ENCOUNTERING CONFLICT

1. ENCOUNTERING CONFLICT Lynette Smith

2. You have had to: • “Be able to draw on ideas and /or arguments suggested by a chosen Context to create written texts for a specified audience and purpose; and to discuss and analyse in writing their decision about form, purpose, language, audience and context” In the exam, you have to: • “Write for a nominated audience and purpose drawing on ideas suggested by their selected Context drawing directly from at least one text selected from a list”

3. But there are important and essential differences that you must be aware of: • During the year you may have been given a selection of prompts by your teachers to respond to –in the exam you have one unseen prompt that may incorporate visual material • During the year you may have been given a set audience and purpose or you may have been able to make those decisions for yourself—in the exam the audience and purpose may be specified as in the 2008 exam • During the year you had to draw on the ideas from a text—in the exam you must draw DIRECTLY from at least one text • During the year you had to provide a written explanation that discussed you choices about audience, form etc—in the exam you do not provide such a statement

4. No written explanation means that you cannot explain what you are trying to achieve—you must achieve it! I.e. if you are writing from different perspectives you must make it obvious, you must make the link between your ideas and the text you are referring to obvious—if you do write a statement it will be treated like any plan by examiners—they are not read or considered

5. Your response will one unseen prompt which may include some visual material.—you have to read the prompt, understand its underlying concepts and the “big idea” that links it to your study of the context. Then you need to develop a piece of writing that shows the assessor that you have considered the prompt. If you ignore the prompt no matter how well you write you will not achieve a top grade. As there is only ONE prompt –you must thoroughly revise as many aspects of the context as possible

6. You must draw on a text –BUT NOT WRITE A TEXT ESSAY. Many students used the prompt a starting off point to discuss the text in an argumentative way as in part A. Now while this showed excellent knowledge of the text it did not show understanding of the context itself.

8. Encountering Conflict—What is it? Causes of Conflict? What is it that leads to conflict, is it really the lid off the toothpaste or is it more? You need to have thought about WHY conflict even begins. • Is it because as humans we need conflict • Is it is a natural part of our being as it is in the animal world, • Is it part of our selfish and self-centred natures? • Is it because we always fear what we don’t understand

9. Types of conflict In every text there are levels of conflict • The personal—within oneself • The interpersonal-between couples/families • The community—in the local area/social circle • The society—the large scale in which countries and societies work • It is important in your revision to identify all these different types of conflict and which are the triggers for the conflict in the text and which ultimately causes the most damage

10. What we need to survive/thrive in conflict • In each text we see characters who survive the conflict and others who are lost. The question is what helps them? Is it religious values, friendship, humour, luck, better weapons, perseverance etc. In each text for different people what helps them to survive needs to be looked at

11. Consequences of Conflict • It is interesting that often students tend to only think of the negative consequences of conflict i.e. Conflict is only negative—however it is important to note in all the texts there are encounters that have positive outcomes even in the death of a character.

12. Visual Prompts Prompt—sometimes the only way to deal with conflict is through violence

13. Prompt—If it happens too often, we lose our fear of conflict.

14. Prompt—Only the powerful will win in a conflict.

15. Prompt—We can encounter conflict in the most inauspicious places

16. Prompt—Often we need to confront conflict head on

17. Sample Pieces Prompt: It is the consequences of conflict that are worse than the conflict itself Sample One Scene winter outside the house of Goody Proctor 2 years after the death of her Husband Hale knocks and Elizabeth answers Hale “Good E’en Goody Proctor. I hope I find you well? Elizabeth “Why Reverend Hale, what brings you to Salem in this bitter weather” Hale” I have come to talk to you about the events of that horrible year. I cannot sleep for the guilt of what I have done and need to talk to you, to seek your forgiveness. Elizabeth” Come in good Sir, you need not worry about the children disturbing us I will put on a video to keep them quiet.

18. Sample Two Let’s not repeat History How can we continue to let children suffer for the mistakes of our ancestors? How can we let those the system has failed before to keep being victims of our misguided efforts to improve their lives? The recent report from the UN into the lives of Aborigines in this country, have found little has changed since Rudd’s momentous and long overdue apology. Aboriginal children are still more likely to be in abusive homes, more likely to leave school illiterate and innumerate and far more likely to die in custody then any white child. We at the Herald Sun feel it is high time that we acknowledge that we have not improved the lot of the Aborigine in real terms since the white invasion of this country began.

19. Prompt: After encountering conflict, survivors are forever shaped by their experiences Sample 1 Every day after school I went to my grandparents. Grandma was the typical grandma. She smelt of pea and ham soup and was always cleaning. And Grandpa well, he was scary. He sat in the corner of the room in his rocking chair, but he never rocked. He just stared blankly into the distance in to a place that no one else could see. Finally I asked Grandma why he was so silent, so alone and she told me… “It began in the war….. Sample 2 Throughout history, individuals and communities have been affected by social turmoil, wars and depravity. The survivors of such conflict are faced with the challenge of re-establishing a sense of normality and are often forced to create a new life. Conflict changes the way people think about their lives, as the traumatic experience tests their prior values and beliefs. Some people may be haunted by dark memories, guilt and shame impairing their ability to lead a stable and satisfactory life. These individuals may become disheartened and depressed and in effect are destroyed by the conflict. Yet, on the other hand, some people might gain insight and strength allowing them to recover more readily from hardship. Positive changes can occur when suffering is viewed as a learning experience. The emotional impact of conflict may diminish with time, but in some way we are forever shaped by conflict.

