Advanced Module B: Critical Study of Literature

Prose Fiction Options

There are three prose options prescribed for study in Module B, the most contemporary of which is Kashiguro's 1986 novel. Of all the modules across the HSC syllabuses, Advanced English Module B is no doubt the most classically canonical in terms of the array of texts it offers. This is perhaps at its most obvious in the prose fiction texts on offer - an Austen novel, a Dickens novel, and a novel by a Nobel Prize-winning author. All three options are by British writers.

Emma by Jane Austen

What is it: Young Emma Woodhouse is the financially independent and unmarried daughter of a widower, Henry Woodhouse. Uninterested in love herself, Emma takes it upon herself to play matchmaker among her contemporaries in the country town of Highbury. A comedy of manners unfolds in which Emma's machinations lead to a series of romantic misunderstandings and awkward interactions.

Scope for Study: The gossipy (some might even say vacuous) nature of Jane Austen's canonical text may lend itself quite well to the world of students. It's not too far of a jump to imagine the highly-mannered anxiety and neverending teeth-gnashing of these characters in a Facebook-like social media setting, and I could imagine Advanced English students having some fun transposing particular sequences of the novel into this format. The facile nature of the plot aside, there's ample scope for great depth of contextual analysis in Austen's depiction of a society heavily bound by rules relating to class and gender, as well as room to examine the idea of a subversive subtext struggling to the surface within the novel.

NESA Annotations: The last three NESA annotation documents (from 2009-2014, 2015-2020, and 2019-2023 respectively) make no mention of Emma.

Verdict: I have to admit that I found it quite torturous to get through this, and any teacher planning to teach it to a class full of 21st century teenagers may want to sound out their appreciation (or tolerance) for the likes of Jane Austen before making them commit to the pointless meanderings of her most irritating heroine. There were a few points where I cursorily noted the alien nature of Austen's representation of her world - in particular the chasm between men and women in Emma often makes them seem as if they were two completely different species, and some students may find this of interest. Personally though, I don't think I could ever see myself teaching this text. 

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

What is it: Philip Pirip, nicknamed 'Pip', is an orphan who lives a squalid life of abuse and hardship with his older sister in Victorian England. For reasons that only become clear later in the novel, Pip is sent to live in London thanks to the donations of an anonymous benefactor. In the city, Pip comes of age and lives outside his means, and must learn to navigate his way through a cruel, class-bound world forged in the harshness of early capitalism.

Scope for Study: Dickens' classic tale of money and morality is both depressing and comic, and students may be wary of the many characters who duck in and out of the ambitious, rambling narrative. That said, there are some key things to note: the novel's genre-splicing examination of mid-19th century England may seem schizophrenic to the modern reader, however, students will do well to familiarise themselves with Great Expectations' origins as a serialised story. The careful construction of character relationships such as that between Orlick and Pip, or Pip and Joe, are also very useful in illuminating the novel's significantly Victorian themes.

NESA Annotations: Disappointingly, there are no annotations for Great Expectations in the three available NESA documents on Prescribed Texts.

Verdict: I read this when I was in Year 12 and, you know what? I didn't hate it. I was surprised by how much I found myself invested in Pip's story. Dickens' gift for characterisation and setting endures well beyond his time and the bildungsroman structure, along with elements of the crime, comedy, and gothic genres, should serve students in providing a colourful and varied experience. There's more than enough scholarship out there to assist any teacher choosing to teach the text in a high school setting.

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

What is it: In Japan's post-WWII reconstruction, the artist Masuji Ono navigates a changing world and the complicated dynamics of a Japanese society trying to find its way forward. As Ono attempts to orchestrate a marriage for his daughter he discovers layers of unsaid difficulty obstructing his path, and reflects on his life and legacy.

Scope for Study: Don't be fooled by the slender length of this novel, there is a lot going on beneath Ishiguro's careful and deliberately minimalist language. An Artist of the Floating World provides scope for students to examine the concept of the unreliable narrator in fiction, with Ono's possible memory issues and lack of awareness both playing into the way the author crafts his perspective. Students will also benefit from linking the novel to its World War II context, looking at Mrs Kawakami's fading establishment as a symbol of imperialist Japan's extinction, and the grandson Ichiro's role in the text as a symbol of the West's encroaching influence on Japanese culture.

