Text 1
Basic Analysis
Give an example/s of how and when the theme is explored in the text e.g through a particular event, character, language, setting, symbols….
Fate and destiny is explored in the text of Romeo and Juliet. The idea is explored through the main characters Romeo and Juliet, who are in love with each other but in secret, because of the rivalry between their families. They try to help each other to change their own fate and bring peace between their families. This idea of fate and destiny is demonstrated by the star-crossed lovers, who try and change what is considered impossible. Another example of fate and destiny demonstrated was by Romeo when he got to know that Juliet “died”. He stated that he would defy his stars and go to Juliet and change his fate and destiny. Towards the end they do bring peace in between their families, but at the cost of their lives.
Another character in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by which fate and destiny is explored is Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence tries to change the families fate just like Romeo and Juliet by helping the two marry and be together. He tries to do everything he can to help the couple. Some things about Friar Lawrence are questionable like, did he really do it out of kindness and to bring peace between the families, or did he help them in order to bring together the families and become famous? By helping Romeo and Juliet, he couldn’t completely change their fate but he did help bring peace between the families.
Connection to self
Are there ways the text explored this theme that relate to your life or the people you know?
There are many people in real life who fall in love with people that are from a family that are rivals. They try their best to come together and break the rivalry and be happy, but they sometimes fail and cannot marry and sometimes are successful and lead a happy life. Some people blame it in destiny and say that destiny made us meet, but won’t let us be together. Fate and destiny is a very surprising concept, sometimes it will shock you and sometimes it will surprise you.
Fate and destiny introduces people in many different surprising ways. My mum and dad had met in India. My mum’s aunt was my dad’s sister’s friend, one day they decided to introduce them to each other. After that, through more meetings with each other with their families, they married each other. Fate and destiny was explored through this. It was fate that their relatives were friends, otherwise they would have never met as they were in different parts of the world. Many stories like this one have the concept of fate and destiny in them.
Connections to wider world
How does the way your theme is treated in the text relate to the wider world now? Does it remind you of things you have seen or heard about- maybe in the news?
The idea of fate and destiny can be shown in a lot of ways in the wider world today. For example, an owner of a big company has a big loss, but still hopes that fate has something good waiting for him or her. Refugees also are a big issue relating to fate and destiny, each person that comes to a new place would hope that their fate would change and give them a better life than before. Many people also move along with life very fast after a tragedy takes place (like a big company loss or someone’s death) by simply saying that this is fate and it will keep surprising us with bad things and as well as good things. This is a sometimes a good attitude to have but a person can’t always be strong like that and keep moving on, sometimes they have to stop and take in the losses (like someone’s death) to realise how important they were in the person’s life. Fate and destiny are treated in various ways like someone meeting their life partner, a company making profit, someone’s death. These are some examples of which people use fate and destiny, a couple that met will say that destiny made us meet, an owner of a company that is making profit will say fate is on our side, and another person will say that this is fate and we have to accept it, when someone dies.
Deeper thinking across texts
Is it similar or different to the way it is explored in the texts? Is it more effective that’s the others? Do you prefer the way it treats the theme over the other texts? If there are differences- why might this be?
Romeo and Juliet is a book where fate and destiny is explored through their families by the grudge that they hold against each other. Romeo and Juliet want to change their fate as they have fallen in love, but can’t do so freely because of their families. Romeo and Juliet want to bring peace between the two families so they can live happily for the rest of their lives. Other characters like Benvolio and the Prince want peace between the two families too.
In ‘The Giver’, which is about a society where everything is done by rules and laws, where there is no freedom to do whatever you want. It is about a 12-year old boy named Jonas who is stuck in this society. He is given the job of ‘The Receiver’, in which he receives memories from ‘The Giver’ of an actual life, a life without laws and rules. A life with freedom. After knowing what really is happening in his society, Jonas becomes obsessed in exposing the society to its true form.
In my opinion, ‘The Giver’ explores the idea of fate and destiny slightly better than ‘Romeo and Juliet’ does.
Text 2
A Knight’s Tale
Basic Analysis
Give an example/s of how and when the theme is explored in the text e.g through a particular event, character, language, setting, symbols….
In the movie ‘A Knight’s Tale’, a young man named William Thatcher wishes to change his stars and become a knight, which is against the law as only people from royal families can be knights. William begins his journey of exploring the ways to become a knight as a squire. Fate and destiny is explored through this film as William takes us with him on this wonderful and inspiring journey, William first relates this to fate and destiny when he as a child questions his father, “ Can a man change his stars?”. William slowly and steadily progresses as a squire and become a knight that no one knows about so he can participate in the tournament. Throughout the film, William is constantly trying change his fate and destiny while his friends have accepted their fate and have given up trying to change it.
One of William’s friends, Wat, has already resigned himself to his fate and destiny whereas William is always trying to change his fate. Wat demonstrates this when he argues with William about putting all their money on him becoming a knight. He said that becoming a knight is beyond our ability but we can at least eat food. This shows that he has no will or determination to change his fate. Throughout the film, Wat slowly changes and becomes more confident in changing his fate.
Connection to self
Are there ways the text explored this theme that relate to your life or the people you know?
A famous footballer, named Lionel Messi, was born with a height deficiency, this meant that his growth wasn’t normal and slower than normal children. He loved playing football and wanted to be a footballer. Everyone that he knew discouraged him by saying things like, “You can never be a footballer, no matter what you do, this is your fate!”. But Messi never got discouraged and got put down. Messi kept in training every day, every minute he had to spare, it went towards his training. The fact that he was poor, made him train even harder as when he got famous, he would get money and the life of his family would become easier. Through lots of hard work, determination and perseverance, Messi is now one of the best and famous footballers in the world.
