REMEMBERING:

CREATING NARRATIVES
OF MEMORY AND SELF

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IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL:
s READ VIEW AND RESPOND TO DIFFERENT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
NARRATIVES INCLUDING GRAPHIC NOVELS DIARIES AND LITERARY
MEMOIRS
s EXPERIMENT WITH METAPHOR SIMILE AND OTHER LANGUAGE
FEATURES TO CREATE PARTICULAR EFFECTS IN YOUR OWN WRITING
s EXPRESS AND DEVELOP IDEAS ABOUT HOW IMAGES WORK IN
TEXTS TO COMMUNICATE MEANING AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT
OF VISUAL LANGUAGE ON THE AUDIENCE OR READER
s DEVELOP PERSONAL RESPONSES TO VIEWPOINTS IN TEXTS AND
PRESENT AN ARGUMENT BASED ON INITIAL IMPRESSIONS AND
SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS OF THE WHOLE TEXT
s EXPLORE AND INTERACT WITH TECHNOLOGY AND FOR DIFFERENT
FORMAL AND INFORMAL SOCIAL PURPOSES
s WRITE AND CREATE IMAGINATIVE INFORMATIVE AND PERSUASIVE
TEXTS IN A VARIETY OF FORMS INCLUDING DIGITAL AND
MULTIMODAL TEXTS

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 > >>
START HERE

> >>
s 7HAT IS MEMORY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
s 7HAT DO MEMORIES TELL US ABOUT WHO YOU ARE
s (OW CAN YOU USE MEMORIES IN THE TEXTS YOU CREATE
s (OW MIGHT YOU COMBINE LANGUAGE AUDIO AND VISUAL FEATURES TO CONVEY YOUR
MEMORIES EFFECTIVELY
s (OW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT THE WAY YOU REMEMBER

SO WHAT IS MEMORY?
My memory is peculiar. It is almost entirely an emotional memory. I may not
remember practical details but I do remember conversations from decades ago,
and even the expressions on people’s faces as they said certain things … Time
has never seemed linear to me, nor easily measured … Doubtless, my memory
has collapsed time, and distilled it, into frames which illuminated and revealed
meaning, while all those ordinary cotton-wool moments are forgotten.
3OURCE!NNE -ANNE So this is Life: Scenes from a Country Childhood -ELBOURNE 5NIVERSITY 0RESS -ELBOURNE  P 

REFLECT AND INTE RACT >>

Activity 6.1 What can you remember?

1 What is your earliest memory? Share it with a partner. What images,
experiences and events stay in your memory?
2 What triggers your memories? How often do you find yourself lost in
your memories?
3 Work with a partner and prompt each other’s memories. Start with
an event like your first day at school, a special birthday or holiday. Are
there any special sounds that trigger memory? Can you think of songs
that always bring to mind a certain moment in your life? Or is there a
picture or image that brings to mind previous experiences? Do certain
smells remind you of people or events in your past?
4 After your discussion, record at least three of your memories and what
triggers your memories. Reflect on whether the memories you discussed
were remembered in chronological order and suggest reasons for this.

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Various things can trigger a memory.

SORTING THROUGH YOUR MEMORIES

)N HER memoir So this is Life: Scenes from a Country Childhood  !NNE -ANNE memoir
from the French word
CAPTURES HER MEMORIES 3HE SORTS THROUGH HER PAST AND SELECTS MEMORIES TO WRITE mémoire meaning
ABOUT AND SHARE WITH US "EFORE SHE DOES THIS HOWEVER SHE REmECTS ON WHAT MEMORY memory; describes a text
MEANS TO HER similar to autobiography,
although these terms are
almost interchangeable,
But what is memory? Why do we remember what we do? Why do things from
like autobiography, it is
the past fly out at us and not others? written from the first-
… When I remember the Midlands, it is almost always serene, windless person point of view;
and sunlit. It has a kind of enchantment. Yet I know we arrived in winter, that unlike autobiography,
it is more often about
the frosts and winds can be bleak and bitter. In contrast I remember Adelaide
how one remembers and
in much darker hues. Although I know its reputation as a beautiful, graceful personal observations,
city, all my memories of it are imbued with the emotional texture of my early rather than a historical,
childhood. The past rises up … distorting my memory of the climate. I spent factual record of a life
many blistering, suffocating summers there visiting our father, my cotton
dresses soaked with sweat. Yet when I conjure up a memory of Adelaide it is
always cold, a permanent winter.
This is because my parents split in that dark winter after so many years of
turmoil, and we left on a wintry night. I remember the cold, bleak winds howling
over the football oval that my brother and I walked across to get to school, just
before the break-up, our small figures bent against the wind, our pinched noses
running with the cold, needling into the wind. I remember my brother’s grey
raincoat, skies that were grey, the drab, grey houses in the dull, city suburb,
and our car, an old grey Humber. The colour everywhere was grey. Even the sea
was always grey, reflecting the colour of the sky across which clouds scudded
uneasily. The waves I watched as a child did not break evenly upon the sand,
in a regular, soothing rhythm, but were choppy, disturbed, whipped up by a
bitter wind, with rain driving down, hissing as it hit the roiling sea. But all
that greyness is because my memories are suffused, drenched, with the very
particular emotions of grief. Grey is the colour of loss.
3OURCE!NNE -ANNE So this is Life: Scenes from a Country Childhood -ELBOURNE 5NIVERSITY 0RESS -ELBOURNE  PP n

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 173

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 IDE NTIFY >>

Activity 6.2 Identify what stands out for you

Using think-pair-share, discuss what stood out for you when you read this
passage. Underline two or three sentences that seem noteworthy to you. This
might be because they seem very well expressed, because they remind you
of something in your own life, or because they are puzzling.

IDE NTIFY >>

Activity 6.3 Memories and emotions

In the extract, Anne Manne remembers two places from her childhood.
Complete the table to identify each memory and its connections to the place
and the emotions she felt at the time she was there.

Place Memory What the season Emotion

was really like

2EFERENCES TO COLOUR IN TEXTS ARE OFTEN EMOTIONAL CUES #ERTAIN COLOURS MAY BE
CONVENTIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN EMOTIONS FOR EXAMPLE YELLOW MAY CONVEY
HAPPINESS RED MAY SUGGEST ANGER OR LOVE BLUE MAY SUGGEST SADNESS

REFLECT ON
Consider why Anne’s memory of the weather is so focused on winter. Do you have memories
of your own that are connected to specific seasons or weather events? Do you associate
particular emotions with particular seasons? Make a list and add to it over time.

174 ENGLISH FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM BOOK 2

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I D ENTI F Y > >

Activity 6.4 The author’s tone

1 Identify all the references to the word ‘grey’ in the text.
2 Why do you think the author chose to repeat the word ‘grey’?
3 Replace ‘grey’ with synonyms, varying the words you select but using
ones that still suggest a similar meaning to ‘grey’.
4 Compare your new text to the original to see how the tone changes.
Which one do you prefer? Why?

LOOK CLOSER
We often associate emotions with particular colours. Write a short text (around 100 words)
in which you use a colour to create a mood for a remembered incident that stands for the
emotion you want to express, but won’t name directly.

REFLECT ON
You have begun reflecting on the nature of memory. In pairs, discuss how you understand the
nature of memory. Are memories important to you? What role do memories play in your life?
You may also like to post some of your reflections about the nature of memory on the class
wiki and comment on the posts of your classmates.

