Is anybody doing Retreat From The Global? (1 Viewer)
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Dave2007
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No, I don't think so...
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I can guarentee you there's probably about 20 regular 'lurkers' and even more less-active lurkers, but whether they *say* anything is another matter (these days, more people are interested in leeching notes than actually having the guts to ask for help and share what they have) 
Come on guys... the more you talk, the more you share, the bigger your 'knowledge pool' is and the better your marks will be. Don't turn down the opportunity to talk to other people doing RFTG outside of your school - for any problem you have, you can bet someone here can answer it, or at least has the same problem so you won't feel so alone!
Come on guys... the more you talk, the more you share, the bigger your 'knowledge pool' is and the better your marks will be. Don't turn down the opportunity to talk to other people doing RFTG outside of your school - for any problem you have, you can bet someone here can answer it, or at least has the same problem so you won't feel so alone!
i am its gay. i had a teacher swap beginin of this term and my old teacher knew it inside out cauz he had taught it every yr but my new one is a dumb fat stupid person who knows nothing about anything in particular rftg! hate it and all its stupid texts!
absolutserenity
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Ooh my first post, and I'm posting about EE1...eww. Anyway, back on track. Yes, I'm one of the LUCKY ones who are doing RFTG. Yuck.
And I am absolutely stumped. I've got my half yearlies next week and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. The Shipping News is, as previously mentioned in other threads that I've read, an extremely long and horrid book. I think I read somewhere where glitterfairy said it was "absolute tripe" hahah.
But yeah, so I'm doing Heaney's poems, TSN and The Castle. We haven't started on The Castle yet, so the exam is going to be based on the poems and TSN. Which is horrible, because I'm finding it so hard to form my own "original" ideas about RFTG. I understand that it's not strictly anti-global, despite the fact that TSN almost screams out that the global is bad and should we continue to live in the global we'll all end up like Quoyle. "A damp loaf of a man." Ick. So how are we meant to form our own ideas and opinions when the text we are studying is trying to persuade us to think another way? What happens if we challenge this idea? Do we lose marks if we are anti-local? God, I'm confused. I hope somebody can help me sort this out. Before my exams. Lol. And an RFTG creative piece, what on earth? =S All that I can think of is the typical "retreating to the countryside", but my teacher warned us to steer clear of that idea. So what's original, yet easy to grasp?
Please, can somebody help? Haha. It would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
And I am absolutely stumped. I've got my half yearlies next week and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. The Shipping News is, as previously mentioned in other threads that I've read, an extremely long and horrid book. I think I read somewhere where glitterfairy said it was "absolute tripe" hahah.
But yeah, so I'm doing Heaney's poems, TSN and The Castle. We haven't started on The Castle yet, so the exam is going to be based on the poems and TSN. Which is horrible, because I'm finding it so hard to form my own "original" ideas about RFTG. I understand that it's not strictly anti-global, despite the fact that TSN almost screams out that the global is bad and should we continue to live in the global we'll all end up like Quoyle. "A damp loaf of a man." Ick. So how are we meant to form our own ideas and opinions when the text we are studying is trying to persuade us to think another way? What happens if we challenge this idea? Do we lose marks if we are anti-local? God, I'm confused. I hope somebody can help me sort this out. Before my exams. Lol. And an RFTG creative piece, what on earth? =S All that I can think of is the typical "retreating to the countryside", but my teacher warned us to steer clear of that idea. So what's original, yet easy to grasp?
Please, can somebody help? Haha. It would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
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Oh yes. The shipping news. That would be one of the prescribed texts which I refused to read in its entirety. I think I just managed to stop short of throwing it against a wall (that honour was bestowed upon another book, but that's another story).
Some people worship it, other people like me look at it and think 'how am I supposed to READ this?'. It's very rich in techniques and motifs and all that jazz, but it's hard reading, especially if you're more into light fiction. NB: What's TSN?