I related this theme to Messi’s life because just like in the movie ‘A Knight’s Tale’, William could never became a knight due his current circumstances, but he changed his fate and destiny by doing everything he could. His determination and courage rewarded him in the end when he was knighted and became an actual knight. This relates to Messi’s life as everyone told him that he could never become a footballer, but he proved them wrong and became one of the best footballers.
Connections to wider world
How does the the way your theme is treated in the text relate to the wider world now? Does it remind you of things you have seen or heard about- maybe in the news?
This theme is used everywhere in the world, in many different ways. Some people do miracles, like fighting cancer and getting cured, or being something that everyone said you could never be. Everyday, someone in the world does something significant, to prove themselves to the world and to prove anyone wrong who said that they could never do it.
One famous people in the world, Steve Jobs, was an ordinary student in university. He had started his company with his best friend, Woz, they both were excellent with computers. Jobs always wanted to be on the top and was always ambitious in making his company to be the best. When he started off, he had nothing. He did all his work in a garage. Day by day, attending more conferences and meetings, he finally started to get noticed for his work. Even though there were lots obstacles in his life, he overcame them with his determination and ambition.
This relates to ‘A Knight’s Tale’ as William’s current circumstances prevent him from becoming a knight, he still manages to do whatever he can and prove to the world that anyone can achieve whatever they want, as long they have the determination and desire to achieve it. Steve Jobs had proved this very efficiently, as he was one of the richest people in the world.
Deeper thinking across texts
Is it similar or different to the way it is explored in the texts? Is it more effective that’s the others? Do you prefer the way it treats the theme over the other texts? If there are differences- why might this be?
In manga called ‘Naruto’, there is a boy named Naruto. When he was a very small child, the leader of the village put a monster inside him. He was an orphan and everyone hated him because of the monster inside him. Naruto always wanted to be the best, he wanted to take the title of the leader in the village. Everyone laughed at him when he said that he wanted to be a leader. But when he found the right people to be with, he trained very hard all day and all night. He kept doing the same technique again and again, until he got it right. Through this nature he became stronger and eventually proved everyone wrong. His dream was the be the strongest ninja in his whole village. His will and determination is what made him strong and the fact that everyone said that he could never be strong, made him even more determined.
This story is quite similar to “A Knight’s Tale’, where William, a boy whose dream was to be a knight. William’s friends said that it is against the law to become a knight, as only people from royal families could become knights. William did everything, he broke the law and trained hard, no matter what his friends said. He put in all the money that they had, so he could buy the gear and train. One of his friends Wat, had said that this is our fate and we can’t be rich. William proved him wrong after he achieved what was considered impossible.
Both stories displayed the theme very efficiently but I prefer the anime as it was more fun and entertaining.
Text 3
The Giver
Basic Analysis
Give an example/s of how and when the theme is explored in the text e.g through a particular event, character, language, setting, symbols….
The Giver is about a boy named Jonas, who lives in a society where everything is done by laws and rules. No one has to do the freedom to do whatever they want. Jonas turns 12 and is given the job of the Receiver of Memories. In this job, Jonas is given memories from an old man whose job is to give Jonas memories of a world where there is freedom, where there is life. Jonas is very shocked as he comes to know of what really is happening around him, in his society. After that, Jonas becomes completely determined to expose the people who made the society like this and make the society filled with fun and life.
This book is a very good example of fate and destiny as in the book, everything in the society is done by rules and laws. So basically, everything that everyone does is written, and they can’t do anything of their own will. Then there is Jonas, a boy who wishes to change everything in the society and bring freedom and life into it. This also explores the idea of fate and destiny, in which Jonas was destined to bring happiness in the society.
Connection to self
Are there ways the text explored this theme that relate to your life or the people you know?
When I was a kid, most of my friends used to stay in their homes and play video games. One day, I decided to make everyone come out of their homes, and play sports. What I did was, I called up my other friends who actually played outside, and told them to come to my place. Then we knocked the door of the other who used to stay indoors. Now, when you have about 8 to 10 of your friends right outside your door, telling you to come and play, it’s kind of hard to refuse. That way, about 90% of all my friends came out to play. We ended up playing for a 3 full hours and since that day, we haven’t stopped playing outside.
This relates to ‘The Giver’ as Jonas wants to free the society of its laws and rules. This relates to what I’ve written above as both of us wanted to make our society better and bring more life to it. I wanted that my society will always be full of life, which was similar to what Jonas wanted as well.
Connections to wider world
How does the the way your theme is treated in the text relate to the wider world now? Does it remind you of things you have seen or heard about- maybe in the news?
This theme is used in the world many times, when some rules in a person’s company aren’t fair, someone’s stands up and changes everything. This happens in our everyday life, someone is treated unfairly or the rules aren’t supporting justice. Some of the things I have seen in movies, that a person is treated unfairly in his company, and is either forced into leaving the company or forced to suicide. The owners do this for their good, so they can benefit from it. Then, someone else stands up and brings down the owners to avenge the person that was treated unfairly. This makes us all think about fate and destiny as a person is treated unfairly, and someone else helps that person to bring down the people who did injustice.
This theme can be related in many ways, a small child getting bullied at their school, a worker being treated unfairly. Some people are also discriminated for a lot of things that they do. This is an issue that is relevant to the theme. When this happens, some people who are against this stand up for them. They help them and support them in anyway they can, this is explored when Jonas stands up for the people who had been chosen and were trying to make things right, and got killed by the people who were in power.