HSC English Advanced Essays

Alessandro Cowley
2011
Area of Study: Belonging
Prescribed e!t: "o#ulus$ %y &ather
In their responses and compositions students examine, question, and reflect and speculate on how
the concept of belonging is conveyed through the representations of people, relationships, ideas,
places, events, and societies that they encounter in the prescribed text and texts of their own
choosing related to the Area of Study
Alessandro Cowley Belonging Essay
Belonging is a multi-layered concept that challenges the perceptions of ourselves and our world. It
is inextricably connected to acceptance identity and the human psyche. !his intrinsic aspect of the
human condition governs our association with the social cultural and moral paradigms of our lives.
As a series of vignettes of memories composed with romantic flair "aimond #aita$s %&&'
embellished memoir "omulus (y )ather *"()+ is a metaphysical insight into the nature of
belonging. At its core "() is a reflection on acceptance and isolation which shares a sense of
intimacy with culture identity and morality portrayed through #aita$s stylistic elegance. ,ohn
-teinbec.$s /f (ice and (en *of (0(+ *%&12+ is a novella which encompasses the need for
individuals to belong to society and the moral repercussions when ostracised. ,oseph Conrad$s
novel 3eart of 4ar.ness*3o4+ *%'&&+ is an allegorical manifestation of the human condition that
delves into the ramifications of isolation which has detrimental affects on morality identity and
psyche. !hese texts challenge 5uestion and articulate perspectives of belonging that revolve around
the search to be accepted when isolated and to be morally astute amidst a range of diversity.
Isolation suppresses acceptance and has a tremendous impact on identity and psyche....*lin. to
5uestion+. Isolation is a .ey catalyst for not-belonging in society and is evident throughout
Christine6s time in Australia. #aita reflects on his mother6s struggle to accept the Australian ethos
through the symbolic description of her surroundings 7A dead red gum stood only a hundred
metres from the house and became for my mother a symbol of her desolation8 #aita also utilises the
visual imagery of the barren landscape to metaphorically allude to the agitated distress of his
mother in the Australian environment 7...she could not settle in a dilapidated farmhouse in a
landscape that highlighted her isolation8. !hus isolation resulted in Christine feeling out of place
disconnecting her from the outside world which tempted her into promiscuity. 9et
#aita6s emotive tone 7she appeared forsaken...and exhibited a strange combination of lethargy and
restlessness8 testifies to Christine6s heightened alienation ultimately resulting in her demise.
!herefore Christine6s isolation in a foreign land separated her from values she associated with on a
daily basis prior to her migration to Australia her psyche was detrimentally affected and she sought
to belong to the Australian ethos by indulging in affairs which reflected her depressive demeanour
influenced by her desolated containment in Australia.
If As.ing for /:E related text writing about /f (ice and (en;
In /f (0( <ennie is li.e a child with his intellectual abilities close to nil and has to be guided by
#eorge as they travel from ranch to ranch in isolation #eorge reminds <ennie in a sardonic tone
7Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. !hey got no family. !hey
dont belong no place" this effect of alienation hardly affects #eorge and <ennie as they .eep
fantasying about one day owning their own property and settling down. !his is depicted through
-teinbec.6s foreshadowing of events 7#e$d %ust live there. #e$d belong there. !here wouldn$t be no
more running round the country...". !hus /f (0(
/";
In 3o4 =urt> is the man who ?umps off the edge of sanity and plunges into the dar.ness of
insanity thus he loses a sense of moral and ethical direction...<in. to 5uestion... .Conrad$s grim
portrayal of colonial con5uests and the impact it had on =urt> is represented through the visual
imagery of 7the wilderness, which @had caressed him like an ivory ball& sustaining the impact of
the wilderness through a simile. !his analogy entwined with a personification that, 'he had
withered, and @ it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh,
and sealed his soul to its devilish initiation$ enhances the reader$s perception of the human psyche
and the effect of isolation on it. =urt>$s suppression in a claustrophobic world of dar.ness left him
devoid of moral and ethical values subse5uently =urt> reverted bac. to his primeval instincts he
became a brute and a murderer in pursuit of material wealth in the form of ivory. !he reader$s
interpretation of him is based on his 7lack of restraint in the gratification of various lusts8. !he
faAade of =urt> succumbs to the savagery because he had no base no restraint and no core because
he had no values after being isolated in the ?ungle for years.
