Yr 12 VCE Encountering Conflict Context Blog

Encountering Conflict in 2012

2011-11-20T23:21:00.000-08:00

THE CRUCIBLE AND THE RUGMAKER OF MAZAR-E-SHARIF

Reading and knowing your set texts well is vitally important to doing the best you can in SACs and the exam.

Begin your studies by commenting on this post about the themes and ideas the images above reveal the texts will deal with.

Context Brainstorm (with Wallwisher)

2011-09-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

What do we think 'Encountering Conflict' means?

You have all spent some time thinking about this and putting together a mini journal that explores the ideas of our context. I would like you to take some of those thoughts to create sticky notes at this Wallwisher page.

For assessment I need you to add stickynotes that feature your nickname. To do this you will need to set up a Wallwisher account. It is easy and free. Visit http://www.wallwisher.com/account/login to find the sign in page.

'The Age' - Useful articles

2011-09-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

These two articles from 'The Age' offer information about 'The Rugmaker' but that is worth looking at as you try to determine what you are going to write about in your Creating and Presenting SACs. The first article link offers activities for thinking that support the learning we have been doing in class throughout the year.

http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=136&intversion=272
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=136&intversion=260

Getting to know Najaf

2011-08-22T18:45:00.001-07:00

• In the late-1980s the former (Soviets) dropped a rocket on his family home, killing his brother and brother-in-law, and permanently injuring his mother and himself (he suffered leg injuries).

• The Taliban murdered his uncle and cousin in 1998

• Nearly died on the boat over hear by a cyclone but navy rescued them

• Washed dishes for a dollar an hour

• His wife and three-year-old daughter remain in Afghanistan and he regularly sends money to them and other family members

• A member of the Hazara ethnic minority

• He is a rug-maker

• Former soviets dropped a rocket on his home in the late 1980s

• The Taliban murdered his uncle and cousin in 1998

• Paid a people smuggle $3500 in 2001 to bring him to Australia

• Sent to a refugee came called Woomera

• As a child he had a bomb dropped on his home, it killed his brother and brother-in-law.

• He badly injured his leg and was no help to his family so they were unhappy with him

• He then got a job at the rug repair shop. He loved going to work.

• He married his wife and had a daughter.

• He got captured by the Taliban, and put in a room with many other Hazara men. They took them out one by one and tried to make them admit to killing Taliban, and some men admitted to it just so they could die and escape the whippings.

• He was released from this place and decided to flee to Australia.

• He was kept in a detention centre for four months.

• Najaf then was released and bought a building to open his rug shop.

• His wife and daughter were then granted entry into Australia and they gained citizenship.

• In the late-1980s the former (Soviets) dropped a rocket on his family home, killing his brother and brother-in-law, and permanently injuring his mother and himself (he suffered leg injuries).

• The latter (Taliban) murdered his uncle and cousin in 1998 by setting their house alight.

• He travelled by car to Pakistan, then by plane to Indonesia where he boarded a small fishing vessel with 96 other asylum seekers.

• He was incarcerated for four months while his case was assessed.

• He witnessed acts of frustration and despair, including detainees cutting themselves.

• He moved to Melbourne hoping to find factory work.

• He sells all manner of rugs from Afghanistan and India, and carries out repairs sent to him from around the country.

• One customer has since become his "Australian mum". Robin Bourke, a retired teacher from East Hawthorn.

• In the late-1980s the former (Soviets) dropped a rocket on his family home, killing his brother and brother-in-law, and permanently injuring his mother and himself (he suffered leg injuries).

• The latter (Taliban) murdered his uncle and cousin in 1998 by setting their house alight

• Mazari paid a people smuggler $3500 (US) to bring him to Australia in 2001.

• He was transferred to Woomera

• He went on to work with carpet and rug manufacturer Customweave, before friends helped him open his own business, Afghan Traditional Rugs, in 2002

• He sells all manner of rugs from Afghanistan and India, and carries out repairs sent to him from around the country.

• One customer has since become his "Australian mum". Robin Bourke, a retired teacher from East Hawthorn, was looking for a cushion cover but ended up with a new student. Now Mazari visits Bourke and her husband on Thursday nights for a meal and an English lesson.

• Mazari's life has been enriched since he was granted permanent residency in July.

ABC 4 Corners: About Woomera

2011-08-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

Take a virtual tour of Najaf Mazari's store

2011-08-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

Explore Najaf's life and experiences further by taking a virtual tour of his store's website. There are articles about The Rugmaker, images of him at work, information about the tradition of Afghan rugmaking and much more. If you find yourself being inspired with writing ideas leave comments about about what they are at the bottom of this post.

Techniques in Chapter 1 and 2 of The Rugmaker

2011-08-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

NB: For the Creating and Presenting Area of Study you are required to look at the set text as a model for excellent writing. You need to be analysing the text for the literary devices the authors employ with the aim that you can use them to enhance your own writing. Implementing techniques from the set text into your own writing is one of the ways that you can draw from the set text. For the SAC, you should explain these choices in your statement of explanation.

