1. There is a pervasive sense of loneliness in many of the tales in Dark House. Discuss
2. Many of the tales in Dark House include reference to a house that is literally in darkness. More importantly, the text explores, through the various stories, the metaphorical 'dark house of the mind'. Discuss
3. Dark House is a collection of short stories about childhood memories. Discuss
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Exam Revision Questions
1. Name as many different narrative styles as possible used in the text.
2. What are the reasons for presenting the story in multiple ways?
3. Name as many objects as you can from the text and explain their significance?
4. What part of the text is fact?
5. Why are the facts included?
6. What are the names of the two murderers aboard the Batavia?
7. What two techniques or symbols are used to generate suspense in the text?
8. Name the characters in the text.
9. Name which characters are linked and how and why?
10. Name as many themes as possible in the text and provide an example.
2. What are the reasons for presenting the story in multiple ways?
3. Name as many objects as you can from the text and explain their significance?
4. What part of the text is fact?
5. Why are the facts included?
6. What are the names of the two murderers aboard the Batavia?
7. What two techniques or symbols are used to generate suspense in the text?
8. Name the characters in the text.
9. Name which characters are linked and how and why?
10. Name as many themes as possible in the text and provide an example.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Discussion Question 2
Horror Stories reflect Childhood Memories. Discuss
Refer to the text for evidence.
Refer to the text for evidence.
Discussion Question 1
What is it about old houses that stirs the imagination?
Refer to the text for examples.
Refer to the text for examples.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Staircase
The Staircase
THEMES
Macabre (Horror/ Mystery/ Fear)
- The staircase
- The sister's
- The house
- How the sister's died
- That the people died a couple of days after they saw the staircases
Supernatural
- the girls in the house
- the house
- the fact that people who see the staircase die soon after
- the staircase itself
Mental Illness.
- the girl that walked in front of the car. She wore black and was plump like the sisters
History/ Memories
- the house burnt down
- When the house burnt down and the staircase was the last to burn. The sisters were seen walking up and down it with no expressions on their faces.
- Every person who sees the staircase, dies within a couple of days.
Houses- Old and Dark
- dark
- old
-creepy
- the staircase was always on fire.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in the staircase
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
THEMES
Macabre (Horror/ Mystery/ Fear)
- The staircase
- The sister's
- The house
- How the sister's died
- That the people died a couple of days after they saw the staircases
Supernatural
- the girls in the house
- the house
- the fact that people who see the staircase die soon after
- the staircase itself
Mental Illness.
- the girl that walked in front of the car. She wore black and was plump like the sisters
History/ Memories
- the house burnt down
- When the house burnt down and the staircase was the last to burn. The sisters were seen walking up and down it with no expressions on their faces.
- Every person who sees the staircase, dies within a couple of days.
Houses- Old and Dark
- dark
- old
-creepy
- the staircase was always on fire.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in the staircase
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
The Cat and the Crow
The Cat and the Crow
THEMES
Macabre (horror/mystery/scary)
- "entering his body and trying to steal his soul"
- "He could hardly return to his bed, filled with the fear of his brother and the guilt which hounded him with that most unsettling of thoughts- that Stefan's nagging accusations were true"
- "I'm back, David. Back to divide up our body once more. I want my turn" p 209
- "Though he could not deel no change with his fingers, he imagined it was opening like a zipper"
- The appearance of the black crow
- It wanting his life
- getting in his head and talking to him.
Houses- Old and Dark
- David's bedroom window, drawing an immediate and irresistable sense of dread over him
- David broke away from the window and stumbled through the room, tripping over clothes and books by his bed until he fell in the darkness.
- The crow would come to his window when the house was dark.
- He was trapped in his house it was the only safe place away from the crow.
History/ Memories
- "five months after this article appeared, Stefan had died" p206
- The magazine article with its faded pictures. Dr Gordon decided to make the incision close to Stefan's heart and leave the small flap of tissue joined to David's where it would eventually become part of his heart" p212-213
- memories of his dead brother.
Supernatural/ Mental Illness
- "the voice was now inside his very body. He was one with his brother once more" p219
- "The bosy rose from the bed, stepped to the cupboard" p215
-" predator and prey were only metre apart now" p216
- he heard voices, thinking they were coming from his dead brother
- the spirit of his brother entered his body and took his conscience.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in the Cat and the Crow
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
THEMES
Macabre (horror/mystery/scary)
- "entering his body and trying to steal his soul"
- "He could hardly return to his bed, filled with the fear of his brother and the guilt which hounded him with that most unsettling of thoughts- that Stefan's nagging accusations were true"
- "I'm back, David. Back to divide up our body once more. I want my turn" p 209
- "Though he could not deel no change with his fingers, he imagined it was opening like a zipper"
- The appearance of the black crow
- It wanting his life
- getting in his head and talking to him.