I'm assuming the course has changed a bit in the last few years, now that everyone's convinced they have to have a 'theory'. I don't know whether this merely pertains to the 'argument' (ie answering the question) or A Grande Theory but if it's the latter I think it would be unwise to be staunchy anti-local since a lot of the prescribed texts are noticably sympathetic to that side. I *do* think you have more choices with how you'd like to interpret the importance of the local to today's culture/society/whathaveyou though. Is it on the out, but to be remembered though 'global'/modern literature? Should we put more energies into sustaining it and having it try to 'co-exist' with global cultures? Is it not worth remembering for any other reason than unrealistic myth? I remember basing a lot of my arguments on Heaney research articules - probably worth pursuing.
Creative Piece... erk. "You have 40 minutes to write an original, thought-provoking piece about marginalised communities in the modern world. You must include at least 5 of the following motifs: blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah. You must also include or allude to at least 145 of the folloring multisyllable words: blahblah, blahblahblah, blahblahblaa, blahblahhh bla, blehblah, blahblahbleh, blahblehbleugh, blahblethy, blargh..." etc etc. Of course that's not what they ask you to do, but everyone's doing it. More importantly, all the people getting top marks are doing it, therefore everyone's doing it and it appears impossible to get good marks without following the sheep tail in front of you like any other good little HSC student.
Seemingly creative but likely overdone by now but what-the-hell ideas some of my schoolmates did were ones that left the reader hanging about which was more important (global or local) eg local person needing modern medicine to survive. I tried my hand at a 'lost in translation' type story once but didn't quite manage to pull it off.
and generally, thinking back to EE1 and all the crazy stuff it and the HSC asks you to do these days makes me say this:
*In An Emergency, Break Glass to Gain Access To Pre-Loaded Gun*
Good luck guys...!!!!
Some people worship it, other people like me look at it and think 'how am I supposed to READ this?'. It's very rich in techniques and motifs and all that jazz, but it's hard reading, especially if you're more into light fiction. NB: What's TSN?
I'm assuming the course has changed a bit in the last few years, now that everyone's convinced they have to have a 'theory'. I don't know whether this merely pertains to the 'argument' (ie answering the question) or A Grande Theory but if it's the latter I think it would be unwise to be staunchy anti-local since a lot of the prescribed texts are noticably sympathetic to that side. I *do* think you have more choices with how you'd like to interpret the importance of the local to today's culture/society/whathaveyou though. Is it on the out, but to be remembered though 'global'/modern literature? Should we put more energies into sustaining it and having it try to 'co-exist' with global cultures? Is it not worth remembering for any other reason than unrealistic myth? I remember basing a lot of my arguments on Heaney research articules - probably worth pursuing.
Creative Piece... erk. "You have 40 minutes to write an original, thought-provoking piece about marginalised communities in the modern world. You must include at least 5 of the following motifs: blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah. You must also include or allude to at least 145 of the folloring multisyllable words: blahblah, blahblahblah, blahblahblaa, blahblahhh bla, blehblah, blahblahbleh, blahblehbleugh, blahblethy, blargh..." etc etc. Of course that's not what they ask you to do, but everyone's doing it. More importantly, all the people getting top marks are doing it, therefore everyone's doing it and it appears impossible to get good marks without following the sheep tail in front of you like any other good little HSC student.
Seemingly creative but likely overdone by now but what-the-hell ideas some of my schoolmates did were ones that left the reader hanging about which was more important (global or local) eg local person needing modern medicine to survive. I tried my hand at a 'lost in translation' type story once but didn't quite manage to pull it off.
and generally, thinking back to EE1 and all the crazy stuff it and the HSC asks you to do these days makes me say this:
*In An Emergency, Break Glass to Gain Access To Pre-Loaded Gun*
Good luck guys...!!!!
CharmingNerd13
Member
Im doing retreat from the global, and it looks like im one of the few who actually enjoyed The Shipping News. My half yearly was on TSN and The Castle, and although I havent got my marks back yet, im thinking i didnt do so well in this one.
But i dont think the topic is that bad
But i dont think the topic is that bad
CharmingNerd13
Member
I lied. Got my marks back today. 23/25. 92% equal 1st, but 1st by myself overall
Dave2007
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Wow....my half-yearly on it isnt for another 12 days, I must seem relatively lucky. BUT I AM GETTING PISSED.
