rear window film analysis essay

Rear Window

The hero of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” is trapped in a wheelchair, and we’re trapped, too–trapped inside his point of view, inside his lack of freedom and his limited options. When he passes his long days and nights by shamelessly maintaining a secret watch on his neighbors, we share his obsession. It’s wrong, we know, to spy on others, but after all, aren’t we always voyeurs when we go to the movies? Here’s a film about a man who does on the screen what we do in the audience–look through a lens at the private lives of strangers.

The man is a famous photographer named L.B. Jeffries–“Jeff” to his fiancée. He’s played by James Stewart as a man of action who has been laid up with a broken leg and a heavy cast that runs all the way up to his hip. He never leaves his apartment and has only two regular visitors. One is his visiting nurse Stella ( Thelma Ritter ), who predicts trouble (“the New York State sentence for a Peeping Tom is six months in the workhouse”). The other is his fiancée, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), an elegant model and dress designer, who despairs of ever getting him to commit himself. He would rather look at the lives of others than live inside his own skin, and Stella lectures him, “What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change.”

Jeff’s apartment window shares a courtyard with many other windows (all built on a single set by Hitchcock), and as the days pass he becomes familiar with some of the other tenants. There is Miss Lonelyhearts, who throws dinner parties for imaginary gentleman callers; and Miss Torso, who throws drinks parties for several guys at a time; and a couple who lower their beloved little dog in a basket to the garden, and a composer who fears his career is going nowhere. And there is Thorvald ( Raymond Burr ), a man with a wife who spends all her days in bed and makes life miserable for him. One day the wife is no longer to be seen, and by piecing together several clues (a saw, a suitcase, a newly dug spot in Thorvald’s courtyard garden), Jeff begins to suspect that a murder has taken place.

The way he determines this illustrates the method of the movie. Rarely has any film so boldly presented its methods in plain view. Jeff sits in his wheelchair, holding a camera with a telephoto lens, and looks first here and then there, like a movie camera would. What he sees, we see. What conclusions he draws, we draw–all without words, because the pictures add up to a montage of suspicion.

In the earliest days of cinema, the Russian director Kuleshov performed a famous experiment in which he juxtaposed identical shots of a man’s face with other shots. When the man was matched with food, audiences said the man looked hungry, and so on. The shots were neutral. The montage gave them meaning. “Rear Window” (1954) is like a feature-length demonstration of the same principle, in which the shots assembled in Jeff’s mind add up to murder.

I sometimes fancy that various archetypal situations circled tirelessly in Hitchcock’s mind, like whales in a tank at the zoo. One of them was fascination of voyeurism–of watching people who do not know they are being watched. Another, famously, was the notion of an innocent man wrongly accused. And many of his films illustrate male impotence or indifference in the face of cool blond beauty. Much is said of Hitchcock’s blonds ( Kim Novak , Eva Marie Saint , Grace Kelly , Tippi Hedren ), but observe that they are not erotic playmates so much as puzzles or threats. Lisa, the Kelly character, has a hopeless love for Jeff, who keeps her at arm’s length with descriptions of his lifestyle; a fashion model wouldn’t hold up in the desert or jungle, he tells her.

But perhaps his real reason for keeping her away is fear of impotence, symbolized by the leg cast, and we are reminded of the strikingly similar relationship between Scotty, the Stewart character in “ Vertigo ,” and the fashion illustrator played by Barbara Bel Geddes. She, too, loves him. He keeps his distance. She sympathizes with his vertigo, as Kelly nurses the broken leg. Both observe his voyeuristic obsessions. In “Vertigo,” Scotty falls in love with a woman he has spied upon but never spoken to. In “Rear Window,” he is in love with the occupation of photography, and becomes completely absorbed in reconstructing the images he has seen through his lens. He wants what he can spy at a distance, not what he can hold in his arms.

Stewart is an interesting choice to play these characters. In the 1930s and 1940s he played in light comedy, romances, crime stories and Westerns, almost always as a character we liked. After the war, he revealed a dark side in the fantasy scenes of Capra’s “ It's a Wonderful Life ,” and Hitchcock exploited that side, distant and cold, in “ Rope ,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Vertigo” and “Rear Window.” To understand the curious impact of these roles, consider Tom Hanks , whose everyman appeal is often compared to Jimmy Stewart’s. What would it feel like to see him in a bizarre and twisted light?