Houses- Old and Dark
- David's bedroom window, drawing an immediate and irresistable sense of dread over him
- David broke away from the window and stumbled through the room, tripping over clothes and books by his bed until he fell in the darkness.
- The crow would come to his window when the house was dark.
- He was trapped in his house it was the only safe place away from the crow.
History/ Memories
- "five months after this article appeared, Stefan had died" p206
- The magazine article with its faded pictures. Dr Gordon decided to make the incision close to Stefan's heart and leave the small flap of tissue joined to David's where it would eventually become part of his heart" p212-213
- memories of his dead brother.
Supernatural/ Mental Illness
- "the voice was now inside his very body. He was one with his brother once more" p219
- "The bosy rose from the bed, stepped to the cupboard" p215
-" predator and prey were only metre apart now" p216
- he heard voices, thinking they were coming from his dead brother
- the spirit of his brother entered his body and took his conscience.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in the Cat and the Crow
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
Beyond Night
History/ Memories
- Talks about his mother's past life before she dies
- In every room there is a past memory
'She would sit for hours by her bed bent over a Yiddish book that she glanced at from time to time"
- Found her handbags and looked back into her past.
"her handbags were old, frayed and bloated with mysteries. Within them I was to recover, on this night of mourning, the maps of her heart, the essence of her obsession, the source of her pain; just as I had as a child, discovered the street of Vilna within her beloved photo album"
Horror/ Mystery. Macarbe
- The mothers fear for her family: " i could have done more to save them" she repeated again and again the same refrain.
The mothers child looks for answers to her mystery. They find the answers when they go through the handbags " I reached out for the frayed handbags and one by one for the first time , I examined their contents.
The horror is what happened to the mother "like a storim she would erupt and for hours she would weep"
Supernatural and mental illness
- The mother develops a mental illness after thinking about her family too much and begins to become obsessed with getting them out of Vilna
-"i could've done more" expresses her obsession with getting her family out of Vilna
-"she sat in the back room for hours reading a giddish book" because she is isolating herself because of her guilt.
Houses
"to the darker recesses of the house"
The house was dark and the old lady preferred to live in a dark bare house
The back room in her house was where she would sit and sleep all night "she sat in her back room for hours"
"And I often wondered, why did she prefer such a dark and bare room"
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in Beyond Night
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
- Talks about his mother's past life before she dies
- In every room there is a past memory
'She would sit for hours by her bed bent over a Yiddish book that she glanced at from time to time"
- Found her handbags and looked back into her past.
"her handbags were old, frayed and bloated with mysteries. Within them I was to recover, on this night of mourning, the maps of her heart, the essence of her obsession, the source of her pain; just as I had as a child, discovered the street of Vilna within her beloved photo album"
Horror/ Mystery. Macarbe
- The mothers fear for her family: " i could have done more to save them" she repeated again and again the same refrain.
The mothers child looks for answers to her mystery. They find the answers when they go through the handbags " I reached out for the frayed handbags and one by one for the first time , I examined their contents.
The horror is what happened to the mother "like a storim she would erupt and for hours she would weep"
Supernatural and mental illness
- The mother develops a mental illness after thinking about her family too much and begins to become obsessed with getting them out of Vilna
-"i could've done more" expresses her obsession with getting her family out of Vilna
-"she sat in the back room for hours reading a giddish book" because she is isolating herself because of her guilt.
Houses
"to the darker recesses of the house"
The house was dark and the old lady preferred to live in a dark bare house
The back room in her house was where she would sit and sleep all night "she sat in her back room for hours"
"And I often wondered, why did she prefer such a dark and bare room"
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in Beyond Night
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
The Dog at the Door
The Dog at the Door
THEMES: House- old/dark
-"Beyond the tangled shrubs the streetlamps cast a faint light, but the old house at the end of the cul-de-sac was always overhung with darkness"
-"Even in the day time the huge trees around it-camphor laurel and pittosporum- kept it dim and gloomy, hidden from the sun"
-"the kitchen door closed and the lights went out. He could imagine him walking down the passageway to her bedroom"
Supernatural/ Mental Illness
- The old woman seems to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)"The bedroom light went on. She'd be tucking her hot water bottle in side the bed. Then she checked all the doors again, even though she'd already checked them several times that evening- the Yale lock, the mortice, the bolts, all the windows. Then she'd check all the electric switches, unplug the television set, lift the phone to make sure it hadn't been cut off since it hadn't rang all day"
- The Man/ Stalker- " Instead of giving herself all those airs when she was a kid, playing the violin and spouting poetry, she should have been learning how to look after a place"
Macabre (Horror/ Mystery/ Fear)
- "He likes her fear, he liked to make her afraid"
- "When he heard her get out of bed he slipped back into the shadows. He knew what she would do: peer out through the window, whisper, who's there?, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, then would go back to bed waiting for him to ring again"
History/ Memories
- "She had been fearless as a girl. but old age and loneliness had undone all of that."
