ENCOUNTERING
CONFLICT
LYNETTE SMITH
Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
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WRITING IN CONTEXT
ENCOUNTERING CONFLICT
The Task
During the year you have completed 2 outcomes based on the area of
study Creating and Presenting
You have had to:
“Be able to draw on ideas and /or arguments suggested by a chosen
Context to create written texts for a specified audience and purpose; and
to discuss and analyse in writing their decision about form, purpose,
language, audience and context”
In the exam, you have to:
Section B requires students to complete an extended written response.
In your writing, you must draw on ideas suggested by one of the
following four Contexts.
Your writing must draw directly from at least one selected text that you
have studied for this Context and be based on the ideas in the prompt.
Your response may be an expository, persuasive or imaginative piece of
writing.
On the surface these are the same task and they are in the main, especially
in the area of writing
This task is about producing the best piece of writing you can that shows
that you have thought extensively about the concept of Encountering
Conflict and showing a knowledge of the texts you have studied and
been able to incorporate those ideas with your own into a considered
piece of writing.
But there are important and essential differences that you must be aware
of:
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 During the year you may have been given a selection of prompts by
your teachers to respond to –in the exam you have one unseen
prompt that may incorporate visual material
 During the year you had to draw on the ideas from a text—in the
exam you must draw DIRECTLY from at least one text
 During the year you had to provide a written explanation that
discussed you choices about audience, form etc—in the exam you
do not provide such a statement
All these small differences may seem unimportant but they are vital if
you wish to guarantee true success
What the differences mean?
 No written explanation means that you cannot explain what you are
trying to achieve—you must achieve it!
 If you are writing from different perspectives you must make it
obvious
 If you are writing a speech make it obvious from the start that it
is a speech and to whom you are speaking
 If you are writing a diary/journal etc make it clear
 If it is an expository essay, who is your audience and make it
clear
 Or do a combination of the above
You must make the link between your ideas and the text you are
referring to obvious—if you do write a statement it will be treated
like any plan by examiners—they are not read or considered
 Your response will one unseen prompt which may include some
visual material.—you have to read the prompt, understand its
underlying concepts and the “big idea” that links it to your study of
the context. Then you need to develop a piece of writing that shows
the assessor that you have considered the prompt. If you ignore the
prompt no matter how well you write you will not achieve a top
grade. As there is only ONE prompt –you must thoroughly revise
as many aspects of the context as possible
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 You must draw on a text –BUT NOT WRITE A TEXT ESSAY.
Many students used the prompt a starting off point to discuss the
text in an argumentative way as in part A. Now while this showed
excellent knowledge of the text it did not show understanding of
the context itself. Nor should the use of the text just be cursory so
you can write the essay you have done well in class. As the
examiner’s report says:
It is expected that the study of the texts forms the basis of a detailed
exploration of the Context. While many classrooms supplement the
study with a variety of other material, and this is a rich way to
develop an exploration of the central ideas in the Context, the more
specific aspects of the study of Context comes from the selected
texts. In the examination students who compose seemingly
gratuitous creative pieces or simply label one of their characters
‘Abigail’, ‘Blanche’ or ‘Holden’ have not fully examined or
explored the ideas of the text in relation to the prompt. They must
ensure that the connection between the piece of writing and the
nominated text is discernible and central in the ideas of their
pieces.
The most successful responses drew thoughtfully from the text;
however, the least successful only used a scene or a feature of
character in a superficial way or retold the plot of the text.
(Assessment report –VCAA website)
During the year, you would have been encouraged to explore and
discuss other examples of conflict from experiences in your own
life, to historical examples. And you are quite free to utilise any of
these ideas in your exam piece/ however there are no bonus marks
for outside sources/examples. An essay full of examples, no matter
how interesting will not do as well as an essay that explores and
answers the prompt
. Students who used more than one source to illustrate their ideas
often produced pieces with a strong sense of unity and purpose.
This cohesiveness was contrasted by pieces where one idea
followed the next as students went through their list of examples.
The product was more a plan for an essay than a thoughtful,
