Area of Study: Discovery
What do we need to know?
Discovery makes up all of Paper 1 in your HSC examination. As a result you need to adequately prepare. On this page you'll find some texts that relate to various forms of Discovery, some of which you may have covered before. There are additional links and notes that relate to Go Back to Where You Came From as well. If you click on the "Practice HSC Questions: Blog" you will also find questions and discussions to help you prepare.
As with the other pages, get involved and make suggestions. Have a look at the different materials available and see whether you might be able to use them instead of related material that the entire group covered in class.
The Rubric
The rubric is your key starting point for understanding the module. Any question you are asked will be derived from the rubric in some way. Go through the rubric and highlight some of the key words. Another useful idea can be to sum up the rubric in one sentence.
Think about the types of discovery you could explore through your texts: self-discovery, discovery of something that was lost, rediscovery, discovery of people, discovery of place, discovery of time, discovery of loss, discovery of knowledge. Consider planned discovery, unplanned discovery and discovery through curiosity, necessity and wonder. As you go through the rubric, you will find many more manifestations of discovery. Through studying and discussing a variety of texts, you should be able to come up with many more.
Now consider how these forms of discovery relate to your text. In Go Back to Where You Came From, where do we see examples of planned discovery? Which characters go through sudden discoveries and which face gradual discovery? How does the composer, Ivan O'Mahony, manipulate and emphasise aspects of discovery? Once you have started to dig into these ideas, you can begin to formulate some concept statements regarding discovery.
Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Go beyond characterisation and go beyond just discussing Raquel. Many students will discuss characterisation as a technique almost exclusively. You absolutely should include characterisation but make sure you consider other techniques as well. Furthermore, most people will discuss Raquel as the most polarising character who seems to be subjected to the greatest discovery. Her quotes are easy to remember as well. However, it is important that you differentiate your extended response from everyone else's. Of course you can discuss Raquel, but make sure that you explore other characters, events and, most importantly, ideas.
Remember also that this is a documentary text. Don't just use characters and quotes to support your ideas. Show that you understand that this text has distinct conventions and is deliberately constructed. Consider cinematography, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, lighting, costume, editing, setting and various other aspects that make this text distinct from others, such as a novel. Think also about the relationship between composer, text and audience.
Think also about words you might use instead of "discovery" in each of the three sections (especially creative writing): revelation, realisation, confirmation, understanding, locating, unearthing. There are many more connotations for discovery you could explore yourself.
As with the other pages, get involved and make suggestions. Have a look at the different materials available and see whether you might be able to use them instead of related material that the entire group covered in class.
The Rubric
The rubric is your key starting point for understanding the module. Any question you are asked will be derived from the rubric in some way. Go through the rubric and highlight some of the key words. Another useful idea can be to sum up the rubric in one sentence.
Think about the types of discovery you could explore through your texts: self-discovery, discovery of something that was lost, rediscovery, discovery of people, discovery of place, discovery of time, discovery of loss, discovery of knowledge. Consider planned discovery, unplanned discovery and discovery through curiosity, necessity and wonder. As you go through the rubric, you will find many more manifestations of discovery. Through studying and discussing a variety of texts, you should be able to come up with many more.
Now consider how these forms of discovery relate to your text. In Go Back to Where You Came From, where do we see examples of planned discovery? Which characters go through sudden discoveries and which face gradual discovery? How does the composer, Ivan O'Mahony, manipulate and emphasise aspects of discovery? Once you have started to dig into these ideas, you can begin to formulate some concept statements regarding discovery.
Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Go beyond characterisation and go beyond just discussing Raquel. Many students will discuss characterisation as a technique almost exclusively. You absolutely should include characterisation but make sure you consider other techniques as well. Furthermore, most people will discuss Raquel as the most polarising character who seems to be subjected to the greatest discovery. Her quotes are easy to remember as well. However, it is important that you differentiate your extended response from everyone else's. Of course you can discuss Raquel, but make sure that you explore other characters, events and, most importantly, ideas.
Remember also that this is a documentary text. Don't just use characters and quotes to support your ideas. Show that you understand that this text has distinct conventions and is deliberately constructed. Consider cinematography, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, lighting, costume, editing, setting and various other aspects that make this text distinct from others, such as a novel. Think also about the relationship between composer, text and audience.
Think also about words you might use instead of "discovery" in each of the three sections (especially creative writing): revelation, realisation, confirmation, understanding, locating, unearthing. There are many more connotations for discovery you could explore yourself.
