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LITERATURE ATAR COURSE Year 11 syllabus

2013/29185v3

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This syllabus is effective from 1 January 2015.

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Syllabuses are formally reviewed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority on a cyclical basis, typically every five years.

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Content

Rationale ................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Aims .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Organisation .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Structure of the syllabus .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Organisation of content ................................................................................................................................................... 3

Progression from the Year 7–10 curriculum .................................................................................................................... 5

Representation of the general capabilities ...................................................................................................................... 5

Representation of the cross‐curriculum priorities ........................................................................................................... 6

Unit 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Unit description ................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Learning outcomes ........................................................................................................................................................... 8

Unit content ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Unit 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Unit description .............................................................................................................................................................. 10

Learning outcomes ......................................................................................................................................................... 10

Unit content ................................................................................................................................................................... 10

School‐based assessment ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Grading ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Appendix 1 – Grade descriptions Year 11 ................................................................................................................. 14

Appendix 2 – Recommended text lists ...................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix 3 – Glossary ............................................................................................................................................. 25

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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus

Rationale The Literature ATAR course focuses on the study of literary texts and developing students as independent,

innovative and creative learners and thinkers who appreciate the aesthetic use of language; evaluate

perspectives and evidence; and challenge ideas and interpretations. The Literature ATAR course explores

how literary texts construct representations, shape perceptions of the world and enable us to enter other

worlds of the imagination. In this subject, students actively participate in the dialogue of literary analysis and

the creation of imaginative and analytical texts in a range of modes, media and forms.

Students enjoy and respond creatively and critically to literary texts drawn from the past and present and

from Australian and other cultures. They reflect on what these texts offer them as individuals, as members

of Australian society and as world citizens.

Students establish and articulate their views through creative response and logical argument. They reflect on

qualities of literary texts, appreciate the power of language and inquire into the relationships between texts,

authors, readers, audiences and contexts as they explore ideas, concepts, attitudes and values.

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Aims The set of English courses aims to develop students’:

skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing

capacity to create texts for a range of purposes, audiences and contexts

understanding and appreciation of different uses of language.

In addition, the Literature ATAR course aims to develop students’:

ability to respond personally, critically and imaginatively to a range of literary texts drawn from

Australian and other historical, contemporary and cultural contexts and traditions

capacity to engage with and contest complex and challenging ideas in order to form their own

interpretations informed by a range of critical perspectives

capacity to reflect critically on connections and resonances between texts.

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Organisation This course is organised into a Year 11 syllabus and a Year 12 syllabus. The cognitive complexity of the

syllabus content increases from Year 11 to Year 12.

Structure of the syllabus The Year 11 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration, which are typically delivered as

a pair. The notional time for each unit is 55 class contact hours.

Unit 1

Unit 1 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of different ways of reading and creating literary

texts drawn from a widening range of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts. Students analyse the

relationships between language, text, contexts, individual points of view and the reader’s response. This unit

develops knowledge and understanding of different literary conventions and storytelling traditions and their

relationships with audiences. A range of literary forms is considered: prose fiction, poetry and drama. The

significance of ideas and the distinctive qualities of texts are analysed through detailed textual study.

Through the creation of analytical responses, students frame consistent arguments that are substantiated by

relevant evidence. In the creation of imaginative texts, students explore and experiment with aspects of

style and form.

Unit 2

Unit 2 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of intertextuality, the ways literary texts connect

with each other. Drawing on a range of language and literary experiences, students consider the

relationships between texts, genres, authors, readers, audiences and contexts. The ideas, language and

structure of different texts are compared and contrasted. Exploring connections between texts involves

analysing their similarities and differences through an analysis of the ideas, language used and forms of

texts. Students create analytical responses that are evidence‐based and convincing. By experimenting with

text structures and language features, students understand how their imaginative texts are informed by

analytical responses.

Each unit includes:

a unit description – a short description of the focus of the unit

learning outcomes – a set of statements describing the learning expected as a result of studying the unit

unit content – the content to be taught and learned.

Organisation of content Content descriptions in each unit in the Literature ATAR course are grouped under an organising framework

that presents key aspects of learning that underpin the course. The organising framework in the Literature

ATAR course is:

Texts in contexts

Language and textual analysis

Creating analytical texts

Creating imaginative texts

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The language modes

The processes of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing, also known as language modes, are

interrelated. Classroom contexts that address particular content descriptions will necessarily draw from

more than one of these modes in order to support students’ effective learning. To acknowledge these

interrelationships, content descriptions incorporate the processes of listening, speaking, reading (including

the interpretation of visual elements in prose fiction, poetry and drama texts), and writing in an integrated

and interdependent way.

Texts

Texts provide important opportunities for learning about aspects of human experience and about aesthetic

appeal. Teachers may select whole texts and/or parts of texts depending on units of study, cohorts and level

of difficulty.

‘Literary texts’ refer to past and present texts across a range of cultural contexts that are valued for their

form and style and are recognised as having enduring or artistic value. While the nature of what constitutes

‘literary texts’ is dynamic and evolving, they are seen as having personal, social, cultural and aesthetic value

and potential for enriching students’ scope of experience. Literary texts include a range of forms such as

novels, short stories, poetry and plays. Teachers may use other text types, for example, feature film,

documentary, critical essays, literature textbooks, literary glossaries and multimodal texts to supplement the

teaching of the literary forms mentioned.

Text requirements

Over the course of a year, students must have studied literary texts from poetry, prose fiction and drama.

Across the pair of units, students must study at least one novel.

It is also a requirement in the pair of units that students study a minimum of one Australian text: that is, one

novel or play or a selection of the work of one poet or a selection of Australian short stories.

Recommended text lists

This course has recommended text lists (refer to Appendix 2).

The text lists for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are recommended lists; they are the same lists of texts

that appear in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus as the prescribed lists. Teachers of the Literature ATAR

Year 11 course may refer to literary texts outside these lists as long as:

the text chosen assists in the teaching and learning of Literature ATAR Year 11 course content

students understand that the text chosen is not in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus prescribed lists

and therefore cannot be used in the Year 12 Literature ATAR course examination as a primary reference.

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Progression from the Year 7–10 curriculum This syllabus draws upon, develops and emphasises different knowledge, understanding, skills and processes

related to the strands of Language, Literature and Literacy used in the Year 7–10 curriculum. The emphasis

differs according to the nature of each subject. While each English syllabus places a different emphasis on

the three strands, each syllabus is expected to advance skills in each of the strands. The Literature syllabus

has as its primary focus, engagement with, and analysis of, literary texts.

Representation of the general capabilities The general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that will assist

students to live and work successfully in the twenty‐first century. Teachers may find opportunities to

incorporate the capabilities into the teaching and learning program for the Literature ATAR course. The

general capabilities are not assessed unless they are identified within the specified unit content.

Literacy

Literacy is important in the development of the skills and strategies needed to express, interpret, and

communicate complex information and ideas. In the Literature ATAR course, students apply, extend and

refine their repertoire of literacy skills and practices by establishing and articulating their views through

creative response and argument. They experiment with different modes, media and forms to create new

texts and understand the power of language to represent ideas, events and people.

Numeracy

Students use numeracy in the Literature ATAR course when they practise and apply the skills of interpreting

and analysing, comparing and contrasting, making connections, posing and proving arguments, making

inferences and problem solving as they create and respond to a range of texts. They draw conclusions from

statistical information and interpret and use quantitative data as evidence in analytical and imaginative

texts.

