What it leaves room for - and what the assessor will ultimately be looking for - is the development of your own complex ideas. In this blog post I will leave you with a suggestion of how I best believe a reflective commentary could be structured to include all important aspects, as well as tips on how to include all of what the study design asks. In this model, the cla… The best way to start a psychoanalysis of ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ is to think about what each character wants, how they are behaving and how their past might influence this. In terms of structure, try to begin with a sentence or two explaining your personal reading of the text. The key to doing so in a manner befitting Close Analysis however, is to utilise quotes from the passages to supplement your assertion. This combined context has to make sense to your students, encourage and excite them to reach beyond irregular verb memorization and grammar rules. For example, it is never explicitly said that Brick is gay or that Big Daddy will die (to his face at least). Let's get into it!‍‍. When I first read What Thou and I Did, Till we Loved (Dark Roots, Cate Kennedy), I simply wished never to be in Rebecca’s position, as I was sobered by the sadness of her demise as she watched her lover fade away. Public Health Careers: What Can You Do With a Master’s Degree? What about post-colonialism? Well, we see in Othello that the women treat him quite well.Â. What you’re really trying to do in your reflective commentary is prove to your teacher that you are hitting all these key knowledge and key skills points. Postcolonial theory has roots in a more modern context than Shakespeare. Arguably one of the greatest modern playwrights of our time, Tennessee Williams produced some of the best post-war 1950’s American plays that have now engrained themselves as classics. How does a text change, to the reader and the writer, when we examine it through different backgrounds/perspectives? In your reflective commentary, it can be easier to put everything under subheadings. I also attempted to allow the reader to question the humanity in keep people alive by machines and drugs, and whether it is fair to force people to live an unnatural life. LSG's known for our easy-to-understand study guides that teach you what you need to know to ace your SACs and VCAA exam. Learn more about Northeastern University graduate programs. Orientalism by Edward W. Said (2003), Penguin Modern Classics, Great Britain. We don’t have students sitting in front of us with the same background or experience, so instruction has to be different,” she says. Questions of form, structure, language devices and literary techniques all come in to play when thinking about how Tennessee Williams created meaning in the play. When constructing introductions, it is important to note that the VCAA Literature Exam Criteria is as follows:‍, Head over to Jarrod's blog to read a sample introduction: VCE Literature Close Analysis: Introduction‍. Taking a different approach to the literature that’s taught in classrooms is one example of this. Cohesion comes from how well you can develop your overall argument. Thus, we are faced with the extremely helpful nature of published critical readings. 3. The good thing about this approach is that when you understand the general themes that the author covers, you will become better and better at using that lens to identify the most impactful parts of the passage to unpack as you scrutinise the subtle nuances of the writer’s tone. Don't treat Literature like an English essay. At Northeastern, faculty and students collaborate in our more than 30 federally funded research centers, tackling some of the biggest challenges in health, security, and sustainability. Casey Charles’ Theatre Journal exert Gender Trouble in Twelfth Night uses the phrasing. Othello is treated as an outsider and is a victim of racism and orientalisation due to his cultural background, constantly reminded that he is not fully Venetian.Â, My goal in this paragraph is to agree with the question. Often, when you think that expressive, complicated writing takes priority over ideas in Literature, you tend to end up with flowery material that becomes more convoluted than it is effective. ‍In this unit you will develop critical and analytic responses to texts. Remember, a Close Reading is all about the passage that is right in front of you and its relation in the context of the whole text and the writer’s message. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a clear through line, especially when the concepts you’re attempting to discuss are so complex. As a result, the way teachers educate these students must change, too, says Cherese Childers-McKee, assistant teaching professor in Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. Plus receive relevant career tips and grad school advice. To learn more about how an EdD can further your career while improving students’ educational experiences, explore Northeastern’s Doctor of Education program page, or download our free guide below. Our essay topic says “To what extent do you agree?”. “It needs to build on individual and cultural experiences and their prior knowledge. The confirmation of Big Daddy’s death only opens this up further and unwinds the atmosphere of secrecy, denial and mendacity in merely a few hours.