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 175

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 MY MEMORY IS LIKE …
"ELOW IS AN EXCERPT FROM The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time BY -ARK
(ADDON )T IS A NOVEL ABOUT A BOY #HRISTOPHER "OONE WHO HAS !SPERGERS 3YNDROME
AND SEES THE WORLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY

My memory is like a film. That is why I am good at remembering things, like

conversations I have written down in this book, and what people are wearing,
and what they smelled like, because my memory has a smelltrack that is like a
soundtrack.
When people ask me to remember something I simply press Rewind and
Fast Forward and Pause like on a video recorder, but more like a DVD because
I don’t have to rewind through everything in between to get a memory of
something a long time ago. And there are no buttons either, because it is
happening in my head.
3OURCE -ARK (ADDON The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2ANDOM (OUSE ,ONDON  P 

metaphor 3OMETIMES WHEN WRITERS USE A GOOD metaphor OR simile SUCH AS @MY MEMORY
a comparison of one IS LIKE A lLM THEY THEN TRY TO SEE WHETHER THIS COMPARISON CAN BE EXTENDED4HIS IS
thing to another where
it is described in terms KNOWN AS AN EXTENDED SIMILE
of being something else 9OU COULD CONTINUE TO EXTEND
without the use of ‘as’ THE SIMILE FURTHER BY EXPLORING
or ‘like’
OTHER WAYS TO SHOW THAT
simile
a comparison between
MEMORY IS LIKE A lLM #AN ) SAY
two different things, THAT ) EXPERIENCE mASHBACKS OR
actions or feelings using REWINDS $O ) REMEMBER THINGS
the words ‘as’ or ‘like’
IN COLOUR OR IN BLACK AND WHITE OR
TECHNICOLOUR $O MY MEMORIES
SEEM LIKE ADVENTURE STORIES /R IS
IT LIKE A FANTASY WORLD !RE THERE
CHARACTERS $O ) REMEMBER WHAT
PEOPLE HAVE SAID $O THEIR WORDS
KEEP GOING ROUND AND ROUND
INSIDE MY HEAD $OES THE SAME
SCENE GET PLAYED OUT OVER AND
OVER AGAIN
!N EXTENDED METAPHOR CAN
BE USED IN THE SAME WAY JUST BY
STATING @MY MEMORY is A lLM 5SING
EXTENDED SIMILES AND METAPHORS
cohesive device CAN CREATE A THREAD IN YOUR WRITING
a tool that creates
relationships between
AND IS AN EXAMPLE OF A cohesive
and among words in a device IN LANGUAGE
text

What is your memory like?

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R EF LECT A ND W RITE >>

Activity 6.5 How do I remember?

Think again about how you remember things. See what you can remember
about what you learned in English over the last week. Write it down.
1 Compare your memory with someone else in the class.
2 Have you both got the same memories? On what points do you agree and
disagree?
3 Why do you think we might remember things differently?
4 What is your memory like?

-EMORY CAN BE COMPARED TO ANYTHING EVEN A LEMON4HINK ABOUT OBJECTS YOU

CAN USE AS AN EXTENDED SIMILE OR METAPHOR TO COMPARE TO YOUR MEMORY -AYBE
YOUR MEMORY IS LIKE A PIECE OF FRUIT OR FOOD 0ERHAPS YOUR MEMORY IS LIKE A COLOUR
-AYBE THERE IS AN OBJECT THAT IS LIKE YOUR MEMORY n A SPONGE A BOX OR A BOOK7HAT
ATTRIBUTES OF THE OBJECTS REMIND YOU OF MEMORY

I MAG I NE A ND WRITE >>

Activity 6.6 My memory is like …

Using the same beginning as the narrator Christopher Boone in The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, ‘My memory is like …’, create your own
extended simile to describe how your memory works. Alternatively, you
could write an extended metaphor and begin with ‘My memory is …’ There
is an example below to help you get started.

/N THE FOLLOWING PAGE IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN EXTENDED SIMILE TO HELP YOU GET STARTED
)N THIS EXAMPLE ALL PARTS OF THE LEMON ARE CONSIDERED AND MATCHED TO SOMETHING ABOUT
MEMORY

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 177

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 MY MEMORY IS LIKE … A LEMON
Stage 1: Planning
Break down the parts of the object and compare these to memory. Include all the
senses.

s 4HE PEEL OF THE LEMON IS LIKE s 4HE SEEDS ARE THE BIRTH OF
ARMOUR PROVIDING AN OUTER MORE MEMORIES
LAYER TO PROTECT OUR MEMORIES s 4HE COLOUR YELLOW SHOWS THE
SOMETIMES FEELING A LITTLE HOPE THAT MEMORIES CAN BRING
BUMPY LIKE OUR MEMORIES s 4HE TASTE IS BITTERSWEET LIKE
s 4HE SEGMENTS KEEP PARTS OF OUR MEMORIES WHICH ARE
THE LEMON SEPARATE LIKE THE SOMETIMES GOOD SOMETIMES
SEPARATE MEMORIES WE HAVE BAD
OF DIFFERENT TIMES AND EVENTS s 4HE SMELL IS PLEASANT
AND PEOPLE PROMISING A GOOD EXPERIENCE
AND lLLING THE AIR WITH
FRESHNESS

Stage 2: Writing
Use a topic sentence that you develop through the images you have created and
finish with a strong ending that summarises your description effectively and
leaves the reader believing your simile or metaphor. You might not want to use
all the images from your planning – be selective.

4OPIC SENTENCE USING THE PRESENT TENSE OF -Y MEMORY IS LIKE A LEMON

THE VERB WHICH IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT
THE DESCRIPTION
$IRECTLY ADDRESSING THE AUDIENCE WITH A 4HATS ODD YOU MIGHT SAY BUT WHEN YOU THINK
CONVERSATIONAL TONE ABOUT IT ITS QUITE NATURAL n JUST LIKE THE LEMON

4AKE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LEMON AND GIVE /N THE OUTSIDE THE LEMON IS HARD AND BUMPY
EXAMPLES THAT PROVE THE TOPIC SENTENCE PROTECTING MY PRECIOUS MEMORIES BUT NOT TOO
9OU CAN MOVE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN OR THE SMOOTH BECAUSE MY MEMORIES ARE NOT ALWAYS
INSIDE OUT BUT HAVE A STRUCTURE SMOOTH "UT WHAT A BEAUTIFUL COLOUR IT IS BRIGHT
BRIGHT YELLOW REMEMBERING GOOD TIMES THAT HAVE
PASSED AND SENDING A GENTLE SCENT OF FUTURE TIMES
TO COME
4HE lRST PERSON PRONOUN IS A GOOD WAY TO )NSIDE THE JUICES OF MY MEMORY ARE LOCKED IN
SHOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU4HE DASH SEGMENTS n ) NEED TO KEEP SOME MEMORIES
ADDS PAUSES BETWEEN IDEAS THAT SOUND LIKE SEPARATE n IT WOULDNT DO TO MIX THE HAPPY TIMES
THOUGHT PROCESSES WITH SAD TIMES OR ) WOULD GET TERRIBLY CONFUSED
-OVE THROUGH THE SENSES SO THAT YOU "UT SOMETIMES THE HAPPY TIMES AND SAD TIMES DO
CREATE A RICH TEXT4HE IDEA IN THIS SENTENCE GET MIXED UP AND WHAT A DELICIOUS BITTER SWEET
IS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE SENTENCE BEFORE mAVOUR THEY MAKE TOGETHER
THROUGH THE WORDS happy times and sad times
4HIS ENDS WITH THE SAME TONE AS THE 7HO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A SMALL ELONGATED
BEGINNING AND SUMS UP EVERYTHING WITHOUT YELLOW OVAL HAD SO MUCH TO OFFER

REPEATING WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

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 [ 6]
MEMORY AND IDENTITY
3PANISH lLM DIRECTOR ,UIS "U®UEL n SAID @9OU HAVE TO BEGIN TO LOSE YOUR
MEMORY IF ONLY IN BITS AND PIECES TO REALISE THAT MEMORY IS WHAT MAKES OUR LIVES ,IFE
WITHOUT MEMORY IS NO LIFE AT ALL x /UR MEMORY IS OUR COHERENCE OUR REASON OUR
FEELING EVEN OUR ACTION7ITHOUT IT WE ARE NOTHING

REFLECT ON
Do you think that memory is as important as Buñuel suggests? Who would you be without your
memories? Discuss any special memories that seem to be at the core of your identity, that
have shaped the person you have become and made you who you are.

