English Standard the Shoe Horn Sonata Notes

English ( Standard ) The Shoe Horn Sonata NotesFriendship Point: Dramatic Friendship grows Technique out of adversity allows each person to see each other at their most vulnerable, this creates a closeness that can not be broken: Example/Quote Effect: What does the viewer understand know about the distinctly visual? Sacrifice for each other • Direct speech Sheila- ‘You were screaming. And he went and got the quinine. For you. He showed the tablets to me- and pointed to the barracks- where his mates were waiting’ In the background there is a noise of crickets The reader comes to understand that Sheila made a huge sacrifice for Bridie. The two women care for each other and Bridie constantly mothers Sheila, yet it is Sheila that makes the ‘grown up’ sacrifice that Bridie is not capable of making. Unlikely friends, yet they know each other very well • Direct speech • Line delivery Sheila- ‘Cartwrite is an Irish name. Mother wouldn’t have approved.’ Bridie- ‘”another stuck up pom” I thought. But I talked to her The two women are from different backgrounds and cultures as well as having completely different © • Line delivery • Sound affects (2012) All Rights Reserved 1 of 14 For more info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au • Direct speech • Line delivery • dash Birdie. That’s when I put my foot down.Hurt. they both know and understand each other very well and are very close. I have heard a somewhat convincing rumour that the Japanese army has surrounded to the Allies. after 50 years of silence Closeness and understanding Birdie mothers Sheila © anyway.sighing) ‘All right… (fondly). Said she wanted to ‘flat’ with some school chums.’ personalities. Despite this they learn to get along • Stage directions Stage directions: ‘SHEILA looks and BRIDIE with surprising intensity.but not with affection’ … ‘It is clear that there something is still going on between these two womeneven after fifty years’ seperation. There is tension between the two women that has stretched their friendship • Direct speech • Line delivery • Stage directions • Question Birdie.hscintheholidays. believe me. She fought at first but he soon leaned Birdie acted like a mother to Sheila as her own mother was not there and she had no one else to look after her. And you and I are free… would you care to join me in… celebrating peace?’ Despite the hardship that they have been through the two remain friends.‘She kicked a fuss. Which means. go to www. A child like herunsupervised. (With sincerity). Excuse me Miss Richards.I believethat the war is over.com.au .with Japanese all around. Sheila at first resisted this but later accepted Bridie as her friend (2012) All Rights Reserved 2 of 14 For more info.’ Bridie is hut after being ignored from Sheila for fifty years and wants to know why. ‘I was thinking. Bridie.au .who was in charge’ Survives the hardship © • Direct speech • Line delivery • Stage directions • Question (2012) All Rights Reserved 3 of 14 Sheila.visit?’ Despite everything they have been through they are still friends.hscintheholidays.com.‘(surprised) You mean.at Christmas.I might come and feed your chooks. they manage to remain close even after fifty years of separation For more info. go to www. you and I are English women.‘Die? Many women did… and quite a few went out of their mindsso the Japs took them of and killed them. They saw them as insignificant and weak. they believed the Japanese would have the same perspective. © (2012) All Rights Reserved 4 of 14 For more info. • Rhetorical question • Directs speech • Line delivery • elipsis Bridie. The Japanese attitude to women: The Japanese saw women as weak. ‘Get up! Stand up! Let the Japanese see you’re just women and children’ The British believe that women should be left alone.’ The Japanese expected sexual favours from the women who had no choice but to comply.hscintheholidays. go to www. They treated them badly. We do not run away from a few Orientals…’ English women saw themselves as superior to other races. as they were part of an empire • Direct speech • Line delivery • elipses Bridie.’ The Japanese had no problem killing the women. wanted sexual favours. putting them to work (not the same as the men’s work).Attitudes to Women Point Dramatic Technique Example/Quote Effect: What does the viewer understand know about the distinctly visual? The English • Line delivery attitude to women: • Direct speech The women are • Exclamation innocent and mark harmless and need to be protected and left out of the war. The Japanese saw them merely as objects. We had no choice but to go. • Ellipsis • Direct speech • Line delivery Sheila’s mum‘Sheila.au . starved them and left them to die. They saw them as inferior to them.com.‘Twelve army nurses were ordered to attend the opening night of this… glorified brothel. Ransacking everythingsearching for diaries.Histories attitude to women: History ignored their plight.com.’ To this day the women and children have still not received recognition for their ordeal during the war.