the poet and his world/landscape are one, and that “with the twirl of my tongue I encompass worlds and volumes of worlds”, something which could equally well be said about Prospero in the Tempest (who also “knows well [his] own egotism”!) or the semi-mystical experiences in Life of Pi. Focus on the conscious use of language to discover new ways of looking at the world, as well as the way the the reader gradually comes to identify with the “I” of the poem. An analysis if this text can be found at Schmoop
The Turning