Characters: Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas

How important is the character of Charlotte Lucas to the story? Charlotte Lucas plays a vital role in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. Charlotte is the dear friend of Lizzy, and the choice she makes plays an important role in the impact between Lizzy and Darcy. Charlotte is viewed as very pragmatic and chooses to marry for comfort rather than for love, as Lizzy does. One of the techniques that Austen uses when writing about Charlotte Lucas is satire, as the character conforms to society’s view on marriage. Love to Charlotte is not the most vital aspect within a marriage and she believes that “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” The audience is positioned to understand that within Charlotte’s world, happiness is not always likely within a marriage and she acknowledges this by agreeing to marry Mr Collins, not for love, but for a comfortable home. Her role in the novel, allows the audience to view the contrast between Charlotte’s character and Lizzy Bennet’s character. How important is the character of Mr Collins to the story? Mr Collins is quite an important character in Pride and Prejudice, by the way that the author, Jane Austen allows the audience to view his character. Austen satirizes Mr Collins in positioning the readers to view him as a baboon who is too engrossed in Lady Catherine’s life and forgets his own morals and values. “I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest ...she likes to have the distinction of rank preserved" (137 Austen). He thinks very highly of Lady Catherine and degrades Lizzy by making himself appear ‘better’ than Lizzy. Austen satirizes Mr. Collins because people shouldn't demoralize themselves for the sake of people higher than them on the social ladder of society. This technique allows the audience to laugh at the ignorance of Mr Collins and stupidity, and is an important character as he emphasises the idea of social class in the novel.

Poem analysis

The World is Too Much with Us 1.)The World is Too Much with Us is a poem written by William Wordsworth is about human destruction on this world and how the human race takes for granted for what we have on this earth. Despite the power that the human race holds, we do not use this power to help the world and the environment that we live in. Although the poem is set within the Romantic Era, this poem is still very relevant to today's society. The title itself, proves evidence of the poem's greater meaning,which is that humans and there environment simply cannot co-exist because of the damage that the humans are inflicting. 2.)The concept of earths sustainability and the limited control humans posses over such forces as weather and nature is not new. The most interesting part of the poem for me is the fact that, despite being written in a different era, the basic ideas and principles maintain relevance in today's society. With pressing issues like global warming, overpopulation and threatened species appearing regularly in the news the topics suggested in the poem have greater significance. 3.) The central emotion shown through the poem is guilt, this is shown by the way that Wordsworth says 'The World is Too Much With Us' meaning the human race, being the main reason for destruction in the world. We are at times prone for taking for granted the power of nature that the world provides us (humans) with. The implementation of imagery and descriptive and emotive language, "This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon," evokes a further sense of understanding and involvement in the subjects of the poem as it would have for people in the romantic era (the era of which this poem was written). 4.) 'The World is Too Much With Us' connects to readers in the 21st century in aspects of how the nature is taken for granted by the human race. Author, William Wordsworth was aware of the problem back then,but somehow he also knew that the problem would arise later in life. He writes, "The world is too much with us; late and soon." This is meaning that it has been happening and it will continue within the 21st century. Also, Wordsworth also writes, "Little we see in Nature that is ours." Today, we may see ourselves as owning the land, but nature acts independently of us. In out society today, the human race are taking hold of nature and building sky scrapers and houses and man made desires. We are not seeing the beauty in nature. It is a sign of a talented writer to create a piece that maintains relevance generations on. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud By William Wordsworth The poem, "I wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is a poem written by William Wordsworth, about having the full appreciation of nature and to be mesmerised by nature, that you forget about your own reality. The repetition of the title name, "I wandered Lonely as a Cloud" refers to the author, wandering aimlessly through a field of daffodils. The poet himself, is mesmerised by the beauty of what he sees. But as the poem goes on, he writes about his reality which is "...when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood," which is referring to how his reality saddens him. But then he reminds himself of what he saw and "..then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils." It was a true experience for him and the image of the field of daffodils can be called upon in his mind anytime. William Wordsworth may have written this poem to allow the audience to ponder on their appreciation of nature and what they find is true beauty and a true experience. His own personal experience of wandering through the field of daffodils affected him and he can now call upon the image in his mind whenever he is feeling low. The audience may either relate or not relate to Wordsworth, but either way, the audience can feel the admiration that Wordsworth has for nature and it inspires the readers to do so too. When he writes, "Ten thousand saw I at a glance,"is an exaggeration to how many daffodils he saw, this exaggeration is on Wordsworth's behalf to almost excite the audience. Wordsworth is able to take the audience on a journey of reflection that may result in changed perspectives and approaches to the natural world. The emotions that are evident in the poem is gratification and appreciation. Wordsworth very much appreciates the scene that he sees and he can't take his eyes off of it, "I gazed---and gazed...". He goes on to describe the beauty of the daffodils and what affect it has on him, "The waves beside them danced;but they out did the sparkling waves in glee." however, as he progreses through the poem, Wordsworth describes how when he is at home he is consumed by sadness, so he calls upon the image of the daffodils and "... Then my heart with pleasure fills." There is this real appreciation for the nature and the image of the daffodils, as the affect it has on a person can change their mood immediately. I think the audience would feel the need to go out into nature and experience it properly, because once you go back to your reality you might regret not appreciating the nature properly. This poem connects to readers of the 21st century as nature in this day and age is not very much appreciated by many. Many of the older generations still love and enjoy nature, however, the younger generation, the children of the future, are consumed by society. Society has built barriers such as;video games, Macbooks, iPads, iPhones and other technology devices, which leaves the younger generation no time to enjoy the nature. Nature is very much taken for granted and sooner or later, it won't be as beautiful as it is now, due to global warming. Wordsworth's poem is almost a shout out to people to go out and enjoy what the world offers. When Wordsworth writes, "...but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought," describes how Wordsworth didn't realise the importance of what he was seeing. This relates to readers today, as it explains how you must appreciate everything around you, in order to be most happiest.