/UR MEMORIES REVEAL A LOT ABOUT OUR IDENTITY9OUR IDENTITY IS WHAT MAKES YOU AN
INDIVIDUAL )T INCLUDES ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS YOUR DATE OF BIRTH GENDER YOUR ADDRESS AS WELL
AS WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU YOUR IDEAS BELIEFS AND VALUES4HESE ARE INmUENCED BY YOUR
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF AND HOW YOU WANT OTHERS TO
SEE AND THINK OF YOU

MAO’S LAST DANCER BY LI CUNXIN

,I #UNXIN IS AN !USTRALIAN WHO
WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN #HINA )N
#HINA HE LIVED A POOR LIFE BUT WAS
LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE SELECTED TO TRAIN
FOR BALLET (E BECAME A FAMOUS
INTERNATIONAL BALLET DANCER WHO LEFT
#HINA MARRIED AN !USTRALIAN AND
STARTED A NEW LIFE IN !USTRALIA4HE
FOLLOWING IS A MEMORY OF HIS EARLY LIFE
IN #HINA FROM HIS MEMOIR Mao’s Last
Dancer  

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 179

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 Despite our poverty, our parents always taught us to have dignity, honesty and pride.
Our good family name was most sacred and should be protected with all our might.
I tested this one day when I was playing at a friend’s house. I was about five. Sien
Yu was the same age, and his uncle, who lived in the city, had brought him a small
toy car when he’d visited the day before. It was the first time I had ever seen a toy
car. I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life! Sien Yu let me play with it
for a while. I loved it so much. When he went inside to get a drink, I took it and ran
home.
‘Where did you get that?’ my niang asked suspiciously.
‘I … found it on the street.’
She knew I was not telling the truth. No one in our area could afford to spend
money on a toy. ‘Who did you just play with?’
‘Sien Yu,’ I replied.
She took my hands firmly and pulled me back to Sien Yu’s house. She said to his
mother, ‘Sien Yu’s niang, is this your son’s toy car?’
Sien Yu’s mother nodded.
‘I’m sorry, I think my son has stolen your son’s toy car,’ my niang said.
‘Don’t get upset,’ Sien Yu’s mother replied. ‘Your son is too young to understand.’
‘I’m ashamed, I’m ashamed of what my son did!’ said my niang, and apologized
profusely. She tried to make me do the same, but I felt too embarrassed and refused,
and wished I had never seen that toy car. I wished for a hole in which to hide. I
wished for thick skin to cover my face. I felt the blood rushing to my neck. I tried to
escape from my niang’s firm grip. I wanted to run away and never come near Sien
Yu’s house again. I hated my niang for embarrassing me like this. She shouted. She
wanted the entire world to know I had stolen my friend’s toy car.
I screamed and kicked as she dragged me home. ‘I want a car! I want a car!’ I
yelled.
As soon as we went inside our house, with despair in her eyes, she pulled me
to her chest, hugged me tightly in her arms and sobbed. It was as though she had
suffered as much humiliation as I had. ‘I’m so sorry to do this to you,’ she whispered
tenderly. ‘I’m so sorry we are too poor to buy you a toy car.’ After a brief moment she
continued. ‘I’m too stupid to have all of you in this cruel world! You don’t deserve
this suffering!’ I felt her tears streaming onto my hair. ‘We are too poor! The gods in
heaven won’t answer our prayers, and even the devil below has abandoned us. We
are born with a hopeless fate,’ she sighed.
‘Stop saying that! Don’t say anything!’ I begged her. I hated to see her so sad.
She continued as though she hadn’t heard me. ‘How I wish I had the money to
buy you a toy car! But we don’t even have enough money for food.’
‘I’ll have enough food for you one day! I swear!’ I said to myself. She hugged me
tighter as she sobbed. I didn’t know how long she hugged me, but I didn’t want her
to stop.
That evening, at dinner, after she had told everyone what I had done, my dia
started lecturing us. ‘Although we have no money, no food, and can’t buy clothes,
and although we live in a poor house, one thing we do have is PRIDE. Pride is the
most precious thing in our lives. Throughout our forefathers’ struggles, the Li family
always had our pride and dignity. We have always had a good reputation. I want
every one of you to remember this: never lose your pride and dignity no matter how
hard life is.’
3OURCE ,I #UNXIN Mao’s Last Dancer 0ENGUIN -ELBOURNE  PP n

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 [ 6]
E X P LO R E > >

Activity 6.7 Text annotation

1 Annotate this extract from Mao’s Last Dancer using the signs in this table.

7RITE ? IN THE MARGIN FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING OR ABOUT
?
THE VOCABULARY NEW OR INTERESTING VOCABULARY AND HIGHLIGHT THE WORD
Underline ASPECTS OF THE WRITING STYLE INCLUDING INTERESTING PHRASES SENTENCES OR
Underline
VOCABULARY
7RITE C IN THE MARGIN FOR YOUR CONNECTIONS WHEN THE STORY REMINDS YOU OF
C
SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ OR SEEN OR DONE IN YOUR OWN LIFE
7RITE ! IN THE MARGIN WHEN SOMETHING IS INTERESTING IMPORTANT UNUSUAL AND IT
!
SURPRISES OR EVEN SHOCKS YOU

2 Discuss your annotations with a partner. Focus on what you consider

to be most important or interesting. Share any other opinions, ideas or
predictions about what will happen next.

E VA LUATE >>

Activity 6.8 Memory and identity

Li Cunxin recalls a painful memory in this excerpt.
1 Reflect on an embarrassing or painful memory that you have. How did
the incident or experience make you feel?
2 Make a list of words that could describe Li Cunxin. What is important
to him and what does he believe in? Refer to the text to justify your
responses.
3 When we retrieve memories, we may have new insights about their
importance. At the time of the incident, what would Li Cunxin have
seen as important? Do you think that different things are important for
an adult?

REFLECT ON
This is not a happy memory for Li Cunxin and yet he feels an emotional need to revisit the
events of his childhood. While the moral at the end is important, consider how this memory,
painful as it might be, has influenced who he is today.