In “Rear Window,” Jeff is not a moralist, a policeman or a do-gooder, but a man who likes to look. There are crucial moments in the film where he is clearly required to act, and he delays, not because he doesn’t care what happens, but because he forgets he can be an active player; he is absorbed in a passive role. Significantly, at the end, when he is in danger in his own apartment, his weapon is his camera’s flashgun; he hopes to blind or dazzle his enemy, and as the man’s eyesight gradually returns, it is through a blood-red dissolve that suggests passion expressed through the eyes.

Kelly is cool and elegant here, and has some scenes where we feel her real hurt. She likes to wear beautiful dresses, make great entrances, spoil Jeff with champagne and catered dinners. He doesn’t notice or doesn’t like her attention, because it presumes a relationship he wants to elude. There is one shot, partly a point-of-view closeup, in which she leans over him to kiss him, and the camera succumbs to her sexuality even if Jeff doesn’t; it’s as if she’s begging the audience to end its obsession with what Jeff is watching, and consider instead what he should be drinking in with his eyes–her beauty.

The remote-control suspense scenes in “Rear Window” are Hitchcock at his most diabolical, creating dangerous situations and then letting Lisa and Stella linger in them through Jeff’s carelessness or inaction. He stays in his wheelchair. They venture out into danger–Kelly even entering the apartment of the suspected wife killer. He watches. We see danger approaching. We, and he, cannot move, cannot sound the alarm.

This level of danger and suspense is so far elevated above the cheap thrills of the modern slasher films that “Rear Window,” intended as entertainment in 1954, is now revealed as art. Hitchcock long ago explained the difference between surprise and suspense. A bomb under a table goes off, and that’s surprise. We know the bomb is under the table but not when it will go off, and that’s suspense. Modern slasher films depend on danger that leaps unexpectedly out of the shadows. Surprise. And surprise that quickly dissipates, giving us a momentary rush but not satisfaction. “Rear Window” lovingly invests in suspense all through the film, banking it in our memory, so that when the final payoff arrives, the whole film has been the thriller equivalent of foreplay.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Raymond Burr as Lars Thorwald
• James Stewart as L.B. Jeffries
• Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont
• Thelma Ritter as Stella, the nurse
• Wendell Corey as Thomas J. Doyle

Produced and directed by

• Alfred Hitchcock

Based on a story by

• Cornell Woolrich

Screenplay by

• John Michael Hayes

Photographed by

• Robert Burks

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“Rear Window” Movie Analysis

Introduction, similarities, differences, the effect of changes, reference list.

People were always interested in interpreting written stories for the big screen. Books of all genres: comedies, detective stories, romance novels, and thrillers often appear before the public as movies. The film Rear Window, produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954, is not an exception. The original short story It Had to Be Murder by Cornell Woolrich is one of many original works that have been chosen by other directors to be turned into a film. However, Hitchcock’s movie is considered to be a classic and an excellent example of a mystery thriller film. While having some similarities, the short story and the film possess many differences. Hitchcock adds details, scenes, and even characters to the story, possibly changing its original intentions. This paper examines how Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Woolrich’s It Had to Be Murder are similar and different and discusses the effect these changes have on the movie’s tone.

The film follows the plot of the story almost entirely, saving the course of actions from the original. The protagonist of the story, simply called Jeff, is also the same. Most of the neighbors are in the movie as well. They play significant roles in the plot because the main character considers them his hobby – he is intrigued by their lives that he observes through his binoculars. The movie preserves Jeff’s obsession with looking in the windows of others in full. Hitchcock creates a mystery at the same speed as the original, although the ending scenes vary widely. The beginning of the story is slow, and Hitchcock portrays it that way, shifting from person to person and showcasing their everyday life, allowing the audience to see the neighborhood through Jeff’s eyes. The similarities do not stop here, as both Hitchcock and Woolrich are quite famous for their ability to create tension and instill fear into the audience. However, while both authors succeed to do it, they achieve their goals differently.