- "They always barked if they heard anyone outside. The memory made her chuckle"
- she was stalked for years
- "I'd better let Shadow out before father hears him."
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in The Dog at the Door
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
THEMES: House- old/dark
-"Beyond the tangled shrubs the streetlamps cast a faint light, but the old house at the end of the cul-de-sac was always overhung with darkness"
-"Even in the day time the huge trees around it-camphor laurel and pittosporum- kept it dim and gloomy, hidden from the sun"
-"the kitchen door closed and the lights went out. He could imagine him walking down the passageway to her bedroom"
Supernatural/ Mental Illness
- The old woman seems to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)"The bedroom light went on. She'd be tucking her hot water bottle in side the bed. Then she checked all the doors again, even though she'd already checked them several times that evening- the Yale lock, the mortice, the bolts, all the windows. Then she'd check all the electric switches, unplug the television set, lift the phone to make sure it hadn't been cut off since it hadn't rang all day"
- The Man/ Stalker- " Instead of giving herself all those airs when she was a kid, playing the violin and spouting poetry, she should have been learning how to look after a place"
Macabre (Horror/ Mystery/ Fear)
- "He likes her fear, he liked to make her afraid"
- "When he heard her get out of bed he slipped back into the shadows. He knew what she would do: peer out through the window, whisper, who's there?, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, then would go back to bed waiting for him to ring again"
History/ Memories
- "She had been fearless as a girl. but old age and loneliness had undone all of that."
- "They always barked if they heard anyone outside. The memory made her chuckle"
- she was stalked for years
- "I'd better let Shadow out before father hears him."
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think
in The Dog at the Door
Is there anything similar about this short story and other's within Dark House?
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Princess in the Tower
Notes on Princess in the Tower
THE PRINCESS IN THE TOWER- Jenny Pausacker
• Ginny is scared of the dark- “But I was never scared on nights when my father came to tell me a story”
• Very descriptive- draws story out
• Metaphors- “a tree whose leaves were small pointed flames” p26.
• Similes- “sailing across the sky like a cloud” p30
• Names of authors of books she reads all thriller/ horror
• “No I won’t.. not tonight” – confident her father will come back
• There is a hint that he is dead- ‘wondered whether my father would come back to continue my bedtime story” – in macabre there is a lot of questioning and hints to the real truth
• “… and it’s not as if I know anyone who’s buried there”- denial
• Mum doesn’t understand her
• Long winded sentences build suspense
• P37- Ginny description of her life other than nightmares and bedtimes stories is blunt and short- unimportant- boring
• Repetition p39- exaggerates
• Climax is right at the end- builds suspense
• No resolution she is still searching for her dad who died 2 and a ½ years ago.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think?
in the Princess in the Tower
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
THE PRINCESS IN THE TOWER- Jenny Pausacker
• Ginny is scared of the dark- “But I was never scared on nights when my father came to tell me a story”
• Very descriptive- draws story out
• Metaphors- “a tree whose leaves were small pointed flames” p26.
• Similes- “sailing across the sky like a cloud” p30
• Names of authors of books she reads all thriller/ horror
• “No I won’t.. not tonight” – confident her father will come back
• There is a hint that he is dead- ‘wondered whether my father would come back to continue my bedtime story” – in macabre there is a lot of questioning and hints to the real truth
• “… and it’s not as if I know anyone who’s buried there”- denial
• Mum doesn’t understand her
• Long winded sentences build suspense
• P37- Ginny description of her life other than nightmares and bedtimes stories is blunt and short- unimportant- boring
• Repetition p39- exaggerates
• Climax is right at the end- builds suspense
• No resolution she is still searching for her dad who died 2 and a ½ years ago.
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think?
in the Princess in the Tower
what are the characters afraid of?
how is fear created in this short story?
how do the characters deal with fear?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS POSED?
Album
Supernatural/ Mental Illness
Andrew has dreams about a girl called kate. he can talk to her in these dreams, as well as her friends. Andrew sees Mr Meredith die in one of these dreams.
Andrew sounds like he has a mental illness because after everything that went bad in his dreams, after reading the album, he can't get to sleep and he thinks that people are out to get him.