Information and communication technology capability

There are opportunities in literature to engage with information and communication technology (ICT)

through the use of digital texts and multimodal texts. In the Literature ATAR course, students discern the

quality of information and ideas presented in multimodal texts. They develop understanding of the relative

possibilities, limitations and consequences of using different forms of digital technologies to explore,

interpret and create literary texts. They consider the effects of the use of different media on meaning and

interpretation, particularly in new and emerging literary forms.

Critical and creative thinking

Critical and creative thinking is an integral feature of the study of and creation of texts in the Literature ATAR

course. Students analyse and evaluate issues and ideas presented in texts. In both thinking about and

creating their own texts, they recognise and develop arguments, use evidence and draw reasoned

conclusions. Students experiment with text structures and language features as they transform and adapt

texts for different purposes, contexts and audiences. Students use critical thinking when they use their

knowledge of language to analyse a range of texts in relation to their purpose, context, audience, structural

and language features, and underlying assumptions. They investigate the ways language is used to position

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individuals and social and cultural groups. Creative thinking enables students to apply imaginative and

inventive capacities in the creation of their own original works.

Personal and social capability

Students develop personal and social capability in the Literature ATAR course by enhancing their

communication skills, for example, through collaborative research, reflective practices and developing

empathy with and appreciation of the perspectives of others. Close critical engagement with texts assists

students to understand different personal and social experiences and perspectives. Students identify and

express their own opinions, beliefs and responses by interacting with a range of texts. Students work

collaboratively in teams and independently as part of their learning and research endeavours.

Ethical understanding

Through the study of the Literature ATAR course, students come to develop an increased understanding of

complex issues and the questions surrounding rights and responsibilities in our modern world. Students

develop greater empathy for the attitudes and opinions of others by interacting with and interrogating a

range of texts. Ethical understanding is explored through the selection of texts for study, for example, when

students engage with ethical dilemmas presented in texts, considering reasons for actions and implications

of decisions. They explore and question values, attitudes, perspectives and assumptions in texts, examining

how they are presented, their impact on audiences and how they are reflected in their own responses.

Intercultural understanding

In the Literature ATAR course, intercultural understanding encourages students to make connections

between their own experiences and the experiences of others. Through the study of contemporary texts,

texts from the past and texts from diverse cultures, students explore and analyse these connections.

Students understand and can express the interdependence of language, culture, identity and values,

particularly in the Australian context, and are able to appreciate and empathise with the cultural beliefs,

attitudes and values of others. They study how cultural concepts, beliefs, practices and perspectives are

represented in a range of textual forms and for a variety of purposes and audiences. They pay special

attention to the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Asian cultures to literature

in Australia.

Representation of the cross-curriculum priorities The cross‐curriculum priorities address contemporary issues which students face in a globalised world.

Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the priorities into the teaching and learning program for the

Literature ATAR course. The cross‐curriculum priorities are not assessed unless they are identified within the

specified unit content.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

The Literature ATAR course values the histories, cultures, traditions and languages of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Peoples, and their central place in contemporary Australian society and culture. Through the

study of texts, students are provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and appreciation of

the diversity of cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their contribution

to Australian society. The text lists for the Literature ATAR course include a selection of Aboriginal and Torres

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Strait Islander literature because it is often through the writings of Aboriginal authors that other

perspectives of history are taught.

Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia

There are strong social, cultural and economic reasons for Australian students to engage with Asia and with

the contribution of Asian Australians to our society and heritage. It is through the study of texts from Asia

that a creative and forward‐looking Australia can engage with our place in the region. Through story

articulated in a range of media, students may be provided with opportunities to develop understanding of

the diversity of Asia’s peoples, environments and traditional and contemporary cultures. Texts relevant to

this priority are included in the prescribed text lists for the Literature ATAR course.

Sustainability

The Literature ATAR course provides the opportunity for the development of informed and reasoned points

of view, discussion of issues, research and problem solving. In this context, teachers are encouraged to select

texts and issues for discussion connected with sustainability. Through analysis of texts, students may have

the opportunity to research and discuss this global issue and learn the importance of respecting and valuing

a wide range of world views.

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Unit 1

Unit description Unit 1 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of different ways of reading and creating literary

texts drawn from a widening range of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts. Students analyse the

relationships between language, text, contexts, individual points of view and the reader’s response. This unit

develops knowledge and understanding of different literary conventions and storytelling traditions and their

relationships with audiences. A range of literary forms is considered: prose fiction, poetry and drama. The

significance of ideas and the distinctive qualities of texts are analysed through detailed textual study.

Through the creation of analytical responses, students frame consistent arguments that are substantiated by

relevant evidence. In the creation of imaginative texts, students explore and experiment with aspects of

style and form.

Learning outcomes By the end of this unit, students:

understand how language, structure and stylistic choices are used in different literary forms

examine the ways in which contexts shape how a text is produced then received and responded to by

readers/audiences

create oral, written and multimodal responses that explore the structure and style of literary texts.

Unit content This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.

Investigate and reflect on different ways of reading literary texts, including:

the degree to which individual viewpoints, experiences and contexts shape readings of texts. A reading

of a text refers to a meaning that can be made of a text. In responding to a literary text, readers might

consider the context of the writer, the society and culture in which the text was produced, their own

experience of reading and their own way of thinking about the world

how the production and reception of texts is informed by an understanding of the conventions usually

associated with a genre

the differences between initial personal responses and more studied and complex responses

how there are different reading practices or strategies, such as reading with an emphasis on various

representations; or reading with a focus on different contexts; or reading intertextually, that is, reading

that focuses on connections between texts. Different reading strategies produce different readings.

Analyse distinctive features in literary texts, including:

how text structures, language features and stylistic elements shape meaning and create particular

effects and nuances, including through allusions, paradoxes and ambiguities

approaches to characterisation, including the use of archetypal figures, authorial intrusion, the

dramatisation of a character’s inner life and the use of interior monologue

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different narrative approaches, including multiple narrators, the unreliable narrator, the omniscient

narrator and the use of specific characters’ points of view

the use of figurative language, including simile, metaphor, symbolism, metonymy and synecdoche to

represent concepts; and rhetorical devices to shape texts, including irony, hyperbole and exclamation

the use of sound and visual devices in literary texts to create particular effects, including alliteration,

assonance, prosody, rhyme, imagery, typography, music, set design, properties and lighting.

Create analytical texts, including:

structuring arguments using relevant textual evidence

using appropriate linguistic, stylistic and critical terminology to respond to texts

using stylistic features to craft and articulate readings/interpretations

experimenting with different modes, media and forms.

Create imaginative texts, including:

developing connections between real and imagined experiences

drawing on knowledge and understanding of storytelling, style and the structure of texts

experimenting with aspects of style and form to achieve particular effects

reflecting on familiar and emerging literary forms for particular audiences and purposes.

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Unit 2

Unit description Unit 2 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of intertextuality, the ways literary texts connect

with each other. Drawing on a range of language and literary experiences, students consider the

relationships between texts, genres, authors, readers, audiences and contexts. The ideas, language and

structure of different texts are compared and contrasted. Exploring connections between texts involves

analysing their similarities and differences through an analysis of the ideas, language used and forms of

texts. Students create analytical responses that are evidence‐based and convincing. By experimenting with

text structures and language features, students understand how their imaginative texts are informed by

analytical responses.