While using the same idea as Woolrich, Hitchcock adds many details to the plot. On the one hand, the original story allows the narrator to be hidden and mysterious to the audience. The readers do not know the reasons behind his situation, as it is not discussed in the text. His occupation, profession, or social status are also hard to pinpoint. Jeff is rather isolated throughout the story with only a small number of people visiting his apartment. The first part of the short story is devoid of dialogue as the readers are exposed to the protagonist’s thoughts and deductions. On the other hand, in the movie, the main hero is deprived of this mystery. At the very beginning, the audience is presented with his backstory, which explains Jeff’s actions and motivations. Jeff is a photographer. Therefore, he has professional cameras and equipment to peer into people’s lives. Moreover, Jeff has the professional curiosity to do that. The audience also sees that he is in a wheelchair. The reasons for that are clear as well. Jeff takes pictures in dangerous areas. Thus, his leg is broken because of an accident.

Moreover, while the story’s Jeff is alone most of the time, Jeff from the movie is surrounded by people. He has many respectful friends and a girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, who visits him often. Her addition can be considered one of the biggest alterations of the cast, as Lisa becomes his main conversant throughout the movie. Instead of giving Jeff time to reflect on his thoughts and try to convince himself of his deductions, Hitchcock puts Lisa in the scene as a person who agrees with the protagonist. Furthermore, her character can be considered a trope of a young and beautiful but passive woman. According to Modleski (2015), the contrast between actions and interests of Jeff and Lisa is supposed to make the audience relate to the male character and agree with his conclusions. The addition of friends that visit Jeff, while he is in a wheelchair, show him from a different side as well. The end of the adaptation is completely different from the original. While the short story has an open ending, Rear Window’s characters solve the mystery and catch the culprit.

Some of the changes made by Hitchcock can be justified by the fact that movies have to have a visual representation of its characters. If Jeff’s broken leg, photographs, or cameras are not shown, the audience would have to look at a dark screen for most of the movie. However, some alterations affect the narrative in a way that could be avoided if Hitchcock wanted to stay close to the original. In the short story, Jeff’s solitude allows the audience to step back from his perspective and rationalize the situation. The readers are expected to question him and his reliability as a narrator. In the movie, however, the abundance of dialogue leaves the audience no choice but to agree with the story created by Jeff.

The addition of Lisa plays a significant role in making people believe in Jeff’s words. She accelerates the speed at which Jeff starts doubting his neighbor, Thorwald. Lisa is also the one to help Jeff search Thorwald’s apartment. Moreover, her fixation on female intuition is counterposed with Jeff’s logical thinking, which shows that Hitchcock wants people to trust Jeff. According to Palmer, Pettey, and Sanders (2017), Hitchcock’s characters often follow a pattern of female characters being an accessory to the male protagonist rather than having a complex and developed personality. The movie follows this narrative because Lisa is presented as a beautiful woman transfixed with fashion and clothes.

Director’s choice to make the main hero a reliable narrator makes a thriller story less tense, as the audience is not exposed to the feelings of uncertainty and paranoia. The film’s structure resembles a detective story where heroes are set out to catch the criminal. In the original, on the other hand, the protagonist fruitlessly tries to convince other characters as well as readers that Thorwald is guilty. Therefore, the endings of both stories are also different for a reason. The original short story keeps the secrets of the neighbor hidden from the public eye, and both the protagonist and the audience are left without a proper conclusion. An open ending brings even more tension and discontentment to everyone, which aligns with the story’s narrative. In contrast, the film ends with the main characters confronting the supposed murderer and making him confess his crimes to the police. Thus, the audience of the movie gets a satisfactory ending fit for a detective story.

Hitchcock’s film Rear Window takes the idea of the original short story and adds more plot details, characters, and concepts. Such changes show the story in a different light and portray it as a thrilling detective story rather than a mystery filled with indecisiveness and doubt. The movie’s audience is not given the same amount of freedom when it comes to trusting the narrator. Woolrich leaves the readers in the same place as the protagonist – wondering if there was a murder. Hitchcock, on the other hand, simply tells the audience that there was one.

Modleski, T. (2015) The women who knew too much: Hitchcock and feminist theory. New York, NY: Routledge.

Palmer, R.B., Pettey, H.B. and Sanders, S.M. (eds.) (2017) Hitchcock’s moral gaze, Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

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The Comprehensive Guide to Analysing ‘Rear Window’ for English: Summary, Context & Themes

Coming up with your analysis for ‘Rear Window’ by Alfred Hitchcock?

You’ve come to the right place! Here is a summary of ‘Rear Window’, along with its key themes and a step-by-step guide on how to break down and ace your text analysis. 

We also threw in a FREE sample analysis table (also known as a TEE table ) and a sample paragraph for you!

So, let’s go and vamp up your essay!