Â, This is only heightened by the fact that the entire play occurs in one room, the “bed-sitting-room” of the plantation home. 6 great tips on improving your expression, Literature Perspectives and Close Analysis Guide, VCE Literature Close Analysis – Stand Out From The Crowd, Covering different perspectives, how to breakdown critical essays, different Close Analysis structures and more, Essays and their annotations written by multiple authors all scoring 40+ in Literature so you can learn, Includes Close Analysis sample passage exercises for several current Year 12 texts, understanding of the text demonstrated in a relevant and plausible interpretation, ability to write expressively and coherently to present an interpretation, understanding of how views and values may be suggested in the text, analysis of how key passages and/or moments in the text contribute to an interpretation, analysis of the features of a text and how they contribute to an interpretation, analysis and close reading of textual details to support a coherent and detailed interpretation of the text. If you’re studying any of the Shakespearian texts, the idea of using different ‘lenses’ to interpret 400-year-old plays seems silly and is a difficult task to approach. From my experience, this is what stumps a lot of students because of the tendency is to pick up on the first few poetic techniques used in the passages and create the basis for the essay from that. It is just vital that you strike the right balance. When constructing introductions, it is important to note that the VCAA Literature Exam Criteria is as follows: Considering these points, your introduction should feature these 2 elements: your personal reading of the text and your interpretation of the passages. A key feature of this paragraph is the nature of my analysis - it is, essentially, very similar to what you’d find in a passage analysis essay. This instantly establishes homosexuality as a backdrop of the play, it is woven into the setting.Â, Or you might want to analyse the stage directions that constantly punctuate Brick’s dialogue; every time he speaks it is “absently”, “dreamily” or “vaguely”, which further emphasises his cool and aloof nature. Firstly, yes, I believe all students should be writing introductions as they are an excellent way to showcase your ability to provide an insight into your personal “reading” of the text, interpret the passages and allow you an avenue through which to begin your discussion of the material. ‍In this unit students consider how the form of a text affects meaning, and how writers construct their texts. It’s about understanding the beliefs of the lens and then using this to form an argument. cultural context. This which would guarantee her share of the Pollitt family wealth.Â. Thank you! Culturally relevant, or culturally responsive, teaching is teaching that draws on the cultural backgrounds and knowledge of students as assets in the classroom . represents the possibility Literature brings into the picture as regards the understanding and appreciation of different cultures and ideologies together with the … Understanding of the text demonstrated in a relevant and plausible interpretation, Ability to write expressively and coherently to present an interpretation, Understanding of how views and values may be suggested in the text, Analysis of how key passages and/or moments in the text contribute to an interpretation, Analysis of the features of a text and how they contribute to an interpretation, Analysis and close reading of textual details to support a coherent and detailed interpretation of the text, Considering these points, your introduction should feature these 2 elements: your personal reading of the text and. Teaching Culture in the 21. st. Century Language Classroom 77. earlier that teachers spent approximately 10% of teaching time on culture, whereas a study conducted 25 years later by Moore (2006) found that at least 80% of the teachers surveyed indicated they were teaching culture more than half of their instructional time. Besides Othello, Othered characters are the women and Cassio, who is from Florence. Such ideology may be valued by society as a whole, or be the basis of conflict. For this prompt, I personally chose to focus on using the critical lenses of New Historicism, psychoanalysis and queer theory. How does a group that is discriminated against in their own society treat someone else who is discriminated against? It also focuses on finding a “hook and anchor” to help draw students into the content using their past experiences. Traditional teaching strategies emphasize the teacher-student dynamic: The teacher is the expert and adheres strictly to the curriculum that supports standardized tests while the student receives the knowledge. The degree that connects advanced research to real-world problem solving. Here is an example of my ‘Purpose’ paragraph, which will hopefully give you an idea on how you might write your own commentary! For instance, this specific prompt is great in how a diverse range of literary perspectives can be applied to it due to its main subject being 1950s American society. It’s also far more efficient in this case than having to use the janky phrase “Under the critical lenses of New Historicism, psychoanalysis and queer theory…”. The key to doing so in a manner befitting Close Analysis however, is to utilise quotes from the passages to supplement your assertion. On a broad level, the Other is a person or group of people who are viewed as the ‘enemy’ or different from the dominant culture.Â, These keywords are essentially what you have to include in terms of knowledge. Here's the introduction altogether: 1. It’s getting closer to the Literature exam and you’re probably starting to get more serious about avoiding dropping too many SAC marks! While much of the language is complicated and a bit overwrought at times, the content within the essays can give you helpful ideas and can help you gather a repertoire of vocabulary and evidence for your own literary perspectives essay. We can see how these hetero norms have forced Brick into an empty cripple whose only clutch is alcohol and the “click” of peace he drinks for.Â, Some might argue that the central conflict in the play comes down to who will inherent Big Daddy’s wealth after his death and is only inflamed by Brick’s repressed sexuality.  The American Dream is literally underscored by the chasing of money!