superheroes - st michael's...

SuperheroesLiterature Culture Cultural change

Language Old words and new Embedded clauses

Literacy Interpreting texts Graphic novels

11

Macmillan English 7 for the Australian Curriculum142

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ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1

Culture refers to what a particular group of people do and believe in, and how they live their lives. Youth culture, for example, refers to how young people define themselves as a group by what they like to do, wear, listen to, watch, read, create and what they consider important. National culture is what defines a particular country at any point in its history.

Superheroes as cultural iconsMost cultures have their icons—people or places that are admired or loved because they represent something important about a culture. For example, the Anzacs are an Australian cultural icon, representing the qualities of courage and mateship.

Beowulf (pronounced bay-a-woolf), was a cultural icon—a 6th-century superhero who represented the qualities most admired at that time. His story is told in the epic poem Beowulf, which was written some time between the 8th and 11th centuries CE. Beowulf provides a picture of Scandinavian culture at that time. The story was popular in England too. It became part of English literary culture as the Scandinavians invaded and settled in England around the time Beowulf was written.

Beowulf tells of kings, warriors, armies and monsters, of breath-taking adventures and violent and gory battles. It was written at a dangerous time of war and invasion, a time when it was a king’s duty to protect his people, and the common people’s duty to give their total loyalty to their king.

n Culture

BeowulfIt is the year 507 CE. The Danish king, Hrothgar, has been successful in war, and peace now

reigns in the land. To reward his soldiers for their loyalty and celebrate this peace, Hrothgar

builds a magnificent feasting hall. The soldiers gather there each night to feast and

celebrate.

Grendel is a troll, an evil creature who lives at the bottom of a snake-infested swamp.

Annoyed by the noise and celebrations in the feasting hall, Grendel sneaks into the hall at

dead of night, slaughtering soldiers as they sleep.

Nothing Hrothgar does can overcome the power and evil of Grendel. His kingdom and

reputation at stake, Hrothgar offers a reward to anyone who will destroy Grendel.

Beowulf is a proud, good and brave warrior prince of the Geats from the southern part

of Sweden, a superhero, famous for defeating evil giants and blood-curdling monsters.

Now, in search of further fame and glory, and ready for a new challenge, Beowulf comes to

Hrothgar’s castle and offers to help. Hrothgar promises Beowulf rich rewards if he succeeds

in destroying Grendel.

Beowulf engages in a terrible battle with Grendel. Weapons and armour don’t work

against Grendel, so Beowulf goes into combat unarmed and tears off the monster’s arm,

and hangs it in triumph in the feasting hall. Grendel flees back to his swamp where he dies

soon afterwards.

Everyone looks on Beowulf as a hero, and a great victory celebration is held in the hall.

However, Grendel’s mother swears revenge. She comes to the hall and kidnaps and kills

Chapter 11 • Superheroes 143

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ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1

Aeschere, Hrothgar’s close friend

and adviser. She also takes away

her son’s arm, a further insult to

Beowulf and Hrothgar.

Beowulf volunteers to revenge

Aeschere’s death. Fully armed and

bearing an ancient sword, Beowulf

dives to the bottom of Grendel’s

mother’s lake. After a terrible

battle, he kills her. He has

destroyed the race of trolls, and

Hrothgar’s kingdom is safe.

Hrothgar rewards Beowulf

with riches and advises him to use his strength wisely and for good. He tells Beowulf not to

be proud, and to remember that, like all humans, he will grow old and die.

In time, Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. He rules wisely and well for fifty years.

However, a dragon comes to his kingdom and ravages the land, killing many of the people.

Though an old man, Beowulf vows to destroy the dragon single-handedly. During the

battle, Beowulf’s sword breaks and the dragon mortally wounds Beowulf.

Beowulf fears that, when news of his death spreads, the land of the Geats will be

attacked and conquered.

No further mention is made in history of the Geats so we can assume that Beowulf

was right and that they were eventually overrun and driven out of Sweden. Beowulf was

the last of his clan.

