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Emma Sheaves

Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences Common Module Rubric:

Module Specific NotesHuman Experiences: Knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed encountered or undergone. When people respond to experiences emotionally, behaviours can become unpredictable – this causes paradoxes, anomalies and inconsistencies. Individual Experience: An experience encountered by an individual person, usually unique and challenged by personal factors.

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Emma Sheaves Shape the way individuals respond to different circumstances Impact: can have changes in our assumptions about the world and people around us; we can ingest new ideas and have these open to new vistas if productivity and performance. o Can reflect and build on these experiences to ensure they are even more meaningful Collective Experience: Experiences undertaken by communities or groups, usually influenced by common interests and can be globally recognisable. • Many instances, e.g. war, poverty, completing high school etc • •

Categories of Human Experiences: Physical • Individuals often seek to test themselves against nature, others experience physical phenomena’s through trials and rituals Experience o E.g. being integrated into a community, or extreme sports, explorations into the harshest conditions, space • Can also change the way people see the world and others because of the chemical changes these experiences have on the body and mind • Are often challenges and celebrated, but can also offer challenges if the experience was negative (e.g. accident, disease etc) • Often collective and public p thus, have permeated our societies in both their execution and how they are perceived Physiological • Psychological experiences are tied into many of the abstract ideas Experience that people experience and can lead to a discussion of what is normal psychology • Humans have attempted to alter their psychology through a variety of experiences o Simple level: drug that changes the persons or groups perspective on reality § E.g. Alcohol or Marijuana o Cultural groups also use various substances to share group experiences • When taken too far, this search for a new psychological experience can be harmful (e.g. addiction) Emotional • Eight basic emotions: o Fear, anger, sadness, joy, happiness, disgust, trust, Experience anticipation • Emotions are the strongest drivers of human experience and form lasting aspects of any experience • People have all sorts of extreme behaviours under the influence of emotions and these experiences are often the ones recorded and those which influence us the most Intellectual • The concept of an intellectual experience is linked to decisions and experiences we have based on analysis and logic rather than the Experience emotional choices • Affected the way we as humans have altered the world to suit our needs and lead to all the great advances in human society and thus experiences

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Changes in our ideas, beliefs alter the way we interact with the world and often these intellectual changes come at great cost o e.g. Europe - Church dominated and stopped scientific advances by calling them heresy/witchcraft Open societies are more open to new ideas and this is what has hastened the ace of intellectual experiences as dominate ideologies fall away Intellectual advances have a more lasting impact on people, societies and the world in general Ideas are powerful experiences and people hold beliefs strongly

Human Qualities and Emotions: • The emotion/quality expressed as a result of human experience • E.g. Rebellion – emotions of anger and change are often a causative factor for this experience o There is also the quality and desire for change or independence that stem from the experience of rebellion • Full spectrum of emotions: included negative/ positive to show a nuanced understanding Qualities Emotions Describe the characters personality. Describe how a character feels at a certain time. • Intelligence • Scared • Self-awareness • Surprised • Empathy • Angry • Motivation • Embarrassed • Kind • Jealous • Determined • Excited • Confident • Nervous • Reckless • Fearful • Cautious • Agitated • Hardworking Role of Storytelling throughout time: • “Storytelling is a tool used by humans to explore the complexities of our experiences” • Earliest forms of storytelling date back to the Stone Age (cave paintings to represent important aspects of life) • Stories safeguard the survival of a community and communicates real life scenarios – depict action and reaction • Attempts to bring order, structure and meaning to events experienced/ perceived • Triggered by the imagination, grounded in reality and key to the enculturation process o Collective experience – brings societies together • Varied human qualities, motivations and behaviours depicted o Prompting empathetic connection, self-reflection and personal insight

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“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world” (What Makes us Human, YouTube)

The anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations: Anomaly: This is when something derives from what is common, usual or expected and the result is surprising. An anomaly can be a result that does not usually fit with the course of being. Does a character act or do something that is not expected in the circumstances or doesn’t react how you would presume they would act? Paradox: is something that initially seems contradictory or perplexing but when further examined presents a truth despite contrasting ideas. Consider characters or ideas. Inconsistency: no logical explanation or reason to account for an individual’s actions. What they appear to say or believe does not match their actions. If this holds true for a character in your text, try and suggest a reason why they act inconsistently – this will speak to the human emotions and qualities.