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 181

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 autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer IS AN autobiography n THE AUTHOR ,I #UNXIN IS TELLING HIS OWN
a text about the life
of a person, written in
STORY )T IS WRITTEN AS A first-person narrative AND DIFFERS FROM A biography WHICH
the first person by the IS THE STORY OF SOMEONES LIFE TOLD BY SOMEONE ELSE AND WRITTEN AS A third-person
person it is about narrative -EMORIES ARE CENTRAL TO BIOGRAPHIES AND AUTOBIOGRAPHIES WHICH GENERALLY
first-person narrative FOLLOW A NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
a narration by a
character from their
point of view where the
character refers to him
or herself as ‘I’
biography
a text describing a
person’s life, written
by another person,
and written in the third
person
third-person narrative
a narration by someone
or something that is
not a character in the LOOK CLOSER
story and characters are
referred to as ‘she’, ‘he’, View the film version of Mao’s Last Dancer. Create a class wiki to comment on its narrative
‘it’ or ‘they’; this is the structure. Is the film presented as a biography or autobiography? How do you know?
most common narrative
mode in literature
,I #UNXIN USES MANY ABSTRACT TERMS SUCH AS @DIGNITY @HONESTY AND @REPUTATION
4HROUGH HIS STORY ,I #UNXIN IS ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THESE TERMS MEAN WITH EXAMPLES
AND SPECIlC DETAILS ABOUT THE INCIDENT
!BSTRACTIONS ARE INTERESTING BECAUSE THEIR MEANING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING4HINK
ABOUT AN ABSTRACTION SUCH AS @SURVIVAL7HEN YOU ARE A BABY SURVIVAL IS ABOUT HAVING
YOUR BASIC NEEDS MET !S A CHILD AT SCHOOL IT MAY BE ABOUT lNDING FRIENDS SO YOU CAN
BE HAPPY AND FEEL SAFE !S YOU GROW OLDER SURVIVAL MAY BE ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PAY
YOUR MOBILE PHONE BILL WHILE AS AN ADULT IT MAY BE ABOUT LOOKING AFTER YOUR FAMILY
!T THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT ,I #UNXIN WOULD HAVE FELT CONFUSED AND EMBARRASSED !S
AN ADULT HE REMINISCES AND RECONSTRUCTS THE INCIDENT USING ABSTRACTIONS TO CAPTURE WHAT
HE LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT SHAPED THE PERSON HE IS TODAY
.OTE THAT ABSTRACTIONS ARE MORE COMMON IN THE OPENING AND CONCLUSION OF THE
NARRATIVE EXCERPT WHILE THE SPECIlC DETAILS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BODY 3IMILARLY WHEN
YOU ARE WRITING ESSAYS ABSTRACTIONS ARE MORE COMMON IN THE THESIS STATEMENT TOPIC
SENTENCES AND CONCLUSION WHILE SPECIlC DETAILS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BODY OF THE ESSAY

IDE NTIFY >>

Activity 6.9 An adult’s perspective on the past

1 Read the extract from Mao’s Last Dancer again.
2 Make a list of the abstract terms from the text in the first column of the
following table.

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 [ 6]
3 In the second column, find examples or specific details in the text that
contribute to the explanation of the abstract term.

Abstract term Examples/specific details

0RIDE ,I #UNXINS MOTHER APOLOGISES TO 3IEN 9US MOTHER
,I #UNXIN IS EMBARRASSED AND REFUSES TO APOLOGISE

R EF LECT A ND INTE RACT >>

Activity 6.10 Your most painful memory

Reflect on some of your memories. Do you have a memory of your childhood
that is similar to Li Cunxin’s memory about pride and dignity? Do you have
any memories that consider other abstract terms such as honesty and
courage?
1 Create a diagram or visual representation that includes particular
memories. It could include your most painful memory, your most
unpleasant memory and your happiest memory. Add specific details, such
as where and when it happened, who was there, how old you were and
how you felt.
2 Share your diagram or visual representation with a partner, prompting
each other to provide more details and relating these to the abstract
terms you are focusing on. How has this memory influenced the person
you are today?

WR I TE > >

Activity 6.11 Writing about your most painful memory

Use the material you developed in Activity 6.10 as the basis for a short piece
of writing about your most painful memory. You could follow the same
structure as the excerpt from Mao’s Last Dancer.

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 IS THAT YOU, RUTHIE? BY RUTH HEGARTY
Stolen Generations 2UTH (EGARTY IS ONE OF THE Stolen Generations !S A YOUNG GIRL SHE WAS TAKEN AWAY
refers to the generations
FROM HER FAMILY AND ATTENDED THE SCHOOL AT #HERBOURG Is that you, Ruthie? IS HER STORY
of Indigenous children
who were forcibly
removed from
their families and
communities by the
Australian state and
federal governments,
church groups and
other non-government
agencies, from a period
starting as early as 1869
and continuing into the
late 1960s

LOOK CLOSER
1 From the title and the front cover of the novel, can you predict what Is that you, Ruthie? will
be about?
2 Do you think it is an autobiography or a biography?
3 Are the two figures related to each other? How old do you think they are?
4 Why are there no faces on the cover?
5 What issues do you think this novel will explore?

)N THE FOLLOWING EXTRACT 2UTH (EGARTY RECALLS THE EXPERIENCE OF HER MEMORIES OF THE
PAST COMING BACK TO HER IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

How the memories came flooding back that night. Vivid memories of days gone
by. I could almost hear the voices of all the children who shared the dormitory
with me. What a long time ago that was. Sixty or so girls who grew up together
in the dormitory, not knowing why we were there, never daring to question
those who were responsible for our being interned at such a young age,
institutionalised for reasons only known to the government …
3OURCE 2UTH (EGARTY Is that you, Ruthie? 5NIVERSITY OF 1UEENSLAND 0RESS 3T ,UCIA  P 

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 [ 6]
3HE LATER RECALLS THE EXPERIENCE OF RETURNING TO THE ACTUAL PLACE SHE REMEMBERS TO
lND IT MUCH CHANGED

Later on I went back, and where it once stood was just ash and a stack of
twisted galvanized iron that was once the roof. The old two-storeyed building,
officially known as ‘Stopford Home for girls,’ was now just a memory. We
dormitory girls experienced great sadness over the loss of a place that had
so influenced our lives. Many phone calls were made that night, it was a sad
time for us all. No memorial has been erected in memory of those who passed
through that dormitory.
Instead of remembering what this building once stood for – order, discipline,
punishment and restraint – we sensed instead the disappearance of a symbol
that we once called ‘Home’. As I look back with sadness I remember the years
and the physical changes that have taken place in our bodies. We’re older and
wiser. All of our experiences have served to strengthen not only our love for
one another, but also our desire to keep alive what remains of the history of
the dormitory girls.
3OURCE 2UTH (EGARTY Is that you, Ruthie? 5NIVERSITY OF 1UEENSLAND 0RESS 3T ,UCIA  P 

R ESP O ND A ND DISCUSS >>

Activity 6.12 What do you think?

Using think-pair-share, discuss your response to this text, including the
other texts and experiences that it reminded you of.
1 Did anything surprise you in the text?
2 Are there any contradictions in Ruth’s memories?
3 Are all memories like this?

EXPLORING THE TEXT FURTHER

5SE THE THREE LEVEL GUIDE IN !CTIVITY  TO EXPLORE Is that you, Ruthie? EVEN FURTHER
4HE lRST LEVEL CONTAINS A BASIC STATEMENT THAT THE TEXT IS VERY CLEAR ON4HE SECOND LEVEL
CONTAINS STATEMENTS THAT ARE LESS CLEAR BUT WHICH YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO INFER DEDUCE OR
CONCLUDE FROM EVIDENCE AND REASONING4HE THIRD LEVEL STATEMENTS REQUIRE YOU TO THINK
ABOUT SOME OF THE BIGGER IDEAS AND ISSUES THAT THE TEXT CONSIDERS

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 EVAL UATE >>

Activity 6.13 Three-level guide

Decide if you agree or disagree with the following statements. Add your own
statements to the list if you wish.
Write a T next to those statements that you believe are true and an F
next to those that you believe to be false. For all statements, write a brief
justification for your decision and be prepared to argue your point of view in
a class discussion.