CHAPTER ONE

The opening paragraph contains a number of questions, 'How heartsick can I become before I break down and weep in front of everyone?...a spot where I can't be seen and can't be heard. And where would that be?...in the camp...if such a spot exists, wouldn't I have discovered it...?' The use of questions in this manner is present throughout the whole text.

'...hundreds of people from lands...that are mysterious to me...' The idea of 'the other', 'the alien', 'xenophobia', is dealt with throughout the whole text.

The use of inclusive language is important to how the text operates. It is used repetitively at times. In the instance on page one it actually operates as inclusive and exclusive. 'We who are watched and guarded, we who are questioned, probed, doubted - we are all illegals. We have come to Australia without invitation. We have jumped the queue.' Mazari highlights here that the refugees are a separate group of people, viewed as criminals for committing crimes they did not know existed.

'But it was never my intention to jump this strange queue of which I had never heard.' Mazari and Hillman have chosen to immediately address a popular point of contention that arises during discussions of the refugee crises. They do this to spotlight the fact that in many cases refugees have no context to understand that there is a 'queue' they must participate in to seek their freedom. By outlining this upfront in the text they humanise the refugee experience for the reader inviting their empathy and understanding.

'Back in Mazar-e-Sharif, I have a Taskera...a family history going back for ages. But no birth certificate. Very few Afghanis can produce such a document. What a country I come from! Strangers to the idea of queue-jumping, and on top of that, babies are born without anything in writing to prove that they exist!' Exclamation marks are used at times within the text to highlight that which seems unbelievable but is actually real. In this instance the exclamations further educate the reader to the cultural and societal differences between countries, even in this technologically advanced world of globalisation. The aim is to get the reader to put themselves in the shoes of someone who has lived under persecution, in poor living conditions, without systems of fair governance and most often, with little, if any formal education.

'I see...I see...I see...I see...I see...I see...I see...I hear...I hear...In this mood that combines rapture and despair I begin to sing.' This use of anaphora within the middle paragraph of page three captures the loneliness that Najaf is experiencing while stuck in the camp by creating a vivid image for the reader of all that he is missing. It appeals to the reader's senses of sight, sound and feeling. A melancholy and sentimental tone is set by the expressive, emotive writing.

'Afghanis came to Australia...to work...more than 100 years ago...' This comment makes a point that really, there is a lot of similarities between every cultural group that has come to Australia to esape poverty and/or war in the past two centuries. Also, it makes the connection for the reader that the Middle Eastern communities have actually been established within Australian society for a while now. They are not foreign to the Australian community as some people might imagine.

'So I sing, but the words feel sweet on my lips, like the juice of some over-ripe fruit. It is a pleasure to use my native tounge in this way, exploring the shadows of language.' Music, language and culture are such an important part of peoples' identities and souls. At times throughout the text Mazari shares elements of the Hazari language and way of life. He incorporates the verses of song and poetry a couple of times to humanise the refugee story for an indifferent reader.

'What do I know of life? I know that life is work. I know that a man rolls up his sleeves and labours. I know that he must preserve his dreams.' Mazari and Hillman deliberately outline Najaf's values and beliefs in the closing section of the first chapter. They are the same values and beliefs that resonate within our society's mainstream cultural priorities.

'I can hope...I think of the red flowers around the mosque at at Mazar-e-Sharif. I think of how they bloom each year, no matter how many rockets explode over them.' This is an example of metaphor being used to have a visual and emotional impact on the reader. It works to juxtapose the fragility and strength of life all at once. Najaf and the refugees are as the red flowers and the strength and courage of the human spirit can possibly nourish them till it is their time to bloom.

Chapter Two:

'The mujahedin...the Russians...the Taliban...the Americans...' Nazari and Hillman provide the reader with a history of Aghanistan. They aim to present a representation that is informative and educates people about the plight of the innocent Afghan civilian who is a victim in many different ways.

'The old tinsmith I saw in the marketplace of Mazar-e-Sharif turned inside out by a mortar explosion could not be remade. When people are broken as badly as that man, or as badly as many others I have seen - old men, young men, mothers, small children - they are beyond fixing, all of them.' This sentence uses vivid imagery and emotive language to explain the impact of bombs on people.

'Mazar-e-Sharif...It's a small city by world standards, but fairly big for Afgjanistan. It had a population of 110, 000, while the largest city in Afghanistan, the capital, Kavul, had shrunk from 1.3 million people to no more than 700,000 people by 1988, with all the troubles in our country.' Interesting facts that impart the ferocity of the fighting in Afghanistan.

'In many ways we are the people we were hundreds of years ago, and even hundreds of years before that.'

'My mother laid out toishaks - the cotton-filled mattresses that we use in Afghanistan...' Mazari and Hillman provide a definition of a toishak, this explanation suggests that the target audience indeed lives in a first world Western country, in particular Australia.

'The second rocket exploded...My hearing was gone...images...were like those in a silent movie...images that had nothing to do with what was happening floated into my mind, then lapsed and drifted away: the sheep I used to tend as a boy; my father's body being prepared for burial; Gorg Ali, peeling an apple with is knife, using only one hand.' A frightening passage recounting the experience of living through a bombing raid is delivered with absolute realism. Mazari and Hilmman employ a montage sequence to to enhance the description of Najaf's frame of mind during the bombing. 'It seemed to me that death was approaching...'