Summary of Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock Key Characters Context  Themes Explored in Rear Window  Analysis of Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

Summary of Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece begins with the protagonist, a talented photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies, breaking his leg and being relegated to his apartment by the injury .

He hates being stuck in the situation, and resolves to spy on his neighbours to entertain himself . His neighbours keep open windows due to the hot summer weather. What makes the situation unbearable is his beautiful and dependent girlfriend Lisa, who is very clingy.

Among the group of neighbours he is spying on, one night he notices Mr Thorwald , a businessman married to a bed-ridden grumpy woman, walking in and out of the apartment with his case, after the mysterious scream of a woman.

When Jeff learns Thorwald’s wife has been murdered, he suspects the husband of murder .

He becomes obsessed and persists spying on the businessman , convincing both Lisa and Stella, his nurse, that Thorwald is guilty.

Detective Lt. Doyle, a policeman and friend to Jeff, is called to the scene, and dismisses his friend’s theories.

A dead dog is then found buried in a flowerbed , a fact that further consolidates Jeff’s theory, as Thorwald seems unflinching and unbothered by the discovery, unlike everyone else in the neighbourhood. 

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Jeff baits the businessman into leaving his apartment by anonymously phoning him and sending him a letter, threatening to tell everything to the police .

Lisa is then sent to the apartment to search for clues, finding Thorwald’s wife’s wedding ring .

The businessman returns, however not before the police have arrived too in the nick of time. Lisa signals Jeff that she has found the ring by wiggling her finger, a sign that Thorwald interprets too, unfortunately. 

The businessman pays a visit to Jeff with the intention of killing him, pushing him out of a window . He survives, and the police manage to catch Thorwald. It ends with Jeff having two legs broken instead of one .

Doyle admits Jeff was right .

Lisa keeps Jeff company, glad she has proven to Jeff that she isn’t just a useless pretty hassle, as she was instrumental in finding the evidence to convict Thorwald.

The movie is a much less gruesome affair than the usual Hitchcock, but nevertheless it still carries an edge to it.

Access Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis here!

Key Characters

Jeff There are three aspects to understand about the protagonist. The first being his love of adventure . Given his background as an on-site photographer, he enjoys being called to remote or dangerous parts of the world to do photojournalism. He craves adventure and travel. This is one of the reasons why he struggles so much when he must stay put in his apartment for recovery .  The second aspect is his relationship with Lisa . Given his love of adventure, a clever, beautiful and dependent woman like Lisa who wants to marry and settle down is a big red flag for him, as he may lose all his freedom by settling down in a committed relationship. On top of that Lisa is very clingy , which only strengthens his doubts as to whether he should settle down and spend his entire life with her.  Thirdly, his background in Journalism makes him the perfect detective , and the perfect medium of communication between the audiences and the other characters. He raises the same points we would and asks the same questions as if we were there with him, or as if we were him.

Lisa Being a fashion model paid her weight in gold, Lisa is the polar opposite of Jeff, at least on the surface . Jeff thinks she is not made for the adventurous life he lead s. Hence they are divided. She tries to distract Jeff from the investigation, but gets drawn in, and proves that she is as forward and adventurous as him by putting her life at risk and trying to gather evidence at Thorwald’s apartment. Lisa is the victim of many misogynistic stereotypes common at the time of the film . She is misunderstood by her male partner and dismissed , like many minor female characters in the movie. This misunderstanding collapses as the movie is resolved.

Thorwald It is extremely telling that the villain of the movie is seen so little , and speaks so little in the entire film. Everything the audience experiences about Thorwald is through Jeff’s eyes, it is his perspective, his account. This ensures audiences see Thorwald as if they themselves were in Jeff’s apartment, observing. It also serves to keep the businessman mysterious , except for his disclosed unhappiness in the marriage and his peculiar comings and goings . Further, the simplicity of his context and his life humanises him , and doesn’t dismiss him as just a grand, theatrical villain. His life is so mundane, normal and unhappy, that he resolves to murder to escape it . This gives audiences some form of sympathy towards him, a feeling Hitchcock demands in all his works when it comes to villains .

Stella Stella is a nurse that attends to Jeff as he recovers. In terms of storyline, you can think of her as the sidekick or comic relief of the movie. In her droning on about love, marriage and the reality of it, she provides comic relief during tense moments, but also serves as a bridge between Jeff and Lisa , suggesting to Jeff they should get married, and explaining the difficult reality of a relationship. 