finished piece.
(Assessment report –VCAA website)
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So the key is to remember that assessors are looking for
 Quality of writing
 Handling of prompt
 Quality of ideas
These 3 ideas should form the basis of your piece
Often asked questions
Can I use outside information? Is it checked?
Yes--- but not to show off how much you know or how widely you have
read but as long as it is an essential part of your discussion of the topic.
You do not have to source this information.
Do creative responses earn more marks than expository?
No each piece of writing is marked on its own merits against the expected
qualities sheet.
Can I refer to a Part 1 text such as 12 angry men which would suit this
context?
While there are some great texts in Part 1 that have ideas that are
relevant to the context—do not use a part 1 text in your piece—it is too
easy to get off topic.
Do I need to use quotes?
It depends on the piece of writing—while a conversation between Hale
and Elizabeth Proctor may use some dialogue from the play, a speech to
parliament may draw on the ideas from Rug Maker, but not use actual
quotes—you need to show that you know the text but there are no
requirements as too how or how much.
Should I use more than one text as the basis of my piece?
There are no rules here—you don’t get bonus points for referring to more
texts—you are marked on how well you use the text you list on the front of
your script book.
Can I use ideas I have put in an essay before?
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Of course you can—but what you don’t want to do is learn an essay by
heart and try to make it fit the prompt. Lots of students had formulaic
introductions—set pieces they had learnt that often did not fit the prompt
and this detracted from their piece. Use ideas not essays!
Sample Prompts
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The Rug Maker
The Secret River
The Crucible
Paradise Road
You need to remember that the prompt must suit all four texts in the list
for this context therefore there will not be specific questions about world
war 2, Immigration policy, the McCarthy Senate hearings or the legal
aspects of land possession in early Australia
What you do need to have discussed, contemplated and written about
over the year is the big picture aspects of the context i.e. the universality
of the context
And remember the context is ENCOUNTERING CONFLICT—not just
conflict, so it is about how we as humans react to it as much about the
causes and consequences of conflict.
You are exploring the WHY—i.e. a piece that just gives examples, no
matter how detail will not do as well as a piece that explores WHY—i.e.
the concepts behind the prompt.
Causes of conflict
What is it that leads to conflict, is it really the lid off the toothpaste or is it
more? You need to have thought about WHY conflict even begins.
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Is it because as humans we need conflict
Is it is a natural part of our being as it is in the animal world,
Is it part of our selfish and self-centred natures?
Is it because we always fear what we don’t understand
Is it because we cherish our individuality yet we live in societies?
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Look at the texts
In the Rug maker, the conflict between the beliefs of the various political
groups in Afghanistan, the traditions of war and honor, the conflict
between Najaf as a refugee and the system in Australia, all reflect the
problems of differing beliefs and understanding.
In the Secret River, the conflict has two causes—the conflict between rich
and poor leading to Thornhill’s crimes and the conflict between Black
and White—both stemming from a need to be better than someone else
In the Crucible the conflict comes from the repression of the girls and the
jealousy and prejudice of the townsfolk against each other. Everyone felt
entitled to more
In Paradise Road, the conflict arises not only from the war, but from the
underestimation of the Japanese, the expectations of rules and the way
the women have to deal with their internal and external personality
conflicts.
Practice prompts
 Conflict is an inevitable part of being human
 Conflict can often begin from the smallest things
 Fear and ignorance are the greatest causes of conflict amongst
humans
 Often the cause of a conflict is just an excuse, for the conflict itself.
 Conflict comes from the behaviour we expect, in contrast with the
reality of our actions.
Types of conflict
In every text there are levels of conflict
 The personal—within oneself
 The interpersonal-between couples/families
 The community—in the local area/social circle
 The society—the large scale in which countries and societies work
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It is important in your revision to identify all these different types of
conflict and which are the triggers for the conflict in the text and which
ultimately causes the most damage
In the Rug maker, you have the conflict between the members of the
family, with Najaf himself about becoming a rug maker, the conflict of
the country itself, the struggle to escape and deal with being without his
family for years and even the conflict of how to react when eventually