'In the days that followed, I lay in bed attempting to master the pain in my leg and the pain in my heart.' This sentence juxtaposes the physical and emotional suffering that Najaf is going through.

'I wondered what my fate was to be in this land of Afghanistan, where war suceeded war...That seemed the beginning of this journeyI was on; this journey that asked so much of me and my family.'

Structure and Language of The Rugmaker

2011-08-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Najaf's story unfolds through two interlinking narratives: the first is about Najaf's Australian experience and the second is his recount of his life from boy to adult in Afghanistan.

The chapters set in Australia are narrated in the present tense, the chapters set in Afghanistan use the past tense.

Australia - 2001-2006, Afghanistan 1977-2001

The chapters alternate throughout the text, a chapter set in Australia is followed by a chapter set in Afghanistan. This is a narrative strategy to demonstrate the ways in which Najaf's past impacts on his present.

The language used to write this text is simple. This deliberate choice by the authors achieves several things:
- highlights that English is Najaf's second language. Short sentences and straightforward language.
- reads like a spoken language, true to how Najaf might have told his story to Hillman.
- It is Najaf's voice telling the story, not Hillman's
- The simplicity of the language outlines Najaf's outlook on life. Humble and sincere.

THE SECRET RIVER SAC FEEDBACK

2011-08-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Include features of your chosen form of writing in your piece
Use words from the prompt, and synonyms of those words in your piece
Ensure links/connections to the set text are obvious, a reader looking for them should be able to notice them easily
Show depth of knowledge in your writing/discussion, be detailed and use quotes in essays
For this AOS make sure you do not write a text response or retell the story
Make sure you develop whole, complete pieces of writing. You must have a beginning, middle and end or introduction, body and conclusion
Use paragraphs, they are an important structural element of writing. Do not leave line gaps within paragraphs - they are a block of writing.
Structure dialogue in a story carefully. look at examples and use them as a model.

When you write your STATEMENT OF EXPLANATION...

2011-06-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Consider the pnemonics - FLAP+C

F = Form
L= Language
A = Audience
P = Purpose (prompt)
C = Context

Your piece of writing needs to obviously link to the set text (The Scret River or The Rugmaker), but it also needs to demonstrate that you have looked beyond the set text to inform your thinking and ideas. To make sure this is something we are working towards achieving it is a requirement that your statement of explanation presents a bibliography. This will demonstrate background reading and research you have undertaken to explore the context - Encountering Conflict.

You must respond to the prompt you are given to shape your writing piece. Addressing the prompt is critical to achieving the task requirements. Unpack the prompt, identify its key words and think about their synonyms and antonyms, what does the prompt make you think about - in relation to events in the set text and on a world scale, what are the differing perspectives that the prompt can be viewed with, how do you agree or disagree with the prompt, how will you impart a response to the prompt clearly in your writing.

View p.108 of your Insight English to see a range of expository, persuasive and imaginary writing forms you can choose.

Remember the Creating and Presenting mantra:

1. Consider the Context - explore it
2. Address the prompt
3. Draw from the set text - obviously

'The Secret River' - Structure and Language Use

2011-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Use this website to access information about literary devices that you can use: http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-t_s-54_u-245_t-639/required-skills-and-knowledge-language-features-and-techniques/nsw/english-skills/skills-by-mode-reading-and-writing

Use literary devices to make a connection to the the set text.

Your S/N Task - Exploring the Context - some further points

2011-06-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

Aim to create four posts for The Secret River . You need to complete a post for the Picture Panic, Text Tremors, Film Flogging and Music Matters areas of the blog.

The posts will discuss articles of your choice. Your discussion should consider the article in relation to the context of Encountering Conflict and highlight any connections between The Secret River and the article. Include an idea for a piece of writing you think the material would inspire, try to note the form and audience for the piece.

So, have a go. Don't panic about doing it right or wrong, in this case it's about the discussion we can generate and the ideas that will put us in a strong position from which to tackle the SACs and exam.

If you see something put up by someone else that gets you thinking leave them a comment. If you come across something that inspires you in regards to The Rugmaker put a post up about that too. Good Luck.

THE RABBITS by John Marsden and Shaun Tan

2011-06-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Marsden and Tan put forward that Australia has been invaded. This comes through in the ise of the rabbit as a metaphor for European colonisers. Just as rabbits, an introduced species to Australia, are a pest and cause destruction of the environment, so too have the European colonisers. They caused destructive change by taking control, and dominating.

Connections with The Secret River:

Both show the European take over of Australia
They both outline changes to country and Aboriginal people - chopping down of trees, destruction of natural food sources, introduction of alcohol and disease.
Have a similar message - to put forward that invasion occured.
Grenville presents a sympathetic viewpoint that Marsden doesn't towards the Europeans who came, she considers the vicitm impact on those who were convicts or forced to escape persecution and poverty in Europe.