Houses
'Mr Meredith lived in an old house, more of a cottage really"
"Solitary dark house"
They don't want Andrew to go to the house
"verandah of the dark house"
"left the front door open"
"There was only one door, with a window on each side"
"They were all open but it was dark inside"
"Climb over the window sill
"next time you shall see inside"
History/ Memories
"Memories of what Andrew's fatehr used to say to him "Andrew, my boy"
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think?
1 WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DARK HOUSE?
2. DID THE ALBUM HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MR MEREDITHS DEATH?
3. WHAT DID THE ALBUM ACTUALLY DO?
4. WHAT DID MR MEREDITH TELL THE KIDS TO GET RID OF?
Andrew has dreams about a girl called kate. he can talk to her in these dreams, as well as her friends. Andrew sees Mr Meredith die in one of these dreams.
Andrew sounds like he has a mental illness because after everything that went bad in his dreams, after reading the album, he can't get to sleep and he thinks that people are out to get him.
Houses
'Mr Meredith lived in an old house, more of a cottage really"
"Solitary dark house"
They don't want Andrew to go to the house
"verandah of the dark house"
"left the front door open"
"There was only one door, with a window on each side"
"They were all open but it was dark inside"
"Climb over the window sill
"next time you shall see inside"
History/ Memories
"Memories of what Andrew's fatehr used to say to him "Andrew, my boy"
Please comment on this blog about the:
Plot
Character
Themes
Quotes
Meaning- what does the writer want you to think?
1 WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DARK HOUSE?
2. DID THE ALBUM HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MR MEREDITHS DEATH?
3. WHAT DID THE ALBUM ACTUALLY DO?
4. WHAT DID MR MEREDITH TELL THE KIDS TO GET RID OF?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
POLITICAL CARTOONS
It is here that I want you to mention the political cartoon (date) that you are looking at, and also:
1. what issue is being discussed,
2. what opinion the cartoonist has and also
3. how cartoons are like editorials.
1. what issue is being discussed,
2. what opinion the cartoonist has and also
3. how cartoons are like editorials.
Monday, August 10, 2009
EDITORIALS
You are to comment here about what you notice editorials have in common and what persuasive devices are used in the articles you look at.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
STRANGE OBJECTS QUIZ
All of the answers to these questions are on this blog. As Revision test yourself and see if you can locate the answers.
1. Name as many different narrative styles as possible used in the text.
2. What are the reasons dor presenting the story in multiple ways?
3. Name the three items found in the cave
4. Who found the objects?
5. What part of the text is fact?
6. What are the names of the two murderers aboard the Batavia?
7. What year did the Batavia sink?
8. The simile “he had thick grey hair, like a steel pot scourer” is talking about who?
9. Why do authors use the rule of three like “unstable, impressionable and vulnerable”
10. What two techniques or symbols are used to generate suspense in the text?
11. Name the characters in the text.
12. Name which characters are linked and how?
13. What is the significance of the ring?
14. Name as many themes as possible in the text and provide an example.
1. Name as many different narrative styles as possible used in the text.
2. What are the reasons dor presenting the story in multiple ways?
3. Name the three items found in the cave
4. Who found the objects?
5. What part of the text is fact?
6. What are the names of the two murderers aboard the Batavia?
7. What year did the Batavia sink?
8. The simile “he had thick grey hair, like a steel pot scourer” is talking about who?
9. Why do authors use the rule of three like “unstable, impressionable and vulnerable”
10. What two techniques or symbols are used to generate suspense in the text?
11. Name the characters in the text.
12. Name which characters are linked and how?
13. What is the significance of the ring?
14. Name as many themes as possible in the text and provide an example.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Historical Context- Batavia
Follows these links to find more information on the Batavia
http://members.iinet.net.au/~bill/batavia.html
http://www.voc.iinet.net.au/batavia.html
http://members.iinet.net.au/~bill/batavia.html
http://www.voc.iinet.net.au/batavia.html
Themes/ Issues
THEMES/ ISSUES.
Psychological Disorders/ Schitzophrenia/ Insanity
- Eg- In item 6 Messenger, a self-confessed 'neat freak', is somewhat shocked when he realises several days after the biology trip that he has left his sleeping bag out. "With all the goings on it was just stuffed into its drawstring cover. I was annoyed I had forgottento fix it, and now it was busting out all over my bedroom floor." Although this is only a minor symptom, we must remember that it was one of the first to appear and was during the early stages of theonset of schizophrenia
See's himself as powerful- schitzophrenics feel they are more powerful.
We seee this in the text with Steven Messenger feeling like he's flying over the world, looking down on everyone like he's God.
He also sees the 'other' Steven Messenger who is a version of himself but BETTER.