NESA Annotations: Notes are available on An Artist of the Floating World in the 2015-2020 Annotations (which erroneously lists Kazuo Ishiguro as the director of the text rather than author), but be aware that it connects the text to the now-defunct Extension 1 Module B Elective 'After the Bomb'. The annotations highlight the unreliable first-person narration as a point of interest, as well as the narrator's changing viewpoint throughout his personal history as a reflection of Japan's rising nationalism prior to the outbreak of World War II.

Verdict: Ishiguro's elegant novel, now freed from the constraints of the Extension Elective, would make a great Advanced English text for close, critical examination. The idea of analysing this particular unreliable narrator will challenge students who may not have ever been exposed before to such a sophisticated take on the concept, and the Japanese mid-20th century context is also highly interesting in itself - providing room for provocative discussion around nationalism, totalitarianism, and the influence of Western culture on the rest of the world.

Poetry / Drama Options

There are four options in this part of the Module and I suspect that this is where a lot of teachers will be looking due to the restrictive nature of the overall Prescriptions List (IE. Under the rules of the syllabus, if one chooses Nineteen Eighty-Four for the Common Module and then Hag-Seed / The Tempest for Module A then the final choice must be a poetry or drama option). Most of the options in this Module - a post-WWI poetry, a 19th century Danish play, and a 1950s radio drama - are quite old and play into the idea of the Western 'dead white man' canon. The inclusion of the relatively recent Earth Hour does provide a 21st century option though - also one of only 2 Australian options for this Module overall.

Selected Poems by TS Eliot

• The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
• Preludes
• Rhapsody on a Windy Night
• The Hollow Men
• Journey of the Magi

What are they: The selection of five texts above are among the most famed of Eliot's relatively few poems, and are united here as premier representatives of the 20th century Modernist literary movement. Released from the constraints of Victorian formalism, Eliot's poetry uses clear and accessible language and imagery both banal and shocking to connect with the new audiences of the post-WWI world.

Scope for Study: Probably of a greater length than any other poetry students will have looked at up until this point, Eliot's work demonstrates a range of techniques that arose in the Modernist period (stream of consciousness, interior monologues, epigraphs, difficult allusions) whilst remaining relatively easy for new readers to engage with. Teachers will need to be wary of the layers of context that will be needed to illuminate the depths of Eliot's work, both in terms of his personal socio-political context and in terms of the intertextuality that his work both ties into and deliberately rubs up against.

NESA Annotations: Annotations can be found in the 2015-2020 document. The exact same poems were prescribed for Module B in the last syllabus so the annotations still stand as they are. These notes cover Eliot's role as one of the key figures of the Modernist movement, his engagement with themes related to modern life (alienation, doubt, loneliness), and the influence of other art movements (such as Cubism and Imagism) on his work.

Verdict: Eliot's work is easy enough read and can be understand relatively quickly, however, there is a density to his poetry that will require a lot of background work. It is no doubt for this reason that only five poems have been included here. As mentioned above, Eliot is quite sophisticated in his use of textual allusions and it is in the ability of students to come to grips with this that will provide the key to their success in studying this collection.

Earth Hour by David Malouf

• Aquarius
• Radiance
• Ladybird
• A Recollection of Starlings: Rome '84
• Eternal Moment at Poggia Madonna
• Towards Midnight
• Earth Hour
• Aquarius II

What are they: David Malouf's collection explores the glimpses of beauty seen in the quiet moments of life. Through the suite of eight poems selected here, Malouf looks at nature, memory, and the moments of reflection that become a prism for the world around us. Published when the celebrated Australian author turned 80, the collection represents the complex perspective that comes at the intersection between talent and wisdom.

Scope for Study: The poetry included here demonstrates the assured and deceptively effortless tone of a poet with the weight of experience behind them. Malouf dances between conversational and obscure, emjambs lines across stanzas, and crafts poetry into a variety of shapes to represent his themes. In addition to these techniques, students will also be able to note the poet's motif of juxtaposition - in terms of imagery ('Aquarius'), shifting from the light to the dark ('Ladybird'), and contrasting poetic structures ('Towards Midnight').

NESA Annotations: Supporting notes can be found in the 2019-2023 NESA document, wherein attention is drawn to Malouf's use of language to depict the domestic and natural as "everyday tableaux". Note is also made of the poet's use of both high and low culture in his choice of allusions, and the way a range of poetic and structural devices are "used to reveal the contours, textures and intersections of memory, imagination and experience." 

