Could anyone nice enough to please read my essay and give feedback? 🙏 Also not sure how to write a good reflection worth 15 marks. Thanks!

“Storytelling has the power to both inspire change and consolidate stability through the selection of textual structures, language and stylistic features.”

Recommended word limit is approximately 700 words (±10%). (Marks out of 20 + Reflection 15)

Storytelling holds the power to both inspire transformation and affirm a sense of stability, expressed through varying forms of textual features, language and stylistic features. This dual capacity to reflect and challenge human values in individual minds is greatly evident in Markus Zusak’s prose fiction, The Book Thief. The creative use of literary devices reveal how individuals defy societal suppression through the rebellious act of reading during World War II to gain a source of intellectual growth and personal solace. Similarly, Anna Winger’s TV series, Unorthodox, manipulates directorial and visual features to explore the search for individual identity against the rigid norms of societal expectations. Ultimately, both texts significantly portray the crucial role of storytelling in guiding individuals through times of controversy and inconsistency, inspiring them to confront change to maintain individual values and morals.

Prose Fiction: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief exemplifies the effective use of literary devices to reveal the power of storytelling as a tool for maturation and resistance. Despite setting in a dystopian society of Nazi Germany that devalues literature, Liesel Meminger indulges in challenging the destructive force through the thievery of books which represents a reclaiming of agency and identity. In the juxtaposition, “stealing it, in a sick kind of sense, was like earning it,” it suggests that fulfilling her desire to consume varying literature empowers her intellectual and moral development against the abnormal expectations of society. Liesel shares her love of reading with Max, a hidden Jew who creates a book, The World Shaker, as a gift of farewell. The contrast in, “...she knew how powerless a person could be WITHOUT words,” conveys how even at a young age, Liesel held great power to change the world due to her passion for storytelling, despite her intentions being parallel to the Nazi regime. Meanwhile, stability is preserved through the connection of Hans Hubermann and his accordion, a motif that consistently reminds him of his friendship with Erik Vandenburg, who was a Jew, symbolising peace and memory in times of chaos. The metaphor in “Hans Hubermann’s accordion was a story,” portrays how art becomes his gentle expression of values and memoirs, spreading his desire for equality by playing when people gather to hide from bomb raids. Zusak completes this motif with an exclamatory phrase, “Papa was an accordion!”, which marks his inheritance of the accordion’s value in becoming a reminder of peace. Thus, Zusak successfully strengthens our values for storytelling in challenging societal injustice and offering emotional solidity.

TV Series: Unorthodox by Anna Winger
Similarly, Winger’s Unorthodox demonstrates the power of storytelling to aid the contrasting experience of oppression and freedom through the deliberate directorial choices. The show adopts a non-linear narrative structure, constantly jumping between Esty’s oppressive past with the ultra-orthodox Satmar community and her evolving present in Berlin. The strict Satmar background is initially presented through mise-en-scène in the uniformity of their wigs and traditional clothing, symbolising the oppression of their practices and religious beliefs. In contrast, the close-up shot portraying the symbolic act of Esty removing her wig in a lake alludes to the religious practices of baptism as she freely swims in Wannsee, a place that holds significant contribution in commencing the meeting of the massacre of Jews. This represents her newborn self that priortises her individual values against the force of religious community, revealing the zenith of her dissatisfaction which causes secularity in her journey of self-discovery. Moreover, Esty’s previous use of Yiddish in her rigid community reflects a sense of seclusion from external influences, symbolising her emotional entrapment. However, this restrictive environment motivates Esty’s character development as she escapes from externally imposed values to consolidate her own sense of identity and forge new relationships outside her community. Following her escape to Berlin, Esty demonstrates her contrasting use of English, signifying her development of autonomy and personal rebirth. This is shown by the hyperbole, “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” where she praises her new associates’ orchestral rehearsal which signifies her reconnection to music that was taboo in her conservative community. Furthermore, the close up shot of Esty’s tearful emotion, paired with the intense diegetic sound of the orchestra, enhances the emotional fulfillment that accompanies her journey of transformation. Thus, Winger’s effective use of directorial devices affirms that storytelling not only broadens our viewpoint to challenge oppressive traditions but also encourages individuals to find peace in authentic identity and moral alignment.