What to look for when analysing TTT texts? (1 Viewer)

[rsingh]

Hey guys,

I just started Module C, and I'm doing Telling the Truth. I was just wondering, when watching Frontline, and colleting related material, what should I look for when analysing them, so that I have relevant info when writing essays.

Is there any questions I should base them on, or what?

Also, is this module of one those "conceptual" modues, where we focus on writing about the "truth", or is it just another technique thing? I'm unsure how to write an essay for this topic, and any help would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks in advance.

 

[glitterfairy]

Both techniques and concepts.

Look at how the truth is interpreted and portrayed. You probably aren't doing Ted Hughe's poetry, but for those that are, you'll notice things like "I remember" and "I think" which are careful to say that this is just HIS memory of what happened. Memory is fickle.

What is truth? It has been said that "truth" is merely an (singular) interpretation of an event, or something that happened. So when you see articles like "The Truth About Sally..." you have to wonder how much bias there is, objectivity etc etc. It's so easy to twist things in the media and give the impression of something that isn't there or has been completely misrepresented... but I didn't do Frontline, so I'll stop now.

 

[Beckiki_S]

I did frontline, so ill try to help you out.

In your essays you have to show how the concept of telling the truth is represented by the techniques used by the composers (so in frontline it's stuff like satire, parody, characterisation, irony, verisimilitude, camerawork, hyperbole and juxtaposition).
However, you also need to show how telling the truth appears in each text. So in the frontline episodes, what are the consequences of manipulating the truth? What message are the composers trying to get across about telling the truth and the media?

So each time I saw a frontline episode and made shorthand notes, I would write a few paragraphs under a heading "What this episode reveals about telling the truth" and then a number of dot points under "techniques used in this episode to convey ideas".

So for example...
Episode 4 - Playing the Ego Card-
What this episode reveals about telling the truth -News is manipulated to suit a particular agenda and thus truth is created. Agendas may be personal, financial, political etc. In this episode, Mike, Brian and Brooke have a personal agenda (ego) and Farmer and Brian adhere to a financial agenda (ratings).The irony at the end when Brian takes credit for Emma's work shows that truth is not only manufactured in the news media/business environment. Instead construction of truth transcends to personal liasons and dealings aswell.
Techniques used in this episode -

• Irony - Marty says to Mike "I'm like you - not into profile shit."
  Brooke's inability to portray a "smart" look
  Brian says to Brooke and Mike separately "You made these ratings." Then to Emma - "Emma, see these figures? You made them." Emma responds - "Is that what you said to the other two?"
• Contrast/Juxtaposition - Emma (the show's moral voice) is contrasted with Brian, Brooke, Marty, Mike and Farmer.
• Hyperbole - Humour added through Mike's dealings with the Bougainville rebels.

I dont know if that helps but thats what i did to write notes on frontline episodes and i did very well. good luck!

 

[classics_chic]

In related material, you need to find talk or doubt about truth telling, what it is and how it's found, either explicitly (as in a historiography text) or not (as in many works of fiction). You need to explore what the truth is represented as, and how the representation of material alters the viewer's perspective of what the truth is (example: the composer undermining a judge they don't like by comparing his handing down of judgment to bowel movement- Robertson, G. "The Justice Game" - 'Trials of Oz'). It's the same as what you need to do for your central material.

There is very much technique to how you write these essays, but there is a concept to be grasped. Anyone who's doing History Extension has an advantage because they're probably having it rammed down their throats in that class: that truth isn't always what's been recorded, that opinions filter through in any work, and that, as a historian and as a mature viewer of a text (which you're expected to be in English Advanced), you have to discern (in a reasonable person's opinion- that means have an opinion and prove it) what these opinions are and the way that they impact the work as a whole.

Best of luck!