“freed”
In the Secret River, there is the conflict between the authorities and the
Convicts and later the authorities and the Aborigines, the conflict
amongst those on the river about how to relate and deal with the
Aborigines, the tension between Sal and Will and eventually the conflict
in Will himself caused by his decision to take part in the massacre.
In the Crucible you have the conflict between the authority of the court
and the individuals who challenge it, the feuds between the families in
Salem as each feels there are factions against them, there is the conflict
amongst the girls, the Proctors and ultimately the conflict in Proctor
himself.
In Paradise road there is the conflict about survival, do you go the satin
sheet way, or lie like the doctor or challenge. There is the conflict
between the Dutch and the English, between the orchestra and the others
and the conflict within each woman herself.
Practice Prompts
 Personal conflict will always have more effect on a person than a
conflict in their community
 The conflict that damages us most is the one within ourselves.
 The powerful will always win in a conflict.
 It is often in the best interest of authorities to keep a conflict going
 Sometimes in conflict, the individual must be sacrificed for the
sake of the group.
 Any conflict is a struggle for power, in yourself or in the group.
What we need to survive/thrive in conflict
In each text we see characters who survive the conflict and others who
are lost. The question is what helps them? Is it religious values,
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friendship, humour, luck, better weapons, perseverance etc. In each text
for different people what helps them to survive needs to be looked at
In the Rugmaker—without hope for a better life and faith in that, Najaf
would not have survived. Others who gave up did not survive. Does
religious belief help or hinder the refugees and the importance of having
a purpose, even helping in the kitchen
IN Secret River, how important was family to Will’s need to survive, to
Sal how important was the thought of England` and family, to Blackwood
how important was secrecy?
In the Crucible, Elizabeth’s forgiveness was vital to John, to Hale it was
his fact about witches, to others it was their faith
In Paradise Road, the orchestra and the groups support and sense of
normality it gave were essential to survive in the surreal world of the
camp.
Practice Prompts
 It is luck more than anything that brings people through a conflict
 Honesty is not always the best policy.
 Revenge is the driving force behind our survival in times of
conflict.
 Without a sense of right , we cannot hope to survive our encounter
with conflict
 Hope will always bring you through any conflict.
Consequences of Conflict
It is interesting that often students tend to only think of the negative
consequences of conflict i.e. Conflict is only negative—however it is
important to note in all the texts there are encounters that have positive
outcomes even in the death of a character.
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Conflict gives humans the chance to revaluate their lives as it strips away
the “trappings of society” –is the rules and behaviour that binds us to
certain behaviour. When that is gone our souls are bare and we can grow
or be destroyed.
In the Rug maker, there is a positive ending with Najaf and his family
being reunited to lead a happy and prosperous life in Australia. Other
refugees weren’t as fortunate or the family members who stayed behind.
In the Secret River, the negative effects in terms of the loss of life,
disintegration of the family unit and the guilt felt by Will and Sal is
obvious. But here are also the positive aspects are less obvious—though
could the settlement of the land be both positive and negative depending
on the colour of your skin?
In the Crucible the loss of life, especially of figures like Rebecca Nurse
bought the town to its senses and lead to the end of the trials. So the
negative effects for a few bought about a positive effect for the larger
group
In Paradise Road, there are the women who survived, but also those like
MRS Potter and Daisy/Margaret who didn’t live but ended their lives
happy and maybe in a better place.
Practice Prompts
 The causes of a conflict are often less important than the outcomes
 Conflict affects not only the people involved but also their
descendants
 Encountering conflict can lead to positive as well as negative
results
 When encountering conflict ordinary people can do extraordinary
things
 Conflict will bring out the best and worst in man.
 When we encounter conflict we often encounter ourselves
 Conflict is an opportunity.
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Visual Prompts
You may be given a visual that supports a written prompt.
What do you do?
You treat as you would a written prompt—what issues is it rising about
the context—what ideas you can glean form it to assist you in creating
your own response
Prompt—sometimes the only way to deal with conflict is through
violence
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Prompt—Conflict is always on the horizon.
Prompt—Only the powerful will win in a conflict.
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Prompt—We can encounter conflict in the most inauspicious places