Supernatural
- Eg Steven can see the life of Jan Pelgrom- how?
When Steven puts on the ring he taps into Jan's world because it was Jan's ring.
We can't work out how this happens?
Steven Messenger at the Vacancy sign - 3 days after he disappears.
Steven Messenger also gets back to the Motel- quicker on foot than Nigel Kratzman does by car.
White Settlers – why are the aboriginals scared of the white flag that Jan and Wouter had on their sled?
- Because they reminded them of ships sails- it seems that ships have been there before and caused them harm
Makes us question who was the first white settlers on Australian soil.
Murder-
Who murders who?
Steven Messenger murders Charlie Sunrise
Jan Pelgrom murders Lucky the dog and Ela- his wife
Jan and Wouter also murder women and children.
Relationships- SEE RELATIONSHIPS LINK
History- SEE BATAVIA LINK
BIG QUESTION: IS STEVEN MESSENGER CRAZY OR DOES THE RING HAVE POWERS?
What do you think??
Are there more examples?
Psychological Disorders/ Schitzophrenia/ Insanity
- Eg- In item 6 Messenger, a self-confessed 'neat freak', is somewhat shocked when he realises several days after the biology trip that he has left his sleeping bag out. "With all the goings on it was just stuffed into its drawstring cover. I was annoyed I had forgottento fix it, and now it was busting out all over my bedroom floor." Although this is only a minor symptom, we must remember that it was one of the first to appear and was during the early stages of theonset of schizophrenia
See's himself as powerful- schitzophrenics feel they are more powerful.
We seee this in the text with Steven Messenger feeling like he's flying over the world, looking down on everyone like he's God.
He also sees the 'other' Steven Messenger who is a version of himself but BETTER.
Supernatural
- Eg Steven can see the life of Jan Pelgrom- how?
When Steven puts on the ring he taps into Jan's world because it was Jan's ring.
We can't work out how this happens?
Steven Messenger at the Vacancy sign - 3 days after he disappears.
Steven Messenger also gets back to the Motel- quicker on foot than Nigel Kratzman does by car.
White Settlers – why are the aboriginals scared of the white flag that Jan and Wouter had on their sled?
- Because they reminded them of ships sails- it seems that ships have been there before and caused them harm
Makes us question who was the first white settlers on Australian soil.
Murder-
Who murders who?
Steven Messenger murders Charlie Sunrise
Jan Pelgrom murders Lucky the dog and Ela- his wife
Jan and Wouter also murder women and children.
Relationships- SEE RELATIONSHIPS LINK
History- SEE BATAVIA LINK
BIG QUESTION: IS STEVEN MESSENGER CRAZY OR DOES THE RING HAVE POWERS?
What do you think??
Are there more examples?
Symbolism
SYMBOLISM
Ring
See Item 28
- The Ring is the symbol of dreams coming true and an avenue out of reality.
- Like in the story of El Dorado- the city of gold- “its mystery lives on as a symbol for every goal beyond attainment; every dream beyond reality”
- The ring helps Steven to see himself as something better than he feels he is “every goal beyond attainment”
- The ring also helps him to see into the life of Jan Pelgrom and Ela – he sees this in his dreams or “every dream beyond reality”. IS this reality or is it a fantasy ?
Cannibal Pot – symbol for death-
Vacancy Sign- like in horror movies, the flashing vacancy sign is a symbol for something bad being about to happen. It sets the mood for suspense.
Ring
See Item 28
- The Ring is the symbol of dreams coming true and an avenue out of reality.
- Like in the story of El Dorado- the city of gold- “its mystery lives on as a symbol for every goal beyond attainment; every dream beyond reality”
- The ring helps Steven to see himself as something better than he feels he is “every goal beyond attainment”
- The ring also helps him to see into the life of Jan Pelgrom and Ela – he sees this in his dreams or “every dream beyond reality”. IS this reality or is it a fantasy ?
Cannibal Pot – symbol for death-
Vacancy Sign- like in horror movies, the flashing vacancy sign is a symbol for something bad being about to happen. It sets the mood for suspense.
Character Relationships
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS.
Steven Messenger and Jan Pelgrom- both are weak characters
- both are pale and thin
- both are murderers
- both are watched over by other characters because they are not mature enough to look after themselves (Steven by Nigel, Jan by Wouter)
- both are crazy to some extent
Nigel Kratzman and Wouter Loos- both are responsible for taking care of other characters
- strong, broad with dark hair
- both plead that their negative traits are the result of others.
- mature
Steven Messenger and Nigel Kratzman’s friendship like Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom friendship.
Both sets of characters are forced to be companions. Steven and Nigel because they live near each other, Wouter and Jan because they were exiled together.