If Marsden and Tan had created The Rabbits for a SAC or Exam response addressing the promp that, 'Conflict creates a legacy of tragedy', it would work in all the ways required. It would have been an imaginative short story that considers themes present in The Secret River and aims to deliver a message to the reader about colonisation that is suportive of Grenville's perspective. At times in her text Grenville uses metaphor and so does Marsden. Also the naming of the characters is done for a purpose just like Grenvilee does. It would meet all the three requirements:

1. Consider the Context
2. Address the Prompt
3. Connect obviously with the set text

COLONISATION OR INVASION?

2011-06-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

It is the same - the invader will call it colonisation and the ones being invaded will call it invasion. Australia = European/British = coloniser. Aboriginal people = invaded.

Those coming into a country would use the term colonisation instead of invasion because it doesn't have as vicious a connotation - it makes it sound as if it is ok.

Is there a right or wrong on this topic?
Colonisation is right because British introduced modern civilisation.
Invasion is right because the ownership of the land and culture of Aboriginal people was not respected.

This is a topic that extends to many more places than just Australia:

New Zealand - Maori
America and Canada - Indians
Ireland, Wales, Scorland - Celts/Gaelic
ETC

Encountering Conflict Wordle - Use wordle to respond to prompts

2011-06-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

Initial Incidents of Conflict In the Secret River - pp 1-15

2011-06-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

STRANGERS by the class:

Thornhill and his family are stuck in Australia, Australia is used by the British as a prison
Thornhill overcomes the conditions on the convict ship by imagining himself back at home
To Thornhill being in NSW seemed worse than dying
Thornhill comes in contact with an Aboriginal, it is his first contact with a native - cultural conflict, fear of what he doesn't understand
The narrative comments that Thornhill had died once he could die again, sentenced to death but got a second chance, how long will it last, also are some things worse than death?
Fear of him and his family being in danger
Thornhill is uncomfortable with surroundings where he has to live
He struggled to survive on the convict ship

Other:
Thornhill faces internal feelings of worthlessness due to his situation
Class conflict - gentry/upper, middle and lower classes portrayed in England
Status and power - Blackwood making his way up from convict to free man and landowner
Conflict between two William Thornhill's - internal/family conflict - Our main character felt like a replacement for his dead brother
Survival - youngest versus oldest in the Thornhill family - survival of the fittest
Environmental conflict - b/w boat and prison versus Australia the country - Australia = a prison without walls

View these sites for a further synopsis and outline of conflicts and characters in The Secret River:

http://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/TG-The-Secret-River-10-pages.pdf

http://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/Writing-on-Contexts-The-Secret-River-5-pages.pdf
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/gren-m07.shtml

Settings in the Text

2011-05-31T02:19:00.000-07:00

Settings are an important part of any text. Using or being inspired by the settings in The Secret River is one way in which you can draw from the set text to inform your Creating and Presenting SAC.

Working in pairs create a PowerPoint (or Prezi) to show: Settings In The Secret River

1. Spend some time seeking out images that you believe represent some of the settings in The Secret River
2. Present the images on separate slides in the PowerPoint
3. For each image explain the setting it represents and outline a page or pages in the novel that it is used
4. MAINTAIN A BIBLIOGRAPHY to show where you have collected the images from. This will be the
last page in your PowerPoint.
5. Pigeonhole your work to 12EngPPSR(yourname)

2011 STARTS HERE!

2010-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Reading and knowing your set texts well is vitally important to doing the best you can in SACs and the exam.

An Historical Moment

2010-11-15T03:55:00.000-08:00

Aung San Suu Kyi. An incredible person. An inspiration. Isolated and exiled, yet her voice has never been quashed. May her dream for freedom and democracy in Burma come true.

The exam is on the way!

2010-09-13T04:19:00.000-07:00

The VCE English exam will take place on the 28th of October. Reflecting on your learning in regards to the Context is a good beginning point for revision of the Creating and Presenting Area of Study.

We can do some of this collaboratively by using the web tools at our disposal. One such tool we have at our disposal is our Encountering Conflict wallwisher page. Take some time to look over our initial comments and build upon the discussion drawing from your personal understanding of the Context that you have developed over the year.

Make comments about:

general issues and topics that you have come across during your exploration of the Context
parts of the set texts that highlighted conflict at work in peoples' lives
the impact of conflict on different groups of people
the types of conflict that exist in society
what is fair and unfair in our world
events in the set texts that made you think differently about things
information/ideas in the set text that taught you something new
recent conflicts dominating the news
etc

Themes and Ideas Presented in The Rugmaker

2010-08-26T20:57:00.001-07:00

People can survive conflict
1. Two guards unlock the gate, then motioned me through. After 10 steps, after 100, I did not look around still expecting to be shot. Page 202, Najaf escapes the Taliban
2. “Why have I had this good fortune? Why?” page 252, Najaf wonders why he was lucky enough to survive the conflicts in his life
3. “Your mother has survived a terrible wound, but she too will survive, thank god.” Page 16

By Nick, Erin and Brogen

Exploring the Context - The Secret River and Beyond

2010-06-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most predominant conflicts in the Secret River is the Internal Conflict within the characters’ own selves. The book told us that the whole Thornhill family used to steal things that are worth something so that they could buy food to eat. It told us that everyone was feeling guilty upon doing such shameful things but there was nothing they could do to help it. Also, after Thornhill married Sally, there was a time when they had to steal other peoples’ belongings such as eggs, chicken, and the lumber at Thornhill’s workplace. The book told us that they were battling with themselves, wether what they were doing were right or wrong, which I think was a very important part of the story.

