Reading the topic and writing introductions.

 Each topic will enable and require students to address the full range of key knowledge and skills.range of key knowledge and skills.  The choice between topics will enable students to develop their sustained discussion from an initial focus on one of the following aspects of key knowledge for Units 3 and 4

 the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text; or  the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; or  the ways in which authors/directors express or imply a point of view and values; or  the ways in which readers’ interpretations of text differ and why. (Unit 4)

 the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text; (analytical)

 the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; (analytical)

 the ways in which authors/directors express or imply a point of view and values; (analytical/thematic)

 This becomes a most vital step.  You have to look at the initial focus of the topic and;  Then determine how you can develop your essay so that it deals with the other three focus points as well

 So….. The lives of the characters in Look Both Ways touch each other at some point, yet the overwhelming feeling is one of isolation and loneliness. Discuss. Clearly relates to the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text; (analysis)

 Whilst… Look Both Ways shows that fear can stop people from living fully. Relates to the ways in which authors/directors express or imply a point of view and values; (themes)

 But you couldn’t write on either of these topics without commenting on… the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; (analysis)

 So it is a matter of discerning the INITIAL FOCUS And building outwards from there…

 These topics demand a detailed and specific analysis of the text in terms of how it has been constructed by the author to allow them to convey their central purpose or message.  The author must always be present in these essays as the text’s creator.  You must refer to all aspects of the text’s construction, not just its content.

Unpacking the topic

 When unpacking an analytical topic you should always do so with an eye to acknowledging the author as creator

Some examples

 The lives of the characters in Look Both Ways touch each other at some point, yet the overwhelming feeling is one of isolation and loneliness. Which of the four focus areas does this question fall under?

Clearly relates to the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text; (analysis)

But also….  You are being asked to analyse Watt’s directorial decision to intersect the stories of all of the characters and why she has done this whilst also emphasising characters’ aloneness.  In essence the question is asking you to analyse how the structure of the film contributes to characterisation.

 So this relates to the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; (analysis)

 But you could also..  Look at how the film positions us to feel about Isolation and Loneliness Interconnectedness (themes)

Introduction

 An analytical introduction should as always:  Provide definitions  Have a clear contention  Set argumentative direction  But they should do so with an emphasis on:  The text’s construction  The author’s purpose

 Sarah Watt has constructed her film Look Both Ways so that the lives of the characters echo the intersection of the railway lines around which they all congregate. The accident which kills Julia’s husband provides the catalyst for the characters to examine their lives and even though they are united by this one event, initially each of them feels alone in their journey. By the end of the film, however, Watt shows that making connections and building relationships can enable characters to reconcile their fears and uncertainties.

 These topics demand a clear focus on the values that underpin a text.  The line of argument must be based on what values the text endorses, rejects or ignores.  Textual evidence is still very important as a way of showing how the reader can discern the author’s values.

Reading the topic

 When unpacking a thematic topic you should always be clearly focused on discerning what value you are being asked about and where the text positions itself with regards to that idea.

 Look Both Ways shows that fear can stop people from living fully.  The underpinning value is about the connection between people’s fears and what it means to have a full life.  What does the text say about how one impinges on the other?  In essence the question is asking you to what the film values about life.

 So the initial focus is the ways in which authors/directors express or imply a point of view and values; (themes)

 But you couldn’t answer it without commenting on… the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; (analysis)

 And in doing so, you are really dealing with the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text (analysis)

 A thematic introduction should as always:  Provide definitions  Have a clear contention  Set argumentative direction  But they should do so with an emphasis on:  The underpinning value raised by the question  Where the text stands on that value

 Most viewers when they watch Look Both Ways would not find it difficult to relate to the fears and anxieties experienced by the characters; fears such as death, loneliness and commitment, basically a fear of living unloved. The film suggests that allowing these fears to dictate our passage can debilitate us and prevent us from living lives that are fulfilled. Ultimately, however, it privileges the view that examining our values and reflecting on our uncertainties can empower us to pursue a full life.