Verdict: As the work of a contemporary artist with more than half a century's experience as a published writer, the selection of poetry here gracefully shifts back and forth between the traditional and the contemporary in a pleasant and accessible fashion. As far as choices for teaching Module B go I think there's a good working balance here between the concise length of the poetry and the depth of technical expertise used to construct it. Teachers and students will have more than enough time to pull each of these poems apart and identify commonalities that unite the selection.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

What is it: Nora and Torvald are a married couple in 19th century Denmark celebrating Torvald's recent promotion to bank manager. As Nora prepares the house for Christmas, an unexpected visitor named Krogstad calls by and starts blackmailing her. It is revealed that, contrary to the laws of this time and place in regards to the rights of women, Nora has borrowed money from Krogstad. As his deadline for payment looms, Nora frantically looks for a way to solve her unsolvable problem.

Scope for Study: Ibsen's play exists as one of the early, seminal works of feminist fiction and as such there is plenty of scope for students for exploring the 19th century context - specifically the development of finely delineated gender and class roles in Europe's age of Industrialisation. Students can also look at Ibsen's use of drama genres to explore his themes, specifically his combination of naturalism and tragedy.

NESA Annotations: NESA have not provided annotations for this text.

Verdict: I'm not against teaching A Doll's House but I'm not particularly passionate about it either. It's fairly straightforward in terms of comprehension and would be an easy enough text for a class to get their head around. The contextual elements would allow for some lively discussion and dissection of Ibsen's use of characterisation to explore his themes.

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas

What is it: In the Welsh fishing village of Llareggub (read it backwards) the townsfolk awaken from their slumber, shake off the night's dreams, and go about their daily business. In Llareggub this isn't just one morning, it's all mornings, and the village people remember their lives and reminisce on their hopes, their dreams, their routines, until the night comes again.

Scope for Study: Thomas' text is described as a 'play for voices', which alludes to its origins as a radio play, and students may need a moment or two to adjust to the unique format that the narrative takes. The author's background in poetry manifests in Under Milk Wood's wryly humourous, lyrically-constructed dialogue, and in the way each character's life story is succinctly expressed in verse. Analysis in the classroom would need to draw upon the Welsh and radio contexts, the author's use of symbolism and motifs related to the significance of the sea in the lives of the villagers, and the play's unusual structure.

NESA Annotations: I'm sensing a bit of a theme in this module - like Emma, Great Expectations, and A Doll's House, there are no annotations provided by NESA for Under Milk Wood.

Verdict: Once I got into the rhythm of Under Milk Wood I fell head over heels in love with Thomas' attempt to preserve a time and place for posterity with so much beautiful language. Whether it's the description of the "sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea" or the simple image of a horse with "seaweed on its hooves", Thomas has a gift for language that makes his tragic slide into an early, alcoholic grave feel all the more devastating. Under Milk Wood is a perfect text for Advanced English for two precise reasons. The first is that it's a challenging and rewarding literary experience that will be of great benefit to the students who parse and curate its poetry for their own pleasure. The second, and perhaps more important reason, is that its relatively brief length will allow for the fact that these high-achieving students have a lot on their plate in their HSC year without being expected to read a 300 page 19th century novel.

Nonfiction / Film / Media Options

The 'other' section of Module B includes two European memoirs, an American film, and an Australian documentary. That Australia documentary is important too - it's the only text in this entire module composed by a female.

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal

What is it: Artist Edmund de Waal explores the history of his family's relationship with a priceless collection of netsuke (ornate, palm-sized Japanese sculptures), tracing their origins through the rise of French interest in Japanese culture in the 19th century and the fluctuating fortunes of the Ephrussi dynasty as they collected art across Europe and then survived through Nazi persecution in WWII.

Scope for Study: De Waal's idiosyncratic family history becomes an opportunity to chart Europe's relationship with the Jewish people throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with the Ephrussi family's reputation shifting in response to antisemitism both an ingrained and politically-supported sense. Whilst the Holocaust takes up a key, later portion of the novel, it's perhaps de Waal's ambitious reconstruction of a wider history of the European Jew framed around the netsuke that more readily draws the reader into a discussion of the relationship between art and humanity. Students will benefit from examining the text as a masterclass in turning non-fiction into narrative, with The Hare with the Amber Eyes existing as an attempt to shape a grand multi-generational history into something that makes for narratological satisfaction.