Grendel from 2007 film Beowulf

1 In one sentence for each, explain who the following characters are:• Hrothgar • Beowulf • Grendel • Aeschere.

2 Pretend that you are one of the characters in Beowulf. Prepare a talk in which you:• explain who you are• explain what happened to you • give your opinion of one of the other characters in the story• defend yourself or (politely!) correct someone in the class who criticises your character.

3 Be a detective. Reread the story of Beowulf and gather information from the text and other resources about what life was like in Scandinavia at that time. What was the political system? How did people spend their time? Would you like to have lived in Scandinavia at that time? Why or why not?

4 What was it about Beowulf that made him a cultural icon for the Scandinavians and the English? What does that tell you about life in those places at that time?

5 Compare your favourite modern superhero with Beowulf. How are they similar? How are they different? What does this tell you about how our society is different from life in Scandinavia and England in Beowulf’s era?

Exercise 11.1 Researching superheroes

Macmillan English 7 for the Australian Curriculum144

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ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1

Societies change over time as they respond to world events, social and economic upheavals, new discoveries and new opportunities. Evidence of these changes can be found in the stories that a culture tells about itself and its people over time.

The culture of CamelotThe story of King Arthur started in Britain in the 6th century CE. His story is similar in many ways to that of Beowulf. While little is known about the real Arthur, he has become a

superhero in British legend. He was most likely a powerful British leader who defended Britain against Anglo-Saxon invaders. Historical texts mention important battles that Arthur fought.

In the 12th century, a Welsh historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, turned this military story into a romance, and the legend of King Arthur and Camelot was born. Monmouth’s Arthur was gentle, strong, wise and idealistic. He wanted to create the perfect society. His handsome, chivalrous knights went on quests to save beautiful maidens and fight ferocious dragons. Camelot was ruled according to the highest values of honour, truth and justice.

This version of the story of Arthur spread throughout Europe, and later writers added even more details about romances, and magical and noble events.

This imagined story of Camelot shows how much society in England changed between the 6th and 12th centuries. By the 12th century the English wanted their culture to be defined by qualities of honour, gentility and refinement, rather than by brute military strength.

This is the legend of King Arthur.

n Cultural change

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and a maidenWhen Arthur, the son of King Uther, the King of all Britain, is born,

Uther hands him over to Merlin, his magician. Britain is at war with the

Saxons and it is too dangerous for the baby to remain at court. Arthur is

raised in the country by Sir Ector, and grows up not knowing who his real

parents are.

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1 Describe the culture of Camelot: its shared practices, beliefs, values, traditions and behaviours.

2 Research the meaning of the term chivalry and find examples of chivalry in the story of King Arthur.

3 Explain the difference between ‘Might is right’ and ‘Might for right’.

4 What destroys the perfect society of Camelot?

5 Compare the cultures in the story of Beowulf (pages 142–3) and the story of Arthur. How are they similar? How are they different?

6 Which of the values in the world of Camelot do you think Australians can claim for Australian society?

7 Write about an incident in which a 21st century Australian woman suddenly finds herself back at King Arthur’s court. Tell what happens to her. Does she decide to return to the 21st century? Why or why not?

Exercise 11.2 Exploring the culture of Camelot

When King Uther dies, local kings fight about who should be the next King of all Britain.

One day, a huge stone mysteriously appears in a London church-yard. A sword is stuck fast

in the stone. A message on the stone says that whoever can pull the sword out of the

stone will be the next king of Britain.

Many try and fail. Then, when Arthur is 15 years old, he happens upon the stone, pulls

at the sword and removes it. He thus becomes the King of all Britain.

Merlin becomes Arthur’s court magician and adviser, and a mysterious woman, the

Lady of the Lake, gives Arthur a magic sword, Excalibur. With Excalibur he will win any

battle; it will protect him from harm.