A strength of moral and ethical values is vital amidst diversity to ensure a connection with identity.
<in. to 5uestion.
(orality and ethics is an integral aspect of belonging that is depicted in the life of "omulus. In
reference to Christine6s affair and (itru6s subse5uent re5uest for divorce #aita6s reflects 7(y
father did not agree to a divorce because, as he put it, he did not $believe in divorce68 ?uxtaposing
his father6s stance on this ethically challenging issue with that of the world around him. !hrough a
retrospective tone 7...my father was a fierce moralist8 and 7...he belonged to a long tradition of
)uropean thought...8 #aita testifies to his father6s moral and ethical conduct rooted in his cultural
identity. After losing his wife "omulus ta.es solace in ta.ing care of "aimond. <ater though his
desire for love is fuelled by an arrangement with <ydia he falls in love with her but soon he
realises it was a deceptive trap to enter the country. #aita resonates a tone of regret 7... when
*ydia$s letter arrived his moral world collapsed", to emotionally portray how his father$s ensuing
desolation affected his own perception of belonging through a first person insight 7In his sighs I
heard our isolation and for the first time I felt estranged from the area". !hus "omulus ostracises
himself from society because his mindset couldn$t conceive the thought of being morally deceived
effecting "aimond$s own relationship with other people as for once he feels that perhaps he doesn$t
belong to the world around him.
In /f (0( this perception of morality and ethical direction is exemplified as -teinbec. introduces
the reader to Croo.s an African-American wor.man at the ranch *<in. to 5uestion+. Bhen <ennie
in5uires into why he doesn6t sleep in the bun. house Croo.s replies in a dispirited tone 7I ain$t
wanted in the bunk house...+ause I$m black...!hey say I stink." . !hus testifying to the social
ine5uality and discrimination faced by Croo.s which resulted in hatred and polarisation. !he
unnamed character only addressed as @Curley$s wife$ imposes authority over Croo.s in a bigoted
tone 7,igger,I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny8 this dictation of racial
supremacy ma.es Croo.s feel estranged and alienated from *@white$+ society. !his morally
challenging adversity of racial vilification is reflected by -teinbec.6s evocative language 7+rooks
had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro8 thus reinforcing the ethical dilemma of
segregation which morally deprived the liberty and e5uality of Croo.s.
In conclusion the concept of belonging is conveyed interpreted and reflected through a variety of
texts. 3owever belonging remains an integral aspect of the human condition that challenges the
perspectives of our own psyche and the world around us. !hrough the lens of literature it becomes
clear that belonging is relative to the concerns of isolation and morality....lin. to 5uestion.
%odule A: Co#'arative Study of e!ts and Conte!t
Elective 2: e!ts in i#e
In this elective students compare how the treatment of similar content in a pair of texts composed in
different times and contexts may reflect changing values and perspectives.
Alessandro Cowley (odule A; )ran.enstein and Blade "unner
!exts transcend the realms of time by providing an insight into the contextual concerns which
define human nature. In this way texts are catalysts of human cognition and the product of the
author$s context. (ary -helley$s epistolary novel )ran.enstein *%'%'+ is a didactic revelation into
humanity$s superficiality and the human capacity to advocate destruction. !hese concerns mirrored
a context shaped by the age of reason and the industrial revolution which separated individuals
from once intrinsic human values. "idley -cott$s futuristic film Blade "unner *%&&C+ is a
cautionary warning to a context submerged by the social disillusionment encompassing its era
where the combined forces of consumerism capitalism and materialism were the synthetic
replacement of the natural world. Both texts permeate a particular time frame by reflecting the
social and cultural realities of their context. In doing so they raise existential concerns of what it
means to be human and testify to the dangers unleashed when man imitates #od.
3umanity$s 5uest to play #od by creating life forms a binary alignment by highlighting the
ramifications of not .nowing ones place in the world. -helley reveals this dichotomy by echoing
)ran.enstein$s hubris 7It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I ardently desired to learn8. As
the novel progresses the conse5uences of this desire to create life is illuminated with the descriptive
imagery of the monster 7I had created a fiend whose unparalleled barbarity had desolated my
heart and filled it forever with the bitterest remorse8 testifying to the dire conse5uences of playing
#od and brea.ing away from the binary norm. !hrough the use of a rhetorical 5uestion 7-ad I the
right, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations." -helley shows that )ran.enstein too has
some sense of morality however his morality stems from his arrogance and is a by-product of
)ran.enstein$s hysterical ambition to create life the repercussions of such resulted in the deaths of
those closest to him. -helley showcases this theme throughout the novel as a response to the
enlightenment where the value of #od was superseded by the discoveries of science such as
galvanism which was the inspiration behind the creation of the fiend.