Go Back to Where You Came From: Some Ideas and Quotes
When thinking about your related material for your prescribed text, a useful approach can be to consider the types of discovery you are exploring and how they are represented in your text. This provides the option of comparing and contrasting ideas in your writing.
In Go Back to Where You Came From you could consider discovery of place, discovery of ideas, the journey of discovery, self-discovery and the discovery of the audience (that is, what do you, as an audience member, realise by watching the interactions of these people?) These are ideas that you may want to consider when selecting your related material.
Remember, this is a documentary. As such, you would include quotes when writing about it but should also consider other components of film when discussing the text. Think about what cinematography, editing, costume, set, setting, characterisation, sound, lighting and all other components related to such visual texts might communicate about discovery. Then practise this analysis so that you can adjust to a variety of questions.
In Go Back to Where You Came From you could consider discovery of place, discovery of ideas, the journey of discovery, self-discovery and the discovery of the audience (that is, what do you, as an audience member, realise by watching the interactions of these people?) These are ideas that you may want to consider when selecting your related material.
Remember, this is a documentary. As such, you would include quotes when writing about it but should also consider other components of film when discussing the text. Think about what cinematography, editing, costume, set, setting, characterisation, sound, lighting and all other components related to such visual texts might communicate about discovery. Then practise this analysis so that you can adjust to a variety of questions.
Some quotes to get you started:
Think about how these quotes relate to discovery. Consider their context in the documentary and work on identifying specific language techniques where possible.
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Other techniques to get you started:
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Song and Music Video: "Hazard" by Richard Marx
LyricsMy mother came to Hazard when I was just seven Even then the folks in town said with prejudiced eyes That boy's not right ... Three years ago when I came to know Mary First time that someone looked beyond the rumours and the lies And saw the man inside ... We used to walk down by the river She loved to watch the sun go down We used to walk along the river And dream our way out of this town ... No one understood what I felt for Mary No one cared until the night she went out walking alone And never came home ... Man with a badge came knocking next morning Here was I surrounded by a thousand fingers suddenly Pointed right at me ... I swear I left her by the river I swear I left her safe and sound I need to make it to the river And leave this old Nebraska town I think about my life gone by And how it's done me wrong There's no escape for me this time All of my rescues are gone, long gone I swear I left her by the river I swear I left her safe and sound I need to make it to the river And leave this old Nebraska town ..." A music video can be found here. There have been two other music videos shot for this song that reveal further clues as to who killed Mary but this is the most well-known one. The analysis on the right makes the assumption that the protagonist is innocent of the murder. However, there are suggestions that he could actually have been guilty, particularly through some of the imagery of the film clips. For example, he says that Mary "...went out walking alone..." but later he says, "I swear I left her by the river." You would need to adjust your analysis to support this point of view, although there are still clear discoveries made throughout the song.
We never discover who killed Mary. Is this important? |
Analysis"Hazard" is a song from 1991 by Richard Marx which tells the story of a young man, possibly with a mental disability, who is accused of killing a girl to whom he was attracted. The situation, narrated by Marx's character, draws some striking comparisons to ideas covered in Go Back to Where You Came From, such as discovery of place, self-discovery, the discovery of ideas and the discovery of the audience. Even the vilification of characters demonstrates linked thematic concerns. Like with all songs, the film clip can be treated as a separate text to the lyrics. There were actually three music videos created for this song.
The opening three lines show that, even from a young age. Marx's protagonist realises from an early age that he was not accepted in the town of Hazard. As the inhabitants of the town look at him through "prejudiced eyes" they are led to exclaim, "That boy's not right." The personification of the "prejudiced eyes" shows that the way inhabitants view him illustrates their value and character judgments. One can almost picture them shaking their heads and being thankful that he is not their son.