‘They removed the remains of the army nurses but they left the women and children behind. Not even a cross survived the war. they only got one shilling for each day in the camp and could not ask for more). They have not been given the respect they deserve. There are more than 300 of them buried in that jungle. They wanted no record of what they’d been doing’ Any evidence of their struggle was removed so that no one would know how they struggled • Line delivery • Direct speech Sheila. Not a headstone or memorial anywhere. The government did not properly acknowledge what they went through or help them (e.g.their story has not been told properly or given respect. compared to the men injured at war who got a pension. © • Direct speech • Line delivery Bridie. go to www.au .hscintheholidays. (2012) All Rights Reserved 5 of 14 For more info.‘…the Japs began raiding our huts. ‘And on our four wobbly legs we went down to the village.‘On the soundtrack we hear lipstick Larry yelling from a stab Through acts of defiance and rebellion the women were able to keep moral high and hide their fear.‘And thenone wonderful morning Lipstick Larry comes strutting out to ‘tenko’.wearing some of our handiwork beneath his baggy shorts…’ Stage directions/voice over. • Direct speech • Line delivery Sheila. It allows them to rise above their captivity • Direct Speech • Line delivery • Ellipsis • Stage directions • Voice over Sheila. go to www.hscintheholidays.au .Survival Point Dramatic Technique Mutual support through bonds of friendship: © Example/Quote Effect: What does the viewer understand know about the distinctly visual? Bridie.‘fifty voices set us free’ The singing religious songs as a group provides them with hope through religion as well as uniting them in a group. Sometimes I dragged Sheila. And we could have never done that alone’ By keeping to together they are able to get through the war. They both support each other and make sure each of them survives.com. These rebellious acts helped them to survive through their harsh treatment • Direct speech • Line delivery (2012) All Rights Reserved 6 of 14 For more info. The main thing is we got there. Sometimes Sheila dragged me. ‘if she fell asleep. The chop-bone reminded them of their old life and they hoped that they might return to it. And orders you all to keep smiling’ Sheila.‘your emporer Mr Curtin sends his greetings.hscintheholidays.(fondly) We’d chew on this every night before bed.‘She hit me.au .of excruciating pain. They use laughter to prevent themselves from sobbing and loosing hope.‘Well they smiled all right. go to www. BRIDIE and SHEILA laugh’ Strength of character: Resourceful Courageous Heroic (Misto describes them as heroic) © • Direct speech • Line delivery Sheila quoting Japanese. We called it Old Reliable’ They both survived the war through positions that were symbols of hope.com.’ Bridie. • Direct speech • Line delivery • Stage directions • Conversation Sheila. • Line delivery • Direct Speech • Voice over Birdie. They also become more aware of how resourceful Birdie was and (2012) All Rights Reserved 7 of 14 For more info. That’s how’ The audience sees the significance of the show horn and as a result come to appreciate its symbolic worth. she’d have slipped away and drowned’ The interviewer then asked how Birdie kept Sheila awake Sheila.‘I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. They laughed to much they couldn’t control it… there was even laughter after bed timeinstead of the usual sobbing and quarrels’ The women use humour to lift moral and get them through the war. It was the bravest act I have ever seen’ Acts of bravery and courage played a major part in their survival.‘She kept on saying that we weren’t animals… and that she’d rather die than be treated like one.au .com. Sheila. go to www.‘Captain Siki stood on a box and shouted-‘The Geneva conference says: “All prisoners must have culture. They were concerned of what would happen at the end of the war if the allies realised how cruelly they had treated their women and children in direct violation of the Geneva convention. You women’s have just had yours.hscintheholidays. • Direct speech • Line delivery • Elipses Their survival depended on their ability to survive the harsh war crimes that the Japanese inflicted upon them © • Direct speech • Line delivery • Quoting (2012) All Rights Reserved 8 of 14 Sheila.”’ Nearing the end of the war the Japanese had realised that they were loosing.how strong her character was. For more info. If not for acts of courage like this many more would have died. As a result they decided to either wipe them all out so no one could ever find out what would happen or to treat them better. au . go to www. Lipstick Larry’s waiting. She is not able to have the childhood that she could have as she spent these years in a POW camp. This indicates how thermally she believed in the values entrenched in her by her parents and her upbringing Her sexual innocen ce • Direct speech • Line delivery • Stage directio ns • Dash Sheila(haunted) ‘Every night when I fall asleep. This has affected her for the rest of her life and she was unable to move on. She lost: Her teenage years Dramatic Technique Example/Q uote Effect: What does the viewer understand know about the distinctly visual? • Direct Sheila. and alone on the sea. (2012) All Rights Reserved 9 of 14 For more info.Loss of Innocence Point Sheila was just a teenager when she had to evacuate Singapore. • • • • © speech Line delivery Dash Descrip tion Symbol ism Her English values and pretentio us attitudes • Direct speech • Line delivery • Dash Sheila.com.and no one can Sheila was scared by her loss of sexual innocence in the POW camp.