The short answer section of the HSC exams are definitely a more tricky part of the exam. It requires improvisation and the spontaneous generation of analysis. Given the added pressure of time, it becomes difficult to synthesise sophisticated points about a text you have just read whilst also adequately answering the given question.
Have no fear. This blog post is going to dispel any confusion you may have about the short answer section of the exam and clarify what exactly is required for you to succeed in this awfully tricky part of the exam.
Firstly, ensuring that we have a solid understanding of the rubric, Texts and Human Experiences, is key since this is where the questions themselves will be extracted from. If the question is broader in nature i.e., more generic, we can still (and I encourage this) use the rubric terms as a lens to guide our interpretation of the work. In this light, I would suggest that you brainstorm different concepts related to the key rubric words as a first step to preparing for the unpredictable types of texts they may hurl at you in the HSC exam. The important words from the rubric are:
- Individual and collective human experiences
- Human emotions and human qualities arising from the human experience
- Representations of the human experience within texts
- Role of of storytelling as a way of challenging assumption, igniting new ideas, getting readers to reflect personally
- Role of storytelling throughout time to reflect particular lives and cultures
- Paradoxes, anomalies and inconsistencies in the human experience
- Human behaviour and human motivations
The second point to consider is your language. I recommend that you prepare a whole arsenal of 'composer verbs' which you can use efficiently in the exam when constructing your analysis as this will reduce the amount of time you spend trying to think about what a composer is actually doing in their text. Of course, you need to exercise caution on what composer verb (e.g., 'reveals' or 'outlines') fits what directive verb is actually being used in the question itself (e.g., 'critically evaluate', 'to what extent', 'analyse' etc.).
Composer verbs:
- Reveals
- Emphasises
- Accentuates
- Explores
- Reinforces
- Represents
- Describes
- Proposes
- Outlines
- Affirms
- Exemplifies
- Demonstrates
- Epitomises
- Highlights
If you are required to undertake a comparative analysis, I would use the following words as a way to highlight that you are contrasting between two texts and that you are considering the differences and/or similarities in the overall representation fostered by the texts.
Connecting words:
Compare (similar)
- Similarly
- Akin to
- Analogous to
- Comparable to
- Equally
- Reminiscent of
- Likewise
Contrast
- At the same time
- Conversity
- Disparately
- Contrastingly
- However
- Despite this
- Conversely
To further prepare for the short answer section in this module, it is recommended that you prepare some techniques that are tailored to certain types of human experiences. In doing this you will be able to demonstrate sophisticated, flair and depth to your analysis of the text and highlight how certain human experiences, qualities, emotions and behaviours can be represented through the application of particular devices in a work.
Techniques Specific to Human Experience
Dialogue
- Creates distinct personalities
- Emotive language / imperative / evocative imagery highlights a distinct response to a human experience
- Juxtaposes individual responses to human experience
- Exhibits conflicting attitudes / perspectives / interpretations of human experience
Symbolism
- The symbolism of ____ represents the collective human experience
Active verb
- Exhibits a clear change in direction
- Depicts the enthusiasm that accumulates during a vivid human experience
Paradox
- Sense of tension
- Captures the complexity/inconsistency of human experience
Emotive language / imagery
- Emphasises the emotional implications and highly personal response to a human experience
- Emphasis the power of discovery to catalyse a renewed perception / stimulate emotions / personal growth
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