Prescribed Text NotesText: Past the Shallows (Favel Parrett), 2011 Context: • Favell Parrett is an Australian Novelist o Born in rural Victoria and raised in Hobart, Tasmania with her brothers § Parents divorced in her childhood • Past the Shallows is her first novel and was award-winning Social • 3 boys raised by parents until mother died o Family affair context o Oldest son moves out due to abuse • Lower socioeconomic status o Live in a ‘shack-like’ home o Alcohol abuse (dad and Jeff) Cultural • Stereotypical fishing family – contextual with the setting context • Fish and chips (Australian classic, particularly in coastal regions) • No religious views • Holidays – generally a time to relax o However, Miles was forced to quit school and work for his father on their boat o Whilst Harry (a young child) stays at home by himself Historical • Due to the harsh, rustic environment of the Australian continent, context colonial settlers in the late 1700s and early 1800s were forced to rely closely on a deep trust of their fellow men in order to survive. • This concept has endured to the present day and has led to the prevailing value of “mateship” in mainstream Australian culture, a principle that encourages a tight-knit sense of respect, solidarity, and friendship among men.

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o Today, “mate” is used as a common term of endearment among friends. Past the Shallows takes place just off the coast of Tasmania, Australia, and the story’s characters grapple with the same ancient, near-mythical landscape that humbled the continent’s early inhabitants. o The notion of mateship plays a clear role in the novel’s central themes, as Harry, Miles, and Joe’s loyal brotherhood imbues them with hope and purpose amidst their suffering.

Purpose: • Intended for young adult/ adult audience due to the mature themes dealt with • purpose is to encourage young adults to reflect on the nature of their relationships with their family and with the natural environment. o It communicates ideas about loss and grief, humanity’s connectedness to the environment and the complexity of love. o The novel paints a confronting portrait of a dysfunctional family and the ways in which young men see themselves in the world. o The novel also explores the fragility and vulnerability of the human condition, urging readers to appreciate all of life’s experiences that come their way and to be honest with those they love. Characters: Character Description Harry • The youngest brother Curren • Sweet, innocent boy who is neglected after the death of his Mum and left alone for the majority of the day while Dad and Miles work on the fishing boat. • Although he is terribly treated by Steven, he is unusually thoughtful and selfless for a child his age • He often risks his safety trying to defend his older brother from Stevens abuse • Harry is terrified of the water and avoids going out on the family’s boat because he is prone to seasickness • Although he is generally very sensitive and skittish, he is inherently curious and loves to explore nature and collect “treasures” on the beach. • He shares a deep connection with animals that leads him to meet George Fuller’s dog Jake in the woods, follow him to George’s shack, and gradually befriend the lonely old man. o he forms a close relationship with George, who becomes a warm paternal figure in his life. • It is eventually revealed that Harry is likely the biological son of Uncle Nick rather than Dad, a fact that tortures Dad and ultimately leads him to throw Harry overboard from the fishing boat in the midst of a bitterly cold winter storm. o Harry drowns in the ocean despite Miles’s attempts to save him, and the loss of their beloved little brother devastates both Miles and Joe. Miles • Second born brother (younger than Joe, older than harry) Curren o Shoulders the responsibilities his siblings are unwilling/ unable to do

