1. "The Lost Thing" - Shaun Tan
1.1. Lack of individuality
1.1.1. Everybody looks the same, especially in the city, there is no evidence of any individuality. Everyone is subjugated to be the same. The government suppresses individuality.
1.1.2. Colors are dull, everything looks the same - contributes to the theme of complete order and lack of individuality.
1.1.3. Brutalistic architecture, lots of smoke coming out from factories = industrialized, a society where people are working for machines.
1.1.4. Lots of signs that tells people to go, what to do: evidence of a higher order, that people are being subjugated into rules and a "uniform".
1.1.5. Even has a commercial that tells people to turn in things that are different, to put them away. Erasure of things that look out of place.
1.1.6. City scene inspired by Collins street 5pm
1.1.6.1. This scene shows people going home after work, it shows people who look like they are working in coporate companies going home from work. they are all wearing the same thing, looks like uniforms.
1.2. Contrast between two worlds
1.2.1. One is dull and sad, everything is similar. TLT's world is brighter, more unique. It looks like a scene from a children’s book.
1.2.2. Industrialization vs. creativity
1.3. Lost of innocence
1.3.1. Lost things world is bright, has curves made from the brutal architecture of the other world. There is a lot of uniqueness and creativity.
1.3.2. things in TLT's world are silly, like something created by a mind of a child, these rarely appear in a world where it seemed like only adults existed.
1.3.3. People don't really pay attention to these weird things anymore, which is why the lost of innocence is a noticeable theme.
2. "A Hanging" - George Orwell
2.1. Dehumanization of prisoners
2.1.1. Inhumane living conditions (small animal cages) - subjugating prisoners into cages, treating them like theyre not human.
2.1.2. Compared the prisoner to a fish
2.1.3. Prisoner had chains attached to the guard's belt.
2.2. Criticism if Capital punishment
2.2.1. Vivid imagery of the hanging
2.2.1.1. emphasizes the cruel ways that capital punishment puts people through
2.2.2. highlight the sameness of humans, that everyone is equal
2.2.3. scared feelings of executioners: they know that it is wrong to take another man's life.
2.3. Hierarchal ranking of people
2.3.1. characterization of prisoner as weak, puny, highlights harsh treatment.
2.3.2. contrast between weak prisoners and fat dravidian in gold specs - sees two different positions of people.
2.3.3. microcosm of unequal and unfair justice system.
2.3.4. criticizing subjugation of Burmese people by colonial forces.
3. SMILARITIES
3.1. Existence of the contrast between two sides of the story - used to emphasize the stark differences
3.2. Dehumanization of people who are under a greater rule/ force.
3.3. rotates between themes of isolation (soldier and the lost thing)
3.4. lost of innocence (sniper and lost thing)
3.5. Both don't really take sides. It is more of a commentary and criticism on society and colonial rule.
3.6. clear emphasis of the difference of the two worlds
3.7. internal and external division of setting and society.
4. The Sniper - Liam O'flattery
4.1. War doesn't discriminate between people, classes, rankings.
4.1.1. Old lady informer - even old lady is working in the war
4.1.2. All of the characters has no names: showing that self identity doesn't matter. War only needs people, not who they are.
4.2. War dehumanizes people, turns them into robots/machines.
4.2.1. When the main character did not feel pain when he was shot = had so much adrenaline of war that he didn't register the pain: war turned him into a robot who's only purpose is to serve the war.
4.2.2. "Cold gleam, death isn't new" = he is so used to war, seeing people die is not new. His reaction to death is a celebration, killing his "enemy" is a celebration. There is no humanity to be seen because he is celebrating death.
4.3. Contrast between two sides:
4.3.1. Contrast between two worlds, two sides.
4.3.2. Civil war : enemies are your own brothers, enemies are from the same place
4.3.3. Republican vs. freestaters
4.3.4. student vs. fanatic
4.3.5. stark contrast between the two sides causes a literal division between society
5. Aboriginal Australia - Jack Davis
5.1. Protest poem
5.1.1. A political and social commentary on how white Australia treated the aboriginal people.
5.1.2. Highlights the injustice felt by aboriginal people by writing it in the perspective of an aboriginal person. He used this voice to criticize the treatment.
5.1.3. redressing the Australian aboriginal story
5.2. Colonial authority
5.2.1. emotive poem that personally explores colonial rule and how it affected Aboriginal people of Australia. The perspective of the narrator makes the audience empathize and understand how colonial rule affected the natives of Australia.