Poverty can drive people to do things that they normally would not do like some of the characters in the Secret River. In Third world countries such as Burma, Sudan, Uzbekistan, (etc.), living in itself is a challenge for the people. Food is scarce and the government are not lending them a hand like what they do in a first world country. We’re lucky to be in Australia. If you don’t have a job, the government gives you money; if you can’t buy a house, you can always go to the banks and ask for a loan. But what about the people in third world countries? A family eating 3 meals a day would be considered extremely lucky. Even getting a house is already a dream come true for them. So it is not surprising to see that crimes such as stealing are very high in these regions of the world since the first priority is to live.

http://www.photovault.com/Link/People/o/vPoverty3rdW/POVVolume01.html

By anonymous student

Encountering the Context

2010-06-16T23:53:00.001-07:00

The culture conflict between the blacks and whites in the text shows Thornhill does try to communicate with the Aboriginals but the language barrier between them is too different. Thornhill’s ‘ownership’ of the land is in terms of his white background, but Smasher Sullivan and all the other neighbours take a completely racist approach. They see the blacks as thieves and animals, they will whip or kill the blacks to protect themselves. Blackwood has a different approach, he says, “live and let live”, take some land and give something in return.

By anonymous student

Encountering the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:50:00.001-07:00

Cultural Conflict
- Racism to the aborigines

Smasher Sullivan being racist to the Aborigines throughout the book.

First, Racism is bad; it’s no good putting down people for the colour of their skin, what they believe in, or killing someone in a ‘race war’ because their grandmother’s grandfather was indigenous.

It’s like the war with the Taliban, the biggest terrorists in the world – The United States - invade their country trying to free the people of the Taliban, but the Taliban keep growing in numbers.

This could be because of religious beliefs or beliefs that America is out to take their oil considering they supply some of the worlds oil and that the Taliban are out to defend it, that is one possibility how the Taliban keep getting more numbers.

By Andrew

Exploring the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

Class Conflict: William Thornhill and Dan Oldfield

Class conflict has dominated society since the days of the early Egyptians. It has always been the way that one individual has the power to rule over another. “The ladder of society” or “the rat race” are two common names for this pattern in history. Quite often the individual seen as superior has greater wealth or class than the individual and this immediately puts them in a position of power.In ‘the Secret River’ Thornhill comes from a poor background where he is constantly at the demand of the superior individual, from his days as a child to rowing the upper-class across the river Thames as an apprentice Waterman, Thornhill was forever working for the “better man”. So it is strange that years later in Australia when Thornhill, now a free man, gains power over and individual of his own. Dan Oldfield is a convict the Thornhill’s knew back home in England and they take him in as a servant. Thornhill, a man treated as a borderline slave his entirely life, remarkably describes his knew position as a whole new kind of pleasure, and happily abuses the new convict brutally. It’s a shock because Thornhill was a man with no power, and once he got some he abused it straight away.

A modern day scenario that mirrors Thornhill’s lustful power surge is the story of ex Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror in Iraq. He controlled the country and caused multiple issues in the country throughout his time as president. His journey from working class man to war destroying tyrant is a similar scenario, to that of William Thornhill and Dan Oldfield.Information on Hussein can be found at the following linkhttp://www.fact-index.com/s/sa/saddam_hussein.html

By Brad

Encountering Conflict - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

Internal conflict is something that a lot of people in society deal with everyday. It is highlighted in The Secret River through William Thornhill and his desire for more in life, the feeling of worthlessness and his dealing with the fact that he is poor. ‘He was always hungry…And always cold…He had eaten the bed bugs more than once’

Such a scene sounds like today’s third world countries, The economically underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America, considered as an entity with common characteristics, such as poverty, high birth rates, and economic dependence on the advanced countries. I believe that in today’s society there is enough money in this world that we could solve the issue of third world countries that they shouldn’t be a problem anymore. It is quite sad that it still is a major issue.

By Megan

Exploring the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Internal Conflict.

Thornhill has had feelings of internal conflict all throughout the text ‘The Secret River’ and it confuses him about what he should do. This is described in the text when Thornhill and Sal plan to steal a chicken after stealing some eggs, Thornhill felt , ‘there was a great emptiness in him, which was the space where hope had been’.

This scene is reminiscent of every day life in Australia; take the article published in ‘The Age’ on April 12th, 2010 about a young man in his car with his son who crashed into houses after evading police. This man was 0.201 - more than four times the legal blood-alcohol limit and this man would have felt a sense of internal conflict after this crash. He would have wondered how he could have done to his son after his stupidity and recklessness. What he has done would have turned his life upside down; his son dead and he locked up in jail. This article shows that internal conflict happens every single day in Australian society and to Australian people.

By Brogen

Encountering the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

In The Secret River the two main characters Sal and William Thornhill begin to grow apart because they don’t speak to each other about what is on their minds and how they feel about certain things. In the text this is shown in the comment, ‘Sal, knowing him so well, heard something in his tone but said nothing.’ Another time it can be seen is when Will comments to Sal, ‘we got no call to worry” when Will was clearly concerned.