Learning outcomes By the end of this unit, students:

understand how structural and stylistic choices and language patterns shape meaning in literary texts

investigate the interrelationships between texts, audiences and contexts

create oral, written and multimodal responses that draw on the conventions, connections and patterns

in texts.

Unit content This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.

Analyse and reflect on the relationships between authors, readers, texts and contexts,

including:

the ways in which texts are influenced by other texts and by contexts

the relationship between conventions of genre, audience expectations and interpretations of texts

how the choice and combinations of mode and form transform texts

the ways in which informed reading influences interpretation of texts

how readings are constructed as a result of the reading practices or strategies that readers apply and as

a result of readers relating the text to their understandings of the world. In this way, multiple readings of

a text are possible.

Compare and evaluate the form, language and content of literary texts, including:

the ways in which text structures, language features and stylistic choices provide a framework for

audiences’ expectations, responses and interpretations

the ways in which texts resemble and/or refer to other texts, including through parody, imitation,

appropriation and transformation; and the ways in which adaptations of earlier texts allow new insights

into original texts

how aspects of literary texts have been appropriated into popular culture

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the ways in which different literary forms may evolve by blending and borrowing conventions from other

texts and/or genres

the use of literary techniques, including poetic, dramatic and narrative structure and devices

the use of a combination of sound and visual devices in literary texts.

Create analytical texts, including:

organising viewpoints and arguments in different ways, for example, in essays, reviews and visual

presentations

using appropriate linguistic, stylistic and critical terminology to compare and contrast texts

selecting appropriate argument and evidence to support readings/interpretations

experimenting with different modes, media and forms.

Create imaginative texts, including:

integrating real and imagined experiences by selecting and adapting particular aspects of texts to create

new texts

using analysis of literary texts to inform imaginative/creative responses

transforming texts studied in one medium or genre to another for different audiences and purposes

reflecting on the significance and effects of variations to texts.

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School-based assessment The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Manual contains essential information on principles,

policies and procedures for school‐based assessment that needs to be read in conjunction with this syllabus.

Teachers design school‐based assessment tasks to meet the needs of students. The table below provides

details of the assessment types for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus and the weighting for each

assessment type.

Assessment table – Year 11

Type of assessment Weighting

Extended written response

This can include analytical, discursive and reflective responses in a number of forms, for example, long

essays, research assignments, feature articles or a collection of journal entries.

10%–20%

Short written response

This can include analytical, discursive and reflective responses in a number of forms, for example, short

essays, close readings, short responses to a series of questions or individual journal entries.

30%–40%

Creative production of a literary text

This can include writing in the three genres of poetry, prose fiction and drama, for example, poems, short

stories, scripts or the production of multimodal texts that make use of literary conventions.

10%–20%

Oral

This can include oral work in a number of forms, for example, speeches, tutorials, group discussions, panel

discussions or performances such as role play or readers’ theatre.

10%–20%

Examination

Typically conducted at the end of each semester and/or unit. In preparation for Unit 3 and Unit 4, the

examination should reflect the examination design brief included in the ATAR Year 12 syllabus for this

course.

20%–30%

Teachers are required to use the assessment table to develop an assessment outline for the pair of units

(or for a single unit where only one is being studied).

The assessment outline must:

include a set of assessment tasks

include a general description of each task

indicate the unit content to be assessed

indicate a weighting for each task and each assessment type

include the approximate timing of each task (for example, the week the task is conducted, or the issue

and submission dates for an extended task).

In the assessment outline for the pair of units, each assessment type must be included at least twice. In the

assessment outline where a single unit is being studied, each assessment type must be included at least

once.

The set of assessment tasks must provide a representative sampling of the content for Unit 1 and Unit 2.

Assessment tasks not administered under test/controlled conditions require appropriate

validation/authentication processes.

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Grading Schools report student achievement in terms of the following grades:

Grade Interpretation

A Excellent achievement

B High achievement

C Satisfactory achievement

D Limited achievement

E Very low achievement

The teacher prepares a ranked list and assigns the student a grade for the pair of units (or for a unit where

only one unit is being studied). The grade is based on the student’s overall performance as judged by

reference to a set of pre‐determined standards. These standards are defined by grade descriptions and

annotated work samples. The grade descriptions for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are provided in

Appendix 1. They can also be accessed, together with annotated work samples, through the Guide to Grades

link on the course page of the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

To be assigned a grade, a student must have had the opportunity to complete the education program,

including the assessment program (unless the school accepts that there are exceptional and justifiable

circumstances).

Refer to the WACE Manual for further information about the use of a ranked list in the process of assigning

grades.

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Appendix 1 – Grade descriptions Year 11

A

Demonstrates effective control, coherence and/or inventiveness in the use of language and language

features appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative

responses. Produces effective analyses of language and language features used in literary texts.

Demonstrates effective control and/or inventiveness in the use of generic conventions appropriate to the

task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Produces sound

analyses of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.

Demonstrates a strong understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal contexts affect the

reading of literary texts and the production of analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates a

strong understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.

Produces convincing readings of literary texts, demonstrating strong knowledge of the ways literary texts

connect with each other, and drawing on relevant evidence.

Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing a strong understanding of the relationship of

content to purpose and audience.

B

Demonstrates sound control of, and some experimentation with, language and language features

appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses.

Presents some discussion and some analysis of language and language features used in literary texts.

Demonstrates sound control of, and some experimentation with, generic conventions appropriate to the

task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some

discussion and some analysis of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.

Demonstrates a sound understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal contexts affect the

reading of literary texts and the production of analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates a

sound understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.

Produces logical readings of literary texts, demonstrating sound knowledge of the ways literary texts

connect with each other, with evidence to support reading.

Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing a sound understanding of the relationship of


C

Demonstrates adequate control of language and language features; attempts to use language

appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses.

Presents some description and some discussion of language and language features used in literary texts.

Demonstrates adequate control of some generic conventions appropriate to the task, the audience and

the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description and some

discussion of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.

Demonstrates adequate understanding of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts when reading

literary texts and producing analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates an adequate

understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.

Produces adequate readings of literary texts, demonstrating some knowledge of the ways in which

literary texts connect with each other, and using some supporting evidence.

Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing an understanding of the relationship of content to

purpose and audience.

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D

Demonstrates limited control of language and language features appropriate to the task, the audience

and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description of

language and language features used in literary texts.

Demonstrates limited control of generic conventions appropriate to the task, the audience and the

purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description of genre and

generic conventions used in literary texts.

Demonstrates limited understanding of the historical, social, cultural and personal contexts when reading

literary texts and producing analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates some

understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.

Attempts to produce readings of literary texts, with limited evidence and limited awareness of the ways

literary texts connect with each other.

Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing limited understanding of the relationship of


E Does not meet the requirements of a D grade and/or has completed insufficient assessment tasks to be

assigned a higher grade.

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Appendix 2 – Recommended text lists Texts are arranged into the three genres: poetry, drama and prose fiction.

Teachers should select texts that allow them to cover the content of the unit and to achieve the learning

outcomes.

Students are required to study at least one Australian text (i.e. one novel, or play, or a selection of the work

of one poet or a selection of Australian short stories) in each pair of units.

The lists of texts for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are recommended lists; these are the same lists of

texts that appear in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus as the prescribed lists. Teachers of Literature ATAR

Year 11 course may refer to literary texts outside these lists as long as:

the text chosen assists in the teaching and learning of Literature ATAR Year 11 course content

students understand that the text chosen is not on the Literature ATAR Year 12 prescribed lists and

therefore cannot be used in the Literature Year 12 ATAR COURSE examination as a primary reference.