english homework: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

what you think are the main themes, your opinion of at least two characters and a general opinion of the book (there must be a detailed reason - you can't simply tell me you hate it because it is hard or boring). Main themes: - love - class - journey opinion of Mr. Collins: he is very proud that he has a residence near Lady Catherine de Bourgh and that he dines with her. He very much brags about her wealth and class. He comes across as very snobby and annoying. Opinion of Mr Wickham: he seems very attractive and charming. But once you find out that he made the story up about Mr Darcy you see that he really is a liar and he’s selfish. Opinion of book: I think the book is alright. It was quite interesting that Mr Bingley was so under the influence of Mr Darcy (how Mr Darcy influenced him to go back home and that Jane didn’t love him). I like how although Elizabeth is expected to marry Mr Collins, she doesn't. It shows that she is independent and goes against her mother’s wills. I would think she would do anything her parents wanted her to do- thought that was the norm back then. It’s an interesting storyline. I can see why there has been so many adaptations of the story- Bridget Jones’ Diary, etc. I also found it interesting how Elizabeth’s friend agreed to marry Mr Collins, even though she didn’t really love him fully. She married him because of the assurance. Assurance of a home, wealth, etc. It shows that it would’ve been really hard for women back then. Because all the wealth would go to the men in the family and women didn’t have jobs, etc. written overview: I have read the whole book.