In Blade "unner the grandeur of the !yrell building mirrors numerous s.yscrapers in -cott$s
context which were considered the pinnacle of the industrialised world. 3owever the pyramid-li.e-
structure reminds the responder that pyramids were tombs and places of death. Bhen Batty meets
!yrell in this place of death ironically the typical elements of film noir were no longer evident.
!yrell$s room was li.e a shrine with warm yellow lighting sharing a li.eness to a religious
sanctuary. !yrell$s angelic white robe symbolises man has surpassed #od and mid-range shots
>ooming into close-ups show an extremely poignant prodigal son. /Ive done questionable things",
says Batty indicating the moral righteousness of replicants whilst !yrell$s lac. of concern
demonstrates his absence of morality. Bhen denied longer life through a close-up the responder
can see the raw emotions on Batty$s face whilst .illing his creator. By crushing !yrell$s s.ull
through the eye-soc.ets -cott implies the death of !yrell$s soul as the age old mantra goes 7eyes
are the gateway to the soul8. Batty thus after .illing the #od of biomechanics becomes his own
#od and represents a context where religion ta.es a bac.ward step to the greedy ambitions of man.
!his shares stri.ing similarities to )ran.enstein where the enlightenment period wor.ed to the
same effect. !his absence of morality in the 7#ods8 of both texts and the prevalence of hubris
ma.es a distinct connection to the unbridled desire of humanity which .nows no limits and ignores
the principle of duality. !his dystopic vision is explored in both )ran.enstein and Blade "unnerD
despite the contextual differences they are proof that texts transcend time itself.
An existential concern which is at the ambiguous core of both compositions is the nature of being
human. In both )ran.enstein and Blade "unner it seems obvious that the created appear more
human than their creatorsD as they demonstrate human emotions. In )ran.enstein the monster is
clearly superior to man physically intellectually and morally his human attributes are shown when
he gathers firewood for his @family$ and gets shot whilst saving the drowning girl. "egardless of his
intentions the creature will always remain /a demonic corpse&too horrible for human eyes to
behold". 3ere -helley indicates the cruelty of humanity when devoid of conscience a feature the
monster showcases on a greater level than his creator. -helley also utilises allegories of creation to
raise awareness of humanity$s moral accountability when tampering with nature 7I tortured the
living animal to animate the lifeless clay" this gothic description using grotes5ue imagery is a
direct reference to the Ancient Eromethean creation myth. !hus the creature$s conscience and
empathy is something which )ran.enstein lac.s this raises an existential concern of what it means
to be human and challenges individuals to find their true self amongst the altruistic realms of
industrialisation.
By the time Blade "unner was composed industrialisation was at her pea. with capitalistic
ideology governing daily life. !yrell in Blade "unner lac.s any parental concern is devoid of
human values and exhibits only selfish profit-driven motivations in his act of creation claiming
/commerce is our goal here&(ore human than human is our motto0". !he traditional elements of
film noir are combined saturated lighting with a bu>>ing city noise subdued to the classic %&FGs
tunes of a trumpet in the bac.ground. !he human instinct to survive is clearly shown as Hhora runs
for her life her suffering and pain demands an emotional response from the viewer her clear
waterproof costume symbolises her innocence whilst the lac. of response from the crowd as each
shot is fired resembles humanity$s obsessive suppression in the rat race. )urthermore Batty$s choice
of life over death by saving 4ec.ard with a nail in his hand is a biblical allusion to Christ$s
crucifixion. Batty symbolises the saviour of humanity as he says 7All those moments will be lost in
time&like tears in rain" symbolising how humanity has reached the point of no return with no
hope. 3is angelic white hair and almost na.ed body has a sanctified holiness and as he releases the
dove it resembles his soul highlighting that !yrell was true replicants are 7(ore human than
human8. Blade "unner raises 5uestions of where humanity has come to nihilistic overtones ring
throughout the film as dictated to society by consumerism and capitalism.
