The Reimagined Worlds Elective features an eclectic range of text options, some of which are potentially the most 'out there' in the entire Year 12 Prescriptions list. That said, it also has a much narrower range of text types to select from - there are no non-fiction options, no plays, no short stories. Here is a quick breakdown of representation:
- 3 novels, 2 suites of poetry, 1 film.
- 4 male composers, 2 female composers.
- 4 texts written in English, 2 in other languages (Calvino's text was originally in Italian, del Toro's film is in Spanish)
- 1 Italian composer, 1 American, 2 English, 1 African-American, and 1 Mexican.
- Breakdown of eras: 1 text from the 1720s, 1 text from the 1790s, 2 texts from the 1970s, 1 text from the 2000s, and 1 text from the 2010s.
Prose Fiction Options
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller... by Italo Calvino
What is it: Ha! Where do I start with this one? One of the most slippery texts to pin down in the entire syllabus due to its extreme metatextuality, Calvino's novel features (checks book) no less than eleven separate narratives. The main narrative follows a reader who picks up a book in a bookstore, the reader (both the character and you) then read the opening chapter of a thriller novel but - just as it starts to get really good - a printing error breaks the spell and the reader is forced to return the book to the store. He picks up a new copy, meets another reader who has run into the same problem, and then goes home to read the new copy only to find it is a completely different book...
Scope for Study: The entire text, every sentence, every word, has a near-infinite scope for study. The first person and second person points of view play games with the reader - are we, the reader, also the reader in the novel? Questions like this will allow for discussions of metatextuality and reflexivity, the potential for postmodernism to break down all meaning beyond repair, and the way that each framing chapter works as a synecdoche for a different part of the reading process, EG. The role of the bookstore, the act of reading in the home, the act of reading as an academic activity, the act of reading from a publication standpoint, a translation standpoint, the writer's standpoint, a government's standpoint. And the constant starting of new narratives as deliberate disruptions designed to pull the responder out of the passivity of reading. And then there's the other characters in the framing narrative, each one symbolising a different kind of reader. There's a lot to unpack, even in a book that is constantly unpacking itself before out eyes.
NESA Annotations: Infuriatingly, there aren't any notes for this text in any of the last three annotation documents. It's a shame because I am intensely curious as to what would be the best approach in teaching If on a winter's night a traveller...
Verdict: Wow. What a mind-blowing, intellectually stimulating, exhausting, maddening read. I got a lot of this and I imagine it would be exponentially rewarding on a second, third, or fifteenth reading. But I don't know if I would want to teach it to students. It's suited to the Literary Worlds Common Module more than anything... I think I would want to see which students were in aclass and how their tastes and minds work before I tried to put this book in front of them. I think it could go either way, depending on the nature of your class.
What is it: Ha! Where do I start with this one? One of the most slippery texts to pin down in the entire syllabus due to its extreme metatextuality, Calvino's novel features (checks book) no less than eleven separate narratives. The main narrative follows a reader who picks up a book in a bookstore, the reader (both the character and you) then read the opening chapter of a thriller novel but - just as it starts to get really good - a printing error breaks the spell and the reader is forced to return the book to the store. He picks up a new copy, meets another reader who has run into the same problem, and then goes home to read the new copy only to find it is a completely different book...
Scope for Study: The entire text, every sentence, every word, has a near-infinite scope for study. The first person and second person points of view play games with the reader - are we, the reader, also the reader in the novel? Questions like this will allow for discussions of metatextuality and reflexivity, the potential for postmodernism to break down all meaning beyond repair, and the way that each framing chapter works as a synecdoche for a different part of the reading process, EG. The role of the bookstore, the act of reading in the home, the act of reading as an academic activity, the act of reading from a publication standpoint, a translation standpoint, the writer's standpoint, a government's standpoint. And the constant starting of new narratives as deliberate disruptions designed to pull the responder out of the passivity of reading. And then there's the other characters in the framing narrative, each one symbolising a different kind of reader. There's a lot to unpack, even in a book that is constantly unpacking itself before out eyes.