"My Daddy's a Diver" Questions + Answers

My Daddy’s a Diver Use the following questions to write a coherent review of the short story, My Daddy’s a Diver, in which you address its effectiveness as a short story, how it relates to the concept of journey and what ideas, attitudes and values underpin the story. Take notes in answer to the following questions and then use these to write an extended response. Finish for homework if necessary and post this to your blog. 1. Use the checklist of short story genre requirements to assess how well the story meets these. Give specific evidence in your response. - have a title: Yes,” My Daddys’ a Diver” - tell the story of an event: goal for the character is to find food for his daughter, as his wife had died during the pregnancy of their child and he doesn’t have a job. - have a closed setting: he’s in the sea, while his daughter is near the sea. - orientation, complication, conflict/problem, climax, resolution: He needs to find food, he finds a fish and he kills it, but his daughter doesn’t want to eat it because she didn’t like seeing the fish dead. So, the dad then compromises on 2 minute noodles. - have a restricted number of characters: 2 characters, the dad and the daughter. - use a balance of dialogue and narration in a purposeful way: the story is told in third person, and there is a lot of narration and a bit of dialogue, but it is just enough, to give the character’s some personality. - demonstrate a balance of showing and telling • - imagery: of the fish, of his daughter, of the sea. • variations in sentence length/structure to maintain reader interest – especially variation from subject + verb openings: short quick sentences, give it that ‘action packed’ feel, but there is also some long sentences that go into detail of the description of something. - be resolved so that it surprises the reader in some way: The dad resolves the problem by agreeing to eat 2 minute noodles, rather than the fish. The relationship of the dad and the daughter is very strong and beautiful, this is evident in the very end where she hugs him and he cries. - be written from more than one perspective: is written through one perspective, third person. - use non-linear structure: linear structure, has a beginning, middle and end. 2. How well does the story connect with the reader? What emotions or thoughts does it elicit? How effectively does it use language to do this? Give evidence from the story in your response. It’s in third person, which doesn’t make it that personal, but there was a lot descriptive sentences and short quick sentences, which kept the reader on its toes of what else could happen. “Far below lay a sponge-and-weed-matted overhang. This, he knew, concealed a cave-like ledge where, on turbulent days, fish sometimes congregated. Once more he tilted downward, finning rhythmically.” There was a short sentence and then a long descriptive one. It gives the reader an insight of the whole different world under the sea. 3. What ideas, attitudes and values underpin this text? You may have already identified some of these in Question 2. The whole notion of doing anything that you can to benefit you/ or to survive. Also, that you have to persist with life and never give up, because you have your friends and family there. 4. What kinds of journeys do we see evidence of in this story? Explain your answer. The journey of overcoming his pain from losing his wife, not having a job and looking after and making his daughter his first priority. There’s this journey of family and love. 5. How effective is the story as a whole? The story was very descriptive, but also had short sentences, which was a nice variety. The story was sweet and loving. The story also gave an insight into the world of the ocean.

Homework Tuesday 7th Feb

Now that you have your assessment task sheet, you can begin brainstorming some ideas.

The first thing that I would like you to do is to put together a list of possible places/regions that you can potentially focus on for your task. Think of it as a short list.

You should also consider what texts we have looked at so far that may be able to fit into your article.

Answers:
Possible places:

• Surfers Paradise
• Coolangatta
• Cabarita
• Kingscliff
• Byron Bay

Texts we have looked at so far that could relate to places:

• 'Away' play
• 'Bondi Beach'
• 'Clancy of the Overflow' poem by A.B Patterson
  

Mrs Damen's blog

visit Mrs Damen's blog for homework, notes etc.

http://sthcdamenseniorenglish13.blogspot.com.au/

(:

CHAIN OF HEARTS - Research topics

Research the following topics and post the information on your blogs . You may use dot points or paragraphs to address the following:

VIETNAM WAR - when it occurred, who was involved,Australia's involvement , protest movement in Australia, call of conscription, Public treatment of vets once returned from the war and the ongoing health problems of the vets.

When it occurred: The Vietnam War was the longest major conflict in which Australians have been involved; it lasted ten years, from 1962 to 1972, and involved some 60,000 personnel.

Protest movement in Australia: In the early years Australia’s participation in the war was not widely opposed. But as the commitment grew, as conscripts began to make up a large percentage of those being deployed and killed, and as the public increasingly came to believe that the war was being lost, opposition grew until, in the early 1970s, more than 200,000 people marched in the streets of Australia’s major cities in protest.

Call of conscription: In 1962, after requests from the US and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), Australia had sent in the first 30 military advisors to assist with the training of the RVN Army.
By 1964, it was clear that the South Vietnamese forces would be beaten by the combined efforts of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. So therefore, Australia upped its advisors to 60. In 1965, the number rose to 100. Conscription had been re-introduced to Australia in November 1964.