Prompt—Often we need to confront conflict head on
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Forms of Writing
Remember the instructions in the exam are:
“Complete an extended written response in expository, imaginative or
persuasive style.”
What is the difference?
Purpose
To explain, to
analyse, to
explore, to give
information
Forms
An essay, a
news article, a
research report
features
Often formal in
style, third
person though
may use first
person if
appropriate, lots
of detail,
research
Persuasive
writing
To persuade, to
argue, to sell, to
inspire
Letter to editor,
an editorial, an
opinion article, a
transcript of a
speech
Argues a clear
contention, uses
persuasive
language, can be
in third or first
person
depending on
the style, clear
identifiable
arguments
Imaginative
writing
To entertain, to
describe, to
reflect, to
explore
A narrative
A play script
A journal/diary
A monologue
A series of
letters
A missing scene
forma play/film
Depending on
the style will use
imaginative
language, slang,
dialogue, stage
directions etc
Expository
Adapted from Encountering Conflict by Susan Leslie and Michael Horne
p7
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Sample Pieces
Prompt: It is the consequences of conflict that are worse than the conflict
itself
Sample One
Scene winter outside the house of Goody Proctor 2 years after the death
of her Husband
Hale knocks and Elizabeth answers
Hale “Good E’en Goody Proctor. I hope I find you well?
Elizabeth “Why Reverend Hale, what brings you to Salem in this bitter
weather”
Hale” I have come to talk to you about the events of that horrible year. I
cannot sleep for the guilt of what I have done and need to talk to you, to
seek your forgiveness.
Elizabeth” Come in good Sir, you need not worry about the children
disturbing us I will put on a video to keep them quiet.
Sample Two
Let’s not repeat History
How can we continue to let children suffer for the mistakes of our
ancestors? How can we let those the system has failed before to keep
being victims of our misguided efforts to improve their lives? The recent
report from the UN into the lives of Aborigines in this country, have
found little has changed since Rudd’s momentous and long overdue
apology. Aboriginal children are still more likely to be in abusive homes,
more likely to leave school illiterate and innumerate and far more likely
to die in custody then any white child. We at the Herald Sun feel it is high
time that we acknowledge that we have not improved the lot of the
Aborigine in real terms since the white invasion of this country began.
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Prompt: After encountering conflict, survivors are forever shaped by their
experiences
Sample 1
Every day after school I went to my grandparents. Grandma was the
typical grandma. She smelt of pea and ham soup and was always
cleaning. And Grandpa well, he was scary. He sat in the corner of the
room in his rocking chair, but he never rocked. He just stared blankly into
the distance in to a place that no one else could see. Finally I asked
Grandma why he was so silent, so alone and she told me…
“It began in the war…..
Sample 2
Throughout history, individuals and communities have been affected by
social turmoil, wars and depravity. The survivors of such conflict are
faced with the challenge of re-establishing a sense of normality and are
often forced to create a new life. Conflict changes the way people think
about their lives, as the traumatic experience tests their prior values and
beliefs. Some people may be haunted by dark memories, guilt and shame
impairing their ability to lead a stable and satisfactory life. These
individuals may become disheartened and depressed and in effect are
destroyed by the conflict. Yet, on the other hand, some people might gain
insight and strength allowing them to recover more readily from
hardship. Positive changes can occur when suffering is viewed as a
learning experience. The emotional impact of conflict may diminish with
time, but in some way we are forever shaped by conflict.
SAMPLE 3
Individuals are often shaped by conflict. In the novel A Secret River, we
see how the relationship between Sal and Will Thornhill grows strong
through the conflict they face in England, but then is destroyed by the
conflict in Australia. We can see how Will himself is changed in the
conflict with the black man and finally we see how the Aborigines’ lives
will be forever changed by the arrival of the Whites.
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Ideas for Encountering Conflict responses
Prompt
Imaginative
When a person
encounters conflict , they
often encounter the truth
about themselves
Persuasive
Imaginative
ideas
 Dialogue between
Elizabeth/Hale and
Proctor in which
proctor explains
why he ripped up
his confession
 Monologue from
Thornhill in which
he reflects on why
he took part in the
massacre
 Speech given by an
historian about the
role of women as
heroes during the
war.
 Essay about the way
conflict holds up a
mirror to our souls
to let us see the truth
about ourselves—
based on Crucible
 Speech given to a
revision lecture on
the text and the way
the conflict makes
people such as
Parris/Hale etc
confront their
pretensions and
illusions