They don’t like each other very much
Steven Messenger and the Other Steven Messenger
The other Steven Messenger is what Steven Messenger dreams of being- cool, tall, stands confidently in “jeans and a t-shirt” while the real Steven is described as ‘grey”.
The other Steven Messenger is also Steven’s link to Jan Pelgrom, when he first sees him in his dream he sees him surrounded by blood. Shows what he is capable of if he believes he is powerful, just like Jan could kill on the ship to impress his superiors.
Steven Messenger and Jan Pelgrom- both are weak characters
- both are pale and thin
- both are murderers
- both are watched over by other characters because they are not mature enough to look after themselves (Steven by Nigel, Jan by Wouter)
- both are crazy to some extent
Nigel Kratzman and Wouter Loos- both are responsible for taking care of other characters
- strong, broad with dark hair
- both plead that their negative traits are the result of others.
- mature
Steven Messenger and Nigel Kratzman’s friendship like Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom friendship.
Both sets of characters are forced to be companions. Steven and Nigel because they live near each other, Wouter and Jan because they were exiled together.
They don’t like each other very much
Steven Messenger and the Other Steven Messenger
The other Steven Messenger is what Steven Messenger dreams of being- cool, tall, stands confidently in “jeans and a t-shirt” while the real Steven is described as ‘grey”.
The other Steven Messenger is also Steven’s link to Jan Pelgrom, when he first sees him in his dream he sees him surrounded by blood. Shows what he is capable of if he believes he is powerful, just like Jan could kill on the ship to impress his superiors.
Characters
CHARACTERS.
Steven Messenger
- The main character in the text
- Quite a weak character
- ‘I’m a very tidy person. Very ordered’
- Immature
The OTHER Steven Messenger
- Who Steven Messenger wants to be
- Looks like James Dean
- Cool – “myself but not myself, in Jeans and a T-Shirt”
Nigel Kratzman
- Steven Messenger’s neighbour- forced to hang out with him because they both live in the middle of no-where.
- Responsible
- Mature- tells Steven not to kill bird
- Always fixing his car
- Nigel is not his real name, Steven made up his name and we only hear of Nigel through Steven’s eyes. More evidence he is crazy. Nigel is also the colloquial nick name for someone who is a square- Steven thinks Nigel is a suck-up… could be why he named him Nigel in his diary.
Charlie Sunrise
- Traditional aboriginal values
- Lives at the mission (place were homeless live)
- Connected with the past.
Wouter Loos
- Murderer and rapist
- Writes journal in text
- Looks after Jan Pelgrom- is in charge of him
- Tries to trade with the aboriginals.
Jan Pelgrom
- Rapist and murderer
- Psychopathic- because he murders to impress people he feels are better than him
- Has no emotion kills those he loves- Lucky and Ela
- Immature
Ela
- Only white girl present on the island.
- Vulnerable
- Whole family dies floating into WA on a raft.
- She is 16-18 years old with blonde hair and yellow/white skin
Dr Hope Micheals – Director of Maritime Archeology – which is ships and ocean history
Senior Sergeant Ron Norman- is the police officer that runs the investigation into the missing ring and the importance of the severed hand
Steven Messenger
- The main character in the text
- Quite a weak character
- ‘I’m a very tidy person. Very ordered’
- Immature
The OTHER Steven Messenger
- Who Steven Messenger wants to be
- Looks like James Dean
- Cool – “myself but not myself, in Jeans and a T-Shirt”
Nigel Kratzman
- Steven Messenger’s neighbour- forced to hang out with him because they both live in the middle of no-where.
- Responsible
- Mature- tells Steven not to kill bird
- Always fixing his car
- Nigel is not his real name, Steven made up his name and we only hear of Nigel through Steven’s eyes. More evidence he is crazy. Nigel is also the colloquial nick name for someone who is a square- Steven thinks Nigel is a suck-up… could be why he named him Nigel in his diary.
Charlie Sunrise
- Traditional aboriginal values
- Lives at the mission (place were homeless live)
- Connected with the past.
Wouter Loos
- Murderer and rapist
- Writes journal in text
- Looks after Jan Pelgrom- is in charge of him
- Tries to trade with the aboriginals.
Jan Pelgrom
- Rapist and murderer
- Psychopathic- because he murders to impress people he feels are better than him
- Has no emotion kills those he loves- Lucky and Ela
- Immature
Ela
- Only white girl present on the island.
- Vulnerable
- Whole family dies floating into WA on a raft.
- She is 16-18 years old with blonde hair and yellow/white skin
Dr Hope Micheals – Director of Maritime Archeology – which is ships and ocean history
Senior Sergeant Ron Norman- is the police officer that runs the investigation into the missing ring and the importance of the severed hand
Language
LANGUAGE.