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Dad/ Steven Curren

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After Uncle Nick’s death, Dad forces Miles to take Nick’s place and man the fishing boat while Dad, Jeff, and Martin dive for abalone. o Miles dreads this job and is terrified by the notion that he, too, will one day have to dive in the dark, turbulent ocean waters that surround Bruny Island. Miles yearns to grow up to be a craftsman and carve beautiful furniture like his Granddad. loves to surf and finds solace away from his difficult home life in the same water whose depths he fears. He has close relationships with both of his brothers, often escaping with Joe on beach trips or spending time at home with Harry. Miles was in the car along with Harry during the accident that killed Mum, and now he cares for his little brother in their mother’s absence. Miles feels abandoned and helpless when Joe leaves the island on his boat, as he is left alone to shoulder the burden of making sure Harry is safe and fed, despite lacking a stable parental figure. Miles tries his best to shield Harry from Dad’s ire, displaying immense courage and self-sacrifice by diving in after Harry when their father throws him overboard into the ocean. o Although he cares deeply for Harry, Miles is tragically unable to save his little brother from drowning. Father of the brothers Although it is implied that Dad was once a typical father figure, he succumbs to an alcohol addiction and becomes terribly abusive after the deaths of Mum (his wife) and Uncle Nick (his brother-in-law). Throughout the story, Dad is the prevailing source of hardship in the lives of Harry, Miles, and Joe. Although he works hard as an abalone fisherman, he fails to fully provide for his sons, ignoring Harry and Miles to spend evenings in the local pub; leaving them hungry and neglected at home. In addition to his neglect and impulsive actions, Dad is also physically abusive, breaking Joe’s arm and encouraging Jeff to attack Harry and Miles. While his addiction and subsequent cruelty initially seem to be rooted in grief, it gradually becomes clear that Dad has been lying about the circumstances of Mum and Nick’s deaths and that his own self-blame is what causes him to lash out. o He confesses to Miles that Mum was having an affair with Nick and implies that Harry and Joe may be Nick’s biological sons rather than his own. Dad’s destructive behaviour culminates in the ultimate act of cruelty when he throws Harry overboard off the fishing boat to his death.

Settings: • family home: the poorly kept, small home of the family is a place of suffering for the boys as they are both terrified of and terrorised by their alcoholic father. • The Boat: the rundown fishing trawler owned by the boys’ father is a place of misery for miles, and later of extreme terror for Harry.

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The boy’s grandfather’s home: was one a safe space fir the boy sand is where the three of them come together. Since their grandfather’s death it has become a symbol of the potential happy life they used to live and the loss they continue to feel deeply. The water: is presented as a harsh and uncertain place which threatens harm to the boys and men. George’s house: this rundown old shack is initially presented as scary and unpleasant but becomes a safe haven for Harry and later for Miles.

Individual and Collective Experiences: Humanity’s • The natural environment almost functions as a character in past the Shallows, with Parrett using it at times to direct the course of the connection narrative action. with the • As fishermen, the men make their living from the environment, natural however only the boys acknowledge its beauty environment o Miles notices the abalone and a seal while out: § “It opened its mouth, let out a hoarse protest, before it disappeared back under the surface” (pg. 32) o This scene helps the reader appreciate the relationship Miles has with his environment, as well as indicating that he is an observant and thoughtful young man. • Parrett uses the character oof Jeff to showcase the neglect some people have with the environment: o “Jeff hacked into the [sharks] full womb” (pg. 55) § She juxtaposes this with Miles shock and dismay: • “it would have survived if Jeff had just let it go… It would have been born strong, ready to fight.” (pg. 56) o This scene can be interpretated as foreshadowing Harry’s death • The ocean provides a place of escape and freedom – as seen when Miles and Joe surf o Both boys are eager to venture into the waves: “There was sell coming in. It was clean. No wind. They were going in” (pg. 44) o For Miles, the waves give him time to separate himself from his grief and the hardship of his young life, even though at ties his perspective of the ocean is tinged with a loss of hope: § “Miles sat still. He looked down at the water. It was one solid dark mass, impossible to see past the surface now that the light had gone” (pg. 45). • In the climax of the novel (both boys struggling to stay afloat), the power of the natural world is evoked o Miles understands humans are at the mercy of the natural world: § “But ultimately it’s wasn’t up to you. This ocean could hold you down for as long as it liked, and Miles knew it” (pg. 217). § Parrett further conveys the danger the ocean poses to the boys through vivid imagery and strong verbs:

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Emma Sheaves “Unanchored. They soared up rolling hills and down into the giant troughs.” (pg. 218). o Despite the terror of his situation Miles finds it within himself to focus on his little brother and fight to help Harry survive, which is seen through the metaphoric description of his attempt to keep Harry warm: o “Then it raged, turned into a ball of fire, orange and red and hungry. It devoured his stomach, moved up to his lungs, his back. Moved into his heart. He shared it with Harry through his skin” (pg. 220). Parrett's novel represents the vulnerability and fragility of human beings through her narrative about the difficult life of three brothers from southern Tasmania. The reader is first exposed to human fragility when Miles reflects upon the death of his Uncle who presumably drowned when checking their boat late one night Miles experiences his brush with death when the make shark lands on top of him on the boats deck, conveyed through imagery and active verbs: o “He was pinned, the side of his body numb. He turned his head slowly… The shark was right on him” (pg. 53) o Despite the enormity of the shark, described metaphorically as “a wolf of the sea” (pg. 54), Miles survives, and he is surprised to discover “That shark hadn’t hurt him— not even a scratch” (pg. 55). § This experience reinforces his fears of death, related to his own grief caused by his mother’s death, and it reminds the reader that everyone is vulnerable. Vulnerability is explored further through the narrative perspective of Harry, who realises his own safety might be compromised if he accepts Georges offer to go into his house. As a small child who has been raised in a dysfunctional home Harry finds it hard to trust people: o “…It could be a trap and no one would know he was here” (pg. 65). Sometimes an awareness of one’s fragility can act as a form of release. o The character of Miles allows the reader to see that by accepting possible danger but choosing to take a risk can be liberating. This is particularly seen when Miles dives overboard to save harry: “He threw himself off the edge of the world without even thinking.” (pg. 134) Ironically, what most would find terrifying – surfing in large waves – Miles finds nourishing: o “But he wasn’t scared now. Not of this” (pg. 134). o The paradoxical capacity for risk-taking to make an individual feel in control and forget their vulnerability is explored by Parrett through the motif of surfing. Miles reflects how: •

The vulnerability and fragility of human beings

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Emma Sheaves “He lived for this, for these moments when everything stops except your heart beating and time bends and … no one can touch you” (pg. 135). • Surfing makes Miles feel invincible, despite his very strong awareness that he lacks control over his life due to his abusive father. Parrett’s novel reveals the difficulty of growing up in a dysfunctional family through her focus on the lives of the Curren brothers and their alcoholic father. The tense relationship between the brothers and their father is evident when Harry enters and calls out: “Miles! I got you a show bag!” Who replies with “sh! Dads got a headache” (pg. 25) When the boys have been forced out onto the boat with Dad and Jeff, the full consequences of living with their dysfunctional father become apparent. o Firstly, Miles pushes himself beyond the expectations of a young boy, getting injured through his fear: “He heard his skin blister, felt the sting. The metal was red hot...” (pg. 205). Then Miles begins to fantasise about escaping from the boat as he contemplates jumping off to escape the wrath of his father and Jeff: “Get the hell off the boat and swim for the island… if Dad and Jeff made it up alive, then he was dead.” (pg. 206). § The crazed reaction of Dad to the malfunction of the air supply is terrifying for the reader, as he submerges Miles in the ocean: “into the cold. Into the silence” (pg. 208). § The drama of the scene is captured in the truncated sentences and then furthered when miles resurfaces: “But he felt the air again on his skin, felt the world spin” (pg. 209). Truncated sentences are used again to illustrate the drama of the scene as Harry begins to defend Miles: “Harry was going mad” (pg. 209). • The scenes climax occurs with two words of dialogue, whereby the young Harry is finally stood up for himself and made his feelings known: o “And that’s when it happened… he opened his eyes and he looked right at Dad and he said, ‘I’m glad” (pg. 211). § The consequences for Harry are immediate, as he is thrown overboard, illustrating the derangement of his father Through Parrett’s moving narrative the rea...