Poetry texts

Where a poet’s name appears without a title text next to it, teachers may use any poetry publication by that

poet that is appropriate.

* Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk

Poet’s name/Editor(s) Title of Text

Adamson, Robert*

Angelou, Maya

Armitage, Simon

Barnes, J., and McFarlane, B.* Cross‐Country: A Book of Australian Verse. Richmond, Vic, Heinemann, 1988

Bishop, Elizabeth

Blake, William The Portable Blake. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1987

Brett, Lily*

Campbell, David*

Chapman, M., & Dangor, A. (Eds) Voices From Within. Johannesburg, Ad Donker, 1982

Chaucer, G. The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue

Cohen, Leonard Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs. New York, Knopf, 1994

Cole, R. (Ed.)* Lines to Time (4th ed.). Port Melbourne, Vic, Heinemann, 2007

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor

Collins, Billy

Colmer, J., & Colmer, D. (Eds) Pattern and Voice. Melbourne, Macmillan, 1981

Cosman, C., Keefe J., & Weaver, W. (Eds) The Penguin Book of Women Poets. New York, Penguin, 1980

Cummings, E.E.

Dawe, Bruce* Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954 to 2005. Melbourne, Pearson,

2006

Dennis, C.J.* The Sentimental Bloke

Dickinson, Emily

Dobson, Rosemary*

Dougan, Lucy* White Clay. Artarmon, NSW, Giramondo Publishing Company, 2008

Dransfield, Michael*

Duffy, Carol‐Ann

Dylan, Bob Lyrics: 1962–2001. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2002

Eliot, T.S. Selected Poems. London, Faber and Faber, 1982

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Frost, Robert

Gardner, H. (Ed.) The Metaphysical Poets. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1985

Gilbert, K. (Ed.)* Inside Black Australia. Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1988

Gray, Robert*

Goldsworthy, Peter*

Hamilton, E., & Livingston, J. (Eds) Form and Feeling (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1990

Hardy, Thomas

Harwood, Gwen* Gwen Harwood Selected Poems. Auckland, Halcyon Press, 2001

Harwood, Gwen* Gwen Harwood Selected Poems. Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001

Heaney, Seamus New Selected Poems 1966–87. London, Faber and Faber, 1990

Heaney, Seamus (Ed) Beowulf

Herbert, Zbiegniew

Hewett, Dorothy*

Horne, C., & O'Brien, M. (Eds) The Progress of Poetry. Melbourne, Heinemann, 1965

Hughes, Ted Selected Poems 1957–1981

Keats, John

Kinsella, John* The Silo: A Pastoral Symphony. Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,

1995

Lawrence, D.H.

Larkin, Philip

Leonard, John (Ed.) Seven Centuries of Poetry in English. Melbourne, Oxford University Press,

2004

McCauley, James*

McFarlane, P., & Temple, L. (Comps) Blue Light, Clear Atoms (2nd ed.). Sydney, Macmillan, 2006

McKenzie, J.A., & McKenzie, J.K. (Eds) The World's Contracted Thus. Richmond, Vic, Heinemann Educational, 1983

(out of print?)

Milton, John Paradise Lost

Moreton, Romaine

Mtshali, Oswald Sounds of a Cowhide Drum. Chicago, Third World Press, 1972

Murray, Les* New Selected Poems. Sydney, Duffy Snellgrove, 1998

Neruda, Pablo

O'Connor, M. (Ed.)* Two Centuries of Australian Poetry. Melbourne, Oxford University Press,

1996

Oliver, Mary New and Selected Poems: Volume One. Boston, Bacon Press, 1992

Parthasarathy, R. (Ed) Ten 20th Century Indian Poets. New Delhi: Oxford University Press India,

1990

Phillips, Glen and van Loon, Julienne

(Eds)*

2008 Lines in the Sand. Cottesloe, WA, Fellowship of Australian Writers

(WA)

Plath, Sylvia

Rich, Adrienne The Fact of a Door Frame: Selected Poems 1950–2001. New York, W. W.

Norton, 2002

Shakespeare, William The Sonnets

Silkin, Jon (Ed.) The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry. Camberwell, Vic, Penguin,

1997

Slessor, Kenneth*

Smith, Stevie

Soyinka, Wole

Stewart, M.* Poetry in Time. Melbourne, Nelson, 1982

Stow, Randolph*

Sutcliff, R. (Ed.) Beowulf. North Sydney, NSW, Random House, 2001

Thomas, Dylan

18



Tranter, John*

Wagan Watson, Samuel* Smoke Encrypted Whispers. St. Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,

2006

Walcott, Derek

Webb, Francis*

Whitman, Walt The Portable Walt Whitman. London, Penguin, 1977

Wordsworth, J., & Wordsworth, J. (Eds) The Penguin Book of Romantic Poetry. New York, Penguin, 2006

Wordsworth, William Selected Poems. London, Penguin, 2004

Wright, Judith* Collected Poems 1942–85. Sydney, Harper Collins, 1994

Yeats, W.B. Selected Poetry. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 2004

Ouyang Yu

Drama texts

In addition to the plays listed below, teachers may choose to use plays by Shakespeare, George Bernard

Shaw, Henrik Ibsen and any play belonging to Greek Tragedy or Greek or Roman Comedy. The editions of

plays used is also decided by the teacher.

*Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk

Playwright/Editor(s) Title Publication details

Albee, Edward The Zoo Story [Anthology title: The

American Dream and Zoo Story]

New York, Plume, 1997

Albee, Edward Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? New York, Penguin, 1983

Beckett, Samuel Waiting for Godot London, Faber, 2006

Bennetto, Casey* Keating! Contact Casey Bennetto's agent, Michael

Lynch, at Smartartists Management

www.smartartists.com.au/main.html

Beynon, Richard* A Shifting Heart Melbourne, Angus & Robertson 2003

Bovell, Andrew* Holy Day Sydney, Currency Press, 2001

Bovell, Andrew* Speaking in Tongues New York, Dramatists Play Service, 2004

Brecht, Bertolt The Caucasian Chalk Circle UK, Methuen, Student Edition, 1984

Brecht, Bertolt The Good Person of Szechuan London, Methuen, 1985

Cawley, A.C. (Ed.) Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays London, Orion, 1993

Chekhov, Anton The Cherry Orchard Methuen, 1978, or Penguin Classic, 1959.

Chekhov, Anton Three Sisters London, Methuen, 1988

Chi, Jimmy* Bran Nue Dae Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1991

Churchill, Caryl Top Girls London, Methuen, 1984

Cooper, G., & Wortham, C.