Often it is not the trigger
of a conflict that is
important but what keeps
it going

Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
Write a series of
diary entries from
Abigail from the
night before the play
begins until she
leaves exploring the
actual event and
then how she
utilises people’s
prejudices etc to
keep it going
Write the letters the
women would have
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written to their
families if they had
been allowed to—
take the role of one
of the minor
characters
Persuasive/Expository

Write a court
summary, reviewing
the evidence and
motives of the key
witnesses especially
people like George
Twist about what
happened on the
river and why.

Write an essay that
explores the reasons
for music being
significant to all
cultures and its
power to connect
people in a conflict.

Interview Sal
Thornhill about
what she knew and
how does she now
feel about it

Write the eulogy of
Giles Corey explain
how he is now a true
hero and why

Explore the concept
of selfishness in a
conflict—is what
Najaf did to leave
his family for so
long selfish or was
it noble.
Imaginative
People will do anything
to save themselves and
their loved ones in a
conflict
Persuasive/Expository
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Expected Qualities for the Mark Range – Section B
The extent to which the response:
9–10
• Demonstrates an insightful grasp of the implications of the prompt/stimulus
material, and perceptively explores its conceptual complexity using an appropriate
strategy for dealing with it.
• Achieves an assured, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form,
successfully integrating, in a sophisticated way, ideas suggested by the selected
text(s).
• Makes fluent and effective use of language.
8
• Demonstrates an insight into the implications of the prompt/stimulus material and
explores its complexity using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it.
• Achieves a controlled, cohesively structured piece of writing in an appropriate form,
effectively using ideas suggested by the selected text(s).
• Makes fluent and confident use of language.
7
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability
to explore some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy for dealing with it.
• Achieves a coherent piece of writing in an appropriate form, making some use of
ideas suggested by the selected text(s).
• Uses language accurately and appropriately.
6
• Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material and is able to work
with some of its ideas, using an appropriate strategy.
• Presents a generally organised piece of writing, in an appropriate form, drawing on
ideas suggested by the selected text(s).
• Uses language adequately and appropriately.
5
• Demonstrates an understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to
respond to some of its ideas.
• Presents a piece of writing with some organisation, demonstrating some
understanding of ideas suggested by the selected text(s).
• Uses language adequately and appropriately.
4
• Demonstrates some understanding of the prompt/stimulus material, and the ability to
respond to it.
• Presents a piece of writing with limited organisation and limited reference to the
selected text(s).
• Shows adequate language control.
3
• Demonstrates a limited awareness of the prompt/stimulus material.
• Presents a piece of writing with little organisation or reference to the selected text(s).
• Shows some language control.
1–2
• Demonstrates little or no awareness of the prompt/stimulus material.
• Presents a piece of writing with minimal reference to the selected text(s).
• Shows little language control.
0• Shows no awareness of the prompt/stimulus material and/or no attempt to respond
to the prompt/ stimulus material and/or only minimal control of language.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES--ARTICLES
LINKS TO THE TEXTS from ARTICLE BY Karen FORD
The Secret River
Who is the victim in The Secret River? Our first response would be to say the
Aborigines because they suffer at the hands of the white settlers. The conflict in the
novel is ‘fuelled’ by the arrogance and ignorance of the white settlers towards the
Aborigines and their way of life. The prompt asks us to consider the part ignorance
plays in any conflict.
Does ignorance mean arrogance or a lack of knowledge? This is an important
distinction to make before you start your response because your interpretation will
affect the evidence you provide. What if I were to suggest that Will Thornhill is as
much a victim as the Aborigines? How might he be regarded as a victim?
The uneducated and poor Will knows only of being an ‘apprentice’ and when poverty
strikes he takes the only path he knows – theft. The entrenched class system in
England does not provide for those like Will and Sal who must do anything they can
to survive. It is interesting that when Will steals the sugar he is criticised by Sal. This
initial difference in values follows them to Australia and the text continues to show
Sal and Will in conflict over their views. We cannot blame Will for his ignorance of
the class system of which he was a victim.
It is when Will and Sal arrive in the colony that the text really presents the different
types of conflict and the consequences of ignorance. The attitude shared by the
settlers is one common to many old Australian history books that focus on white
settlement and ‘first settlers’, ignoring the thousands of years of history and
settlement by the Aborigines.
Like many, Will thinks ‘All a person need do was find a place no one had already
taken. Plant a crop, build a hut, call the place Smith’s or Flanagan’s, and out-stare
anyone who said otherwise’. Will has no knowledge of the implications of his
claiming of his land by the Hawksbury and thus his ignorance becomes the source of
his, and others’ conflict. The massacre that eventuates is no surprise when fear, a lack
of understanding and an arrogance towards one’s standing come into play. In this
way, the ‘ignorance’ becomes based on arrogance – a choice not to learn and
understand others.
The Crucible
If you have studied The Crucible you would be aware of Arthur Miller’s links to
Salem and the witch hunts and the HUAC McCarthy hearings of the 1950s. However,
the text explores more than just the conflict between the ‘accusers’ and the ‘accused’.
Linking the prompt to this text gets you thinking about the different types of conflict
seen in the play. The idea that ‘ignorance’ fuels conflict is apt, as ignorance is masked
behind the Law and God.
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The fear that lies at the heart of the townspeople is based on a religious
fundamentalism in which God is seen as the determiner of one’s life. The presence of
God implies the presence of the Devil and the townspeople of Salem see His workings
in the young and vulnerable girls ‘who danced in the woods’.
John Proctor is also condemned because of his ‘weakness’. The idea that conflict can