Level 1: Literal
Does the text say this? What words or images support your answer?
___ The girls are happy about the destruction of the dormitory because they
experienced a harsh life there.
___ The girls never questioned the authority.
symbol ___ For Ruth Hegarty the dormitory was a symbol of home as well as a
something symbol of order, discipline, punishment and restraint.
that stands for
or represents Level 2: Inferring
something else
within a text
Does the text give you this idea? What evidence supports your answer?
___ The dormitory had influenced the girls’ lives as adults. The harshness
made them strong.
___ The experience of living at Stopford had formed their identity of being
united and survivors.
___ This memory, painful as it is, has influenced the person who Ruth
Hegarty is today.
Level 3: Evaluation and application
Do you agree with this? Why? Be prepared to share your reasons.
___ Memories are not important in our lives.
___ Overcoming adversity makes us stronger.
___ Our experiences make us who we are.

REFLECT ON
Ruth Hegarty’s autobiography is an inspiring story about the human condition. She is able to
capture the feelings of the girls at the time of living at Stopford. As an adult, she reminisces
and reconstructs the story just as Li Cunxin does, evaluating the experiences and how they
have influenced the person she is today. With a partner, discuss how the perspective of an
adult affects the memory in this text.

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WR I TE > >

Activity 6.14 Writing about a memory

Have you ever felt outraged about
something that has happened to
you or someone else? Was there a
sequence of events that made you
feel this way?
Identify a memory of a time when
you felt outraged by something and
write as much as you can about
that memory in five minutes using
descriptive language.

EXPLORING AN ISSUE
! @CONSCIENCE ALLEY DRAMA ACTIVITY CAN HELP YOU EXPLORE A TEXT MORE DEEPLY )T IS A REALLY
USEFUL ACTIVITY TO HELP YOU EXPLORE A MOMENT IN A TEXT WHERE A CHARACTER FACES A DILEMMA

R ESEA R CH A ND INTE RACT >>

Activity 6.15 Conscience alley

1 Conduct research to find out more information about the memories of the
Stolen Generations. The Australian Human Rights Commission website
is a good place to start: www.hreoc.gov.au/education/bringing_them_
home/2about_RS.html.
2 As a class, participate in a ‘conscience alley’ drama activity that explores
Ruth Hegarty’s memories and the memories of other people from the
Stolen Generations. Follow these steps:
• Form two lines facing each other. One person takes on the role of
Ruth Hegarty or another member of the Stolen Generations and walks
between the lines as each member of the class offers a comment on
their response to the readings.
• At the end of the ‘alley’, the person who has walked through describes
how he or she felt. The process can be repeated and include opinions
about what the government and individuals could do to address the
injustices suffered by the Stolen Generations.
• One side of the alley could make positive comments, while the other
side could make negative comments.

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 REFLECT ON
As a class, reflect on the issues affecting the Stolen Generations that have been revealed
in the activity, particularly the effects of positive or negative comments on individuals and
communities.

PERSEPOLIS BY MARJANE SATRAPI

'RAPHIC NOVELIST AND ILLUSTRATOR -ARJANE 3ATRAPI LIVED THROUGH THE )SLAMIC 2EVOLUTION A
TIME OF GREAT CHANGE IN )RAN 3HE CHOSE TO TELL HER STORY AS A GRAPHIC NOVEL SOMETIMES
REFERRED TO AS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMIC (ER AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL GRAPHIC NOVEL Persepolis
 STARTS AT SCHOOL WITH A CHAPTER CALLED @4HE 6EIL4HE lLM VERSION OF Persepolis
WAS NOMINATED FOR "EST !NIMATED &EATURE lLM AT THE !CADEMY !WARDS IN  "ELOW
IS THE lRST PAGE OF @4HE 6EIL

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R ESP O ND > >

Activity 6.16 Responding to ‘The Veil’

Use a double-entry journal to respond to the chapter called ‘The Veil’ from
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
1 On the left-hand side of a double page, record facts and interesting parts
from the graphic novel. You are recording what you read and observe at
the literal level.
2 On the right-hand side, record your reactions, connections and inferences.
Here you are working at the inferential level of the text.

Facts/observations (including quotes) Inferences/responses

Overall response to the graphic novel

3 Add to the journal before, during and after reading and looking at the
images.
4 Discuss your responses in a small group.
5 Write a short reflection (100 words) on your overall response to the
graphic novel.

LOOK CLOSER
Graphic novels don’t tell us everything in words, but depend on the images and our
background cultural knowledge to support us to make meaning.
1 Consider whether there is anything about this story that you find puzzling.
2 What other information do you feel you need in order to appreciate this story?
3 Make a list of questions.

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 EX PL ORE >>

Activity 6.17 Exploring the visual features

The bottom panel of the extract from Persepolis suggests a variety of attitudes
to wearing the veil without directly stating them.
1 Complete the table below, listing the attitudes towards wearing the veil in
the text and explaining how these are suggested by the visual features.

Words Attitude Visual features

@%XECUTION IN THE NAME OF 4HE VEIL WAS TAKING AWAY THEIR 'IRL STRANGLING ANOTHER GIRL
FREEDOM FREEDOM AND RESTRICTING THEM
@)TS TOO HOT OUT


@'IVE ME MY VEIL BACK


@9OULL HAVE TO LICK MY FEET


@/OH
)M THE MONSTER OF

DARKNESS
@'IDDYAP


2 Now let’s focus more closely on the visuals. Make a copy of the final
section of ‘The Veil’ from Persepolis and paste it on an A3 sheet of paper.
Around its edges, label its visual features and their effects. Consider the
effects of line, layout, gestures, symbols and the absence of colour and
anything else you identify that Satrapi uses to communicate her ideas.
Draw on what you have learned about visuals in Chapter 3.

INTERAC T >>

Activity 6.18 Learning from the memories in the text

In groups of four, discuss your thoughts on the following questions:
1 Do you think that the author was aware of all these attitudes to wearing a
veil when she was a child?
2 At the time of the incident, what do you think Marjane Satrapi would
have seen as important? What is important as an adult?
3 How do you think her perspective as an adult influences her memory of
childhood events and how she records them?
4 Do you think that the veil is an important part of Marjane Satrapi’s
identity? Why or why not?

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READ MORE
Personal memories usually present one point of view only. See what else you can
find out about past and present views about the wearing of the veil. You might
want to start with the article ‘Veiled Threat’, written for the Guardian newspaper
in 2003 (search for ‘Marjane Satrapi Veiled Threat’).

WR I TE A ND CREATE >>

Activity 6.19 Reworking texts

Choose one of the following activities:
1 Rewrite what happens in ‘The Veil’ as the events at the beginning of an
autobiography.
2 Redesign an excerpt from one of the autobiographies studied in this
chapter as a graphic novel.
3 Represent one of your own memories in graphic form. It could be a single
image or a series of images. You will need to think about what will best be
told in words and best represented in images.

THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL BY ANNE FRANK

!NNE &RANK WAS BORN IN 'ERMANY IN  AND MOVED WITH HER PARENTS /TTO AND %DITH
&RANK AND OLDER SISTER -ARGOT TO !MSTERDAM IN  AFTER THE RISE OF THE .AZI 0ARTY
TO POWER !S *EWS THE &RANKS FOUND THEMSELVES CAUGHT UP IN THE .AZI OCCUPATION OF
MUCH OF 7ESTERN %UROPE DURING THE 3ECOND 7ORLD 7AR n  $URING THIS TIME
*EWISH PEOPLE WERE PERSECUTED AND SYSTEMATICALLY
EXTERMINATED IN A .AZI PROGRAM KNOWN AS THE &INAL
3OLUTION WHICH CULMINATED IN THE MURDER OF SIX genocide
MILLION %UROPEAN *EWS4HIS genocide IS KNOWN AS the deliberate or
THE (OLOCAUST OR THE 3HOAH -OST OF THESE WOMEN systematic destruction
of a part or whole of an
MEN AND CHILDREN PERISHED IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS ethnic, racial, religious or
/N  -AY  'ERMANY INVADED THE national group of people
.ETHERLANDS )N *ULY  !NNE AND HER FAMILY
FEARING FOR THEIR SAFETY AS DISCRIMINATION AND
PERSECUTION INCREASED AROUND THEM WENT INTO
HIDING WITH FOUR OTHER PEOPLE IN A SECRET ANNEX IN
AN APARTMENT IN THE BUILDING WHERE /TTO WORKED
4HEY WERE HELPED BY FOUR OF /TTOS EMPLOYEES WHO
SUPPLIED THEM WITH FOOD CLOTHING AND MORAL SUPPORT
!NNE RECORDED HER MEMORIES OF THE EXPERIENCE
Anne Frank at her writing desk OF LIVING IN THE ANNEX IN A DIARY SHE RECEIVED FOR