20. SAMPLE 3 Individuals are often shaped by conflict. In the novel A Secret River, we see how the relationship between Sal and Will Thornhill grows strong through the conflict they face in England, but then is destroyed by the conflict in Australia. We can see how Will himself is changed in the conflict with the black man and finally we see how the Aborigines’ lives will be forever changed by the arrival of the Whites.

21. Expected Qualities 9–10 • Demonstrates an insightful grasp of the implications of the prompt/stimulus material, and perceptively explores its conceptual complexity using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. • Achieves an assured, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form, successfully integrating, in a sophisticated way, ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Makes fluent and effective use of language. 8 • Demonstrates an insight into the implications of the prompt/stimulus material and explores its complexity using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. • Achieves a controlled, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form, effectively using ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Makes fluent and confident use of language. 7 • Demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to explore some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it. • Achieves a coherent piece of writing in an appropriate form, making some use of ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language accurately and appropriately. 6 • Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material and is able to work with some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy. • Presents a generally organised piece of writing, in an appropriate form, drawing on ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language adequately and appropriately. 5 • Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to respond to some of its ideas. • Presents a piece of writing with some organisation, demonstrating some understanding of ideas suggested by the selected text(s). • Uses language adequately and appropriately. 4 • Demonstrates some understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to respond to it. • Presents a piece of writing with limited organisation and limited reference to the selected text(s). • Shows adequate language control. 3 • Demonstrates a limited awareness of the prompt/stimulus material. • Presents a piece of writing with little organisation or reference to the selected text(s). • Shows some language control.

22. Useful Quotes THE LINE • It’s about a father and son. I am of his line • The apex of his life is clear, the event by which he stood to judge all the others. • Later I was to know the poverty of the Japanese POW camps..but in these there was a common cause with others and a persecutor to hate and curse. • We were to be called Dunlop’s thousand..he was our symbol of hope • Happiness is all a matter of comparison • Listening to Harry you saw the part humour played in survival • It was customary for blokes to work beside friends.. I felt I needed his assurance and strength. • When I came home and repeated them you dismissed them and said they were untrue • Who ever wins a war? • I never saw my father cry until my sister Mary lost a baby son • To have a father who asks for nothing of you can mean you end up having to ask everything of yourself. • What you can state about Weary Dunlop is a fact that he preserved the rudiments of a civilised society in a barbaric environment.

23. The Secret River • Your name is as common as dirt William Thornhill she said, and the anger rose up in him • The rage warmed him and filled him up .It was a kind of friend • Together the Thornhills made a good pair • What point could there be to hoping, when everything could be broken so easily • Sal perhaps from innocence treated want as a temporary accident. • He was four, old enough to be frightened at what he saw in Newgate, but young enough to be damaged by it • Sal had committed no crime, but she was sentenced just as surely as he was • Give a little take a little , that ‘s the only way • Perhaps it was because she had not felt the rope around her neck. That changed a man forever. • He could not buy what Suckling had..a man who never wore the stripes. • A man never knew what kind of stuff he was made of, until the situation arose to bring it out of him. • Blackwood’s arrangement was a private thing • A man’s heart was a deep pocket he might turn out and be amazed at what he found there • Once he even heard them talk of him as Dick Blackwood

24. The Crucible • It must come out—my enemies will bring it out • Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and honor of his family had been smirched by the village and he meant to right matters however he could. • I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you • These people had no ritual for washing away sins • Proctor, respected even feared in Salem has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud • You loved me then and you do now • We must look to the fields and boundaries of the time • Let us rather blame ourselves • He felt the pride of a specialist whose unique knowledge had at last been publicly called for • The most comical hero in history • The magistrates sits in your heart thqt judges you • She thinks to take my place • The devil is alive in Salem • Vengeance is walking Salem..common vengeance writes the law • A desire to undermine this court • I cannot give you no name • Private vengeance is working through the testimony • More weight • I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor

25. Omagh • Is she sure she took the warning down right? • How long is this going to take? • He must be helping? • But Daddy we need to know • Where’s our voice in all this • If we want peace we have to find peace that works • We not going to get anywhere unless we do it together • We’ve got the names • These people are as much our enemies as they are yours • Put the past behind us is the only way we are going to deal with this • I don’t care about this anymore..I know what happened..someone killed Aiden • Intelligence is not the proper area for the ombudsmen • Can I call you Michael • You have to trust us, otherwise what else is there • We supported each other, we kept each other going • We will not go away/we will not be quiet/we will not be forgotton