NESA Annotations: Notes can be found in the 2015-2020 NESA document in the English Extension 1 section, with the text previously prescribed as part of the 'Life Writing' option in the Extension Genre module. The teacher is therefore directed to consider the way that de Waal has used a variety of texts to construct his history, with the significance of the netsuke acknowledged as a symbolic focal point. The sheer scope of de Waal's efforts to write a memoir of five generations of a family is also highlighted for its exploration of "loss, compassion, love, diaspora and survival."

Verdict: It would take a certain kind of ambition for a teacher to tackle a novel this provocatively ambitious and adult, and I think only the most mature and sophisticated students would gain an appreciation for it. With this in mind I can see why it was previously pegged as an Extension 1 text, and I can see most larger classes of Advanced English students struggling with it. There are a lot of dense references woven into de Waal's use of figurative language, requiring a well-read reader who can synthesise meaning from his combination of multiple and obscure cultural allusions. It's a different and meticulous reading experience that I'd have no problem recommending to someone who was interested in such a thing but I really can't see it working for most students.

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov

What is it: Russian author Nabokov takes the reader on a tour of his earliest and most formative memories. In the process of ruminating on his privileged childhood, love for collecting butterflies, and time in pre-revolutionary Russia, Nabokov reflects on the nature of memory itself with a series of reflexive and highly descriptive vignettes.

Scope for Study: As far as study goes, there are endless opportunities in Nabokov's work for intense examination of language. Every chapter, sentence, phrase, word choice is a sublime combination of sophisticated vocabulary and arrangement that would benefit from further examination. There is also ample opportunity to broaden student understanding through exploring Nabokov's context as a child of Romanov-era privilege, and the text's non-linear and essay-styled structure also allows for consideration of the way experienced authors approach the process of transferring memory into memoir.

NESA Annotations: Notes on Speak, Memory can be found in the 2015-2020 annotations and pay particular mind to Nabokov's idiosyncratic use of language and structure to explore memories from across the gulf of time. The annotations raise questions relating to the nature of truth and memory, with students encouraged to explore the myriad approaches that writers can take to representing their own past.

Verdict: I would be misrepresenting myself if I didn't mention my confusion over the inclusion of this text here, and I can't help but think that somebody at the Board of Studies saw that this memoir often gets placed quite highly in Top 100 non-fiction book lists and thought, "Yeah, that'll do us for a non-fiction text." If there's ever an argument against the existence of a literary canon, or the idea that we should be teaching such a canon in our schools, it's books like this one. Nabokov's text, whilst beautifully written, is complex and self-referential to the point of complete alienation - especially when we consider that our students are mostly 17 year olds who were born in the 21st century. What is the relevance of this text to their lives? I'd love to hear from anyone out there who has taught this text and found success with it - I'm incredibly curious to know how it goes in the modern Australian schooling context.

Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney

What is it: Edward R. Murrow, radio journalist, uses the new medium of television in the 1950s to investigate the trial and dismissal of a U.S. Air Force officer, and uncovers suspicious circumstances in the government's attempts to incriminate those who have been associated with known communists. So starts the historical television crusade of Murrow who, in his use of the truth to dispel America's Cold War climate of fear, comes into direct conflict with the anti-communist campaign of Senator Joe McCarthy.

Scope for Study: Good Night, and Good Luck is a cerebral and contextually-dense depiction of an emotionally charged period in America's history, and students will be able to draw parallels between Senator McCarthy's Cold War 'witch hunt' and current discussions in the media relating to the War on Terror. The film's theme of journalistic integrity will also be useful in sparking debate among students in regards to how far journalists should go in questioning the motives of the government, and the ways in which this ongoing debate continues to shape discourse within our culture.

NESA Annotations: Notes can be found in the 2015-202 annotations, where Good Night, and Good Luck is referenced in relation to the Cold War-centric elective 'After the Bomb'. The film's black-and-white cinematography is mentioned in conjunction with its use of archival footage, and the NESA annotations highlight this device as part of a wider attempt to place the viewer firmly within the 1950s context. Mention is also made of the 'docudrama' genre, further reinforcing ideals of authenticity and realism. 

Verdict: An intelligent film that effortlessly taps into the emotionally-charged atmosphere of the McCarthy era. The removal of the After the Bomb elective from the syllabus de-emphasises the film's context a little but, if the teacher plans their sequence of texts right, I think there would be some huge gains for students if this film was taught in conjunction with The Crucible or Nineteen Eighty-Four* in the Common Module. The common contextual threads between these texts would assist students with building a strong background knowledge from which to critically analyse and evaluate in an increasingly independent manner. 