Relationship trouble is not a new thing, it has been going on for years and is still present in today’s society. An example of this is the break up between Jessie James and Sandra Bullock due to Jessie James not being up front with her and cheating as said in the article on about.com.

By Jon

Encountering the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

Physical Conflict
Physical Conflict occurs everyday in most corners of the world. Even as we speak the war on terror in the middle is east is one of the most drawn out battles of the modern era. This war has lasted for almost 9 years, due to attacks on America in 2001 by terrorist groups, and still today in 2010 does this war continue to take control of life in the middle east. In The Secret River physical conflict is quite apparent in different stages of the book. Many different examples of physical conflict occur between the characters such as “Fields were set on fire, huts were burned down, and spears were flung at men without their reaping-hooks”. Also “The attack on the Webs was one of many outrages and depredations that March of 1814”.

These events are much like those of the Vietnam War where many American soldiers burnt and raided the huts and villages of those native to Vietnam. They would burn these communities to the ground and treat the native as if they were something from the gutter, pouring various chemicals of pain and destruction towards the villages of North Vietnam and their people.

A fascinating article appeared in The Washington Post which contained comments and experiences of some of the Vietnamese affected still currently hold on America and their involvement in the war. It explains what some of the people who were affected as children; continue to feel pain and suffering due to the physical conflict in the war.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/22/AR2010052201725.html?hpid=sec-health

Also, view the story of Phan Thi Kim Phuc at this site http://www.flickr.com/photos/inter-island_helicopters/3171291163/

How will war impact on these childrens' futures?

By Nick

Encountering the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

Class Conflict: The Secret River

Class conflict refers to the concept of underlying tensions or antagonisms which exist in society due to conflicting interests that arise from different social positions. Class conflict is thought to play a pivotal role in history of class societies (such as capitalism and feudalism) by Marxist who refer to its overt manifestations as class war, a struggle whose resolution in favor of the working class is viewed by them as inevitable under capitalism.

Class conflict occurs in ‘The Secret River’ by Kate Grenville. The conflict between William Thornhill and the higher class ‘gentry’ is shown as he is disrespected working on the job as a lighterman. In contrast to this, when William is establishing his family’s life in Australia he climbs up the ‘class ladder’ so to speak and has two slaves himself. He is now the higher class gentleman and shows them the same disrespect the gentry did to him back in his old life as a lighterman.

The typical example of class conflict described is class conflict within capitalism. This class conflict is seen to occur primarily between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, and takes the form of conflict over hours of work, value of wages, cost of consumer goods, the culture at work, control over parliament or bureaucracy, and economic inequality. The particular implementation of government programs which may seem purely humanitarian, such as disaster relief, can actually be a form of class conflict. Apart from these day-to-day forms of class conflict, during periods of crisis or revolution class conflict takes on a violent nature and involves repression, assault, restriction of civil liberties, and murderous violence such as assassinations or death squads.

www.thecyberhood.net/documents/papers/hyra.pdf -

by anonymous student

Exploring the Context - The Secret River and beyond

2010-06-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

William Thornhill encounters many types of conflicts throughout the text ‘The Secret River’. One type of conflict which Thornhill encounters is interpersonal conflict, which is still being encountered by people in society today.

Thornhill and his wife grew up in London, England, but were exiled to Australia after Thornhill tries to steal timber, and gets caught. ‘Give a little take a little, that’s the only way.’
Thornhill encounters interpersonal conflict when he and Sal set up home in Australia. Thornhill, pleased with the business opportunities, thinks he and his family may prosper in their new home, while Sal misses life back in London, and dreams of one day being able to move back home. Interpersonal conflict between the 2 grows, because of their different views on their new life.

An example of interpersonal conflict encountered in today’s society could be the conflict between Christine Nixon and the royal commission, on the black Saturday disaster.

by Steph

CONFLICT IN THE SECRET RIVER

2010-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

To begin your blogging journey for the Creating and Presenting Area of Study I want to you to write a post that discusses what you think is one of the predominant types of conflict presented in The Secret River. In your post, use an example from the text to demonstrate where you see this conflict being encountered in the novel. Some types of conflict you might like to choose from are:

- Class conflict
- Social conflict
- Cultural conflict
- Physical conflict
- Internal conflict
- Interpersonal conflict
- Avoiding conflict

Once you have identified the conflict occurring in the text, present some general thoughts you hold about that type of conflict. Explain why you think the way you do. Use a hyperlink to showcase an example of media that also addresses this type of conflict in some way, e.g.,

Racism has been an endemic part of social conflict over the centuries. In The Secret River racist attitudes some settlers held towards the native Aboriginal people are often highlighted. Tensions between these groups are described brutally in the text, 'The burden hanging there was ... the body of a black man. Puffy flesh bulged around the rope under his armpits, the head lolled. The face was unregognisable as a face, the only thing clear the yellow ear of corn stuck between the pink sponge that had been lips'.