NESA Annotations: Infuriatingly, there aren't any notes for this text in any of the last three annotation documents. It's a shame because I am intensely curious as to what would be the best approach in teaching If on a winter's night a traveller...
Verdict: Wow. What a mind-blowing, intellectually stimulating, exhausting, maddening read. I got a lot of this and I imagine it would be exponentially rewarding on a second, third, or fifteenth reading. But I don't know if I would want to teach it to students. It's suited to the Literary Worlds Common Module more than anything... I think I would want to see which students were in aclass and how their tastes and minds work before I tried to put this book in front of them. I think it could go either way, depending on the nature of your class.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
What is it: Genly Ai is in the second year of his diplomatic mission to the cold, inhabited planet of Winter, where he has worked slowly to establish contact with the king of one of the world's nations. Winter, like the other eighty-six known inhabited worlds, is populated by a human society who have long since forgotten their connection to Earth. It is Ai's goal to encourage the inhabitants of this world to join the Ekumen, a confederation of cooperating planets, but first he must gain an audience with one of their leaders. Ai's journey across Winter is not simple, however, as he finds himself fundamentally unable to fully grasp the nature of this alien society - a culture unique among all the worlds in that the people there are biologically androgynous.
Scope for Study: A perfect text for the Reimagined Worlds Elective in that it presents a literary world designed to challenge the way the reader thinks about gender and biological sex, especially the ways in which gendered identity can be constructed. Le Guin's work can be examined by students in terms of its use of the science fiction genre, the way it refracts through a prism of second-wave feminism, and the author's intensive world-building. Students will be able to analyse Le Guin's combination of a first-person perspective with an invented lexicon, in particular the way that it shifts from italicised usage, denoting unfamiliar words, to unitalicised, which reveals the enculturation of Ai. The use of first-person narration to reveal characterisation and to explore theme can also be examined, one example being the initial inability of Ai to trust some of the other characters.
NESA Annotations: You'll find annotations for The Left Hand of Darkness in the 2015-2020 Annotations document, from when the text was included as part of the Module A: Genre 'Science Fiction' Elective. The dot points help to contextualise Le Guin's classic as a 'landmark' for both the science fiction genre and modern feminist literature. Highlighted elements also include the interrelationship between the setting and the narrative, the use of multiple points of view, and the novel's 'anthropological and sociological' exploration of gender, sexuality, politics, pacifism, loyalty, sacrifice, mythology, and morality.
Verdict: A wonderful science fiction classic that manages to avoid many of the genre's cliches (laser battles, bug-eyed aliens, glitzy technology) whilst maturely examining complex ideas. Students may need to have some patience and an open mind when they start reading as Le Guin isn't one to weigh her text down with unnecessary exposition - in this case she prefers to start the novel in media res and let the reader's learning happen more gradually and gently. I think I'd love the chance to develop some resources for this text and would probably teach it if the opportunity arose.
NESA Annotations: You'll find annotations for The Left Hand of Darkness in the 2015-2020 Annotations document, from when the text was included as part of the Module A: Genre 'Science Fiction' Elective. The dot points help to contextualise Le Guin's classic as a 'landmark' for both the science fiction genre and modern feminist literature. Highlighted elements also include the interrelationship between the setting and the narrative, the use of multiple points of view, and the novel's 'anthropological and sociological' exploration of gender, sexuality, politics, pacifism, loyalty, sacrifice, mythology, and morality.
Verdict: A wonderful science fiction classic that manages to avoid many of the genre's cliches (laser battles, bug-eyed aliens, glitzy technology) whilst maturely examining complex ideas. Students may need to have some patience and an open mind when they start reading as Le Guin isn't one to weigh her text down with unnecessary exposition - in this case she prefers to start the novel in media res and let the reader's learning happen more gradually and gently. I think I'd love the chance to develop some resources for this text and would probably teach it if the opportunity arose.