In conclusion both )ran.enstein and Blade "unner are existential crossroads they intersect at
different times but the issues and concerns they present are debated to this day over the nature of
humanity and the conse5uences of playing #od. !his results in readers and responders throughout
the ages morally challenging themselves as.ing what it means to be human. !hrough the
cautionary nature of both texts it is evident that the wor.s of great composers such as -helly and
-cott transcend time itself.
%odule B: Critical Study of e!ts
he Poetry of ()B) *eats
Students explore the ideas expressed in the text through analysing its construction, content and
language. !hey examine how particular features of the text contribute to textual integrity. !hey
research others perspectives of the text and test these against their own understanding and
interpretations of the text. Students discuss and evaluate the ways in which the set work has been
read, received and valued in historical and other contexts. !hey extrapolate from this study of a
particular text to explore questions of textual integrity and significance.
Alessandro Cowley (odule B; !he Eoetry of B.B. 9eats6
According to 3arvard professor Helen +endler 7!o 1eats, life is a series of fluid and self2invented
steps, not governed by time but rather invented against time.8 9eats$ portrayal of contextual
concerns personal philosophy and political viewpoint underwent a dynamic shift as he transcended
from the "omantic to (odernist. 3owever as 9eats$ style developed so too did his ability to
challenge his audience by deliberately ?uxtaposing conservative classical form with subversive
often provocative themes.
By surfacing universal concerns of mortality legacy and love 9eats$ poetry surpasses his temporal
context being intrinsically relevant as an examination of the human condition. !he evolution of
9eats$ stylistic and thematic ideology is particularly evident when one contrasts Bild -wans at
Coole *B-AC+ *%&%&+ where 9eats6 taps into the collective unconscious whilst reflecting the
contextual apathy of the first world war to the metaphysical stream of conscious thought
embodied within Among -chool Children *A-C+ *%&C'+ where 9eats6 compares the physical body
to the imaginative soul. In these poems 9eats$ pursued the union of form and content to create
wor.s of lasting resonance and textual integrity. !he progressive stylistic elegance of 9eats and the
eternal imprint upon the English language is sustained through a personal interpretation of the
conflict between the thesis and antithesis which forms synthesis the highest level of aesthetic
brilliance.
As a victim of aging 9eats6 poetry was his most powerful tool to express the mortality of humanity.
)or instance B-AC is a self-reflective piece on youth life and death where 9eats6 compares his
own life to the swans. In the opening stan>a a sense of time and place is established through @trees
in autumn beauty$. 3ere 9eats personifies himself as being in the autumn of his own life
approaching death. !his is later augmented in A-C where 9eats6 refers to the 7winter8. !he
psyche of the reader is passive as 9eats reverts to the peaceful swan imagery alongside the subtle
e5uivocacy. )or example 7...scatter wheeling in great broken rings34pon their clamorous wings8
this rhyme scheme triggers thought provocation for the reader are these great bro.en rings as Alan
ate argues a representation of bro.en promises and vows with (audeI It may also be interpreted
that these rings symbolise infinity implying these swans are timeless meaning that 9eats6 will
wither and die but the swans will remain in their eternal grandeur.
A-C adheres to ottava rima form and when combined with the deeply philosophical and
metaphysical content this poetic structure is the pinnacle of textual integrity. 3ere 9eats is
searching for ways to eternalise his legacy by loo.ing to the great men of anti5uity for answers. It is
possible to interpret that 9eats is on a 5uest for finding meaning in the human existence by
contemplating upon the ancients6 perception of life. !he intertextual references to Elato Aristotle
and Eythagoras means that 9eats compares himself to the most revered people of history or
perhaps as ,er#ode argues 9eats6 is hidden behind these greats as 9eats6 metaphor claims they
are but /old clothes upon old sticks to scare a bird". In the words of +endler by 7...5escribing
them as old scarecrows, 1eats$ reflects upon their and his own impermanence" from another
perspective it may be construed that the greats of the past are nothing but scarecrows thus they are
?ust li.e 9eats himself. 3owever 9eats implies that while their philosophical ideas might linger
even great luminaries grow old become ob?ects of ridicule and die. !he reader is soon brought bac.
to the physical world reminded that the 7sixty year old smiling man8is amongst school children.