It was called the National Service Scheme and required all men to register when they turned 20. Each year certain dates were drawn and those whose birthdays were on that date (and who passed the medical and educational tests) had to serve in the army for two years. Anyone who did not fulfil their National Service obligations without a good reason could be fined or imprisoned.Australia's troop numbers kept climbing, as did the budget. The war in Vietnam eventually took 520 lives, wounded over 2000 more men and cost $200 million. By 1969, in line with American policy, Australia began scaling down its presence in Vietnam, although the last Australian soldier would not leave until 1971.

Public treatment of vets: Many of the young soldiers that came back home came back with not only broken bodies, but broken minds and were met with ridicule; people spitting at them for being 'baby killers'; not being able to find work; their own government turned their backs on them and many never got the medical or psychological care they deserved.

Ongoing health problems of the vets:

These include shrapnel and gunshot wounds, head injuries and lost limbs. Some service members might also have health problems from exposure to environmental hazards, such as contaminated water, chemicals and infections. There was also mental health problems, too. These include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

Vietnamese boat people -who were they, where did they come from and why, how they were received by Australians, experiences of the early boat people.

Who were they:The ‘Boat People of Vietnam’ seemed to encapsulate all the suffering Vietnam had suffered from 1965 to 1975. Despite the end of the Vietnam War tragedy for the people of Vietnam continued into 1978-79. The term ‘Boat People’ not only applies to the refugees who fled Vietnam but also to the people of Cambodia and Laos who did the same but tend to come under the same umbrella term. The term ‘Vietnamese Boat People’ tends to be associated with only those in the former South who fled the new Communist government.

Where did they come from and why: Because traditional freedoms were few in Vietnam, it has been estimated that 65,000 Vietnamese were executed after the end of the war with 1 million being sent to prison/re-education camps where an estimated 165,000 died. Therefore; many took the drastic decision to leave the country – an illegal act under the communist government. As an air flight out of Vietnam was out of the question, many took to makeshift boats in an effort to flee to start a new life elsewhere. Alternately, fishing boats were utilised. Thihs idea was highly dangereous. No one can be sure how many people took the decision to flee, nor are there any definitive casualty figures. However, the number who attempted to flee has been put as high as 1.5 million. Estimates for deaths vary from 50,000 to 200,000.

How they were received by Australians: Because Australia is one of the closest non communist land masses, many boats did arrive to Australia. The Americans and Australians did try to get as many people as possible out, but many were left behind. In the last weeks there was also an operation known as 'Baby Lift', which involved taking Vietnamese orphans out of the country and bringing them to families in Australia and America for adoption. A few thousand of the many thousands of orphaned children were rescued in this way.Over 50 boats managed to make it all the way to Australia's northern shoreline in April 1976 and around 2000 people from those boats claimed refugee status in Australia and asked for asylum

Experiences of the early boat people:

A boatperson's story of deprivation and determination to find another homeland.

"One day my father told us to try to leave Vietnam and we started planning for that. Ever since my life has had a big change. All my brothers escaped one at a time, all except me. I was unlucky, I had escaped seven times and I was jailed two times. The first time was for six months, the second time was for one year and I paid corruption money to get out of jail. Despite the fact, that my escape was a failure, but I did not give up or get weary." It then goes on about how the person had finally escaped the country. The person then talks about the life on a boat, "When we had been out to sea for about ten hours, the engine had broke down. We did not have any sails or paddles to keep the boat going, so the boat kept moving without any control or guidance. The food was scarce and can only last for two days. The third day we jus drank water when it rained.We were desperate and exhausted. Suddenly on the seventh day at night, my boat came to shore." The stories are all an emotional tale of their life which needs to be told; to show the desperation and fear they had, but also; of the hope that they dreamed of starting new again.

What is the White Australia Policy? The white australia policy was introduced in 1901, when Federation was also introduced. in that year, Edmund Barton was Australia's first prime minister. The policy favoured applicants from certain countries. this means that Australia did not allow all migrants from entering the country, especially the Asians. the main reason the act was introduced is that the European Australians was worried that they will lose their jobs to the more experienced labourers- the Chinese. the act was later abolished and then there was the Migration Act. this act was the opposite of the white australia policy. entry system had replaced the dictation test- in which when migrants wanted to enter australia, they have to recite 50 words in any European language.