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
What is it: In the great age of British sail, one Lemuel Gulliver sets out travelling and is shipwrecked in lands hitherto unknown. He becomes caught up in the wars between the miniature Lilliputians and Blefuscudians and becomes a kind of pet in a land of giants known as Brobdingnag. Upon escaping these disproportionate realms, Gulliver visits Laputa, an island in the sky, and the Grand Academy of Lagado, where bizarre forms of research are being undertaken. In other lands he encounters immortals and ghosts and - finally - he spends time in the strangest land of all, the country of the Houyhnhnms, a nation of intelligent talking horses and devolved brutish humans.
Scope for Study: A strong understanding of Gulliver's Travels will need to be heavily framed by context. Coming at the dawning of the Age of Enlightenment, when the intellectuals of Europe were increasingly gripped by a desire to know all that could be known, Swift's novel works as a satirical travelogue. Students should examine the historical, social, and political context of the times in order to better understand the objects of mockery that the narrative takes aim at. In many ways, Swift's novel can be viewed as ahead of its time - a humanist work that critiques the unkind nature of European society. Students will also be able increase their understanding of Swift's context through the way in which he represents his own world through the imaginary realms to which Gulliver travels.
NESA Annotations: Annotations for Gulliver's Travels can be found in the 2015-2020 document, where it appears as part of the now retired Extension English Genre study. In these notes the focus is on the way the text functions as a comedy. Mention is made of the way in which Swift examines various aspects of human nature and how humour can be used as a tool for social criticism. Opportunities for challenging teaching and learning include: comparing the structure and language of the novel to modern-day comedies, the use of irony and parody, and the other genres this early text can be read as fitting into (science fiction, fantasy, early travel literature, the modern narrative novel, etc.)
Verdict: I love Gulliver's Travels. It's such a hugely influential work on so many texts that it's hard not to read it and join up the dots as you go. That said, it still stands on its own as an entertaining 18th century adventure full of wonder and sharp humour. It's a wonderful view into another time, and hopefully Extension students will appreciate Swift's lively imagination and ability to create a seemingly endless series of curiosities.
Poetry Options
The Complete Poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
- The Eolian Harp
- Kubla Khan
- Christabel
What is it: Whilst only comprising of four texts, this suite of selected poetry includes two of the longest poems to be found in the entire list of Prescribed Texts. Coleridge was instrumental in the popularising of the Romantic genre, with this poetry reimagining his world through a prism of belief in what he called 'One Life' - the idea that all humanity and nature is connected through a relationship with God. The poetry covers such disparate visions as fantastic fever dreams induced by opium ('Kubla Khan'), an unfinished proto-Gothic tale of a mysterious, supernatural woman ('Christabel'), an upcoming marriage as a catalyst for re-assessing one's connection with the world around them ('The Eolian Harp'), and a caution against the folly of man in violating the natural world ('The Rime of the Ancient Mariner').
Scope for Study: Students will need to make extensive consideration of Coleridge's context - his history of anxiety, depression, and drug addiction, and his role as a poet within the Romantic movement. Each of the individual poems will need to be looked at also in terms of how they fit within the poetry genres and subgenres of the era, with texts such as 'The Eolian Harp' figuring as part of a themed series created by Coleridge, 'Kubla Khan' attracting an 'outlier' status of sorts through virtue of its difference within Coleridge's body of work, and 'Christabel' eventually becoming known as one of the poet's greatest works despite its unfinished nature. Students will also benefit from examining the complicated rhyming schemes of the era, the way in which canonical responses to the poetry have been shaped through criticism over time, and Coleridge's choice to frame his thematic explorations through the use of symbolism or deliberately archaic language.
NESA Annotations: Like several of the older texts in the Prescriptions list, Coleridge is not featured in any of the annotations documents. The Wordsworth entry in the 2015-2020 Annotations features a few cursory mentions of the poet for his part in the growth of the Romantic genre.
Verdict: Coleridge is cool. I remember being a 16 year-old student studying him in Advanced English back in the 1990s and thinking, wow, this old guy smoked heroin and wrote massive poems about cursed albatrosses so Iron Maiden could turn them into epic metal songs... what a rock star! I guess I'm biased as Coleridge is one of the few poets I enjoyed reading back in high school but, that said, I get even more out of his work now that I'm an adult so I think this suite still has a lot of merit. It's placement within the Extension syllabus works fairly well as part of the Reimagined Worlds Elective.