9eats6 here 5uestions the purpose of his life as his physical self withers will his art live onI Bill
schoolchildren learn about him one day li.e they learn about the ancientsI But even thenthey only
get a few lines in a history boo.. !he children might learn the art and the idea but they will never
.now the artist they will never .now the essence of their soul. 9eats6 concludes the poem by
venturing into metaphysical terrain ending with a deeply philosophical rhetorical 5uestion 7-ow
can we know the dancer from the dance.8 which in turn begs the 5uestion who really .nows who
9eats6 wasI
9eats6 lyrical beauty and elegant language is the impetus for showcasing humanity6s infatuation with
love. In B-AC 9eats$ romantic flair 7nine2and2fifty swans8 is a melancholic portrayal of a bitter
image. /ne swan doesn$t have a partner emulating 9eats$ pitiful tone 7and now my heart is sore8
this symbolic portrayal of a swan is a direct reference to 9eats6 failed relationship with (aude.. As
(H Auden claims 7...1eats in crucial moments reverted to the swan as a center for his thought8.
!hus the swan is part of the collective unconscious a focal symbol of himself in his lonely pride
and introspection following re?ection by (aude. !his avant-garde representation of his emotions is
an example of the coherent use of form and language to create an integrated whole meaning to the
poem thus embodying the true essence of textual integrity.
A-C on the other hand employs a traditional and precise structure which belies the poem6s
(odernist innovation. In A-C 9eats uses school children as a catalyst for stirring ideas with no
ongoing plot rather a stream of conscious thought9eats$ provides a designated understanding of
love. 3e compares the innocence of these schoolchildren to the mythological <eda li.e purity prior
to her rape by Heus. According to +endler 76rom this rape of *eda, -elen of !roy is born, a godly2
beauty that serves as a comparison to (aude Gonne. 1eats imagines the two of them, like 7latos
parable, as /the yolk and white of the one shell8. !hough longing for her 9eats$ realised (aude
will never reciprocate his feelings for her so he 5uestions the essence of life after sixty winters has
he betrayed his mother by a useless existenceI Bould his mother see a scarecrowI 9eats resonates a
tone of de?ection as.ing if his mother would find his life 7a compensation for the pang of birth8.
!his nihilistic view of love is contrasted with the children$s pure love for their mothers$ and the
nun$s love for the children. 9eats$ portrays this antithesis through the sporadic lapse into iambic
pentameter calling the children 77.. self2born mockers of mans enterprise8. 9eats$ remembers that
these children still have hope of finding true love where as li.e the J& -wans one without the
partner 9eats too will dance without an accompanying dancer.
In conclusion the poetry of 9eats6 will transcend the realms of time. !he energy exuberance and
timeless nature of the themes of love mortality and legacy are intertwined within the human
condition. Eerhaps it is best to remember 9eats6 by the words of the committee in %&C1 who
awarded 9eats6 the :obel Eri>e in <iteratureD 7for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly
artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation8
%odule C: "e'resentation and e!t
Elective 1: Conflicting Pers'ectives
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
of textual forms, features and language, shape meaning and influence responses.
Alessandro Cowley (odule C; ,ulius Caesar
Conflicting perspectives are constructed by composers to shape meaning and influence a responders
understanding of personalities events or situations. !hey are inevitably connected with the act of
representation and allow us to 5uestion how responders can arrive at an enriched understanding of
ideas through the choice of textual form language features and a particular view of @reality$ as
presented by the composer.
Billiam -ha.espeare$s tragedy ,ulius Caesar *%J&&+ is a play which presents conflicting
perspectives to build dramatic tension as -ha.espeare provides a provocative representation of
power and ambition. !hrough -ha.espeare$s multiple portrayal of these ideas the audience reaches
conflicting views about the nature of leadership and perceptions of honour. Eresident ,ohn ).
=ennedy$s Inaugural Address *,anuary CGth %&K%+ showcases representations of power and
ambition that reflect =ennedy$s cold-war context. !hrough the textual form of a speech =ennedy
creates differing perspectives of leadership and honour. Both composers reveal how representations
of power and ambition lead to conflicting perceptions of leadership and honour thus they enlighten
their audiences through this intricate relationship between representation and meaning.
