Reflection Statement –
Dissident
Student Number: 26522684
School Number: 8101
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We are heading socially and ecologically down a slippery slope – the bottom
of which promises a very hard landing. The main villain of the piece is our
current system which is committed to runaway growth based on ecological
destruction and social inequality.
- Richard Swift1
In our contemporary, globalized world, the dominant economic system of free-
market capitalism naturally draws individuals, businesses and governments
into an obsessive pursuit of material wealth. This narrow focus has caused
environmental protection to be overlooked in favour of profit, and contributed
greatly to the problem of human-induced climate change which is warming the
planet more rapidly than at any other time in history. I have always been a
passionate supporter of environmental sustainability, but Davis Guggenheim
and Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth2 impressed on me the
need for fossil fuel use to be curbed, and the desire to be part of the solution.
Gore explains that “Carbon dioxide (levels have) never gone above 300 parts
per million (concentration in Earth’s atmosphere)” in the last 650,000 years,
but since the Industrial Revolution, have risen to 380 parts per million. Seeing
these figures made me realise the full extent of man’s impact on the planet,
and planted the seed for the overarching concept of Dissident.
My work is deeply connected to my studies of Preliminary and HSC Advanced
English, through both areas of study: Personal Journeys and Discovery. Luna
Lennan’s journey is both physical and mental; on the road to Gladstone she
finds her self-belief and resilience challenged by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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The showdown between Luna and Kapoor at the docks shows how the
journey has changed her since she “cowered in the defendant’s box, numb”
after her bail hearing. Luna’s internal journey is as much the focus of the
Dissident as the physical distance she covers. My senior studies of
Advanced English also exposed me to the Short Story as a literary form,
through the works of Ray Bradbury and Robert Cormier studied as part of the
Discovery unit. Cormier’s masterful use of unique short story conventions
resonated with me, so I tried to emulate his use of ‘in media res’ beginning
and limited description of character and setting. This lets the reader picture for
themselves the characters and locations explored in Dissident and frees up
more of the word count to focus on the major issues of the piece.
The After The Bomb unit of the English Extension 1 course exposed me to
concepts of the development of distinctive ways of thinking, and the way ideas
can spread quickly. These concepts influenced both the target audience and
the plot of Dissident, through the impact they had on Luna’s motives as a
character, and the message I hope to convey to the readers of my work. After
The Bomb also showed me how context and current events can influence the
characteristics of ways of thinking.
My studies of HSC Geography were also integral to the development of
Dissident, specifically a case study of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) as an
Ecosystem At Risk. Through assessing the risks facing the health of the GBR,
I came across the Abbot Point port expansion plan – approved by the Abbott
Federal Government and backed by Indian company Adani Mining3. Adani’s
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proposed ‘Carmichael’ Mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin is expected to
excavate 60 million tonnes of coal per annum once operational4, and the
Abbot Point expansion will dump an estimated 3 million tonnes of dredge spoil
within the GBR World Heritage area.
My perspective on the issues explored in Dissident has been greatly
influenced by music. The song Blue Sky Mine5 by Midnight Oil exemplifies
the attitude of many mining companies towards the environment through the
line “and the company takes what the company wants, and nothing’s as
precious as a hole in the ground.” This mentality of ‘profit over planet’ is one
of the core problems with out society, as discussed in the preceding Richard
Swift quote. In Hearts Wake’s song Mother6 is the culmination of the
environmentally themed album Earthwalker, and reminds the listener “this
land does not belong to you, it is you who belong to this land.” Both of these
songs resonate with me, and their themes of environmentalism had a strong
impact on the development of my major work.
I began my writing with a sound understanding of the concepts explored in
Dissident, so most of my research was aimed at legitimising the settings I
described. To do this, I had to familiarise myself with specific areas of
southern and central Queensland, including the network of detention centres
around Brisbane, the proposed location of the Adani mine in the Galilee
Basin, and the town of Gladstone. The most important aspect of this research
was making sure the characters’ movements were realistic in terms of the
time it took to travel from one place to another. To make sure of this, I used
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the Google Maps measure distance service then compared the results with
the average speed limits on the major roads between destinations.
In my initial planning for Dissident, I intended to break the story into three
parts; utilising multiperspectivity to investigate issues through the eyes of
three co-protagonists. George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice and Fire7 series
provided the inspiration for this multifaceted structure, but as the story
progressed I decided to keep the same viewpoint throughout – as it allowed
me to impart a deeper understanding of a single character to the audience
rather than giving a shallow picture of several. Focusing on Luna Lennan for
the duration of Dissident also gives the work continuity, which can be
compromised with frequent changes of perspective.
At each change of scene throughout Dissident, I inserted a quote relevant to
the events of the succeeding section. This device was inspired by Hunter S.
Thompson’s Hell’s Angels8, which intersperses quotes throughout its
chapters to enhance and comment on the issues being discussed. I felt this
technique was very effective in Hell’s Angels, and found that it added
another dimension to Dissident when contrasted with the piece in traditional
prose form. I also inserted newspaper articles at key points in the story both to
ensure I stayed under the word limit and to emphasise important events. It
was difficult to break from cliché in concluding my work, and I had to redraft
the final five hundred words four times before I was satisfied with the ending.
Once the ending had been finalised, I made some major changes earlier on to
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straighten out some kinks in the plotline and make sure the piece flowed
smoothly.
To make sure Dissident lived up to my high standards I integrated feedback
from a variety of sources, including past and present teachers and fellow
students. The process of sharing my work with other Extension 2 students
was helpful, as it gave me a point of view from the target audience of the
piece – emerging voters with political awareness and an environmental
conscience. My generation is possibly the last with the power to reverse the
effects of climate change, so it is imperative that young people are aware of
the causes and solutions surrounding the issue. Dissident shows the
potential young people hold to make a positive difference. This is an important
message, as too often people my age underestimate the influence their
actions can have and as a result choose not to stand up for what they believe
in.
dis·si·dent (dĭs′ĭ-dənt)
adjective; Disagreeing, as in opinion or belief.
noun; One who disagrees; a dissenter.
From Latin dis sedere, ‘sit apart’
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References:
1 – Swift, R 2015. Seeking Other Paths, New Internationalist, 484/4, 2
(Adapted)
2 – Guggenheim, D, 2006. An Inconvenient Truth (DVD), Paramount Classics
3 – Hannam, P 2014. New Abbot Point Dredge Plan To Dump Spoils In
Wetlands, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 October 2014
4 – Department of State Development, Queensland Government 2015.
Carmichael Coal Mine and rail Project (Online) Available at:
http://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/assessments-and-approvals/carmich
ael-coal-mine-and-rail-project.html (Accessed 21 July 2015)
5 – Garrett, P 1990. Blue Sky Mine, Columbia Records
6 – Taylor, J 2013. Mother, UNFD
7 – Martin, G. R. R. 1996. A Song of Ice and Fire, Voyager Books
8 – Thompson, H. S. 1966. Hell’s Angels, Random House
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