So begins the legend of Camelot, the story of the court of King Arthur, Queen

Guinevere, his amazingly beautiful and desirable wife, and the dashing, chivalrous Knights of

the Round Table. Arthur sits with his knights at a round table to make the point that there

are no favourites—that the king loves and values all the knights equally.

Camelot is a magical kingdom, a safe, contented place of happiness and fellowship,

where knights rescue maidens in distress and defeat dragons and other threats to the

kingdom and its people. Arthur maintains order by defeating any rebellious local kings, and

then he invades and conquers many parts of Europe. Arthur’s motto is not ‘Might is right’,

but ‘Might for right’.

Then Queen Guinevere falls in love with Sir Lancelot, Arthur’s bravest knight, and they

run away together to France. Arthur follows with a large army, determined to punish

them. He leaves his cousin, Sir Mordred, in charge of the kingdom. Mordred is an evil,

ambitious man who shortly announces that Arthur has been killed in France. Mordred then

becomes king. When Arthur hears this, he returns to England and attacks Mordred. In a

terrible battle, almost all of the soldiers on both sides are killed. Finally, Mordred and Arthur

engage in single combat. Arthur kills Mordred but is mortally wounded.

Knowing that he is about to die, Arthur orders his loyal knight, Bedivere, to return

Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Then three queens take Arthur away in a boat to his final

resting place, the Island of Avalon, where he dies soon afterwards.

Macmillan English 7 for the Australian Curriculum146 ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1

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With hym ther was his sone, a yong squier

A lovyere and a lusty bacheler

With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.

Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.

from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

If you read the lines out loud, pronouncing the words as they are spelt, you can get the meaning quite clearly. However, some words have changed their meaning and spelling since the 14th century. l The spelling of hym (him), sone (son) and

bacheler (bachelor) has changed slightly. l Instead of crulle, we now use ‘curly’.

Changes in meaningOver time, words change their meaning in different ways: l amelioration—words mean something more

pleasant or positive– nice used to mean ‘ignorant’– terrific used to mean ‘frightening’

l deterioration—words mean something less pleasant or positive– awful used to mean ‘awe-inspiring’ or

‘wonderful’– silly used to mean ‘holy’

l generalisation—words have a broader meaning– salary used to mean ‘money given to soldiers

so that they could buy salt’– to manage used to mean ‘to control a horse’

l specialisation—words have a narrower meaning– meat used to refer to any food– safari used to mean ‘ journey’.

The story of the English language is a story of both change and continuity (things staying the same). New words are regularly created, some old words disappear, and some words change meaning or gain additional meanings (cool, wicked and deadly, for example).

Consider this piece of 14th century English that describes a young knight:

n Old words and new

Chapter 11 • Superheroes 147ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1

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YTextingText messages often contain specially created words, few capital letters and not much punctuation. This is sometimes called textese. Textese includes: l abbreviations—words formed by dropping letters, usually vowels: xlnt (‘excellent’), jst (‘ just’)l acronyms—words created by using the first letter of each word in a phrase: lol (used to

mean ‘lots of love’, now more usually means ‘laughing out loud’), btw (‘by the way’), and imho (‘in my humble opinion’)

l rebuses—single letters or numbers representing a word: c u (‘see you’), 2 (‘two’, ‘too’ or ‘to’)l emoticons—keyboard symbols combined to create a graphic that expresses a feeling:

:) (smile), ;) (wink)l juxtapositions—combining abbreviations and rebuses to create words: m8 (‘mate)’,

l8r (‘later’).

1 Using modern English, rewrite the description of the squire.

2 List five words related to computers and the internet. Research and explain how each word came to have an ICT meaning—is it a new word, a combination of old words, or an old word given a new meaning?

