Representation and Text

8/12/2019 Representation and Text

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Module C

REPRESENTATIONAND TEXT

Module C


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This module requires students to explore

various representations of events,

personalities or situations. They evaluate how

medium of production, textual form,

perspective and choice of language influence

meaning. The study develops students

understanding of the relationships betweenrepresentation and meaning.


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In their responding and composing, students

consider the ways in which conflicting

perspectives on events, personalities or

situations are represented in their prescribed

text and other related texts of their own

choosing. Students analyse and evaluate how

acts of representation, such as the choice oftextual forms, features and language, shape

meaning and influence responses.


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In their responding and composing, students

consider their prescribed text and other texts

which explore the relationships between

individual memory and documented events.

Students analyse and evaluate the interplay of

personal experience, memory and

documented evidence to broaden theirunderstanding of howhistory and personal

history are shaped and represented.


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Representation and Text

Language is a complex tool invented bysociety. As any artefact it can have beneficial ordetrimental effects. It can be used and abused.

Language can never achieve pure representation.It cannot mean by itselfit is determined bycontext, intention and collective agreement.

People often use language to conceal rather thanreveal their real intentions. All attempts to

communicate are subjective and therefore evenwell intentioned, informative writings can beprone to bias or unconscious distortion of truth.


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All texts are deliberately constructed to convey an agenda anda set of values.

This means that every composer has a purpose, which isbased on the issues arising from their context and audience.

To that end, the composer uses conflictingperspectives/interplay between history and memory as avehicle for successfully conveying their purpose to theaudience.

So, through the representation of events, personalities andsituations (which utilises form, language and structuraldevices), the responder is positioned to accept the

perspective that the composer has represented asvalid/credible.

As a consequence, the composer is able to successfully imparttheir values to the audience.


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There is a difference between what a text is about andits message. The Smithsonians September 11 website

is about history but its message (intentionally or not) isthat history is selective and constructed. Birthday

Letters by Ted Hughes portrays some conflictingperspectives but one of its messages is that perspectiveis shaped through and by language. Similarly, TheJustice Game portrays conflict within the formal setting

of the court; however, one message is that thedominant perspective tends to be the one that is mosteffectively represented in the game.


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Interpretations

Points-of-view

Demonstrations

Accounts of

Versions

Descriptions

Depictions

Constructions


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THEMES/ISSUES TECHNIQUES/FEATURES

VALUES

PURPOSE

MEDIUMSTYLE/FORM

EVENTS

CHARACTER

SETTING


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Context

Audience

Conflicting

Perspectives

History andMemory

Composers

agenda

Perspectiveprivileged

Composer

successfully

conveys theirperspective

REPRESENTATTION

POSITIONING

OF

RESPONDER

VALUES

PURPOSE


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Hero or

villain?


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Robertson in The Justice Gamecomments onhow emotional subjectivity affects anobjective perspective. This is the CONTENT of

the text. Yet at the same time, we can see in his writing

that HIS own emotional subjectivity (strongfeelings against the death penalty) affects theobjectivity of The Justice Game. This is theCONSTRUCTION of the text.


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History and Memory


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This Module is really very much like the AOS inthat it requires you to absorb an overall conceptand apply this to both the core text as well as

your related material. Remember that HOWmeans techniques. This is

always true in HSC English. So not only do youneed to work out WHAT the message about the

concept is from your texts but also exactly HOWthis message is conveyed through poetic, literaryand visual techniques.


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What is a perspective? Why do people have

different perspectives and what can causethem to conflict? How are conflicting

perspectives represented in society?

What is history? What is memory? What is

the relationship between them? Is one morevalid than the other? How are history andmemory represented in society?


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Thesis Ideas

Hughes effectively manipulates the poetic

form to present a unique and evocativecollection of poems that invoke empathy for

his circumstances and reinforces that there isan agenda behind every perspective.

Discordant opinions ignite conflicting

perspectives and the composer harnesses thetextual form to highlight their perspective asthe most valued of those opinions.


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In the construction of a representation ofhistory, it is individual and collective memorywhich conjures an understanding of the

historical figure or event, yet it is historicallyaccurate details and trivialities whichauthenticate such representations.

Physical evidence and relevant historical details

are essential in constructing both history andcontext as they create direct links to memory.

History can only be recorded retrospectively;hence, to a degree it relies on memory. The

interplay of history and memory therefore canresult in new understandings of events andpeople, ones which are now reshaped andcoloured by individual and collective memories


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Markers Comments

Stronger responses demonstrated a perceptive

understanding of how composers use different

ways to construct meaning and evoke responses

through textual features and details Masterful control of language was evident as

these responses developed the thesis through

strategic-topic sentences, a confident andinformed approach to both texts and clear

consideration of the key ideas.


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Many stronger responses demonstrated an

awareness of the constructedness of texts and

how the choice of form and its associated

language features connected with thecomposers purpose and context.

Judiciously selected textual evidence was

used to support the evaluation of the formand its distinctive features.


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Weaker responses focused more on anexploration of the prescribed text and text of ownchoosing through the elective rather than the

focus of the modulethe act of representation. Weaker responses were largely descriptive and

limited in scope. Some understanding of the actof representation through form was evident;

however, the treatment of the prescribed textand the text or texts of own choosing wassuperficial and inconsistent.


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THEMES/ISSUES TECHNIQUES/FEATURES

VALUES

PURPOSE

MEDIUMSTYLE/FORM

EVENTS

CHARACTER

SETTING


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Context

Audience

Conflicting

Perspectives

History andMemory

Composers

agenda

Perspectiveprivileged

Composer

successfully

conveys theirperspective

REPRESENTATTION

POSITIONING

OF

RESPONDER

VALUES

PURPOSE


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PURPOSE REPRESENTATION

POSITIONINGVALUES


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WHATThesis Statement re Conflicting Perspectives/History and Memory?

HOWHow is it being represented?(Medium, structure, techniques)

WHYWhy is it being represented in the manner?

What have you understood?(Power of language/form, Agenda, Manipulation, Bias,

Values)


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A Final Thought..

Students develop a range of imaginative,

interpretive and analytical compositions that

relate to different forms and media of

representation. These compositions may berealised in a variety of forms and media.

What could this mean in regards to the

examination question?


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Representation and Text

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