*Now that I think about it a little more, I don't actually think it's possible to teach both Nineteen Eighty-Four and Good Night, and Good Luck to the same class. The way the syllabus is designed prevents this particular pairing from being possible, which is a real shame. 

Unfolding Florence, directed by Gillian Armstrong

What is it: Florence Broadhurst - comedienne, businesswoman, wallpaper designer - was a one-of-a-kind socialite who roared her way across the world in the 1920s before 'arriving' in Australia in the 1940s. In the 1950s she created her own sense of celebrity, constructing her image from nothing other than relentless self-promotion and ambitious talent, eventually finding her greatest fame as an iconic wallpaper designer in the 1960s. Her story came to a mysterious and tragic end in 1977 when she was found brutally murdered in her Paddington studio in Sydney.  

Scope for Study: Armstrong's documentary on Broadhurst embraces the socialite's tendency for reinvention and truth-bending, employing the 'voice' of Broadhurst (played by Judi Farr) as the unreliable narrator of her own story. At the outset of the film, the fake-Broadhurst remarks, "Almost everyone thinks they know who I was and, of course, everyone thinks they know who killed me," establishing the slippery nature of representing a real life figure based on the often contradictory interpretations of the people who knew her. Teachers and students will be able to look at the tension that arises from the imposition of narrative on the remaining fragments of a fading past, and the bathos that results from the almost comedic narration of the fake-Broadhurst and the way it undercuts the brutality of her death and the artifice of the documentary itself.

NESA Annotations As Unfolding Florence was previously used as a prescribed text for the English Extension 1 'Life Writing' Elective, the 2015-2020 Annotations are mostly concerned with identifying the film's implicit questioning of the difficulties in representing a life through the documentary genre. Mention is also made of the various devices used to illuminate Broadhurst's life - re-enactments, interviews, narration, animation - and their effectiveness as part of a hybrid text.

Verdict: Lively, inventive, complex and entertaining - Unfolding Florence is a wonderful piece of film-making that sheds light on a fascinating individual whilst remaining true to the inherent difficulties in representing truth where truth doesn't want to be known. I think this would be a fun and rewarding text to teach, and it's probably one of the most left-of-centre texts included in this entire module.

Shakespearean Drama Options

The inclusion of a Shakespeare text here is probably intended for freeing up some of the text choices in other modules (with a Shakespeare text being mandatory for Advanced English study).

King Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare

What is it: Young Hal, future king of England, spends his days drinking and joking in an inn with the cowardly and braggadocious rogue Falstaff. While Hal wiles away his days in a manner unbecoming of royalty, his father Henry IV prepares for war against northern rebels led by the prideful Hotspur. As the battle approaches, Hal is called to account for his behaviour before his father and must choose between the carefree lifestyle of his youth and the responsibilities of kingship.

Scope for Study: Henry IV, Part 1 gives students a chance to interact with one of Shakespeare's histories (the third and less studied of the three major genres his plays are usually categorised under). Everything about Henry IV, Part 1 is presented in halves; the plot is halved between the comedy of Falstaff in the pub and the characters becoming embroiled in a bitter civil war, the characters of Hotspur and Falstaff presenting as two halves of a potential destiny for Hal, and the play itself as the first half of a bigger narrative about the kingship of Henry IV. The play is also a great example of a coming-of-age narrative reflected through the lens of Shakespeare's England.

NESA Annotations: Annotations on this text can be found in the 2015-2020 document in reference to the play's previous placement as a prescribed text in the Representing People and Politics elective. Attention is paid to the juxtaposition between Hotspur and Prince Hal, with students directed to examine the transformation from irresponsible youth to future leader and heir to the throne. Owing to the People and Politics elective the annotations also highlight the way the play has been performed in different contexts with different political/historical aims.

Verdict: Falstaff alone would make this play worth studying, such is the character's enduring comic appeal. The historical context of Shakespeare's plays are always great fuel for close study and Henry IV Part 1's use of English-Welsh-Northern political relations is no exception to this rule, with the noble Hotspur working as an effective foil to Hal but also representative of a real world counterpart from history. I think I would enjoy teaching this one; as a lesser-taught Shakespeare play it would give me a chance to examine a classic that hasn't been 'done-to-death'.