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 HER THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY4HIS DIARY n lRST KNOWN AS The Diary of a Young Girl BUT MORE
COMMONLY KNOWN AS The Diary of Anne Frank n WAS PUBLISHED IN 4HE &RANK FAMILY
AND THE OTHER PEOPLE HIDING WITH THEM WERE DISCOVERED AND ARRESTED ON  !UGUST
4HEY WERE ALL DEPORTED AND SENT TO !USCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP !NNE AND
-ARGOT WERE EVENTUALLY MOVED TO "ERGEN "ELSEN WHERE THEY DIED OF TYPHUS IN -ARCH
 /TTO &RANK WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO SURVIVE FROM THE SECRET ANNEX

Statue of Anne Frank, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam

READ AND VIEW MORE

There are many online resources for you to explore to learn more about Anne
Frank. Anne Frank Museum Amsterdam – the official Anne Frank House website
can be found at www.annefrank.org/en. There is also an Anne Frank YouTube
Channel that takes you on a virtual tour of the hidden annex in which Anne Frank
and her family hid during the Second World War: www.youtube.com/annefrank.

)N THE EXCERPT THAT FOLLOWS FROM *ULY  WE CAN SEE THE IMPORTANT ROLE WRITING IN
HER DIARY PLAYED IN THE CREATION OF !NNES IDENTITY DURING THIS VERY DIFlCULT TIME WHEN
SHE WRITES OF PACKING TO GO INTO HIDING

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Margot and I began to pack some of our most vital belongings into a school
satchel, the first thing in was this diary, then hair curlers, handkerchiefs,
schoolbooks, a comb, old letters, I put in the craziest things with the idea that
we were going into hiding, but I’m not sorry, memories mean more to me than
dresses.

!FTER BEING IN HIDING FOR A WHILE !NNE HEARS A RADIO BROADCAST ABOUT HOW DIARIES
AND LETTERS WILL BECOME AN IMPORTANT PART OF RECORDING AND REMEMBERING HISTORY
ENTRY -ARCH  4HIS MAKES HER REALISE HOW IMPORTANT HER MEMORIES COULD BE
AND SHE STARTS TO REWRITE MANY OF THE DIARY ENTRIES (ERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW SHE
CHANGED ONE ENTRY

Original text: Edited text:

24 December 1943 June 1944
#YCLING AGAIN DANCING mIRTING AND WHAT HAVE #YCLING DANCING WHISTLING LOOKING OUT AT THE
YOU HOW ) WOULD LOVE THAT IF ONLY ) WERE FREE WORLD FEELING YOUNG TO KNOW THAT )M FREE
AGAIN
3OMETIMES ) EVEN THINK WILL ANYBODY n THATS WHAT ) LONG FOR STILL ) MUSTNT SHOW
UNDERSTAND ME WILL ANYBODY OVERLOOK MY IT BECAUSE ) SOMETIMES THINK IF ALL  OF US
INGRATITUDE OVERLOOK *EW OR NON *EW AND JUST BEGAN TO PITY OURSELVES OR WENT ABOUT WITH
SEE THE YOUNG GIRL IN ME WHO IS BADLY IN NEED DISCONTENTED FACES WHERE WOULD IT LEAD US
OF SOME ROLLICKING FUN

)N THE lRST COLUMN !NNE IS WRITING FOR HERSELF )N THE SECOND SHE IS THINKING OF A
PUBLIC AUDIENCE WHO MIGHT ONE DAY READ HER DIARY FOR ITS HISTORICAL VALUE

LOOK CLOSER
With a partner, discuss how writing for a different audience has affected how Anne has
constructed her memory. What does each passage convey about what is important to Anne?

REFLECT ON
The people in Mao’s Last Dancer, Is that you, Ruthie?, ‘The Veil’ and The Diary of Anne Frank
come from different historical, social and cultural contexts. What is similar about them? What is
different? Are memories important to their identities? Revisit Luis Buñuel’s words about memory:
‘Without it, we are nothing.’
Post your reflections on the class wiki and respond to the posts of other students in your class.

READ MORE
Read other autobiographies and explore how the memories that have been
recorded have influenced the person that the author is today. One autobiography
to look at is The Happiest Refugee by the Vietnamese-Australian comedian Anh
Do. He records the memories of his journey from Vietnam to Australia on an
overcrowded boat, attack by pirates and survival in the face of adversity.

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 TECHNOLOGY AND MEMORY
7EVE LOOKED AT HOW YOU REMEMBER AND WHAT SOME PEOPLE REMEMBER IN THEIR
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES "UT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVES ARE ONLY ONE WAY WE RECORD
MEMORIES 7ITH EVERY NEW COMMUNICATION INVENTION AND CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY
WE CHANGE THE WAY WE REMEMBER AND IMAGES VIDEOS AND SOUNDS HELP US TO
RETRIEVE OUR MEMORIES

Changing technologies change the nature of memory.

technology !NNE &RANK REALISING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A WIDER AUDIENCE FOR HER MEMORIES
the use of tools and
other inventions to
BEYOND HERSELF CHANGED HOW SHE RECORDED HER MEMORIES Technology ALSO CREATES
support or organise MUCH LARGER AUDIENCES FOR OUR MEMORIES
human activity

INTERAC T >>

Activity 6.20 Brainstorming

In groups of four, brainstorm a list of technologies that have been used to store
memories. After a couple of minutes, pass on your sheet to the next group.
Repeat this process three to four times. Consider rock art and other inventions
in history that have helped us to store memories and move through to
modern times. You could use the internet on your mobile phone, which is a
tool to store memories, in order to research some of the technologies.

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I D ENTI F Y > >

Activity 6.21 The impact of technology on memories

Think about ways in which technology has impacted on how memories are
stored. Consider the changes in just a few generations. You may want to talk
to your parents and grandparents.

Generation How memories are stored

'RANDPARENTS

0ARENTS

9OU

4HE FUTURE n YOUR PREDICTION

REFLECT ON
What do you think the impact of so many devices that store memory is? How does this affect
the memories we share using modern technologies? Do you think these technologies have
influenced on the way we remember? What aspects of a memory might be emphasised?