Verdict: Coleridge is cool. I remember being a 16 year-old student studying him in Advanced English back in the 1990s and thinking, wow, this old guy smoked heroin and wrote massive poems about cursed albatrosses so Iron Maiden could turn them into epic metal songs... what a rock star! I guess I'm biased as Coleridge is one of the few poets I enjoyed reading back in high school but, that said, I get even more out of his work now that I'm an adult so I think this suite still has a lot of merit. It's placement within the Extension syllabus works fairly well as part of the Reimagined Worlds Elective.
Life on Mars by Tracy K Smith
- Sci-Fi
- My God, It's Full of Stars
- Don't You Wonder, Sometimes?
- The Universe: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- The Universe as Primal Scream
What is it: Tracy K Smith's poetry defies easy definition... it explores so much; the legacy of a parent, the stars as metaphor for our need and/or inability to understand, the divisions and connections between each of us, and the future shape that humanity will take as a collective. It's hard to do justice to Smith's work in a summary (or any poet, for that matter) while trying to remain objective. There are some long poems that take a multiplicity of forms and tones on their journey from start to finish, and there are some shorter poems that are economic and precise.
Scope for Study: Students will be able to engage with Smith's poetry by drawing out the intertextual and philosophical connections prompted by each piece. Breaking each poem down into its component elements will allow for structural understanding and the identification of theme but, perhaps, it will be discussion afterwards as a group that provides a more rewarding experience for students. Smith is also a useful focal point for discussing the context of now, being that the poetry is both of our current times and also looks forward to the times that are yet to come.
NESA Annotations: As one of the newer texts on the syllabus, annotations for this suite can be found in the 2019-2023 version of the document. Attention is called to the diversity of form and tone found throughout the selected poetry. There is also, perhaps to the relief of many a teacher looking at teaching this text, an articulation of a potential synthesis behind the selected poetry - with the annotations connecting the five poems together as a body of work that 'addresses universal questions' regarding the meaning of life. There are some other useful pointers too, making these annotations particularly essential.
Verdict: Sci-fi poetry! How could you not be interested in that? The problem with reading through all these texts for the Extension English electives is that it makes me want to teach more of them then I could ever possibly manage. I'd love to explore this poetry with a class of curious students. I think if I were to undertake the Reimagined Worlds Elective it would very difficult to narrow my choices down to just three texts.
Film Options
Scope for Study: Students will be able to engage with Smith's poetry by drawing out the intertextual and philosophical connections prompted by each piece. Breaking each poem down into its component elements will allow for structural understanding and the identification of theme but, perhaps, it will be discussion afterwards as a group that provides a more rewarding experience for students. Smith is also a useful focal point for discussing the context of now, being that the poetry is both of our current times and also looks forward to the times that are yet to come.
NESA Annotations: As one of the newer texts on the syllabus, annotations for this suite can be found in the 2019-2023 version of the document. Attention is called to the diversity of form and tone found throughout the selected poetry. There is also, perhaps to the relief of many a teacher looking at teaching this text, an articulation of a potential synthesis behind the selected poetry - with the annotations connecting the five poems together as a body of work that 'addresses universal questions' regarding the meaning of life. There are some other useful pointers too, making these annotations particularly essential.
Verdict: Sci-fi poetry! How could you not be interested in that? The problem with reading through all these texts for the Extension English electives is that it makes me want to teach more of them then I could ever possibly manage. I'd love to explore this poetry with a class of curious students. I think if I were to undertake the Reimagined Worlds Elective it would very difficult to narrow my choices down to just three texts.
Film Options
Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro
What is it: It is 1944, in the the dark days of post-Civil War Spain, and a young girl named Ofelia finds herself living with a new stepfather. This man, Vidal, is revealed to be a brutal fanatic in opposition to the rebels in the area who still fight on for freedom. Ofelia finds herself navigating a world increasingly filled with tragedy while she is simultaneously drawn into another, more fantastical world by a mythical faun. The Faun charges Ofelia with three magical quests, the reward for which will be immortality and passage to a magical kingdom, and the two worlds begin to bleed into one another.