The main language techniques in the text are:
Similes- “He had thick grey hair, like a steel pot scourer” p19 – makes the passage more descriptive-
Rule of Three- “unstable, impressionable and vulnerable” p43 – has an impact on the audience- easier to remember- makes reader pay attention
Short Sentences- emphasis the important parts of the text and generate suspense.
The main language techniques in the text are:
Similes- “He had thick grey hair, like a steel pot scourer” p19 – makes the passage more descriptive-
Rule of Three- “unstable, impressionable and vulnerable” p43 – has an impact on the audience- easier to remember- makes reader pay attention
Short Sentences- emphasis the important parts of the text and generate suspense.
Fact vs. Fiction
FACT VS FICTION
The only thing in the text that is fact is the fact that there was a Dutch ship called the Batavia. There was also a massacre aboard the Batavia involving the death and rape of 120 women and children. Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom were a part of this. Everyone who was a part of this massacre were hung except for Wouter and Jan who were sent off the ship on a boat and forced to fend for themselves.
Everything else in the text is fiction – made up!!
It appears to be fact- eg through the narrative styles and also through tying in fiction with the real historical figures of Wouter and Jan.
The reason this is done is to make the story seem like it has more relevance and to make us really question the mental state of Steven, because we don’t really know what is fact or fiction in his story
The only thing in the text that is fact is the fact that there was a Dutch ship called the Batavia. There was also a massacre aboard the Batavia involving the death and rape of 120 women and children. Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom were a part of this. Everyone who was a part of this massacre were hung except for Wouter and Jan who were sent off the ship on a boat and forced to fend for themselves.
Everything else in the text is fiction – made up!!
It appears to be fact- eg through the narrative styles and also through tying in fiction with the real historical figures of Wouter and Jan.
The reason this is done is to make the story seem like it has more relevance and to make us really question the mental state of Steven, because we don’t really know what is fact or fiction in his story
Narrative Style
NARRATIVE STYLE
• The text is separated into
o Notes
o Newspaper articles
o Diary entries- Steven Messenger
o Journal Entries- Wouter Loos
o Audiotaped interview
o Reports
o Extracts from books eg ‘Famous Australian Murders’
o Letters/ letter to the editor
o Advertisement
The reason there are so many different ways of presenting the story is to:
• Show that there a multiple perspectives on history
• To show that the text is evidence based and to set the scene for gathering evidence- like a ‘who dunnit’
• To show that there is more than one interpretation for what happens in the text.
• The text is separated into
o Notes
o Newspaper articles
o Diary entries- Steven Messenger
o Journal Entries- Wouter Loos
o Audiotaped interview
o Reports
o Extracts from books eg ‘Famous Australian Murders’
o Letters/ letter to the editor
o Advertisement
The reason there are so many different ways of presenting the story is to:
• Show that there a multiple perspectives on history
• To show that the text is evidence based and to set the scene for gathering evidence- like a ‘who dunnit’
• To show that there is more than one interpretation for what happens in the text.
Strange Objects Plot Outline
Plot: Reading the text will make these notes make so much more sense!!
Steven Messenger finds a mummified hand inside a large pot which he names the ‘cannibal pot’, inside this pot is also a leather journal.
The mummified hand also had on it a gold ring which fell off into Steven’s sleeping bag when they were throwing the hand around the cave.
The hand and the ring belonged to a girl named Ela who was killed 300 years ago.
The journal is the recordings of Wouter Loos, a sailor who was exiled to the Western Australian coast along with Jan Pelgrom for being involved in the murder of 120 women, children and other sailers aboard the Dutch ship Batavia- that shipwrecked off the coast of W.A. Everyone else who was involved in these murders was hung.
Back at school an aboriginal character named Charlie Sunrise talks to the boys involved in finding the pot and hand about the significance of the hand. The hand was cut off in order to preserve the spirit of Ela, the rest of her body was hung in a tree covered in leaves to dry her body out- an ancient aboriginal ritual. He tells the boys that he knows a ring was on that hand originally. It is in this scene that we see Nigel Kratzman as a responsible and helpful boy as he offers Charlie his seat.
Dr Hope Micheals, the Director of the Western Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology writes a letter to Steven telling him how important the ring is to determining the owner of the ring and asks him to let her know if he knows anything.
Steven finds the ring in his sleeping bag, he decides to keep it.
The ring makes Steven dream and in these dreams are images of another Steven Messenger ( who looks like James Dean) a person who is cooler than he feels he is.