PHOTOGRAPHY AND MEMORY

/NE OF THE MOST PROMINENT AND ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES USED TO RECORD OUR MEMORIES
IS PHOTOGRAPHY )NVENTED IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY HAS DEVELOPED
OVER TIME AND IS NOW A DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY )N ADDITION TO STAND ALONE CAMERAS
PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE TAKEN ANYWHERE AND AT ANY TIME WITH MOBILE PHONES I0ADS AND
OTHER COMPUTERISED DEVICES 0HOTO SHARING WEBSITES SUCH AS &LICKR WWWmICKRCOM
AND 0HOTOBUCKET HTTPPHOTOBUCKETCOM HAVE LED TO A NEW TYPE
OF SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND NEW WAYS TO DOCUMENT AND MEMORIALISE
OUR EVERYDAY LIVES
0HOTOS CAPTURE A MOMENT IN TIME AND CAN POTENTIALLY RECORD IT
FOREVER9OU WILL HAVE PHOTOS OF YOURSELF AS A BABY THAT CAN REMIND
YOU AND OTHERS OF WHAT YOU WERE LIKE AT THIS TIME9OU MAY ALSO HAVE
PHOTOS OF PEOPLE OR PETS THAT HAVE DIED OR OBJECTS YOU NO LONGER
OWN SUCH AS OLD TOYS THAT ONCE MEANT A LOT TO YOU )N THIS WAY
PHOTOS BOTH CAPTURE THE PRESENT AND HELP US TO REMEMBER THE PAST

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 REFLECT AND INTE RACT >>

Activity 6.22 Your photos

1 Think about the photos you have on your walls at home (either taken
by you or images you have sourced from elsewhere) or those you might
have posted on Facebook, which is another public way of displaying
photographs.
2 With a partner, discuss what the photographs tell others about your likes
and dislikes.
3 Then describe a family photo that captures a strong memory for you and
explain why that memory is important.

EX PL ORE >>

Activity 6.23 Anticipation guide

1 Use an ‘anticipation guide’ to explore the statements about photography
and memory in the table below.
2 Respond to the statements individually first, then discuss them with a
partner or a small group. After reading the passage that follows, revisit the
statements and see if you change your opinion or if you have a comment
to add.

Statement Before: After: Comments

agree/ agree/
disagree disagree
0HOTOS HELP US TO REMEMBER HAPPY
TIMES

0HOTOS CAN TURN AN UNHAPPY MEMORY

INTO A HAPPY ONE

4HE MEMORY RECORDED IN A PHOTO

MIGHT BE VERY DIFFERENT TO REALITY

0HOTOS AFFECT THE MEMORIES PEOPLE

LEAVE BEHIND

9OU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT SOMEONE BY

THE PHOTOS THEY DISPLAY OR POST ON
&ACEBOOK
4ECHNOLOGY AFFECTS THE WAY THAT A
MEMORY IS RECORDED AND RECALLED

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)N THE FOLLOWING EXTRACT FROM 3TEVEN #ARROLLS NOVEL The Gift of Speed  A FAMILY
ATTEMPTS TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH WITH AN @INSTANT CAMERA AN INVENTION OF THE S

Rita tried to do a simple thing and take a photograph of everyone …

Rita instructed Vic and Michael to remain perfectly still and then rehearsed what
she had to do …
… Why bother? Why bother at all? It was the very thing she didn’t want to
see – a portrait of an unhappy family, a snap of a failed marriage, and she wasn’t
going to have it in the house …
‘We’ll do it again,’ he said …
When she peeled the second photo back the first thing she saw was Vic’s
smile. A real smile, she could see that …
Within minutes an unhappy family had been transformed into a happy family.
It is precisely the kind of photo that, in years to come, she will look back on
fondly and see only the smiles and remember the laughter.
And why not? … everybody takes two photos don’t they? Just in case the
first one doesn’t work out. Even the happy families.
3OURCE 3TEVE #ARROLL The Gift of Speed (ARPER#OLLINS 3YDNEY  PP   

R EF LECT A ND INTE RACT >>

Activity 6.24 Retrieving your memories through photos

Immediately after an event or experience, we have a strong recollection of
it. Over time, the memory diminishes and retrieving the memory becomes
harder. A photo can help.
1 How do you think that photographs help our minds to construct a sense
of memory?
2 Find a photograph of a memory that you feel comfortable to share on the
class wiki. Post it and an account of the memory that accompanies it.
3 Comment on the importance of the photograph in constructing your
memory. Has it changed the memory or created a focus on particular
parts of the memory?

DIGITAL STORIES OR MULTIMEDIA NARRATIVES

! DIGITAL STORY IS A MULTIMODAL TEXT n A SHORT PERSONAL lLM CREATED BY COMBINING STILL
ANDOR MOVING IMAGES WITH A RECORDED VOICE OVER AND MUSIC OR OTHER SOUNDS $IGITAL
STORIES ARE OFTEN AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OR BIOGRAPHIES4HEY ARE USUALLY QUITE SHORT ABOUT
n PICTURES TWO MINUTES AND  WORDS4HIS MAKES THE LANGUAGE VERY CONCISE AND
ECONOMICAL DIRECT AND SOMETIMES EVEN POETIC
! DIGITAL STORY CAN COME IN A VARIETY OF SHAPES AND SIZES FROM SIMPLE VIDEO BLOGS
MINI lLMS CREATED WITH I-OVIE OR -OVIE -AKER SOFTWARE OR EVEN RECORDED ON YOUR
PHONE )F THESE ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU YOU CAN EVEN CREATE A SIMPLE DIGITAL STORY WITH
IMAGES AND AUDIO IN 0OWER0OINT

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 EX PL ORE >>

Activity 6.25 Digital storytelling

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne runs a
digital storytelling project for adults and young people.
1 Explore some of these stories here: www.acmi.net.au/video_community_
people.htm.
2 Here you will find character stories, memorial stories, stories about love,
overcoming adversity, facing challenges and many others.
3 Work with a partner to select and analyse a digital story and then present
your analysis to the class. Use a retrieval chart like the one below to guide
your analysis.

Title of digital story:

Mode Example Effect/s
)MAGES n WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT

3HOT TYPES n CLOSE UPS MID

SHOTS AND LONG SHOTS

3OUND EFFECTS SOUNDTRACK AND

SILENCE

#OMMENTARYVOICE OVER

4RANSITIONS FROM ONE IMAGE TO

ANOTHER

7HOSE POINT OF VIEW IS

PRESENTED (OW DO YOU
KNOW
%VALUATION n COMMENTARY
SOUND EFFECTS IMAGES
7HAT MEMORIES HAVE BEEN
INCLUDED

7HAT MEMORIES MAY HAVE

BEEN EXCLUDED

6OCABULARY AND LANGUAGE

FEATURES EG EXTENDED
METAPHOR
7HAT IDEAS CAN YOU INFER FROM
THE IMAGES EG A TREE MIGHT
BE USED TO SYMBOLISE STABILITY 
/THER

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 [ 6]
C REATE > >

Activity 6.26 Your digital story

1 Reflect on your memories again to help you create your own digital story.
2 Think about whether there is a special person, place, event or object in
your life that could become the focus of your digital story.
3 If you don’t have a recording device (video camera, camera, phone), you
can present your story as slideshow with a series of still photos, as a
poster or glog, as a simple animation or even as a graphic novel. Modify it
to suit your abilities and what’s available.
4 Post your digital story on the class wiki and provide feedback to others
who post their digital stories.

WEBSITES AND MEMORY

-ANY WEBSITES USE MEMORIES TO CONVEY THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EVENT ,IKE A DIGITAL
STORY A WEBSITE IS A MULTIMODAL TEXT WITH AUDIO VISUAL AND WRITTEN ELEMENTS (OWEVER
WEBSITES ALLOW THE READERVIEWER TO NAVIGATE THEIR WAY AROUND THE WEBSITE SOMETIMES
TAKING PART IN INTERACTIVE OR VIRTUAL TOURS )N THIS WAY THEY ALLOW THE READERVIEWER TO
CONTROL THE MEMORY AND THE WAY IT IS REMEMBERED

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 199

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 INV E STIGATE AND INTER AC T >>

Activity 6.27 Website features

1 Work in pairs and locate a website you like and make a list of all its
features, including fonts, graphics, menus, navigation tools, layout and
whatever else you identify that makes this website successful.
2 Come together as a class to develop a class glossary of terms. Display
these on a wall chart that you can refer to easily. As you work through the
rest of the activities in this chapter, add to the wall chart.