‘It was Friday night and there I wasdrenched.hscintheholidays. life threatening position yet she is still concerned about not having her gloves. He calls me and I go to him. without gloves.‘I remember these toys came drifting bytiny boats that really sailed and dolls with eyes that opened and stared’ The toys drifting by symbolise her childhood drifting away.’ Sheila is in a dire. Although she had seen the wounded (2012) All Rights Reserved 10 of 14 For more info. Had not seen much of the world before • Direct speech • Line delivery • Elipsis Bridie.change that’ Bridie willingly joined the nurse corp/army.au . Through this experience she lost her incense and became less naïve Sees a side of war that she was not expecting • Direct speech • Line delivery • Ellipsis Bridie. I’d never been further than Woy Woy. Her and Bridie lifting up the suitcase is symbolic of the way that together they are able to get rid of their baggage. Yet she was unprepared for the experience of being a prisnor of war.’ Bridie had not experienced the world before this.‘For the first time in months I started to long for quiet little Bridie was not expecting to be in actual danger in the war. but on their own this is not possible.com. she did not know what to expect. go to www. Birdie: © She was haunted the rest of her life and was unable to more on for the net 50 years • Stage directio ns • Symbol ism SHEILA reaches for the suitcase in time to help BRIDIE Sheila was unable to move on and get on with her life after the war. With the help of Bridie and the cathartic experience of going on the TV show she is able to move on.‘… I’d never been outside of Australia before.hscintheholidays. au .hscintheholidays. go to www.Chatswood …’ © (2012) All Rights Reserved 11 of 14 and dead she was just expecting to care for them.com. For more info. not become a prisoner of war. how can they shoot’” The British had a racist and pretentious view of the Japanese.com.hscintheholidays. They saw them as inferior and incompetent. If they can’t see properly. They decided that the appearance of there beaches and other superficial things were more important than the threat of the Japanese Bridie.‘No speech one thought the Japs • Line delivery would get within a coo-ee of us.au .‘”My dear.” he said.Imperialism/Colonialism Point British colonialism © Dramatic Technique They were unprepared for and unwilling to accept that Japan would invade • Direct British were arrogant etiquette in their attitude to Australians • Direct speech • Line delivery • Re telling of racist comme nt from a British officer (2012) All Rights Reserved Example/Q uote Effect: What does the viewer understand know about the distinctly visual? Bridie. They said barbed wire would spoil their beaches. An image is created of a snobbish British officer with snobbish attitudes 12 of 14 For more info. go to www. “They have got slanty eyes. So the English didn’t bother to fortify the shorelines. All of Singapore’s lights were fully ablaze when the Japanese bombers came’ The British did not see the Japanese as a threat at all. The Japanese imperialism © British handled the evacuation of their women and children badly • Direct speech • Line delivery Bridie.com. (2012) All Rights Reserved 13 of 14 For more info. the Japanese flag fades and we see photograph s of the Japanese invasion of Singapore’ …’It is a most disturbing sight. They waited until the last moment to evacuate everyone. go to www. So they waited till the last. They were a rising power that had the power and resources to invade Singapore • Stage directio ns • Slide show Stage Directions: As the chorus is sung.hscintheholidays. They just couldn’t believe that the far east would fall. For this photo has captured the very moment when the British empire teetered The Japanese had a large and powerful empire that was capable of defeating the British. Then they threw their wives and children onto anything that would float…’ The British refused to admit threat the Japanese were a threat. They did not ask the women and children what they wanted to do as they saw them as inferior.‘The British had refused to evacuate civilians.au . They were a rising power.till the Japs had landed in Singapore. and fell’ © Powerful fleet that sank the British fleet.‘I can still see those Zero’s flying over. they set up prisoner of war camps • Direct speech • Line delivery • Dash Bridie.au .in V formationtheir engines rattling our hospital windows. they saw it as shameful. execute their forces and set up POW camps. go to www. executed allied forces.’ The Japanese were far more powerful than anyone suspected.com. They believed that the women should have killed themselves rather than become prisoners (2012) All Rights Reserved 14 of 14 For more info. They had the power to attack the British. Attitude/cult ural philosophy that looked down on anyone who allowed themselves to be captured. This lead to war crimes • Direct speech • Line delivery • Exclam ation mark • Quote from Japane se Sheila‘they’d look at us and say ‘Mati! Marti’‘Dead! Dead!’ The Japanese saw the women as inferior because they had surrender.hscintheholidays. hundreds of them.