A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickensi. “Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner.”
The realisation that Scrooge is lonely is more influential in his transformation that his realisation that he is alone. Discuss.
OR
ii. By turning Scrooge into an antihero, Dickens’
A Christmas Carol reaffirms the idea that only the rich and powerful are capable of changing circumstances.
All About Eve directed by Joseph Mankeiwiczi. “This is my house, not a theatre. In my house, you're a guest, not a director.”
Discuss the importance of stage-managing one’s appearance and identity in
All About Eve.OR
ii.
All About Eve is a scathing critique of the damage relationships can do. Discuss.
Brooklyn by Colm Toibini. Brooklyn is a place of anxiety and “terrible weight” for Ellis. Discuss.
OR
ii. How does Toibin convey a sense of divided loyalty in Brooklyn?
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwoodi. “I have never had any friends before and I'm terrified of losing them. I want to please.”
Elaine’ self-awareness does more harm than good. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Discuss the importance of interpolation and temporal displacement in Cat’s Eye.
Cloudstreet by Tim Wintoni. “Perfect. Always. Everyplace. Me.”
Spirituality is a key element in the search for completeness in
Cloudstreet. Discuss.
OR
ii. Winton’s
Cloudstreet suggests that family unity is stronger than dysfunction. Do you agree?
Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare i. Hal emerges as the play’s hero because he has youth and time on his side. Discuss.
OR
ii. “I would ‘twere bed time, Hal, and all well.”
The main question of
Henry IV Part 1 is not where Hal's loyalties lie, but where they audience's sympathies lie. Discuss.
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matari. The men of the novel are at the core of the main conflicts. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Instead of focussing on political lessons,
In the Country of Men’s main message is one of honesty and integrity. Discuss.
Mabo directed by Rachel Perkinsi. Perkins’ Eddie Mabo is ultimately incapable of shaping his own identity. Do you agree?
OR
ii. There is a world of difference between assimilation and acceptance for
Mabo. Discuss.
No Sugar by Jack Davisi. Despite their similar roles, the characters of Gran and the Matron are vastly different.
OR
ii. How does Davis convey a sense of cultural division in
No Sugar?
Ransom by David Maloufi. The act of story-telling in
Ransom requires both a speaker and a listener. Discuss.
OR
ii. Vengeance is a futile, unsatisfying goal for the characters of
Ransom. Do you agree?
Selected Poems by Gwen Harwoodi. The fractured identities in Harwood’s poems are not as damaged as the stifled ones. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Discuss the importance of echoing in Harwood’s collection.
Stasiland by Anna Funderi. In
Stasiland, the truth is not only stranger, but more evocative than fiction. Discuss.
OR
ii. How does Funder create a sense of a fractured country which ‘no longer exists’?
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamidi. Changez’s self-professed love for America is purely a means of manipulating the American, and by extension the readers. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Discuss the importance of the elapsing of time in
The Reluctant Fundamentalist.The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie i. “She could not complain about not having shoes when the person she was talking to had no legs.”
Adichie’s short stories suggest sympathy and empathy to be worlds apart. Discuss.
OR
ii. How are Adichie’s attempts to humanise her characters evident in her storytelling?
Bonus +2 prompts because I forgot to include this text when I said I would- sorry all!
i. “The trick was to understand America, to know that America was give-and-take. You gave up a lot but you gained a lot, too.”
How does Adichie emphasise the importance of balance in her short story collection?
OR
ii. The Thing Around Your Neck shows how the things we say are often not as important as what remains unsaid. Discuss.
The War Poems by Wilfred Oweni. “I try not to remember these things now.” (The Sentry)
To what extent can Owen’s poetry be seen as a means of escaping from horrific memories?
OR
ii. Owen’s poetry challenges audiences to re-evaluate more than just their attitude towards war. Discuss.
Things We Didn’t See Coming by Steven Amsterdami. The anonymity of the narrator in
Things We Didn’t See Coming makes the character distanced and unsympathetic. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Amsterdam’s text suggests that shifting circumstances are a part of life. Discuss.
This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolffi. Jack is an unreliable narrator in more ways than one. Discuss.
OR
ii. In
This Boy’s Life, author Tobias Wolff distances himself from Jack and makes his former self unsympathetic. Do you agree?
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rosei. “It's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go'.”
The jurors in
Twelve Angry Men are unable to articulate their true values. Discuss.
OR
ii. “What are you so polite about?”
“For the same reason you are not; it’s the way I was brought up.”
Reginald Rose’s play shows how upbringing has the greatest influence over one’s character. Discuss.
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carveri. The characters who are able to let go of the past are the only ones capable of happiness. Do you agree?
OR
ii. “It was during this time – his lowest ebb, as he referred to it later – that Ralph believed he almost had a nervous breakdown.”
Discuss the importance of retrospective narration in Carver’s short stories.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontëi. Brontë portrays Heathcliff as more than a one-dimensional villain. Discuss.
OR
ii. To call
Wuthering Heights a romance is a somewhat problematic interpretation. Do you agree?