4HE FOLLOWING WEBSITE STUDY INCLUDES TWO SITES THAT ARE BOTH ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES
OF CHILDREN DURING THE 3ECOND 7ORLD 7AR 3EARCH FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO WEBSITES ON THE
INTERNET

WEBSITE 1
Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story

WEBSITE 2
Hana’s Suitcase

ANALYSE AND E VALUAT E >>

Activity 6.28 Analysing websites

1 Look at both websites and identify their features by completing the
following table.

Anne Frank the writer: Hana’s Suitcase

An Unfinished Story

7HAT INFORMATION WAS

IMPORTANT ON THE WEBSITE

7HAT IMAGES STOOD OUT AND

WHAT MEMORIES DID THEY
CAPTURE

.AVIGATION n DID IT PROMOTE

A CHRONOLOGICAL RECALL OF
MEMORIES

,AYOUT

200 ENGLISH FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM BOOK 2

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Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.
 [ 6]
Anne Frank the writer: Hana’s Suitcase
An Unfinished Story

#OLOUR AND ITS EFFECTS ON MOOD

!UDIO AND SOUND AND THEIR

EFFECTS ON MOOD

!NY OTHER INTERESTING POINTS

2 How well do you think these websites capture a time and place and the
mood of the time and place?
3 Which one had a greater impact on you? Why?

WR I TE > >

Activity 6.29 Persuasive essay

1 Think about the way you navigated through each website by answering
the following questions:
• What was the order and how much time did you spend on each
section?
• Were some sections more interesting than others? Which ones? Why?
• Did how you navigate through each website influence how you
responded to the memories?
2 Write a 600-word essay on how technologies are influencing what
memories we recall and how we recall them. Be sure to include examples
from specific technologies to support your arguments. Consider the
following questions as you draft your essay:
• How are websites the same and different to the effects of photos on
memories?
• Can they capture a time, a place, a mood more effectively?
• Which ones affect our emotions more? Why?
• What other new technologies are impacting on what and how we
remember?

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 201

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 READ, WRITE, CREATE
.OW IT IS TIME TO PUT WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT MEMORY THE CREATION OF TEXTS AND
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL IDENTITY INTO A SMALL MULTIMODAL GROUP PROJECT9OU WILL CREATE A
DESIGN BRIEF FOR A NEW WEBPAGE FOR A SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE LIKE &ACEBOOK9OU WILL
THEN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS WEBPAGE WITH A MULTIMODAL PROJECT OF YOUR OWN
)N THIS SCENARIO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
4HE SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE HAS BECOME A MAJOR SOURCE OF MEMORIES FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE )T STORES MEMORIES OF FAMILY FRIENDSHIPS AND HAPPY TIMES IN PHOTOS VIDEOS
AND CONVERSATIONS (OWEVER THE WEBSITE HAS HAD SOME BAD PRESS LATELY SO IT WANTS TO
DEVELOP A NEW PAGE CALLED -EMORYBOOK FOR THOSE MOMENTS THAT ARE PRIVATE
4HE WEBSITE HAS INVITED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SUBMIT DESIGNS FOR -EMORYBOOK
9OUR SUBMISSION SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING
s A DESIGN BRIEF
s AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MEMORIES AND THE WAYS THAT THEY ARE STORED AND
SHARED
s HOW PRIVACY WILL BE MAINTAINED ON THIS SECURE SITE

STAGE 1 OVERVIEW
7ORK IN SMALL GROUPS TO OUTLINE THE PURPOSE OF YOUR DESIGN BRIEF !NALYSE &ACEBOOK AT
THE PRESENT TIME LOOKING AT WHAT IT OFFERS AND LISTING ITS POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS
AND THE REASONS FOR A NEW STYLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE4HE DESIGN NEEDS TO
CONSIDER THE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS MEMORIES CAN BE RECORDED AND SHARED AND SHOULD
OFFER A CREATIVE FORMAT FOR STORING MEMORIES

STAGE 2 DESIGN
#REATE A DESIGN THAT OFFERS MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF RECORDING STORING AND SHARING
MEMORIES FOR THE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS #ONSIDER THE FOLLOWING THINGS
s (OW WILL YOU ENTER THE SITE
s (OW WILL YOU ENSURE QUALITY ASSURANCE
s 7HO WILL BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT MEMORIES TO THE SITE
s 7HAT WILL YOUR SLOGAN BE
s 7ILL YOU INCLUDE A WALL BLOG INFORMATION SECTION RESOURCES SECTION PHOTOS SECTION
STORIES SECTION OTHER

STAGE 3 PRESENTATION
$ELIVER YOUR PRESENTATION TO THE REST OF THE CLASS

202 ENGLISH FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM BOOK 2

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 [ 6]
STAGE 4 PEER ASSESSMENT
!S A CLASS ASSESS ALL PROPOSALS AND OFFER SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT4HEN VOTE ON THE
BEST PROPOSAL

STAGE 5 CONTRIBUTING TO MEMORYBOOK

/NCE THE DESIGN HAS BEEN VOTED ON AND lNALISED INVITE MEMBERS OF YOUR CLASS TO BRING
TOGETHER ALL YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THIS CHAPTER TO SHAPE YOUR OWN AND OTHERS MEMORIES
IN A MULTIMEDIA FORMAT

CREATE A SIMPLE WEBPAGE FOR MEMORYBOOK

"Y DRAWING ON PERSONAL MEMORIES FAMILY MEMORIES AND MEMORIES RELATING TO HISTORY
AND THE COMMUNITY YOU COULD CREATE A SIMPLE WEBPAGE THAT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING
ELEMENTS
s 7RITE A BIOGRAPHY OR AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO POST ON THE WEBPAGE4HIS COULD BE IN
WRITTEN FORM WITH PHOTOS ANDOR ILLUSTRATIONS OR AS A GRAPHIC NOVEL
s #REATE A DIGITAL STORY ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE OR SOMEONE ELSES LIFE
s #REATE A PAGE OF YOUR OWN MEMORIES OR ABOUT ONE OF THE PEOPLE STUDIED IN THE
MEMOIRS IN THIS CHAPTER
s #REATE A BLOG ABOUT YOUR MEMORIES OR TAKE ONE OF THE EXTRACTS IN THE CHAPTER AND
DEVELOP A BLOG PAGE FOR THE PERSON RECORDING AND SHARING THEIR MEMORIES4RY TO
EXPLORE THAT PERSONS WORLD AND CREATE PHOTOS AND CONVERSATIONS

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE

7RITE A CRITICAL COMMENTARY TO ACCOMPANY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE ABOVE9OUR
COMMENTARY SHOULD BE  WORDS )N YOUR COMMENTARY BE SURE TO DESCRIBE THE
FOLLOWING
s YOUR AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE
s THE LINGUISTIC AND VISUAL TOOLS YOU HAVE USED TO ACHIEVE YOUR PURPOSE
s STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE

REFLECT ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

3-2-1 REFLECTION
2EVIEW WHAT YOU NOW KNOW ABOUT MEMORY AND IDENTITY BY RESPONDING TO THE
FOLLOWING
s three insights YOU NOW HAVE ABOUT HOW MEMORY SHAPES IDENTITY
s two questions YOU STILL HAVE ABOUT HOW TECHNOLOGY AFFECTS HOW WE REMEMBER
s one idea ABOUT HOW MEMORY CAN BE USED IN THE CREATION OF YOUR OWN TEXTS

6: REMEMBERING: CREATING NARRATIVES OF MEMORY AND SELF 203

ISBN 978-1-107-64863-0 © van Haren et al. 2011 Cambridge University Press
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.