Scope for Study: There's so much to get stuck into with this film in terms of director Guillermo del Toro's auteur status, with Pan's Labyrinth both functioning as an ongoing exploration of the fantasy and horror genres and as a serious artistic meditation on issues relating to Spanish history, nationalism, and identity politics. Students will be able to examine the use of dual narratives, advanced editing techniques, and the often devastating juxtaposition of reality and fantasy throughout the film. If paired with, say The Left Hand of Darkness, there is also suitable scope for the exploration of gender and the use of speculative fiction to examine divisions between the masculine and feminine.
NESA Annotations: Found in the latest version of the Annotations for the 2019-2023 syllabus. Space is given to the text's function as a parable, its exploration of fascism and the human condition in the face of hardship, and del Toro's highly textured allusions to fairytales. Identified challenges include the way the film fits and reflects the magical realism genre, and its use of allusion and intertextuality.
Verdict: A wonderfully dark and evocative fantasy firmly grounded in a piece of history generally unknown to most people outside of Spain. I think this would be a rewarding film to teach, especially in connection to any of the other texts prescribed here - either as supporting material or a counterpoint. It's also the sort of film that will challenge students in a variety of welcome ways, be it the use of subtitles, its foreign context, or the adult treatment of the fantasy genre by one of its cinematic masters (I know this is off-topic, but if you're interested in this sort of thing then check out one of del Toro's earliest films, Cronos, for its unusual depiction of the vampire myth). Caution though - Pan's Labyrinth is rated MA15+ in Australia, which can be tricky in relation to the Code of Conduct and individual schooling contexts.
What is it: It is 1944, in the the dark days of post-Civil War Spain, and a young girl named Ofelia finds herself living with a new stepfather. This man, Vidal, is revealed to be a brutal fanatic in opposition to the rebels in the area who still fight on for freedom. Ofelia finds herself navigating a world increasingly filled with tragedy while she is simultaneously drawn into another, more fantastical world by a mythical faun. The Faun charges Ofelia with three magical quests, the reward for which will be immortality and passage to a magical kingdom, and the two worlds begin to bleed into one another.
Scope for Study: There's so much to get stuck into with this film in terms of director Guillermo del Toro's auteur status, with Pan's Labyrinth both functioning as an ongoing exploration of the fantasy and horror genres and as a serious artistic meditation on issues relating to Spanish history, nationalism, and identity politics. Students will be able to examine the use of dual narratives, advanced editing techniques, and the often devastating juxtaposition of reality and fantasy throughout the film. If paired with, say The Left Hand of Darkness, there is also suitable scope for the exploration of gender and the use of speculative fiction to examine divisions between the masculine and feminine.
NESA Annotations: Found in the latest version of the Annotations for the 2019-2023 syllabus. Space is given to the text's function as a parable, its exploration of fascism and the human condition in the face of hardship, and del Toro's highly textured allusions to fairytales. Identified challenges include the way the film fits and reflects the magical realism genre, and its use of allusion and intertextuality.
Verdict: A wonderfully dark and evocative fantasy firmly grounded in a piece of history generally unknown to most people outside of Spain. I think this would be a rewarding film to teach, especially in connection to any of the other texts prescribed here - either as supporting material or a counterpoint. It's also the sort of film that will challenge students in a variety of welcome ways, be it the use of subtitles, its foreign context, or the adult treatment of the fantasy genre by one of its cinematic masters (I know this is off-topic, but if you're interested in this sort of thing then check out one of del Toro's earliest films, Cronos, for its unusual depiction of the vampire myth). Caution though - Pan's Labyrinth is rated MA15+ in Australia, which can be tricky in relation to the Code of Conduct and individual schooling contexts.
Wonderful. Thanks Luke.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your thoughts, thanks Luke
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
ReplyDelete