Did a practise exam for homework...only 18/25 for the essay, but kicked ass in the creative (23/25)...
The problem is that no one seems to know how to write the essays they want to read. This is what we have to do for each text (after defining our modern world in our own terms, the strict theory of the course, then constructing an argument related to the question and listing your texts in the intro):
Talk about the text, author and context generally. Then pick out passages that support your agument relating to the question about rftg. Use two quotes then discuss all the techniques within it to demonstrate this. Then intelligently relate this to a piece of theory on the paradigm it is meant to represent (after explaining the paradigm relating to the work's context). Then relate this to at least two other texts you've mentioned in your essay. Then show how all this answers the question, and move on to next text.
And you have to do that for 2 or 3 macleod stories, the shipping news (we havent done the castle yet) and 1 or 2 supplementary texts.
And they wonder why no one is getting decent marks?! None of the BOS resources have that level of arguement. Does anyone have anything written in this format they can send me for pre-exam memorisation?
Did a practise exam for homework...only 18/25 for the essay, but kicked ass in the creative (23/25)...
The problem is that no one seems to know how to write the essays they want to read. This is what we have to do for each text (after defining our modern world in our own terms, the strict theory of the course, then constructing an argument related to the question and listing your texts in the intro):
Talk about the text, author and context generally. Then pick out passages that support your agument relating to the question about rftg. Use two quotes then discuss all the techniques within it to demonstrate this. Then intelligently relate this to a piece of theory on the paradigm it is meant to represent (after explaining the paradigm relating to the work's context). Then relate this to at least two other texts you've mentioned in your essay. Then show how all this answers the question, and move on to next text.
And you have to do that for 2 or 3 macleod stories, the shipping news (we havent done the castle yet) and 1 or 2 supplementary texts.
And they wonder why no one is getting decent marks?! None of the BOS resources have that level of arguement. Does anyone have anything written in this format they can send me for pre-exam memorisation?
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That's not a "level" of argument, that's a style. And one I actually don't like... especially considering the fact it only supports a 'chunk' style analysis, which totally throws cross-text critical analysis out the window (a synthesised argument being one of the main requirements for a B4 mark). Additionally there appears to be overmuch emphasis on the student's "theory" as opposed to answering the question itself...
I don't know whether the course has changed much since 2004 but I doubt it has. And regardless of any 'theories' you have, I was taught that if you don't make answering the essay question the focus of your essay, it's not a good thing...
I don't know whether the course has changed much since 2004 but I doubt it has. And regardless of any 'theories' you have, I was taught that if you don't make answering the essay question the focus of your essay, it's not a good thing...
Dave2007
Member
Yeah I meant style not level...I never said I liked it or supported it, but its what our teachers have directly told us is needed...
You're saying its not at all for the HSC, and that may be the case, but thats not gonna help me pull up the assessment marks in the half-yearlies and trials...
But within what you said you are meant to compare the texts to each other...not as texts but in how they deal with the paradigms.
And yes on top of all this they still do mark you down if you don't "answer the question". I think your idea that everyone now has their own personal theory is just a device to use to answer the question?
You're saying its not at all for the HSC, and that may be the case, but thats not gonna help me pull up the assessment marks in the half-yearlies and trials...
But within what you said you are meant to compare the texts to each other...not as texts but in how they deal with the paradigms.
And yes on top of all this they still do mark you down if you don't "answer the question". I think your idea that everyone now has their own personal theory is just a device to use to answer the question?
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mmm
See, when I originally read your post I saw a mass of "write out theory"/"analyse text in relation to theory" then only at the end, "answer the question and move onto next text", and that freaked me out a little Not so much in the sense that that was what YOU were aiming for, but what the teachers were emphasising.
Far be it from me to contradict your teacher, though. I wish you the best of the luck
See, when I originally read your post I saw a mass of "write out theory"/"analyse text in relation to theory" then only at the end, "answer the question and move onto next text", and that freaked me out a little
Not so much in the sense that that was what YOU were aiming for, but what the teachers were emphasising.Far be it from me to contradict your teacher, though. I wish you the best of the luck