A cross between a thriller, a romance, and a comedy, Rear Window is a perfect reflection of American life in the 1950s .

Domesticity was becoming more and more established , especially after a decade of war, and people had to come to terms with the dynamics of at home life, a quiet life that had been so removed in the previous decade.

This is hence why Hitchcock pries into the apartments of different people with different struggles. Individual desires and struggles could no longer be put aside to participate in something ‘bigger’ than individual life, like a world war.

People had to re-learn how to figure out their relationship problems and home dynamics after facing economic and social hardships of the past decade — Jeff is an example of such a learning curve. 

Themes Explored in Rear Window 

Dissatisfaction.

All main characters are dissatisfied with their situation. The murderer can’t stand his wife due to her nagging him and being sick all the time. Jeff also can’t stand Lisa because she intimidates him and she’s too different to him in his mind.

These circumstances set up the central conflict that the movie is about.

So what makes Jeff different from Thorwald if they find themselves in the same situation? It is how they deal with dissatisfaction.

Jeff comes to terms with it , tries to work through it with some help from Stella and Lisa, while Thorwald resolves to murder .

This theme is so central because it reveals the fundamental difference between hero and villain in the story , and because it is responsible for setting up the central conflict of the movie. 

Need more ideas for an in-depth analysis of black and white films? Check out our guide to Good Night and Good Luck here !

Perseverance 

As we have concluded, the resolution of dissatisfaction comes with perseverance . Characters are rewarded for it.

Jeff perseveres with both his relationship and investigation, a fact that saves both things by the very end. He does this with some hesitation at first, but he is sweetly rewarded after .

Hitchcock also gives us an example of what happens when perseverance and dialogue are thrown out of the window . Literally . Thorwald has no patience, and he suffers the consequences morally and later materially when he is arrested . 

Looking for more perspectives to analysing films? No worries, check out our guide to Blade Runner here ! 

How to Analyse Rear Window in 3 Steps

Step 1: choose your example.

The best way to choose an example is to choose a technique .

Remember you must include stylistic devices (how images and words are arranged in a text in order to produce meaning), and aesthetic features (elements that prompt a critical response from the reader) in your essays to gain the most marks. 

In this case, we will use the quotes :

“If you don’t pull me out of this swamp… I’m going to get married. Then I’ll never be able to go anywhere” “ If she was only ordinary.”

Step 2: Identify your technique(s) 

To highlight dissatisfaction within Jeff, Hitchcock employs metaphor and characterisation .

The audience has to realise Jeff cannot come to terms with the fact that his lover is more successful than him and, on the surface, less adventurous.

He thus sees her as an impediment rather than a partner . This is what these two quotes reveal. 

Want to learn more on characterisation in contemporary films? Read how we analysed The Truman Show here!

Step 3: Write the analysis

Always be ready to ask yourself what the author intended you to feel/respond emotionally by reading the example quote.

T his will make sure that you tackle an important part of the analysis for Rear Window, which is the effect on the reader .

Alfred Hitchcock employs both metaphor and characterisation to identify dissatisfaction and mistrust in his protagonist, Jeff, revealing his most compromising flaws at the beginning of the movie. In his remarks to his employer, “If you don’t pull me out of this swamp… I’m going to get married. Then I’ll never be able to go anywhere”,This highlights a deep divide between the two, and we are thus drawn in to observe not only the investigation dynamic, but how the protagonist will navigate this situation of self doubt. 

Need some help analysing other texts?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• ‘Red’ by Ted Hughes
• Like a House on Fire
• Howl’s Moving Castle
• After Darkness
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• I Felt a Funeral in a Brain
• Journey of the Magi
• Shafana and Aunt Sarinnah
• Rhapsody on a Windy Night
• Frank Hurley: The Man Who Made History
• Rainbow’s End

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We can help you master your analysis of Rear Window by taking you through the summary, context and themes. We’ll also help you ace your upcoming English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or online!

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Philosophy in Film

A Philosophical Approach to Cinema

The Architecture of Gazing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window

In Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954), a wheelchair-bound photographer observes the surrounding neighborhood through the rear window of his apartment. L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (played by Jimmy Stewart), is an aging photographer who has spent his life traveling the world to capture exciting and exotic images for the magazine that employs him. However, after an accident involving a racecar, Jeff breaks his leg, forcing him to stay in a cast and wheelchair for a period of seven weeks.