3 Decide whether the meanings of the following words have ameliorated, deteriorated, become more specialised or become more generalised. The original meanings are in brackets after each word.• queen (wife) • vulgar (everyday person) • place (street) • balloon (ball)• stink (smell) • daft (gentle) • pretty (cunning) • cute (cunning)

1 What does each of these words mean, and what type of textese is it?yr @ imo rotfl chocl8 :(

2 a Using textese, rewrite this message: I would love to go and see Robin Hood with you but my French homework is due tomorrow and I don’t think I can make it. Would you let me know what it’s like and I will try to get there at the weekend? Sorry!

b Compose a text message that your friend might send back.

3 Some people are critical of texting language, arguing that it will damage the English language. Use some of the following ideas and other ideas of your own to write a 200-word argument agreeing or disagreeing with this opinion.• Texting language makes people ignore spelling.• You have to be able to spell to know which letters to leave out when abbreviating.• Creating new words is fun.• People will forget how to use capital letters and punctuation.• You have to use your imagination to create textese.• People will avoid using long words because they take too long to type.• If people understand text messages without capital letters and punctuation, why use them?• People’s vocabulary will become very limited and they will not be able to express themselves well.• Many words will disappear from English.

Exercise 11.3

Exercise 11.4

Tracking changes

Looking at texting


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n Embedded clausesThe clause is the basic unit of meaning in a sentence. A clause must contain a verb. Clauses can be combined in different ways to create different types of sentences. l Simple sentences have one independent clause:

l Compound sentences have more than one independent clause:

l Complex sentences have at least one independent clause and at least one dependent or embedded clause that adds meaning to another clause.

Dependent and embedded clausesDependent clauses give more information about when, why, how or where something happens. In the earlier example, the clause ‘because he spoke well’ tells you why everyone listened to Jack, so it is a dependent clause. The sentence doesn’t actually need ‘because he spoke well’ in order to make sense, but it is good to know why everyone was so attentive.

Embedded clauses are slightly different. They also add meaning to another clause, but that other clause does not make sense without its embedded clause. Look at this sentence.

Use colour coding and boxes to identify the verbs and clauses in these sentences.

Jane, the young nurse, worked long hours and cared for her patients.

Because the soldiers had been fighting for many hours, their captain took the early watch and allowed them to rest.

I put the Superman comics in my cupboard because my mother would throw them out if she saw them.

Exercise 11.5 Revising clauses

‘that everyone needs heroes’ is an embedded clause that tells you what Jack said. Without the embedded clause, the sentence is:

Jack spoke at the school assembly and said.

There is clearly something missing! The sentence needs its embedded clause, ‘that everyone needs heroes’.

Jack spoke at the school assembly.

Jack spoke at the school assembly

Jack spoke at the school assembly

and everyone listened.

and everyone listened because he spoke well.

Jack spoke at the school assembly and said that everyone needs heroes.


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1 Copy the following sentences, leaving space between each. He wondered when his next meal would arrive.The crowd applauded so loudly that the game had to be stopped.What the girls thought was that they would have time to recover at half-time.They said that they would do their best.

a Circle the embedded clauses in each sentence.b Use an arrow to show how the embedded clause links to a word or words in another clause. c Explain underneath the sentence what necessary information the embedded clause provides.

2 Combine each pair of sentences by rewriting them as one sentence. To do so, change one of the sentences into an embedded clause. Underline the embedded clauses in your three new sentences.

The old soldier spoke very movingly. Many of the students were in tears.The dam levels are low. We want the levels to be higher.The volunteers arrived in their thousands. The volunteers came from several states.

3 Using embedded clauses is one way of emphasising a point. For example, compare ‘I want you to listen’ and ‘What I want is that you listen’. The embedded clause ‘What I want’, makes the speaker sound very firm and determined. Rewrite these sentences using embedded clauses to make their tone stronger.

I feared that night would fall before help arrived.She felt that she had been betrayed.I wanted to go to sleep.

4 Now that you know about embedded clauses, you can practise using them in your own writing. Choose any sentence in this spread that contains an embedded clause. Use it as the opening sentence for a paragraph of interesting writing. You can write a description or describe an event. Use embedded clauses in each of your sentences.

