Two Shakespeares and One Cup (1 Viewer)

[tarnished]

...I got your attention with that title, didn't I? Well, get your mind out of the gutter 'cos we're not going there today.

The real purpose of this thread is to solicit some advice from people who have done the HSC English Adv. course or are in the midst of it. See, my prescribed text is As You Like It, and I got that text done pat, methinks. However, I'm struggling to find suitable supplementary materials for it. My teacher recommended something that concentrates on the idea of "home/location" in belonging, perhaps with a pastoral/anti-pastoral theme to it, while simultaneously dealing with family, identity, the rest of that baloney, etc.

However, all I've found that fits some or all of that criterion without being a two-inches-too-thick novel or going off on some other tanget is Weir's Witness, Benton's Kramer v. Kramer, and Eliot's Journey of the Magi. Apart from Witness, the others only fit somewhat, and I really want to find a replacement for them, before the end of these hols. D:

I was thinking about using Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale as a potential supplementary, but is it a godo idea to have a Shakespeare supplementary when your main text is... Shakespeare? Moreover, do you guys have any potential supplementaries that have a pastoral thing?


Help will be rewarded with magic cookies. =D

 

[emmcyclopedia]

Don't do two Shakespearean texts - in fact, it's not recommended that you even do 2 dramas. Try to get a variety of text types. My English teacher told me on numerous occasions that the related materials you use shouldn't be of the same text type (well, it's ok to prepare 2 texts of the same type, but only choose one for use in your essay depending on which one fits the question best).

Try looking at things like film, poetry, picture books, novels, short stories, feature articles, etc. Originality is also good, so do some exploring on the net... I swear there are so many threads I remember reading on related texts for belonging!

Also, it doesn't always have to directly link to the pastoral themes of AYLI - I found it's better to get texts which look at belonging in a very general way, such that it can be manipulated to any question. Variety of themes shows depth of understanding, imo.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", and if you have time to read it you will most likely find it relevant from both a literal and psychoanalytic reading - the latter, however, requires significant research into psychoanalysis and the author's context.

Bruce Dawe's poem, "Enter Without So Much as Knocking" is also brilliant - social stereotypes and conformity are explored significantly. He's fantastic, I used his poetry for related texts in both Belonging and also 'Representation and Text'.

These were my 2 strongest, the rest were pretty stock-standard, e.g. "Rabbit Proof Fence", a film by Phillip Noyce, and a picture book. There's one picture book, I think it's called "The Arrival" by someone I can't remember. It looks at the migrant experience, and it was quite a popular book - I'm sure someone will have studied it, I'd recommend you look into that or others like it. Picture books are always good too, because it doesn't take long to read either =P

Best of luck

 

[Absolutezero]

I thoroughly enjoyed Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", and if you have time to read it you will most likely find it relevant from both a literal and psychoanalytic reading - the latter, however, requires significant research into psychoanalysis and the author's context.

The great thing about this, is that you can download the electronic version for free. If you have a good enough phone, you can even download it straight to that, and read it whenever you have the time.

 

[Aerath]

I opened this thread thinking that I'd have to warn someone for pornography.....and I was somewhat pleased at the end result.

Anyways, back on topic - I would recommend that you -not- do two Shakespeares. Not even two plays. This is because in the Area of Study - you want to show the markers that you can write fluently about the area of study belonging, and how it is conveyed in a variety of texts (and text types). This means trying to choose as many different text types as possible. If you are stuck for ideas, there is a fantastic stickied thread located here, which detail some suggestions for related texts for this Area of Study. Perhaps you may yield some great ideas there, or from emmcyclopedia's pots above.

Good luck.

 

[tarnished]

Arigatou, guys, for the suggestions. Will look into Bruce Dawe's poetry including Enter Without So Much as Knocking and will think about using Alice in Wonderland (although I'm not confident that I have the skills to pull off a fully fledged psychoanalysis in 300-ish words. ^^;; )

I've looked into the thread you've hyperlinked, Aereth, and picked up a lot of good ideas for supplementaries. Will read the Achebe novel tonight. Such a pity A Winter's Tale is Shakespearean - it would be damn perfect for belonging (Shakespeare is craptastically underrated for belonging supplementaries, lol).

Is Kate Grenville's The Secret River a good supplementary? And what about Weir's Witness? I don't know where I pulled this from, but somehow I think that Witness is on the English Standard syllabus - definitely need confirmation on that one. >.<;;

 

[Aerath]

Peter Weir's Witness is on the Standard syllabus.

 

[emmcyclopedia]

In case you're interested, my memory just jolted (finally, and very randomly too) - "The Arrival", by Shaun Tan.

A beautiful picture book =)

 

[Aerath]

In case you're interested, my memory just jolted (finally, and very randomly too) - "The Arrival", by Shaun Tan.

A beautiful picture book =)

Good book, beautiful pictures. Just a bit too common for Belonging.

 

[Absolutezero]

"The Arrival", by Shaun Tan.

Possibly the most overused Belonging Related Text of all time. Of all time.

 

[tarnished]

Lots of people are using "The Arrival" and the other Shaun Tan books. I've already contemplated using "The Arrival" and decided not to; more of a personal choice than anything.

Thanks guys, btw. I've found my related texts, one unusual and the other pretty standard these days: "The Secret River" by Kate Grenville and "Edward Scissorhands" by Tim Burton. I really appreciate you guys answering this thread and helping me with my problem.

Hopefully I can conquer the novel that is The Secret River (it is okay to do a 330-ish novel for belonging supplementary, right?)

 

[Aerath]

Yep, nothing wrong with a good long novel. Kudos for putting in the effort to choose a more difficult related text.

 

[ValentinesM]

My prescribed Belonging text was also AYLI (it was such a pain!!) and my supplementary texts were:

Babel - Inarritu's recent and award winning film (suggested by English teacher), divided into 4 strands set in different parts of the world, strong exploration in the idea of family connections( Susan and Richard's marital conflict, Chieko's relationship with father), cultural connections(American children thrown into a poor Mexican village, Susan and Richard's unhappy trip to Morocco) and of course, personal identity with the Chieko strand (deaf and mute, traumatised and struggling to assimilate into mainstream society, perhaps the most powerful and confronting one)

Wild Swans(suggested by English teachers) - Jung Chang's epic family memoir, try this one if you enjoy history, especially modern Chinese history in the 20th century, focussing heavily on the Cultural Revolution and its repercussions on the individual level. (it's also a fantastic text for the History and Memory module, in case you're doing H&M). some of the points you relate to AYLI may include: Shouyu's ostracism parallels but at the same time contrasts to Jaques's marginalisation, strength of the Chang family resonates the power of family in AYLI and displacement of women likens to the issue of gender inequality raised by Shakespeare.

Good luck!

 

[emmcyclopedia]

Good book, beautiful pictures. Just a bit too common for Belonging.

Possibly the most overused Belonging Related Text of all time. Of all time.

Oops, wasn't aware of it's popularity
*retracts previous comment*
I hadn't used it myself, only heard of it from a few other students


Don't use that book then...