We, as viewers, are introduced to Jeff at the start of his last week in the cast. Boredom has set in as Jeff struggles to pass the time in his two-bedroom apartment. Despite warnings from his part-time nurse to mind his own business, Jeff becomes fascinated with his neighbors, particularly a man by the name of Lars Thorwald, whose apartment sits opposite Jeff’s, separated by the building’s shared courtyard. Jeff’s socialite girlfriend, Lisa (played by Grace Kelly), eventually joins Jeff in his attempt to investigate the strange occurrences in the Thornwalds’ home and the surrounding Greenwich Village apartments.

The Opening Sequence and Establishment of Space

From the very first shot, Hitchcock establishes the significance of space, architecture, and perspective in Rear Window . The opening credit sequence (pictured above) looks at the outdoor area from the perspective of Jeff’s apartment. Each shutter raises one by one, revealing different segments of the buildings outside. The camera then pushes in to further investigate the surrounding area, focusing on the open windows that reveal individual domiciles. 

To the right of Jeff’s apartment is a large, open window, revealing the apartment of a lonely songwriter, playing the piano and providing music for the entire complex. Directly across from Jeff is the Thornwald residence, situated on the second floor of the building. The four windows show the hallway outside the Thornwalds’ apartment, the entryway, the living room, and the bedroom, respectively. Thornwald’s invalid wife bickers with her husband from the bedroom, while he begrudgingly cares for her. 

Due to the blistering heat, the entire neighborhood has its windows flung open, giving Jeff (and viewers) an intimate look into everyone’s personal lives. On the third floor, a married couple sleeps out on the balcony to try to keep cool. They own a small dog, which they put in a basket and lower down with a rope to play in the courtyard. To the left of Thornwald lives a scantily clad dancer, known only as “Miss Torso.” She frequently dances in her underwear in front of the windows, functioning as the sexualized object of Jeff’s voyeurism and the male gaze. A middle-aged woman lives underneath Miss Torso and frequently pokes her nose into her neighbors’ business. 

A small alleyway leads out the street and separates the central part of the building from the apartments on the left side of Jeff’s window. A woman with a parakeet lives on the first floor, while the second floor is occupied by young newlyweds. There are a few windows and apartments that are occupied by even more residents, but they are given relatively little attention.

The Male Gaze as a Narrative Device

While Miss Torso reflects the sexualized object of the male gaze, Jeff’s perspective of the apartment works as a framing device to move the narrative forward. The viewer interprets everything seen through Jeff’s lens. This takes on a more literal significance when Jeff breaks out his binoculars and camera to better observe the neighbors. He frequently questions his own motives and the ethics of voyeurism, yet his boredom and increasing attachment to the neighborhood ensures that he continues to watch their every move.

The heat serves as an important narrative device as well, as it justifies the open windows, which in turn facilitate the male gaze. Jeff can scan the entire neighborhood and the activities within each apartment freely. In her seminal essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey argues that Hitchcock’s films (like Rear Window and The 39 Steps ) feature a strong male hero who takes “fascination with an image through scopophilic eroticism as the subject of the film.” Mulvey cites Hitchcock’s ideological positioning of the man as the correct, lawful character and the woman as the wrong character to demonstrate the power structures built into cinema. Moreover, Hitchcock’s use of subjective camera and gendered identification processes forces viewers — both male and female — to share his “uneasy gaze.” 

When Lisa’s character is first introduced, she is portrayed as a large face descending on Jeff. Her shadow creeps across his sleeping face in a sinister way before he wakes up and the two share an intimate moment. Then, the camera cuts to a wider shot, wherein Lisa turns on lamps and introduces herself, while the camera lingers on her dress and body. We see Jeff stare at her with sexual desire, which mirrors the view of the voyeuristic camera. Mulvey states that Hitchcock had no qualms with admitting his interest in voyeurism, and is quick to make Lisa a symbol of exhibitionism. Through her obsession with fine clothing, style, and fashion, Lisa becomes the “ passive image of visual perfection .” 

When placed within Jeff’s home, Lisa is merely an object of sexual desire — but nothing more. Though Lisa desperately wants to marry Jeff, he views her as a rather dull accessory in his life. He has no desire to commit to her, as he doesn’t see the value in her perspective. After all, she is a snobbish socialite from Park Avenue. How could she come to understand the life of a travel photographer in Greenwich Village?

