1. Distinctive Voices are created for different purposes.
How is this shown in your prescribed text and one other text of your own
choosing?
To answer this question effectively you had to do more than analyse the use of
distinctive voices in Harry Lavender and your related texts. You had to explain
WHY Marlele Day and other composers use distinctive voices.
Most people’s analysis was quite good and they could demonstrate how
distinctive voices were used in the novel and their texts. The difference
between responses here was that some responses were able to quote from the
text and explain clearly the features of a particular voice.
In your response it is important to link the purpose of the text with the main
idea of the text (i.e. good v. evil / feminist values). This is the intention of the
composer and your analysis should bear this out.
The WHY (the purpose) voices were used was more difficult. Here are some of
the reasons why Marele Day has used distinctive voices in Harry Lavender:
1. To engage the reader with interesting, authentic characters, often using
the voice to place them in society by age, occupation, gender, social
class etc. and to differentiate those characters.
2. To subvert the traditional hardboiled detective genre with a female
voice and therefore challenge both the patriarchy and stereotype.
3. To explain the relationships between characters by showing how a
characters voice can change depending upon who they are speaking
with.
4. To provide social comment particularly about corruption and Sydney
but also about gender relations.
5. To place the novel in a particular place in a particular time e.g. Sydney
in the 1980s.
Some issues with the responses:
1. Apart from engaging with the question effectively you must analyse
your core text in detail. At least 50% (more probably 66%) of your
response should be on Harry Lavender.
2. Use capital letters for the title of the book, and underline your text’s
title, and the names of people and places.
3. Be clear, use the terms of the question and answer it in your
introduction if you can.
4. Explain how a quote or example helps you to answer the question.