(10/3) Practice Body Paragraphs

Structure Body 1 and 2

Opening Sentence: Outline how text 1 relates to the prompt

Supporting Idea 1: Outline connection between extract and prompt

·         Elaborate

·         Evidence to support point 1

·         Explanation of evidence in relation to thesis

Supporting Idea 2: Outline connection between the wider text and the prompt

·         Elaborate

·         Evidence to support point 2

·         Explanation of evidence in relation to thesis.

 

Sample Body 1 or 2

In the Happiest Refugee the fluid nature of fear is emphasized. In ‘The Happiest Refugee’ the character's source of fear initially stems from having a lack of a place to call home, however as the narrative develops the fear transitions to the threat of losing their home. In th extract the fear is heightened by emphasizing the potential for loss of their only possession. The boat. The ‘panicking ghosts’ are forced to ‘scramble to bail out’ the sea water that has invaded the ship. Attempting to salvage their final link towards a home and an identity. Their fear as ‘panicking ghosts’ stems from their desire to gain a home, and thus an identity. Moreover their scrambling to protect themselves against the ‘sinister, tumultuous black’ parallels the fear and trepidation they must face just to survive. The characters are forced to protect the few possessions they have in order to subsist. This fear drives the characters to protect their possessions throughout the text. After Tam leaves the family Anh becomes fearful of who he is as an individual. His fear of being an outsider and losing his place within society causes him to seek ‘an incredibly rich and varied form of wisdom.  The growth of Anh throughout the text emphasizes the notion that fear can extend not only from the risk of death but also from the risk of losing a part of the self. Throughout the text overcoming fear leads to a sense of hope and liberation and a process of self-discovery.

Structure Body 3

Explicitly compare/contrast how Texts 1 and 2 relate to the prompt.

·         Elaborate on text 1 (with evidence)

·         Compare/contrast with text 2 (with evidence)

·         Analysis of how both texts relate in different or similar ways in relation to the contention.

 

Sample Body 3

Both The Happiest Refugee and The Boat allude to the notion that fear is a key element in the human experience and employ an allegory of the asylum seeker journey to characterize how the experience of fear assists individuals in constructing a personal identity. The protagonists in both texts are forced to confront fear and through this experience learn the strength and perseverance that becomes central to the text. In The Happiest Refugee extract Anh is described as being ‘cradled in [his mums] arms.’ The passage eludes to the strength and protection we can gain through human relationships and how this strength can help individuals confront fear. Rather than being a ‘panicking ghost’ scrambling to ‘bail out’ a semblance of identity Anh is able to build strength, resilience and an identity as a Vietnamese Australian. Anh learns the power of the collective and through reinforcing strength and resilience establishing a foundation of character. Similarly in ‘The Boat’ Mai is able to draw on the strength instilled in the memories of her father in order to overcome the ‘enormous wall of black green water.’ This wall of water is symbolic just not of the physical fear the characters must overcome but the emotional fear that is crucial in building a strong resilient identity. Initially the meaning in Mai’s life ‘completely vanishes’ and she becomes overcome by the fear and adversity it is not until she finds meaning through the latent memories of her father that she is able to find meaning in protecting Truong and the catatonic nature of her journey. In essence, the texts explore the idea that irrespective of the nature of fear, it is crucial that it is overcome in order to construct a strong sense of identity.