As the story progresses, the spaces serve to alter Jeff’s view. When Lisa leaves the comfort of his home and enters the shared space of the courtyard and, subsequently, Thornwald’s apartment, the relationship suddenly changes. He comes to view her as more than a passive spectator. However — from a cinematic perspective — she still holds no power as an agent of action; she is just another object of Jeff’s powerful gaze.

Architecture Frames Space in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window

The male gaze works in tandem with the architecture and set design in Rear Window to establish different conceptions of (and identifications with) space. Before we ever see Jeff’s apartment, we are introduced to the surrounding neighborhood. The camera pans across a series of connected brick buildings that all share a common courtyard. Within this space, individual windows further delineate the neighborhood into individual apartments. Within these apartments, the objects of Jeff’s gaze go about their daily lives, completely oblivious to his voyeurism.

In Jean Douchet’s account of the film, Jeff serves as a spectator who “invents his own cinema.” Therefore, Jeff can be read as a stand-in for the audience, while his apartment window is akin to the movie screen. The world outside his window is the movie itself. Out of sheer boredom, Jeff builds an entire narrative simply by looking, much like a movie spectator does while watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window . Thus, the film becomes a meta-analysis of film spectatorship and the act of watching a movie.

The entire film was shot on an enormous set at Paramount Studios. Set designers Hal Pereira and Joseph MacMillan Johnson spent six weeks building a fictional apartment complex from scratch, giving Hitchcock the ability to move the camera around within a completely fabricated space. When neighbors move between their respective windows, they are literally and figuratively framed for the viewers. They live within a domicile, and we only know them through the vantage point of Jeff’s apartment.

Thus, architecture is the primary framing device from which we can interpret and analyze space in Rear Window . Until the very last moments of the film, Jeff lives solely within the confines of his apartment. He identifies with the space, as well as the neighborhood around him. When Lisa enters, she is treated as a foreigner, unable to fully identify with Jeff and the rest of his middle-class and bohemian neighbors. This creates a strange dynamic in which the well-traveled Jeff feels extremely attached to his local neighborhood, despite the fact that he’s rarely at home. The design of the apartment building makes it feel like a thriving, interconnected community with which Jeff feels comfortable — even if he doesn’t know any of his neighbors personally. 

While Jeff identifies very closely with his Greenwich Village home and often frames it in direct contrast to the high-class Park Avenue community in which Lisa thrives, it is ultimately the points of action within the space that dictate Jeff’s identification. When the action takes place inside Jeff’s apartment, he behaves ill at ease, desperate to return to the window to engage in his voyeuristic activities. Thus, Greenwich Village is both a home and a distinctly separate space for Jeff. Like a film viewer, he wishes to watch without having to participate in the action. 

As Jeff’s somewhat passive investigation into Lars Thornwald intensifies, the movement between spaces creates dread, suspense, and adventurism. Once Lisa and Jeff’s nurse enter the courtyard, they leave the three-dimensional space of Jeff’s apartment and enter the two-dimensional space of Jeff’s cinematic world. This, in turn, makes the events outside his window become much more real for Jeff, forcing him to disengage with his voyeuristic fantasies and accept that Lisa is in real danger. 

When Lisa enters Thornwald’s apartment, it ramps up the suspense even further. Jeff watches helplessly as Thornwald returns home, discovers Lisa, and begins to assault her. During some sequences, the architecture itself prevents Jeff (and by extension the audience) from adequately seeing the action. In essence, the building acts as an impediment to Jeff’s male gaze. When characters step outside of their window frames and behind brick walls, it temporarily breaks the gaze, frustrating Jeff in the process. 

The police arrive just in time to save her, but when Lisa signals to Jeff that she has Mrs. Thornwald’s wedding ring, Thornwald takes notice. He suddenly looks up at Jeff, breaking down the cinematic wall that has protected him throughout most of the film. As the police take Lisa away, Jeff is left alone in his apartment, where Thornwald comes to confront his accuser. The ensuing scuffle has Jeff falling out of his window, officially breaking out of his home space and into the cinematic world he has created.

Space, architecture, and perspective all work together to create a cinematic universe within the film narrative of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window . We, as viewers, identify with Jeff (and Hitchcock) through subjective shots, the male gaze, and the power structures built into the script. At the same time, architecture delineates conceptual and physical spaces, particularly between “home” and the outside world. Finally, movement between these spaces breaks down the barriers between the voyeuristic Jeff and the objects of his gaze, forcing him to engage with the world as both a passive viewer and an active participant.