be ‘fuelled’ by ignorance has a particular link to the play as Proctor cries ‘A fire, a
fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face…For them that quail to
bring men out of ignorance, I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in
all your black hearts that this be fraud – God damns our kind especially, and we will
burn, will we’ll burn together!’
It is ironic that Reverend Parris says ‘I am not blind; there is a faction and a party’ as
his greed and self-interest put him in conflict with his position as minister. He is
morally weak and openly divisive. He is a hypocrite and a coward – not qualities
linked to a good ‘man of God’. The conflict comes, not from within but because he
manipulates the townspeople into believing that piety equals obedience, ‘There is
either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!’
Again, it is essential that an understanding of ‘ignorance’ is clear within your writing.
This play presents ‘ignorance’ as faith and belief - a belief that God ‘will watch over
us’. Then there is the ‘ignorance’ of youth – that presented by the young girls,
including Abigail. Hale says to Tituba, ‘You are God’s instrument put in our hands to
discover the Devils’ agents among us.’ The fear of retribution that stems from a lack
of knowledge and maturity allows the elders to manipulate the young girls.
The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif
The obvious conflict presented in this text is that of war. While a solid response could
examine the nature of the war in Afghanistan, this prompt would require students to
think about the ‘ignorance’ within the text. How does the prompt link to this text?
Does the ignorance stem from an abuse of power by the Taliban? Could that been
interpreted as ignorance?
A better, more interesting approach for this prompt would be to look at Najaf’s arrival
into Australia and the issues he faces as an asylum seeker. As one who escapes the
terror in Afghanistan, Najaf finds himself interned in Woomera. In the opening
chapter he says, ‘We have come to Australia without invitation. We have jumped the
queue…I was not merely one of hundreds of down-at-heel nuisances from some
hellhole in Central Asia’
One of the many poignancies within this text is that not only must Najaf leave behind
his home, his family and everything that is familiar, but he must experience conflict in
the land that is supposed to offer him a sanctuary and a place ‘without bombs’.
Even within the camp the issue of conflict being ‘fuelled’ is demonstrated between
the refugees. Acknowledging that conflict is not only fuelled by ignorance, Najaf
says, ‘The husband can’t make the authorities hurry…So he gets into a bad mood, and
maybe there’s a fight, maybe somebody hits somebody else with a weapon, a piece of
wood, something like that.’
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What is revealed here is that fear, uncertainty and confusion can lead to conflict. The
wife says ‘Make them tell us when we can leave this place…The kids are going
crazy’. And so the conflict that emerges here is absolutely understandable. While
perhaps not ‘ignorance’ between refugees, one could argue that the lack of
understanding by the camp officials and the Australian Government forces people to
turn on each other.
The power of the text lies in its truth. Najaf says after this event, ‘But the officials
and guards don’t understand that when you live behind big fences, each day makes
you more desperate. Anger and sorrow build up and build up, and good sense begins
to starve to death.’ A successful piece of writing would explore and discuss the
psychological impact that internment can have on individuals.
Paradise Road
A powerful film that highlights the innocent suffer most in war, Paradise Road could
prove to be a challenging text to link to the above prompt. How might ‘ignorance’ be
the source of the conflict within this film? Perhaps if we defined ignorance to be the
choice not to learn about others, the choice not to allow others to live peacefully and
with others, we can start to see how the film could be discussed.
Even at the opening of the film, an ‘ignorance’ is revealed in the attitude of the
Westerners towards the Japanese. As the men at the table talk of the Japanese as only
being good for ‘tin toys and cameras’ it is the women who rebuff this attitude and
reveal their knowledge of Japan’s growing power and control in the Pacific.
Already the audience sees a conflict based on ignorance, and the reality is that it was
this very ignorance – and arrogance – that allowed the Japanese to enter World War II
and control much of the Pacific. The film also taps into the naive assumption by
Australia that the ‘Empire’ would defend Australia by sending British troops. History
reminds us that this ‘ignorant’ assumption by Australia resulted in a growing shift
away from the Empire.
This text should make an audience angry with the Japanese, but with those intent on
using war to control and oppress people. Beresford uses the women and their singing
to highlight how conflict can be averted if ignorance gives way to honesty, courage
and respect. As Margaret (Daisy) says, ‘I can’t bring myself to hate people’ even
though it would be understandable for her to do so. This attitude, combined with that
of Adrienne’s adherence to dignity and respect, allow them to rise above the horror
and brutality of the camp, and the ‘ignorance’ of those believing that war and power
are noble pursuits.
In linking the film to the prompt, the idea arises that a value in things superior to
‘ignorance’, arrogance and power can end conflict. This can be seen when Sergeant
Tomiashi sings for Adrienne in the forest. Even the ‘enemy’ can understand and
appreciate the beauty of music and therefore the two sides in conflict can be linked by
an appreciation or ‘knowledge’ of music.
.
Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
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The Crucible
 It must come out—my enemies will bring it out
 Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and honor of his
family had been smirched by the village and he meant to
right matters however he could.
 I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you
 These people had no ritual for washing away sins
 Proctor, respected even feared in Salem has come to
regard himself as a kind of fraud
 You loved me then and you do now
 We must look to the fields and boundaries of the time
 Let us rather blame ourselves
 He felt the pride of a specialist whose unique knowledge
had at last been publicly called for
 The most comical hero in history
 The magistrates sits in your heart that judges you
 She thinks to take my place
 The devil is alive in Salem
 Vengeance is walking Salem..common vengeance writes
the law
 A desire to undermine this court
 I cannot give you no name
 Private vengeance is working through the testimony
 More weight
 I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor
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RUGMAKER