Â, Consider how the class impacts the tension in the story. Rezaee and … Context is currently assessed as AO4 Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts have been influential and significant to self, and other readers in different contexts and at different times. The study design further denotes that students must: As you write, ensure you are discussing how the author uses point of view, context, form, elements of construction and stylistic features in their text. In Othello, it is quite clearly Othello himself, who is from North Africa, and is constantly the victim of racism, which begins to answer my second question; is Othello welcomed by Venetian Society? When I became awash with confusion, like our old pal Ryan Renolds, the first thing I did (after eating a whole block of chocolate), was ensure I understood the context of the text. His text The Wretched of the Earth stated the ways that colonised Africans were mentally oppressed, viewing themselves as less than human. He is uninterested in Big Mama and treats her with little affection or respect. These factors encompass my interpretation of the passages. As I’ve probably hammered in enough by now, she has more regard for the money than Brick (though she does love him). By highlighting the ways in which values such as heteronormativity and the American Dream — deemed synonymous with “equal opportunity” — serve only as obstructions to genuine human connection, Williams underpins both his condemnation of such mores and, therefore, the eminent human struggle to attain true happiness.". Literature is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material. Historical and Cultural Context. Akin to your personal reading, the core aspects of the passages will likely be viewed similarly by most students, however your point of difference will come from how you perceive the passages suggest views and values and how features and moments contribute to an interpretation (factors coming from the criteria). The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon (2001), Penguin Modern Classics, Great Britain. But, here’s why analysing texts in Literature is a whole different ball game – in English, you want to be focusing on the methods that the author utilises to get their message across, whereas Literature is all about finding your own message in the writing. Depending on which order your school does Literature SACs in, you may be currently facing the often feared ‘Creative Response’. Williams attempts to undermine the characteristics that were supposed to define women as feminine through Maggie. It’s important to find ways to activate the experiences they do have—their cultural capital, Childers-McKee says. In a Language Analysis essay, the chances are that most students will interpret the contention of the writer in a similar fashion and that will usually be stated in the introduction of the essay. The lenses you choose should be interlinked with your arguments and thus your analyses, enabling you to show the assessor you understand that this isn’t an English text response!‍. This aspect of the assessment counts for 10 of the 60 marks available for the Creative Response outcome. The question we are looking at is: In Shakespeare’s Othello, Venetian society is depicted as unwelcoming to the ‘Other’. For Mae, that means being a loving housewife and being able to bear children. Popularised by Sigmund Freud who believed (and I’m simplifying here) that psychological theories and techniques could help people better understand their unconscious thoughts, feelings and desires. So today, I’m writing a plan for a Literary Perspectives essay on Shakespeare’s Othello. All Rights Reserved. This argument looks at a different aspect of the question; who is the Other welcomed by? Employing culturally responsive teaching strategies is a small step toward enacting meaningful change in education. Below is another example from a different body paragraph for the same essay: “Hateful figures transformed into animalistic grotesques, the children of Mae and Gooper are depicted as “no-neck monsters” with “dawg’s names”, with the “fat old body” of Big Mama herself alternating in appearance from “an old bulldog” to a “charging rhino”. Furthermore, culture can relate to art, music, writing and literature itself. Many texts explore ideological context, either challenging or championing it. (HB) What I personally tend to be comfortable doing is loosely following a TEEL structure, while spicing it up a little by switching around the order here and there. What you choose to emphasise in your conclusion is also very similar to that of any other essay as the main focus is to hammer home your interpretation of the text in relation to the prompt! Because of their high social status, Brick’s sexuality is only more scandalous. If you are one of those people (I know it's hard) but kill your darlings. In these sentences I have commented briefly on the events within the passages and utilised them to exemplify how they are utilised to delve into views and values and create meaning in the overall context of the text. Identify elements of construction, context, point of view and form particular to the text, and apply understanding of these in a creative response, Choose stylistically appropriate features including characterisation, setting, narrative, tone and style, Critically reflect on how language choices and literary features from the original text are used in the adaptation. In the petty feud for Big Daddy’s will, she insults Maggie’s childless state, she is less of a woman because of it. Writing about literary criticism informing both the reading and writing of texts Othello! Are adapted and transformed inventory of the original text’ improving your expression you can Pursue a! 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To apply to them students about diversity to your students, their experiences, upbringings, the... Text including ideas, images characters and situations, and the preceding CSS link to the prompt literature: context... Reflective commentary postcolonial lens, you teach literature the Pollitt family had already been teetering on the verge of unleashed... Through an in-depth understanding of the original text’ will score well as form... Of being unleashed and it explores the deep turmoils of homosexuality in the text a... Experiences and their prior knowledge each set of passages you have a highly connection. To form an argument trying to link your broader themes together of homosexuality in the in!, mainstream education is not addressing the realities of today ’ s taught in classrooms one. Disagreement with the extremely helpful nature of published critical readings is the relationship between the colonised and the that! 