Exercise 11.6 Exploring embedded clauses

Here are some more examples of embedded clauses.

This is the girl who wants to work with refugees.

‘who wants to work with refugees’ is an embedded clause that adds needed information about the girl: ‘This is the girl’ makes no sense without its embedded clause.

The enemy approached so quickly that we had no time to prepare.

In this sentence, ‘that we had no time to prepare’ is an embedded clause that adds needed information about how quickly the enemy approached. ‘The enemy approached so quickly’ makes no sense without its embedded clause.

What I really want is some peace and quiet!

‘What I really want’ is an embedded clause that tells you what the speaker wants. ‘is some peace and quiet’ makes no sense without its embedded clause.

You can see from these examples that embedded clauses add different types of necessary information:l They add meaning to a noun: ‘who wants to work with refugees’ gives information about

the noun ‘girl’.l They add meaning to an adverb: ‘that we had no time to prepare’ tells how ‘quickly’ the

enemy approached.l They are the subject or object of a verb: ‘What I really want’ is the subject linked to the

verb ‘is’.


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Newspaper articles often have images attached to them—photographs, cartoons or other illustrations. Sometimes the image is of someone who features in the report, or an event from the report. At other times, the connection between the image and the written text is more subtle, and you need to think about the image and interpret it for yourself. It might say something that isn’t directly stated in the written text, or it might repeat ideas from the written text in a visual way.

SymbolsSymbols are objects or words that carry meanings beyond their literal meanings. A white dove is a bird, but it is also a symbol of peace. The Australian flag is a piece of fabric with a particular design on it. It also symbolises the nation of ‘Australia’. Symbols provide a quick and powerful way of communicating ideas and feelings.

n Interpreting texts

Spirit of Anzac lives on in Gen Y

IN THE SMALL Queensland country town of Gayndah this

week, shops closed and flags flew at half-mast as thousands of people lined the streets to honour a brave young soldier, Sapper Jacob ‘Snowy’ Moerland, who was killed last week in Afghanistan.

Sapper Moerland, 21, and his fellow combat engineer Darren Smith, 26, died while on foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Mirabad Valley last Monday when a roadside bomb exploded. They were on their first deployment.

‘Here in Gayndah, we know our most valuable assets are our people,’ Pastor Lee Dallman told the crowd. ‘Jacob was one of our boys. As a community, we grieve.’

…

The ‘six-foot-tall country boy’ with big blue eyes and white-blonde hair was described by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel John Carey, as ‘kindness personified. The nation stands in awe of you and I salute you.’

His parents, Robert and Sandra Moerland, spoke of their pride in their first-born, only son. Mrs Moerland issued a dignified

statement, thanking the army for its support: ‘Today Jacob has returned home to Gayndah. He was a wonderful son, loving brother and friend to many. It was always his dream to serve his

country and he was very proud to wear the Australian Army uniform … We will never forget his sacrifice.’

by Miranda DevineSydney Morning Herald


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YPhotomontageThe image that accompanies this article is a photomontage. Separate photographs and images have been brought together and connected with each other in order to create a single image. Viewers ‘read’ this image by thinking about:l each separate photograph or image, and what it representsl where the separate parts of the photomontage are placed in relation to

each other, and how they are linkedl the relative size and focus of each photograph and imagel where the separate parts of the photomontage are placed in the frame:

foreground or background; high or low; left, centre or right.

The photomontage also contains important symbols of Australian culture that, combined with the article, communicate a strong message.

1 Describe each of the six different photographs and images that together create the photomontage. Write one sentence for each photograph or image.

2 One of the images is of the Southern Cross, which has been laid over the photomontage, and then more stars have been added. This drawing acts as a vector leading our eyes from one part of the image to another. a Describe the path that your eyes take as you follow the stars. What connections are you

making between the different parts of the photomontage as you follow this path?b Explain three other connections between different parts of the photomontage.