Such a scene is reminiscent of the history of the American south where the Klu Klux Klan have perpetrated horrendous treatment towards people of other races. An interesting segment appeared on the Sunrise morning show this morning with links to this topic. Mel and Koshie interviewed the Klu Klux Klan's biggest enemy, a reformed member who now preaches tolerance to others. View the interview by clicking on the picture below.

When you have finished composing your post spend some time viewing and adding comments to others' perspectives.

Diigo Instructions: (Version 1)

2010-05-11T05:09:00.001-07:00

Diigo Instructions 2

2010 - Here we go!

2009-12-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

CONFLICT CONCERNS
CLASS OF 2010
LET'S BEGIN

Reading and knowing your set texts well is vitally important to doing the best you can in SACs and the exam.

Encountering Conflict in The Secret River - Inspiration brainstorm ideas

2009-09-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

internal conflict
battling with oneself
Thornhill
Thornhill was torn between following his fellow 'white men' or doing the morally right thing and leaving the blacks alone.

external conflict
people fighting with each other
Sal and Thornhill arguing whether they should stay in Australia or go back to England

class conflict
when Thornihill steals for survival and faces death as punishment (fairly/unfairly)

environmental conflict
The use and ownership of land
When the blacks get angry/annoyed at the Thornhills for digging/destroying their land.

human vs nature
conflict between environnment and Thornhill/boat

Miscellaneous Thoughts:

Encountering conflict in the World
-Prejudice
chk chk boom
was calling people wogs racist
old versus new perspectives
real issue - lying/celebritits?

-Homophobia
teachers say no to homosexuals at school ball
conflict between k-rudd and middle class rural students looking to go to uni

-War!
War in Iraq/Afghanistan
extra refugees coming to Australia. Taking our jobs/enhancing our society?

-racial conflict
Rising tensions in North Korea

-Human versus nature
Bushfires
Stories of courage and bravery. People making new beginnings

The Line - S/N activity

2009-09-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

When you study The Line by Arch and Martin Flanagan you will need to make connections that go beyond the set text, just as you did with The Secret River. The connections you make are about exploring the set context, Encountering Conflict, and building a pool of ideas to inspire writing pieces that are underpinned by themes, ideas and literary devices used in the set text.

To begin this process you are going to source four texts (a picture, a written text, a song and a film) that you can see are about Encountering Conflict and can be linked to The Line in some way. In these explanations make clear:
- the conflict/s you can see
- the links with the set text
- the ideas for possible writing pieces

An area for improvement from our The Secret River blog posts:

Enhance your digital writing by including links to information on sites that supports your commentary. Also, where possible, incorporate a relevant visual with your post. For example, if you are writing about a novel in the Text Tremors section of the blog, import a picture of the novel’s cover.

Prompt Response Task

2009-08-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Writing Samples for The Secret River
Take some time to type up and post some of your writing for The Secret River in the 'Prompt Response' section of the blog. Include the prompt you responded to for pieces you upload. You can use these pieces for exam prep later in the semester. Having your work typed up will allow you to tackle some exam prep tasks more easily.

Don't forget about your S/N task

2009-07-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Hope the study break is going well for all of you. Remember, I will be checking to see if you have made your 4 'The Secret River' posts asap after the break. Alert notices will go home if the task is not completed. You need to complete a post for the Picture Panic, Text Tremors, Film Flogging and Music Matters areas of the blog.

The posts will discuss articles of your choice. Your discussion should consider the article in relation to the context of Encountering Conflict and highlight any connections between The Secret River and the article. Also, include an idea for a piece of writing you think the material would inspire noting the form and audience for the piece.

So, have a go. Don't panic about doing it right or wrong, in this case it's about the discussion we can generate and the ideas that will put us in a strong position from which to tackle the exam. If you see something put up by someone else that gets you thinking leave them a comment. If you come across something that inspires you in regards to The Line put a post up about that too. Good Luck.

Metaphore used by Kate Grenville in The Secret River

2009-06-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

When Kate Grenville writes, she uses the metaphor “This is a town of scares … by a shameless black man”, to describe how the ‘black man’ had endured a lot of pain. The metaphor makes the sentence sound more interesting, Grenville could have written, “There were a lot of scars on the black man”, or “The black man carried a lot of scars on his body”, but those to sentences don’t make the sentence sound as interesting.

Nouns at work in The Secret River

2009-06-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

What effect is created by naming the characters in this way?
I think Grenville has named the black characters this way to describe the characters looks, which could give the reader a prejudice view towards them.

What connotations do names like ‘old greybeard’ have?
Names like this give negative connotations. It may have the reader feel as if the ‘old greybeard’ dude is old and useless.

How is the relationship between the two Aboriginal men shown?
The aboriginal men have a tight bond between each other. They are comfortable in their own group habits and environment.

How do these ways of naming support the author’s purpose in writing about conflict?
By using descriptive names, it applies that conflict can arise because of peoples differences in their culture and the way they live.