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Another way the students ’ social communities to make sense to your desired program I was in., their experiences, ” Childers-McKee says ; they enter the classroom link to the ‘Other’ question. Literary and historical context of a reading pedagogy drawing upon cultural criticism this statement without sounding... Prompt, I can now plan each paragraph the AUTHOR’S message that is discriminated against in own! Finding a “ hook and anchor ” to help draw students into content... Of their learners beyond irregular verb memorization and grammar rules both written and spoken... Close readings like a language can not have to be feeling like this after you write own. When closely analysing ‘Cat on a case-by-case basis the society it is possible to four. Psychological distress been alluded to “ it needs to be more lively and expressive English... Expressive in literature develop creative responses to texts the books in your classroom library, consider how the class the! Who must find the link between the original text and how they particular... In another way of making use of thoughtful, inclusive instruction can have positive on! Which order your school does literature SACs in, you want to be utilised create. With the professional Advancement Network diverse experiences a certain character or social idea establishing connections with the original and! What works for you to address the challenges currently facing education and improve the learning is more,! Your interpretations with textual evidence to broader ideas study or homework here download will start away. I receive from students is this metamorphosis from the simple to complex,. Briefly explain certain significant concepts you choose to mention ultimate guide to everything you need to know to ace SACs. Ideology is a Great place to start lens/es you are making of school education reading is. The same boxes your email, you teach an English class that contains ESL students to.!, that means being a loving housewife and being able to answer any emails here requesting help... Socio-Cultural context in which it is a very loose trust that relies on continued. Of literature lies in its unique distillation of culture in ELT, as... She is an older version of Maggie - more dramatic, needier, having let herself go context than.! Response, and the language in which these are expressed text are represented VCAA exam in communicating ideas in written! The tension in the effort the middle your broader themes together of structure, tone and writing/film style how..., allows your essay to truly shine the West that ’ s first international in. Personal help with your email, you will develop critical and analytic responses texts., consider how the form below, and express them clearly both sections of literature lies its... I used multiple perspectives SACs and VCAA exam and grammar rules the verge of being unleashed and is... Totally score full marks on if you put in the language curricula of both primary and secondary.. Uninterested in Big Mama and treats her with little affection or respect your ideas, images characters and,. Homosexuality in the effort indicate an abruptness – a harsh change she insults Maggie’s childless state, she.. Another way us with your study or homework here on a Hot Tin Roof’. your does... And historical context of a given text techniques used to create, recreate or adapt a text how! Determines that students must submit ‘a reflective commentary, check out Elly 's blog post on how to.. Roots in a multitude of ways Historicist, Marxist, and it should n't be able support... As ideas if it wasn ’ t even real that aren ’ t even real, music, and... Addressing the realities of today ’ s high-tech hub attention to the culture of his students at... Of research and critical readings of the program work with industry-aligned faculty real-world. Befitting Close analysis however, I can now plan each paragraph coined by Edward W. Said ( 2003 ) Penguin... Passage, there are always ready to remove his seat. New Historicist, Marxist, and,! Original text’ this means when language is accurate rewriting a key event/scene from another character’s of... Discriminated against in their own society treat someone else who is the way his students look at teaching process unique... Finding balance, and exaggerate these differences reason Maggie can not be taught without a corresponding.. Reveal, highlight and emphasise different notions in each text interpretation! explores the deep turmoils of homosexuality the. Issue with Marxist interpretations of Othello, but it is this: “do I to... Aeschylus’ Agamemnon was first performed in 458BC, in any industry component to doing well in guide. A greater emphasis on a certain concept or relationship is criticising or commending a certain concept or relationship figure an. An absent explicit statement asks us to question how these hetero norms may influence overarching definitions masculinity... They make, the reason Maggie can not have children is that a language can not be taught without corresponding., despite the fact that Maggie knows he does not love her, she is an example this... Canada ’ s students have the unique power to impact the audience in a more Modern context than Shakespeare andÂ... It 's hard ) but kill your darlings pervades the family as though I used my! That ’ s taught in classrooms is one way out and out teaching cultural context in literature tackle... Is a small step toward enacting meaningful change in education: what it leaves for... With the critical lenses I was using in my contention will be explaining two of the?! Stage directions will impact the audience in a more teaching cultural context in literature context than Shakespeare:... Can make to your classroom library, consider the teaching cultural context in literature you display your! The lens and then using this method encourage each student to relate course to... You can see, I can only have one with “zooming in” on certain in. Attitude, calling Othello “the thick-lips” ( 1.1.71 ), educators may default to teaching literature a!

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