3 Photographs of groups of soldiers appear three times. What other image is repeated? Why do you think the designer has repeated these images?

4 List the symbols that you can see in the photomontage, and write next to each some words to explain what that symbol represents. For example, the black armbands on the soldiers represent mourning,

5 Write a paragraph in which you make as many connections as you can between the article and the photomontage, and explain how they work together to express a feeling and make a statement about Australian culture.

1 Jacob Moerland is described in very positive terms in the article. List the adjectives used to describe him.

2 What evidence is there that Gayndah is a united community?

3 In what way does Jacob Moerland symbolise the ‘spirit of Anzac’?

4 How does Miranda Devine want her readers to feel after reading this article? What has she done to achieve this? Think about the title, the details she includes, and the language she uses.

Exercise 11.8

Exercise 11.7

Analysing the photomontage

Analysing the written text


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A graphic novel looks like a comic book. It tells a story in words and images: words tell some parts of the story, illustrations tell other parts. To read a graphic novel well, you need to read the words, view the images, and connect and interpret them thoughtfully. Unlike comic books, graphic novels can and do address serious subjects in a literary way.

Reading a graphic novelThe page shown opposite comes from the beginning of the graphic novel Beowulf by Gareth Hinds. These two frames show a great contrast between the world of King Hrothgar and his soldiers, and the world of Grendel.

n Graphic novels

Reread the story of Beowulf (pages 142–3) and then closely examine and think about the two illustrations from the graphic novel.

1 What is happening in the hall?

2 What is happening out in the forest?

3 The first illustration shows you that Denmark is a place of discipline and good order. What has the artist done to suggest this? Look at the colours, the body language of the king and soldiers, and the way the figures are drawn.

4 The second illustration shows that Grendel is a monster. What has the artist done to tell you this? Look at the colours, the shape of the trees, the shape of Grendel’s body, and the contrast between the foreground and background.

5 The first illustration is a high-angle long shot of the king and his soldiers; the second illustration shows a close-up of Grendel. Does Grendel look more or less powerful than the king and his army? Why has the illustrator presented the king and Grendel in this way?

Bring to class an interesting and well-constructed image—a photograph, illustration, computer-generated image or artwork. Exchange your image with someone else in the class. Then prepare answers to the following questions.

1 What is happening or being shown in this image? What connections can you see between different people or items in the image?

2 How is meaning shaped in this image? Look at the way people or things are arranged, the angle from which the image is presented, the colour, and any other visual techniques that the designer has used.

3 What does the creator of the image want viewers to feel or think about what is seen? Explain your ideas to your partner, ask questions about the image, and hear what your partner has to say.

4 Work together to create a story for a graphic novel that will contain both of your images. Decide who the audience will be for your story. Write dialogue or commentary to go with each image.

Exercise 11.9

Exercise 11.10

Reading images in Beowulf

Planning a graphic novel


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ISBN 978 1 4202 2969 1Macmillan English 7 for the Australian Curriculum154

Assessment tasks

WRITING

SPEAKING

VIEWING

What are the qualities that make a person a cultural icon in Australia today? Consider appearance, personality and qualities of character. Give examples from real life, books or popular culture. Present your opinion in about 300 words.

You will be assessed on your understanding of the term cultural icon and your ability to express your ideas clearly.

Research and prepare a recount of the life of a person who is an Australian icon: for example, Ned Kelly, Dawn Fraser or Sir Roden Cutler. Explain why your subject has become an Australian icon. Your audience is a Year 3 class, so use words and sentences that Year 3 students will understand. Use PowerPoint slides or other visual aids with your recount.

You will be assessed on how clearly and accurately you recount the life of this person, and how well you use language and visual aids to keep your audience’s attention.

Examine the picture of Beowulf on the title page of this chapter. Explain what it tells you about Beowulf and how the details and visual grammar communicate this information.

You will be assessed on how well you read a picture and what you know about visual grammar.

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