I had every reason to feel dread, but instead my heart was lifted up and
Filled with hope.

All of us within listened to the screams with our heads bowed Some men
vomited where they stood. Others let their urine Rlow without shame.

It was necessary for me to recall that lesson very soon after – necessary to
remember that life is more and better than the dread it can cause you.
Old people know how to despair, but young men know how to hate.


But you do not want to live in a country ruled by people who never have
any doubts.

When you are a cripple, you notice for the First time how many people are
not…

This man’s heart has been torn into pieces, but because everyone has seen
broken hearts before and there’s nothing unique about such pain, he
Has to mutilate himself to show us all what it feels like.


…you have nothing to do and you feel as if you have no power and the
days drag on and on…

For hardship has been a big part of the pattern of life in my violent
homeland for not hundreds, but thousands of years.

For such men, individual honour and the honour of their tribe is so deeply
rooted
In their hearts that there is nothing on earth that they would not do to
preserve
it…



Then there are the unnecessary things, like ‘political part’ and ‘gun and
‘bomb.’ Isn’t it strange that the unnecessary things are the most
dangerous?

…the worst fights are about your country…

But the officials and the guards don’t understand that when you live
behind
Big fences, each day makes you more desperate. Anger and sorrow build
Up and build up and good sense begins to starve to death.


Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
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Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
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PARADISE ROAD
 And mine is in pineapples. Look girls we are just going to have to
get along
 If war has began the time for rules has ended. The aim is to win
 THE English don’t invite Jewish refugees to the cricket club
 Maybe no one has ever got my goat
 Faith very little we can do with it, nothing can be done without it
 In the circumstances more appropriate then red roses
 The worse they behave the sorrier I feel for them
 You’ll never get out of this now, we will never leave Sumatra
 I learnt a great deal in the campls. I learnt nothing in Singapore.
 You want me to give up food and soap and God knows what
else, so I can starve and sing?
 The will to survive is strong, stronger than
anything.
Encountering Conflict—Lynette Smith
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Acknowledgments and bibliography
I would like to acknowledge assistance with this lecture from
 Ross Huggard
 Karen Ford for her article published in the Age
 VCAA website—vcaa.com.au
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