Mary is the first person to metaphorically look beyond "...the rumours and the lies," which here symbolise the way he has been branded by the town, discovering that he has been misrepresented by the town. Indeed, the next line shows Mary sees that under this shell of rumours and lies there was a "man inside." This metaphor reflects the discovery of Mary and perhaps his self-discovery, as Mary makes him feel human again.. Clearly Mary was the first person to bring some joy to his life in a long time. There is a real sense of relational discovery in the time the two characters spent together, as emphasised by his knowledge of Mary's love of watching "...the sun go down" and the shared experience where both characters "...dream our way out of this town." This metaphorical dreaming shows the desire of both characters to escape to a place where they are no longer treated in this way. The lack of understanding between the protagonist and the rest of the community is emphasised by the repetition of the word "No-one" in the second stanza. This shows that the rest of the town ignore him under normal circumstances. The word "until" creates an ominous feeling as one considers what could have changed to make the town take an interest. The euphemism in which Mary "...never came home" creates some doubt in our mind about her fate, but makes it clear that the audience is about to make the same discovery as the protagonist did. The symbolism of the authority "...man with a badge" adds to the ominous tone that has been set immediately before the discovery of Mary's body is revealed. We then see that this young man, who has been avoided all of his life, is the centre of attention. The hyperbole of "...Here was I surrounded by a thousand fingers suddenly/ Pointed right at me..." contrasts sharply with his loneliness and shows how it must have felt to someone who has been an outcast. Ironically, this unwanted attention means that he is more separate from the other inhabitants than ever. This discovery of the town's antipathy for him leads to the only decision he can make. The repetition of "I swear..." is very convincing and leads the audience to sympathise with the protagonist, believing he is being targeted because he is different. The fact he needs "...to make it to the river..." to leave the town may be a euphemism for taking his own life to escape the grief he feels, both at the loss of Mary and the accusations leveled against him. It may also be literal, but his discovery of a lack of place is poignant. Towards the end of the song he even personifies his own life, suggesting even it is against him. He reflects on how his life "...done me wrong..." and that all of the ways he has developed to cope - his "rescues" - are no longer available to him. This reinforces the idea that he may now seek to take his own life as the one person with whom he discovered joy has been taken from him. NOTE: Looking at the music videos provides a series of additional circumstances that can also be analysed. |
The Pursuit of HappynessThere are a variety of ideas about discovery communicated in this film.
Ideas - Christopher's desire to have a better job and life through a better career. - The unexpected (from Christopher's perspective) breakdown of the marriage and discussion of who will have custody of Christopher Junior. - How does the image of the family's belongings abandoned outside of the motel room impact the audience? - The way Christopher is treated as the coffee boy by one of his superiors shows how the pecking order influences his life and standing. - Christopher's obvious desire for a better life when inside the box at the baseball game is a clear discovery that fuels his pursuit of his goals. - Even the title of the film communicates a journey of discovery. - Christopher's status as the only African-American man competing for a position communicates ideas associated with societal discovery, as well as the discovery the audience experiences. - Christopher's desperate desire to avoid letting others discover the challenges he is experiencing is also important. - The experience of sleeping in the public toilet is quite a shocking discovery for us and for the two Christophers. |
Relevant QuotesChristopher Gardner: You gotta trust me, all right?
Christopher: I trust you. Christopher Gardner: 'Cause I'm getting a better job Christopher Gardner: I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was. Christopher Gardner: Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right? Christopher: All right. Christopher Gardner: You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period. Martin Frohm: What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say? Christopher Gardner: He must have had on some really nice pants. Christopher: Where are we going? Reverend Williams: The important thing about that freedom train, is it's got to climb mountains. We ALL have to climb mountains, you know. Mountains that go way up high, and mountains that go deep and low. Yes, we know what those mountains are here at Glide. We sing about them. |
Hints and Tips
Your Approach to Section I of Area of Study:
- Most importantly, practise as many questions as you can. You can use past papers, any pieces of related material, examinations you complete or other resources you fine to create and practise answering questions with explicit examples. I have also added samples I have created below.
- ALWAYS link to the concept of Discovery. Use the specific word "discovery" whenever you can.
- During Reading Time, always read the question before the text. By doing this, you can be reading the question with the text in mind, which should assist you in answering the question.
- If you have difficulty identifying language techniques, try to spot any easy ones as you read written texts. Alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes and rhetorical questions are generally relatively easy to find. Then try to find a way to link them to the question. Again, it is helpful to do this in Reading Time.
- If in doubt about techniques, remember devices like imagery, emotive language, sensory language and descriptive language are all valid!
- Plan out the amount of time you should spend on each question BEFORE going in to the examination. This should ensure you allow enough time for each question. Aside from in 2014, the pattern of marks per question has been the same for a number of years. A rough guide that you could adapt for your paper is 2 marks = 5 minutes, 3 marks = 8 minutes and 5 marks = 14 minutes. Remember that the question comprising the greatest number of marks should be written as a mini-essay.
- Most people do not spend enough time on Question 5. It is worth one-third of your marks so give it adequate attention.
- Use your Reading Time wisely. You should be reading and planning during your Reading Time. Don't get distracted!
Your approach to Section II of Area of Study:
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