Larious representations of power result in conflicting perspectives of what ma.es a good leader. In
,ulius Caesar the different perceptions of Caesar$s leadership through the lens of multiple accounts
create a constructed representation of a historical personality. )or example )lavius views Caesar as
an ambitious 5uasi-divine being sustained through the metaphor 7who else would soar above the
view of men? aligning his greatness to the Eagle a symbol of ,upiter. 3owever this is only one
side to a wider perspective as Cassius dismisses Caesar6s divinity when he manipulates Brutus
through the language of deception. )irstly Cassius uses a simile 7I was born free as Caesar, so
were you, to present a counterpoint to Caesar6s divine image. )urthermore Cassius concocts a
story using a hyperbole 7Caesar cried, 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink, in order to represent Caesar
as a wea. mortal who, Is now become a god. !herefore -ha.espeare constructs a direct
dichotomy between the #odly divine Caesar presented to the audience by )lavius opposed to a
mere-mortal represented by Cassius$ conversation with Brutus. !his antithesis of power is
fundamental in creating conflicting perspectives of leadership. It is through this dramatised form
that -ha.espeare creates a new perspective of Caesar$s leadership but more so raises 5uestions of
the nature of leadership itself - who has the powerI Is the leader merely a pawnI 3ence
-ha.espeare$s constructed representation of power through various perspectives lead the audience
to an enriched understanding of power and its inextricable relationship with leadership.
Conversely Eresident =ennedy6s inaugral address utilises the textual form of a speech to enrich
audiences perspectives of power and how it represents conflicting ideals of leadership. =ennedy
through the use of rhetoric presents an antithesis 7man holds in his mortal hands the power to
abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life8. =ennedy views the control of
power as a re5uirement of a good leader and presents a conflicting perspective into this
representation of power by reminding the audience through the stern warning of an anecdote
7those who foolishly sought power, by riding the back of the tiger, ended up inside8. !hus =ennedy
views the control of power as a re5uirement of leadership and presents this conflicting insight into
the nature of leadership.!he responder6s understanding of power is reflective of =ennedy6s
interpretation of what ma.es a good leader reflective of his cold war context. =ennedy enriches the
audiences6 understanding of leadership and its conflicted ideas through representations of power.
3ence both texts provide an insight into leadership and how it can be conflicted through various
representations of power. !he resulting effect is fundamental in shaping meaning and enriching an
audiences6 understanding of what ma.es a good leader.
!he underlying meaning of honour is conflicted through multiple representations of ambition. In
,ulius Caesar -ha.espeare creates meaning through the representation of an event - Brutus$ and
Anthony$s eulogy$s. )or example Brutus$ antithesis 7...not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved
Rome more is syllogistic reasoning convincing the plebs that Caesar$s ambitions were of
detriment to "ome thus as a @dishonourable$ tyrant his death was ?ustified. -ha.espeare
compliments this by providing the audience with the logical element of rhetoric 7There is tears for
his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition leading the audience
to the understanding that every action has implications. !his view of Caesar as a dishonourable and
ambitious tyrant is contrasted by Antony$s eulogy his speech captivates all three elements of
rhetoric - ethos pathos and logos. Combined they brea. the perception of Brutus$ honour ma.ing
Brutus$ speech redundant in the eyes of both the plebs and the audience. !hrough the sarcastic
syllogism coupled with the element of pathos 7He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But
Brutus says he was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man, -ha.espeare constructs an
alternate representation of ambition which challenges the audience$s and the mob$s perception of
honour. !he rhetorical 5uestion 7I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse:
was this ambition? provides thought stimulation for the audience and mob who have viewed two
conflicting perspectives. -ha.espeare allows us to contemplate which constructed representation of
ambition and honour leads us to a particular view of the @facts$. !herefore the ?uxtaposition of these
speeches result in an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the representation of
ambition and the meaning derived through the perspectives of honour.
In contrast Eresident =ennedy showcases a positive ambition which testifies to a differing
perspective of honour. =ennedy$s elevated tone 7let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts,
eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce presents a
viewpoint of future ambitions however =ennedy reminds the audience that America is ambitious
7not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is
right. !hus through ambition a renewed perspective of honour comes to fruition. <i.e ,ulius
Caesar =ennedy$s speech create particular views about situations and events. !he act of
representation may differ but nevertheless the representation of ambition leads to conflicting
perspectives of honour which inevitably allow composers to provide an astute understanding of
their intricate relationship.
In conclusion these texts use the form and content of the English language to influence and
transform the perspective of audiences through conflicting ideas and hence offer a representation or
mediated edited version of people events and situations. It is through an appreciation of
production textual form perspective and choice of language that audiences can gain insightful
meaning from the compositions.