(Eds)

Everyman Crawley, WA, UWA Press, 1980

Coward, Noel Blithe Spirit London, Methuen, 2002

Cribb, Reg* The Return Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2003

Davis, Jack* No Sugar Sydney, Currency Press, 1986

Davis, Jack* Kullark/The Dreamers Sydney, Currency Press, 1982

Davis, Jack* Barungin, Smell the Wind Sydney, Currency Press, 1989

Enright, Nick* Blackrock Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1996

Frayn, Michael Noises Off New York, Anchor, 2002

Frayn, Michael Copenhagen London, Methuen, 2003

Friel, Brian Translations London, Faber, 1981

Gow, Michael* Away Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1990

Hwang, David Henry M.Butterfly Longman,1988

Kaufmann, Moises The Laramie Project New York, Dramatists Play Service, 2001

19



Lawler, Ray* Summer of 17th Doll [Anthology title:

The Doll Trilogy]

Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2001

Mamet, David Oleanna London, Methuen, 1993

Mamet, David Glengarry Glen Ross London, Methuen, 1993

Marlowe, Christopher Doctor Faustus [Anthology title: Doctor

Faustus and Other Plays]

Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 10998

Miller, Arthur The Crucible New York, Penguin, 1976

Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman New York, Penguin, 1998

Miller, Arthur A View from the Bridge London, Penguin, 1987

Milroy, David* Windmill Baby [Anthology title:

Contemporary Indigenous Plays,

Vivienne Cleven et al.]

Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, c2007

Milroy, David Waltzing the Willara Sydney, Currency Press, 2011

Murray‐Smith, Joanna* Honour Sydney, Currency Press, 1995

Murray‐Smith, Joanna* Ninety Sydney, Currency Press, 2009

Murray‐Smith, Joanna* The Female of the Species 2006

Murray‐Smith, Joanna* The Gift Sydney, Currency Press, 2012

Nicholls, Peter A Day in the Death of Joe Egg London, Faber, 2001

Nowra, Louis* Inside the Island Sydney, Currency Press, 1981

Nowra, Louis* Cosi Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1994

Oxenburgh, Dickon and

Ross, Andrew*

The Merry‐Go‐Round‐in‐the‐Sea NSW, Currency Press, 2006

Rankin, Scott and Purcell,

Leah*

Box the Pony Sydney, Hodder Headline, 1999

Rayson, Hannie* Hotel Sorrento Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2002

Shaeffer, Peter Amadeus New York, Samuel French, 1993

Shaeffer, Peter Equus New York, Samuel French, 1973

Shepard, Sam True West New York, Samuel French, 1981

Soyinka, Wole A Dance of the Forests [Anthology title:

Collected Plays]

Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 1973

Soyinka, Wole Death and the King’s Horseman London, Methuen, 2006

Stoppard, Tom Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are

Dead

London, Faber, 1973

Stoppard, Tom Arcadia London, Faber,1993

Synge, John Millington Playboy of the Western World London, Methuen, 2006

Thomas, Dylan Under Milkwood London, Penguin, 2000

Thomson, Katherine* Diving for Pearls, Sydney, Currency Press, 1992

White, Patrick* The Season at Sarsaparilla [Anthology

title: Plays of the 60s: Volume 1]

Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1998

Wilde, Oscar The Importance of Being Earnest and

Other Plays

Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin Classics, 2000

Wilde, Oscar An Ideal Husband [Anthology title: The

Importance of Being Earnest and Other

Plays]

Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin Classics, 2000

Williams, Tennessee The Glass Menagerie London, Penguin, 1988

Williams, Tennessee Cat on a Hot Tin Roof New York, Signet, 1958

Williams, Tennessee A Streetcar Named Desire New York, Signet, 1986

Williams, Tennessee Sweet Bird of Youth New York, Dramatists Play Service, 1992

Williamson, David* Dead White Males Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1995

Williamson, David* Flatfoot Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2004

Williamson, David* The Removalists Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1984

20



Williamson, David* Emerald City Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1987

Williamson, David* The Club Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1978

Williamson, David* The Perfectionist Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1983

Williamson, David* Don’s Party Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1973

Winton, Tim* Rising Water Sydney, Currency Press, 2012

Winton, Tim* Shrine Unpublished as of September, 2012

Prose fiction texts

Short stories/anthologies/writers

Where a short story writer’s name appears without a title next to it, teachers may use any short story by

that writer that is appropriate.


Author/Editor(s) Title Publication Details

Adams, Glenda* The Hottest Night of the Century Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1988

Astley, Thea*

Bail, Murray* The Drover’s Wife and Other Stories? Melbourne, Text Publishing, 1998

Baynton, Barbara* Collected Short Stories

Bennett, B. Cowan, P. and

Hay, J. (eds)*

Spectrum One Melbourne, Longman, 1970

Bennett, B. Cowan, P. and

Hay, J. (eds)*

Spectrum Two Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1970

Cline, C.L., (ed.) The Rinehart Book of Short Stories,

(alternative ed.)

Rinehart, 1952, (OP)

Coffey, B.R., (ed.)* Decade Fremantle Arts Centre, 1982

Disher, Garry (ed)* Personal Best Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1997 (out of

print?)

Drewe, Robert* The Bay of Contented Men Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001

Drewe, Robert* The Rip Camberwell, Vic, Penguin Books Australia, 2008

Garner, Helen* My Hard Heart: Selected Fictions Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1998

Garner, Helen* Postcards from Surfers Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1996 (out of print?)

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins The Yellow Wallpaper

Gordimer, Nadine Once Upon A Time (1989)

published in Jump and Other Stories

New York, Penguin, 1992

Grenville, Kate*

Ikin, V. (Ed.)* Glass Reptile Breakout and other

Australian Speculative Stories

Perth, UWA, 1990

Jennings, W.R. (Ed.) Sixteen Modern Short Stories Pitman, 1982

Jolley, Elizabeth*

Kafka, Franz

Kavanagh, Michael and

Kavanagh, Mary (Eds)

Reading the Signs* Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 2003

Lawrence, D.H.

Lawson, Henry*

Lessing, Doris

Lahiri, Jhumpa The Interpreter of Maladies: Stories London, Flamingo, 2000

Lord, M. (Ed.)* The Penguin Best Australian Short

Stories

Penguin, 1991

Mansfield, Katherine

21


Author/Editor(s) Title Publication Details

McElheny, H., and Moffett, J.

(Eds)

Points of View Mentor, 1966

Mellor, B. and Martino, W.* Gendered Fictions Cottesloe, WA, Chalkface Press, 1995

Mellor, B. and Patterson, A.* Investigating Texts Cottesloe, WA, Chalkface Press, 1996

Mellor, B. Patterson , A. and

O’Neill, M.*

Reading Fictions

Scarborough, WA, Chalkface Press, 1991

Mellor, B., O'Neill, M., and

Patterson, A.*

Reading Stories Perth, Chalkface Press, 1988

Mistry, Rohinton Tales from Firozsha Baag

Moon, B.* Studying Literature Scarborough, WA, Chalkface Press, 1990

Morgan, Wendy* Borderland

Naipaul, V.S. Miguel St. Penguin, 1971

Orwell, George

Poe, Edgar Allan

Phillips, Glen and van Loon,

Julienne (Eds)*

Lines in the Sand Cottesloe, WA, Fellowship of Australian

Writers (WA), 2008

Saki

Scott, B. (Ed.) Impressions on a Continent Heinemann, 1983

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander

Tlali, Miriam Footprints in the Quag: Stories and

Dialogues from Soweto

Cape Town, David Philip Publishers, 1989

Winterson, Jeanette

Winton, Tim* Minimum of Two Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1998

Winton, Tim* The Turning Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2006

Wolfe, Tobias The Night in Question New York, Random House, 1997

Novels


Author/Editor(s) Title Publication details

Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart London, Penguin, 2006

Adiga, Aravind White Tiger India, Harper Collins, 2008

Ali, Monica Brick Lane New York, Scribner, 2003

Allende, Isabelle Eva Luna London, Penguin, 1995

Allende, Isabelle The House of Spirits New York, Random House, 1985

Allende, Isabelle Of Love and Shadows London, Black Swan, 1988

Andric, Ivo The Bridge on the Drina University of Chicago Press, 1977

Angelou, Maya I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings New York, Bantam, 1997

