Growing up, I spent a lot of my time writing narratives and reading books. But as I got into high school, I started realising that I enjoyed English class more than other subjects, and my exploration into the world of literature began. It was here where I discovered a love for the eloquent flow of a sentence, or a character’s journey in a novel. And much to my surprise, I quickly found great satisfaction writing analytically about texts; this provided me with a real sense of pride. In year 10, I was welcomed into Mrs Gibbs’ small literature class, studying books such as The Longest Memory by Fred D’Aguiar. Because of this class, my drive for writing was accelerated, and I found examining the different features of texts so enjoyable. After year 10, I entered VCE Literature and have taken units three and four in 2021. In just this year alone, I have noticed how much my vocabulary, clarity and articulation have improved, and my enthusiasm for the subject continues to grow each day. I will be sad to get to the end of unit 4, but I know that I now have the skills and knowledge to earn a score I can be proud of on the exam. More importantly, this experience will enhance so many parts of my life going forward, and for that I am so grateful to have studied literature here at McKinnon.
Abby Humphreys, Year 12
When I first signed on for literature I thought it was just going to be another English class, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sure, there are still the essays and analysis of texts, but English is just not as ‘lit’ as literature if you’ll excuse the pun, old sport. I love the creative freedom literature brings; it’s something that you don’t necessarily get in a standard English class. Having the opportunity to look at a text through not only my eyes, but through the eyes of a feminist, Marxist or comedic genius gives real insight into what life was like way back when. It leads to some very open and often philosophical discussions (and sometimes arguments) usually alluding to the fact that in reality the author is just a depressed, closeted, white middle aged man who loves nothing more than to rage against societal norms, whilst simultaneously trying to prove to you that all your dreams are not worth chasing and that no one can be trusted in the cruel world we live in. But who doesn’t love the sound of that? Honestly, I’m Wilde about it.
Literature is the kind of class I don’t dread coming to; it’s a safe environment with great vibes coming from an amazing teacher and friends! Although A Single Man may have been my thirteenth reason, The Great Gatsby and The Importance of Being Earnest are both 10/10 volumes to study and I thoroughly enjoyed them. From Jay Gatsby’s favourite Marvel character (Green Lantern) to his least, (deadpool,) literature is without a doubt filled with the most ‘serious’ of storylines. But, more importantly, it is filled with the characters every lit student loves most; the ones you want to love, but love to hate. All up, literature is pretty cool and I’d seriously be missing out if I wasn’t part of the class.
Kara Sak, Year 11
I arrived in the Literature class within the middle of Term 1, right in the middle of their rigorous SAC preparation for A Single Man. Whilst I was exposed to a considerably intense environment, considering everyone in the class was solely immersed in their own preparation, I knew I would significantly love this class. Their commitment to the work and their ideas transcended the boundaries of the classroom, where such practices inhabited within me throughout my other subjects. I would exercise such dedication and commitment I saw in my Literature class within other classes I took. A fundamental principle of English Literature is the text we read. As such, I was considerably pleased that the literature we read was filled with rich ideas, ripe for analysing. Such ideas escaped the period they were set within their texts. They provided insightful relevance and understanding into the social issues prevalent within our society. For example, A Single Man, written by Christopher Isherwood in 1962, was a piece emphasising on the struggles homosexual’s have to endure within society. Though this text was written within the 20th century, the ideas within the text are undoubtedly relevant to our society today. Overall, I highly recommend doing English Literature. It will open your eyes to the world, and ultimately help refine your writing skills to a professional level.
Archie Redman, Year 11