2009-06-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

a) By naming the white characters and leaving the black characters nameless it gives a sense of an us against them mentality which makes reader feel it’s the black men taking away the white man’s stuff when really it’s the other way round.

b) Names like old-greybeard carry the negative connotation of a brittle old man who is well past his prime and struggles to do day to day activities.

c) The relationship between the two-men is very respectful. They are both very confident in themselves and who they are and the younger one shows vast amounts of respect for his elder.

d) The naming of these characters by Greenville enforces the idea that conflict usually arises because of people’s differences in culture and ethnicity and is close to unresolvable when no common form of communication can be used.

2009-06-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Naming of characters: Make a list of the nouns and noun phrases (e.g. old greybeard) (including proper nouns, e.g. Thornhill) used to name the central characters in the slapping scene, page 142.

Willie
Thornhill
Dick
Hope
Sal
Bub
Will
Johnny
Old man
Two black men
Mate
Younger man
Thieving Cunny

What effect is created by naming the characters in this way?
By giving the whites names and not giving the blacks any names, it creates an ‘us versus them’ mentality

What connotations do names like ‘old greybeard’ have?
These kinds of names give negatives connotations, eg ‘old greybeard’ implies that he is past his prime and is of no more use

How is the relationship between the two Aboriginal men shown?
The younger man shows respect to the older man, as if he is the authority, though they cover each others back.

How do these ways of naming support the author’s purpose in writing about conflict?
This strengthens the author’s view that conflict can arise through misunderstandings and little communication

Exploring text features in The Secret River

2009-06-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

Kate Greenville is saying that conflict can arise over the smallest of things like the land or simply the colour of your skin and that a situation can escalate very easily and very quickly

Exploring text features of the Secret River

2009-06-02T19:41:00.006-07:00

What is the author saying about conflict in describing ‘slapping’ incident? (pg 141-148)

Through this incident the author illustrates how cultural conflict is be a result of cultural differences and how language barriers can result in lack of understanding and misinterpretations.

By Kate and Sarah

2009-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Exploring the text features of The Secret River

What is Grenville saying about conflict in the slapping incident?

Fear, miscommunication and misunderstanding were – maybe – the instigators of the argument. Grenville writes about the lack of communication and how it can lead to violence. She writes to inform readers of how arguments between the ‘whites’ and the ‘blacks’ could have arisen, so that history does not repeat itself.

By Maddie and Caitlyn

Exploring text features of The Secret River

2009-06-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

Exploring text features of The Secret River

What is Grenville saying about conflict in describing the slapping incident?

The slapping could have been a result of fear, miscommunication, and misunderstanding which expanded into more conflict. The author tries to have the reader understand the past and how conflict can arise and lead to violence. We are able to relate to the topic and think of ways that could have prevented conflict.

By Matt and Alex

2009-05-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

The most prominent type of conflict present in the secret river is that of cultural/racial conflict. A memorable instance of this type of conflict occurs when the 'blacks' are stealing crops from Thornhills paddocks. William Thornhill doesn't take too kindly to the lack of respect shown and he replies through the use of force. He grabs one woman by the hair, savagely elbows another and kicks the knee of another older lady. He also encourages the others to "be off" by parading around with a shotgun in hand and calling them "thieving black whores". In my opinion racial/cultural conflict is the usually the worst as its the least understood. Different cultures and races have differing views on what is right and what is wrong which is the intigation of many of these racial/cultural conflicts. These differing views are why this type of conflict is usually the worst, as people have so little understanding about other cultures, races and their values.

2009-05-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Cultural conflict, is a conflict present in many peoples lives, and it has been like that for many years.

The Secret River is based on a true story, and has many aspects of cultural conflict. This demonstrates that cultural conflict is an issue that has been around for centuries.

In "The Secret River" the english settlers judge the black people by standards and attitudes based on english life. Many of the english settlers - including Thornhill - thought that the aboriginal people didn't care about the land because they didn't have fence and houses etc. showing that they possess the land. Some of the settlers treated the 'blacks' no better than animals. Smasher treated the blacks horribly when he hung the 'theif' as though it was an animal. Also the way he treatesd the black woman was worse than how you would treat any animal, he tied a woman up for his own sexual fantasies.

For some people, including Thornhill, the racism toward the aboriginals may be because of fear. Blackwood gives advice to thornhill, but fear causes him to abandon all nagotiations he had in place with the 'blacks', and causes him to loose his son.

CONFLICT IN THE SECRET RIVER

2009-05-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hello MSC Yr 12 English stars, and welcome to the world of learning through blogging.

To begin your blogging journey for the Creating and Presenting Area of Study I want to you to write a post that discusses what you think is one of the predominant types of conflict presented in The Secret River. In your post, use an example from the text to demonstrate where you see this conflict being encountered in the novel. Some types of conflict you might like to choose from are:

- Class conflict
- Social conflict
- Cultural conflict
- Physical conflict
- Internal conflict
- Interpersonal conflict
- Avoiding conflict

Once you have identified the conflict occurring in the text, present some general thoughts you hold about that type of conflict. Explain why you think the way you do. Use a hyperlink to showcase an example of media that also adresses these conflict issues in some way.

When you have finished composing your post spend some time viewing and adding comments to others' perspectives.

VCAA website

2009-04-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Use the VCAA website to help with all your areas of study. Find study designs, past exam papers and advice from assessors about what makes a top notch response.