Astley, Thea* A Kindness Cup Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1989

Astley, Thea* Drylands Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2000

Astley, Thea* It's Raining in Mango Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1989

Atwood, Margaret Oryx and Crake London, Bloomsbury, 2003

Atwood, Margaret Surfacing New York, Anchor, 1998

Atwood, Margaret Cat’s Eye New York, Anchor, 1998

Atwood, Margaret The Blind Assassin London, Virago, 2001

Atwood, Margaret The Penelopiad Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2005

Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid's Tale London, Vintage, 1996

Austen, Jane Northanger Abbey London, Penguin Classics, 2003

Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice London, Penguin Classics, 2003

Austen, Jane Persuasion London, Penguin, 2006

Boll, Heinrich The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum London Vintage Classics, 2000

22



Boll, Heinrich The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum Minerva, UK, 1993

Broderick, Damien* Striped Holes Port Melbourne, Vic, Mandarin, 1990

Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre London, Penguin, 2006

Bronte, Emily Wuthering Heights London, Penguin, 2006

Camus, A. The Outsider London, Penguin, 2000

Camus, Albert The Plague London, Penguin, 2000

Carey, Peter* Bliss Melbourne, Vintage, 2005

Carey, Peter* The True History of the Kelly Gang Melbourne, Random House, 2005

Carey, Peter* Illywhacker Melbourne, Random House, 2005

Carey, Peter* Oscar and Lucinda Melbourne, Random House, 2005

Chatwin, Bruce On the Black Hill London, Vintage, 2005

Chevalier, Tracy Girl with a Pearl Earring New York, Penguin, 2003

Chopin, Kate Awakening and Other Stories London, Random House, 2005

Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace New York, Penguin, 2005

Coetzee, J.M. Waiting for the Barbarians London, Vintage, 2004

Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness London, Penguin, 2000

D’Aguiar, Fred The Longest Memory London, Vintage, 1995

Deane, Seamus Reading in the Dark London, Vintage, 1997

Desai, Kiran The Inheritance of Loss London, Hamish Hamilton, 2006

Dickens, Charles (Any title)

Drewe, Robert* The Drowner Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001

Emchetta, Buchi Second Class Citizen New York, George Braziller, 2002

Faulkner, William As I Lay Dying New York, Random House, 2000

Fitzgerald, F.S. The Great Gatsby London, Penguin, 2000

Flanagan, Richard* The Sound of One Hand Clapping Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 1998

Foer, Jonathon Safran Everything Is Illuminated USA, Houghton Mifflin, 2002

Foer, Jonathan Safran Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close London, Penguin, 2006

Forster, E.M. A Passage to India London, Penguin, 2005

Fowles, John The French Lieutenant’s Woman London, Vintage, 2004

Franklin, Miles* My Brilliant Career Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 2001

Fugard, Athol Tsotsi Melbourne, Text Publishing, 2006

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel One Hundred Years of Solitude London, Penguin, 2001

Gardam, Jane Old Filth London, Chatto & Windus, 2004

Garner, Helen* Monkey Grip Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1995

Goldbloom, Goldie* The Paperbark Shoe Perth, Fremantle Press, 2010

Golding, William The Inheritors London, Faber, 2005

Goldsworthy, Peter Maestro Melbourne, Harper Collins, 1995

Grenville, Kate* Joan Makes History St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,

2002

Grenville, Kate* The Secret River Melbourne, Text Publishing, 2006

Hardy, Thomas The Mayor of Casterbridge London, Penguin, 2003

Hawthorne, Nathaniel The Scarlet Letter New York, Random House, 2000

Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell to Arms London, Vintage, 1999

Hemingway, Ernest Fiesta London, Vintage, 2000

Herbert, Xavier* Poor Fellow, My Country North Ryde, NSW, Collins/Angus & Robertson,

1990

Hesse, Hermann Siddhartha London, Pan Macmillan, 1998

Hesse, Hermann The Glass Bead Game London, Ebury Publishing, 2000

Hesse, Hermann The Prodigy London, Peter Owen, 2002

Hosain, Attia Sunlight on a Broken Column New York, Penguin, 1989 (out of print?)

23



Hospital, Janet Turner* Charades St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,

2003

Huxley, Aldous Brave New World New York, Harper Collins, 2006

Jolley, Elizabeth* The Well Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1987

Jolley, Elizabeth* Miss Peabody’s Inheritance St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,

1984

Jones, Gail* Sixty Lights London, Vintage, 2005

Jones, Gail* Dreams of Speaking Melbourne, Random House, 2006

Jones, Gail* Sorry North Sydney, NSW, Vintage Books, 2007

Jones, Lloyd Mr Pip Auckland, Penguin, 2006

Kafka, Franz Metamorphosis [Anthology title:

Metamorphosis and Other Stories]

London, Penguin, 2007

Keneally, Thomas* Bring Larks and Heroes Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1989

Keneally, Thomas* Towards Asmara Sydney, Hachette Livre, 2002

Kenneally, Thomas* The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Melbourne, Harper Collins, 2004

Kingsolver, Barbara The Poisonwood Bible New York, Harper Collins, 2005

Kingston, Maxine Hong The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a

Girlhood Among Ghosts

New York, Random House, 1989

Kneale, Matthew English Passengers London, Penguin, 2001

Lawrence, D.H. Sons and Lovers London, Penguin, 2006

Lazaroo, Simone* The Australian Fiance Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2001

LeGuin, Ursula The Left Hand of Darkness London, Little, Brown Book Group, 1981

Levy, Andrea* Small Island Sydney, Headline, 2004

Lewis, Janet The Wife of Martin Guerre London, Penguin, 1996

Malouf, David* Fly Away Peter London, Vintage, 1998

Malouf, David* An Imaginary Life London, Vintage, 1999

Malouf, David* Ransom Vintage, 2010

Malouf, David*. Remembering Babylon London, Vintage, 1994

Martel, Yan The Life of Pi Edinburgh, Canongate Books, 2003

McEwan, Ian The Child in Time London, Vintage, 1997

McEwan, Ian Saturday London, Vintage, 2006

McEwan, Ian Atonement London, Jonathan Cape, 2001.

McGahan, Andrew* The White Earth St Leonards, NSW, Allen & Unwin, 2005

McGahern, John Amongst Women London, Faber, 2000

Mitchell, David Black Swan Green London, Hodder & Stoughton, 2006

Modjeska, Drusilla* The Orchard Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 1995

Morrison, Toni Beloved London, Vintage, 1999

Ondaatje, Michael The English Patient London, Picador, 1992

Orwell, George Nineteen Eighty‐Four London, Penguin, 2004

Patchett, Anne Bel Canto New York, Harper Collins, 2005

Potok, Chaim The Chosen London, Penguin, 1975

Pritchard, Katharine

Susannah*

Coonardoo Pymble, NSW,HarperCollins, 2002

Pullman, Philip Northern Lights London, Scholastic, 2007

Rand, Ayn The Fountainhead London, Penguin, 2007

Rhys, Jean Wide Sargasso Sea London, Folio Society, 1993

Roy, Arundhati The God of Small Things London, Harper Collins, 1998

Rushdie, Salman Midnight’s Children London, Vintage, 2006

Schlink, Bernard The Reader London, Orion, 1998

Scott, Kim* True Country Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,

1993

24



Scott, Kim* Benang Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,

1999

Scott, Kim* That Dead Man Dance Australia, Picador, 2010

Scourfield, Stephen* Other Country Allen and Unwin, 2007

Shelley, Mary Frankenstein Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1992