The ring also helps him see into the past and see images and events that happened in the lives of Jan Pelgrom and Ela. He sees Ela and her family (an event no-one else knows about), he sees the cave paintings which tell the story of Wouter and Jan and he adds Ela to the wall himself.
Charlie Sunrise knows that Steven has the ring and begins to follow him. He asks Steven to meet him and he takes Nigel and Steven to the caves where the paintings are. Inside the cave Charlie pulls the ring from his neck and then Steven kills Charlie.
Steven then runs away sending all that he knows about Ela and the ring to Dr Hope Micheals. We also find out that Steven’s father died before the ring incident- even though Steven talks about his father all through the text as being alive.
The text ends weird with many questions being unanswered, the main one is - is Steven mad or could he really see the past and another Steven Messenger?
The Story of Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom is also told within the text through the Journal of Wouter. As already mentioned Wouter and Jan were exiled for murdering and raping women and children. Wouter is in charge of looking after Jan.
When they were on the island the struggled to find food, for this reason and because Jan is a psychopath, he murdered his only companion- a dog named Lucky- for food.
The most telling part of Jan’s psychopathic nature is in that Lucky was his friend.
Wouter and Jan then find some aboriginals who are petrified of a white flag flying above the crate they made to pull along their ‘cannibal pot’ and belongings. They are so scared of this white flag because this resembles a ships flag- telling us that the aboriginals had had to deal with ships previously.
They become inhabitants of the aboriginal tribe but don’t really belong, they try to trade with them but can’t because what they consider valuable is so difference.
They then meet Ela and Jan falls in love with her. He marries her and gives her the gold ring he always wears around his neck.
Jan then kills Ela.
>
Steven Messenger finds a mummified hand inside a large pot which he names the ‘cannibal pot’, inside this pot is also a leather journal.
The mummified hand also had on it a gold ring which fell off into Steven’s sleeping bag when they were throwing the hand around the cave.
The hand and the ring belonged to a girl named Ela who was killed 300 years ago.
The journal is the recordings of Wouter Loos, a sailor who was exiled to the Western Australian coast along with Jan Pelgrom for being involved in the murder of 120 women, children and other sailers aboard the Dutch ship Batavia- that shipwrecked off the coast of W.A. Everyone else who was involved in these murders was hung.
Back at school an aboriginal character named Charlie Sunrise talks to the boys involved in finding the pot and hand about the significance of the hand. The hand was cut off in order to preserve the spirit of Ela, the rest of her body was hung in a tree covered in leaves to dry her body out- an ancient aboriginal ritual. He tells the boys that he knows a ring was on that hand originally. It is in this scene that we see Nigel Kratzman as a responsible and helpful boy as he offers Charlie his seat.
Dr Hope Micheals, the Director of the Western Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology writes a letter to Steven telling him how important the ring is to determining the owner of the ring and asks him to let her know if he knows anything.
Steven finds the ring in his sleeping bag, he decides to keep it.
The ring makes Steven dream and in these dreams are images of another Steven Messenger ( who looks like James Dean) a person who is cooler than he feels he is.
The ring also helps him see into the past and see images and events that happened in the lives of Jan Pelgrom and Ela. He sees Ela and her family (an event no-one else knows about), he sees the cave paintings which tell the story of Wouter and Jan and he adds Ela to the wall himself.
Charlie Sunrise knows that Steven has the ring and begins to follow him. He asks Steven to meet him and he takes Nigel and Steven to the caves where the paintings are. Inside the cave Charlie pulls the ring from his neck and then Steven kills Charlie.
Steven then runs away sending all that he knows about Ela and the ring to Dr Hope Micheals. We also find out that Steven’s father died before the ring incident- even though Steven talks about his father all through the text as being alive.
The text ends weird with many questions being unanswered, the main one is - is Steven mad or could he really see the past and another Steven Messenger?
The Story of Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom is also told within the text through the Journal of Wouter. As already mentioned Wouter and Jan were exiled for murdering and raping women and children. Wouter is in charge of looking after Jan.
When they were on the island the struggled to find food, for this reason and because Jan is a psychopath, he murdered his only companion- a dog named Lucky- for food.
The most telling part of Jan’s psychopathic nature is in that Lucky was his friend.
Wouter and Jan then find some aboriginals who are petrified of a white flag flying above the crate they made to pull along their ‘cannibal pot’ and belongings. They are so scared of this white flag because this resembles a ships flag- telling us that the aboriginals had had to deal with ships previously.
They become inhabitants of the aboriginal tribe but don’t really belong, they try to trade with them but can’t because what they consider valuable is so difference.
They then meet Ela and Jan falls in love with her. He marries her and gives her the gold ring he always wears around his neck.
Jan then kills Ela.
>
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