Silvey, Craig* Jasper Jones Crows Nest, NSW, Allen and Unwin, 2009

Silvey, Craig* Rhubarb Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,

2004

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich London, Penguin, 2000

Stead, Christina* The Man Who Loved Children Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1994

Stead, Christina* For Love Alone Bondi Junction, NSW, ETT Imprint, 1999

Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath London, Penguin, 2000

Steinbeck, John Tortilla Flat London, Penguin, 2000

Steinbeck, John Cannery Row London, Penguin, 2000

Stevenson, R.L. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde London, Penguin, 2006

Stow, Randolph* The Merry‐Go‐Round in the Sea New York, Morrow, 1966

Stow, Randolph* To the Islands St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,

2002

Swift, Jonathon Gulliver’s Travels London, Penguin, 2003

Toibin, Colm The Blackwater Lightship London, Pan Macmillan, 2000

Toibin, Colm The Heather Blazing London, Pan Macmillan, 2001

Tolstoy, Leo Anna Karenina London, Penguin, 2006

Wells, H.G. Island of Doctor Moreau London, Orion, 2004

Wharton, Elizabeth The Age of Innocence Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1989

Wharton, William Birdy New York, Knopf, 1992

White, Patrick.* A Fringe of Leaves London, Vintage, 1997

Wilde, Oscar The Picture of Dorian Gray London, Penguin 2006

Winton, Tim* Breath London, Picador, 2008

Winton, Tim* An Open Swimmer Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1998

Winton, Tim* Cloudstreet Melbourne, Penguin, 1992

Winton, Tim* The Riders Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2004

Winton, Tim* Dirt Music Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2004

Wood, Charlotte* Submerged Cathedral Melbourne, Random House, 2004

Woolf, Virginia To the Lighthouse Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1992

Woolf, Virginia Jacob’s Room London, Penguin, 1992

Woolfe, Sue* Leaning Towards Infinity Melbourne, Random House, 1999

Zusak, Marcus* The Book Thief South Yarra, Vic, Pan Macmillan, 2005

25


Appendix 3 – Glossary This glossary is provided to enable a common understanding of the key terms in this syllabus.

Aesthetic A sense of beauty or an appreciation of artistic expression. For example, some

poems might be aesthetically pleasing because of their sound, rhyme and rhythm

and those poems might or might not be intellectually pleasing as well, depending

on the meaning readers take from them. If we appreciate the way a text has been

put together, for example, its language, its style, its tone, its use or adaptation of

generic conventions etc., then we are possibly focusing on the aesthetic qualities

of the text. If we focus on the meaning or the theme or the ideology or our

reading of the text, then we are possibly focusing on the intellectual rather than

the aesthetic. Of course, many would argue that the aesthetic and the intellectual

are inseparable.

Appreciation The act of discerning the quality and value of literary texts.

Attitude A stance regarding a situation, idea, character, event or issue. For example, an

author or audience may be supportive of, disinterested in or antagonistic towards

something or someone.

Audience The group of readers, listeners or viewers that it is presumed that the writer, or

speaker is addressing. Audience includes students in the classroom, an individual,

the wider community, review writers, critics and the implied audience.

Author The composer or originator of a work.

Context The environment in which a text is produced or received. Context can include the

general social, historical and cultural conditions in which a text is produced or

received or the specific features of its immediate environment. The term is also

used to refer to the wording surrounding an unfamiliar word that a reader or

listener uses to understand its meaning.

Convention An accepted practice that has developed over time and is generally used and

understood, for example, the use of specific structural aspects of texts to develop

meaning. Conventions often come to be associated with particular genres.

Critical perspectives Critical perspectives are formed by students when they make meaning from

literature by engaging with aspects of the text(s) studied. In the Literature ATAR

course, students discuss and debate aspects of texts, establishing their views

through logical argument. Students reflect on the aesthetic qualities of literary

texts, appreciate the power of language and inquire into the relationship between

texts, authors, readers, audiences and contexts, thereby forming their own critical

perspectives. Critical perspectives can be informed by various reading practices

and strategies.

Dialogue Dialogue refers to the conversation between two characters in a literary text.

Dialogue also refers to the process by which readers engage with texts over time.

In the construction of meaning, readers are in a dialogue or conversation with the

text.

Discourse In general terms, the term, ‘discourse’ refers to the language or terminology used

in the discussion of a subject or field of study. For example, the terms defined in

this glossary belong to a literary discourse; laws about contracts belong to a legal

discourse; a debate about the best ways to remove a skin cancer belongs to a

medical discourse. Within literary theory, it is argued that meaning is constructed

26


through discourse, that nothing has any meaning outside of discourse. Every idea

belongs to at least one discourse. For example, it would be reasonable to conclude

that some ‘nature’ poems and their themes belong to a discourse of ecological

sustainability. Discourses are involved in the distribution of social power, favouring

different people, institutions and ideologies. For example, a discourse condoning

the expansion of an empire favours some people and institutions over others; it

has a very different language and ideology from a post‐colonial discourse.

Figurative language Word groups or phrases used in a way that differs from the expected or everyday

usage. They are used in a non‐literal way for particular effect

(for example, simile – ‘white as a sheet’; metaphor – ‘all the world’s a stage’;

personification – ‘the wind grabbed at my clothes’).

Forms of texts The shape and structure of texts (for example, poetry, novels, short stories, plays).

Genre The categories into which texts are grouped. The term has a complex history

within literary theory and is often used to distinguish texts on the basis of their

subject matter (for example, detective fiction, romance, science fiction, fantasy

fiction), form and structure (for example, poetry, novels, short stories and plays).

This Literature course uses the term ‘genre’ to mean prose fiction, poetry and

drama. Within those genres are other genres or ‘sub‐genres’ for example, in prose

fiction: crime fiction, romance, or the epistolary novel; in drama: absurd theatre,

comedy and tragedy; in poetry, forms like elegy, sonnet and ode.

Ideology A system of attitudes, values, beliefs and assumptions.

Intertextuality The process by which a reader makes connections between texts,

for example, texts read previously and the text being read at present. Readers

might see connections in terms of the representations of ideas or groups of

people; in terms of the generic conventions used; in terms of the language, form

or style; in terms of the ideologies promoted; or in terms of the plots or characters

or themes. Some texts allude to others, sometimes directly, sometimes subtly.

While reading one text, readers might notice resonances with another text. By

reading intertextually, we can examine how a text might position readers by

inviting them to draw on ways of thinking they have encountered in other texts.

Language features The features of language that support meaning, for example, sentence structure,

noun group/phrase, vocabulary, punctuation, figurative language. Choices in

language features and text structures together define a type of text and shape its

meaning. These choices vary according to the purpose of a text, its subject matter,

audience and mode or medium of production.

Language patterns The arrangement of identifiable repeated or corresponding elements in a text.

These include patterns of repetition or similarity (for example, the repeated use of

verbs at the beginning of each step in a recipe, or the repetition of a chorus after

each verse in a song). The patterns may alternate (for example, the call and

response pattern of some games, or the to and fro of a dialogue). Other patterns

may contrast (for example, opposing viewpoints in a discussion, or contrasting

patterns of imagery in a poem). The language patterns of a text contribute to the

distinctive nature of its overall organisation and shape its meaning.

Marginalise Alienate the views of, or underplay the significance of groups or individuals.

27


Medium The resources used in the production of texts, including the tools and materials

used (for example, digital text and the computer; writing and the pen or

typewriter or tablet; the resources and materials used in creating live theatre; the

technologies involved in recording and transmitting performances). Put more

simply, live theatre is a different medium from television which is a different

medium from the printed page.

Mode The various processes of communication: listening, speaking, reading/viewing and

writing/creating. Modes are also used to refer to the semiotic (meaning‐making)

resources associated with these communicative processes, such as sound, print,

image and gesture.

Multimodal text A text that combines two or more communication modes (for example, print,

image and spoken text, as in computer presentations). A multimodal literary text is

a multimodal text that is predominantly literary, for example, in its use of literary

conventions, its tone or its style. A multimodal literary text could also be referred

to as a literary text that is multimodal, as per the definition of ‘multimodal’.

Multiple readings A literary text is open to interpretation, can be read in a number of ways,

depending on the reading strategies that readers are employing. In that sense,

because different reading strategies are being used by different readers, then

multiple readings of the text are possible. For example, if the reader focuses on

the representation of gender in a text then that might lead the reader to certain

conclusions, for example, the text is ‘politically incorrect (or correct)’, ‘feminist’ or

‘chauvinist’. Another reader might focus on class, for example, the class to which

the writer belonged and the effects that had on the construction of the text; such

a reading might focus on the representation of class in the text that privileges one

class over another or that objects to the treatment of a class by the wider society.

A third reader might focus on the writer’s adherence to or adaptation of

conventions of a genre; and on the writer’s choice of language and the implied

ideologies of that language. Three very different ‘readings’ of the same text might

be created and each would be assessed on its merits. A single reader might also be

able to create more than one reading of a text, for example, by explaining, “One

reading of the text is that…..” and “Another reading of this text might be that….”

Narrative A story of events or experiences, real or imagined. In literary theory, narrative

includes the story (what is narrated) and the genre (how it is narrated).

Narrative point of view The position or vantage‐point from which the events of a story seem to be

observed and narrated to the reader. For example, the narrator might take the

role of first or third person; omniscient or restricted in knowledge of events; and

reliable or unreliable in interpreting what happens. Some texts have multiple

narrators and therefore, of course, multiple narrative points of view.

Naturalise If writers or texts frequently represent an idea or group of people in a certain

stereotypical way, then readers might assume that that’s the way things are.

Readers might jump to the conclusion that it is ‘natural’ to think of that idea in

that way or for that group of people to behave that way. For example, if

Australians are always represented as uneducated and loudmouthed, then readers

might come to expect those characteristics of Australians or Australian characters

in texts. The characteristics have become ’naturalised’. When we assume that a

particular representation of a group of people is ‘natural’ or that their behaviour is

‘natural’, we are probably forgetting that their behaviour is ‘cultural’, as in

belonging to a particular culture or sub‐culture and that there is nothing ‘natural’

about it at all. See Moon’s chapter on the culture/nature binary.

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Perspective The way a reader/viewer is positioned by the author through the text, or how a

particular ideology is embedded in a text, for example, a feminist perspective. The

term ‘perspective’ may also refer to the ideological perspective, the values and

attitudes that the reader brings to the text; and it may refer to the reading

practice or ‘lens’ used to read the text, for example, a feminist perspective,

a post‐colonial reading practice, a Marxist perspective, a psychoanalytical reading

of a text.

Point of view An opinion or viewpoint.

Reading strategies/reading practices

Reading strategies (reading practices, ways of reading) are ways readers make

meaning of texts. Often a reading strategy will involve paying attention to the

context of the writer, the language of the text, its generic conventions and/or the

context of the reader. When a reader focuses on the representation of gender,

class, race/ethnicity, cultural identity or other representations or combinations of

these representations, then the reader is employing a reading strategy.

Representation In literary texts, words, phrases or sentences that re‐present (as opposed to

‘reflect’) reality. For example, we can refer to the representation of ‘women’ in a

text; or the representation of ‘love’; or the representation of ‘pre‐war Australia’.

Resonances Aspects of texts that resound or echo for readers.

Rhetorical devices Language techniques used in argument to persuade audiences

(for example, rhetorical questions, repetition, propositions, figurative language).

Standard Australian English The variety of spoken and written English language in Australia used in more

formal settings, such as for official or public purposes, and recorded in

dictionaries, style guides and grammars. While it is always dynamic and evolving, it

is recognised as the ‘common language’ of Australians.

Stylistic choices The selection of stylistic features to achieve a particular effect.

Stylistic features The ways in which aspects of texts (such as words, sentences, images) are

arranged and how they affect meaning. Style can distinguish the work of individual

authors (for example, Jennings’ stories, Lawson’s poems), as well as the work of a

particular period (for example, Elizabethan drama, nineteenth‐century novels), or

of a particular genre or type of text (for example, recipes, scientific articles,

play‐by‐play commentary). Examples of stylistic features are narrative viewpoint,

structure of stanzas, juxtaposition, nominalisation, alliteration, metaphor and

lexical choice.

Text structure The ways in which information is organised in different types of texts

(for example, chapter headings, subheadings, tables of contents, indexes and

glossaries, overviews, introductory and concluding paragraphs, sequencing, topic

sentences, taxonomies, cause and effect). Choices in text structures and language

features together define a text type and shape its meaning. Examples of text

structures in literary texts include sonnets, monologues and hypertext.

Transformation Changing the form or shape of a text, for example, by appropriation, adaptation,

subversion or parody.

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Types of texts Classifications of texts according to the particular purposes they are designed to

achieve. These distinctions are neither static nor discrete and particular texts can

belong to more than one category.

Analytical texts

Texts whose primary purpose is to identify, examine and draw conclusions about

the elements or components that make up other texts. Analytical texts develop an

argument or consider or advance an interpretation. Examples of these texts

include commentaries, essays in criticism, reflective or discursive responses and

reviews.

Discursive texts

Texts whose primary purpose is to engage the reader in a non‐fictional or

expository manner but which may digress from one subject to another and which

are not as formal or methodical as analytical texts. Such texts could include

feature articles and journals.

Imaginative texts

Texts whose primary purpose is to entertain or provoke thought through their imaginative use of literary elements. They are recognised for their form, style and artistic or aesthetic value. These texts include novels, traditional tales, poetry, stories, plays, fiction for young adults and children, including picture books, and multimodal texts such as film. Persuasive texts Texts whose primary purpose is to put forward a point of view and persuade a

reader, viewer or listener. They form a significant part of modern communication

in both print and digital environments. They include advertising, debates,

arguments, discussions, polemics and essays and articles.

Reflective texts

Texts whose primary purpose is to reflect on texts and ideas but in a less formal

way than an analytical essay. Such texts could include a series of journal entries

about a literary text or a single piece reflecting on what one hoped to achieve in a

creative production.

Voice In the literary sense, voice can be used to refer to the nature of the voice

projected in a text, for example, ‘authorial voice’ in a work of prose fiction, the

voice of a persona in a poem or the voice of a character in a monologue.

Useful references include:

M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms

Deborah Appleman, Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents

Chris Baldick, The Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms

Martin Gray, A Dictionary of Literary Terms

Jeremy Hawthorn, A Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory

Brian Moon, A Glossary of Literary Terms

The New Princeton Encyclopaedia of Poetry and Poetics

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