If you’d like to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954), it is available to rent or purchase via Amazon . To read more film essays like this one, be sure to check out the Philosophy in Film homepage!

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Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones is a freelance writer who has written for dozens of local and international businesses, in addition to his publications on film and philosophy. To see more of his writing, check out his Medium page or personal website . If you like Philosophy in Film, be sure to contribute on Patreon !

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Rear Window

Table of contents, film analysis, theme : romance and relationships (marriage), theme: voyeurism (politics of looking), theme: class difference (social hierarchy), theme: seeing and believing (interrogating vision), theme: gender roles and equality, analysis of the character, essay 1: to what extent does rear window reinforce traditional gender stereotypes.

• Essay 2: Rear window shows that probing into other people’s lives is thrilling and exciting. Discuss.
• Essay 3: How does Hitchcock create a tense and suspicious atmosphere in Rear Window?
• Essay 4: ’Jeff’s voyeuristic fascination with others prevents him from closely observing himself and the people in his own life.’ Do you agree?
• Essay 5: ‘The idea of guilt is central to this film.’ Discuss.
• Essay 6: ‘Rear Window presents a cynical view of romantic relationships.’ Do you agree?
• Essay 7: “Do you, do you suppose it’s ethical even if you prove that he didn’t commit a crime?” To what extent is Jeff’s voyeurism vindicated in Rear Window?
• Essay 8 : Discuss the role of minor characters in Rear Window.

The camera pushes in on various windows. The camera replicates the first person perspective, it is a surrogate for all of us as viewers. In this scene, the camera movements mimic the act of “looking closer”, and foreshadows the theme of intrusion.

Jazz music by Franz Waxman sets the mood for the movie as the credits play. Throughout the film, music is understood as being part of diegetic sound. Hitchcock gives viewers the impression that opera singing and jazz music is spilling out from Jeffries’ neighbours apartments. This emphasizes how densely populated and closely connected the inhabitants of the city are.

Lighting also creates a sense of warmth and familiarity. This setting is one that viewers ought to be familiar with, there’s nothing extraordinary about it. It’s the start of a brand new day.

Hitchcock uses mise en scene to establish a sense of familiarity and situate the audience in a familiar environment. This shot depicts a common apartment block, and there is nothing special about it. This will later be juxtaposed against the very disturbing events the protagonist witnesses as the movie unfolds.

Movie viewers become increasingly perturbed by the voyueristic perspective adopted by Hitchcock’s camera. As the camera pans , we have a clear view of a half-naked lady in her own bedroom getting dressed. Evidently, she is unaware that she is the center of attention, or indeed, that anyone is watching her in the first place. Viewers are on the outside, looking in.

Sounds: children ’ s voices playing in the street. These types of diegetic sound creates a sense of normalcy and safety. This is by all accounts, a regular neighbourhood and a regular block of apartment buildings.

Viewers’ interaction with Jefferies, how we access his character, is purely through the camera work. As it pans to the side, we see a few of Jefferies’ cameras strewn on the table, and through the art hanging on the wall – these are his masterpieces.

Mixed up between the ordinary black and white photographs hanging on the wall is this picture enclosed within the borders of a black frame. This stands out as being quite a scary and confronting image – with the colors inverted, the lady depicted in the photograph looks terrifying. This helps to foreshadow the darker themes of the film. Although there is a big shift in the images portrayed, the camera simply pauses briefly before resuming its pan, in an almost blase, nonchalant manner to glide over this interruption. Though we later see the real image, a very flattering portrait, subtly, we know that everything is not as it seems.

Cut to the next scene, where Jefferies is portrayed as being in the middle of quite an intimate personal grooming routine. It is unusual to do this in front of random strangers, right in front of the window. Typically, individuals trim their beard in the bathroom.

Note that Hitchcock ’ s camera is very restless, it’s almost constantly in motion. This creates visually appealing and engaging scenes, and conveys the fast paced essence of life in the city. When the camera stays still, HItchcock thus invites viewers to listen to the dialogue in greater detail.

Sound: The phone rings.

“Six months with nothing to do but to look out the window at the neighbours”

A private conversation, and yet, we as movie viewers can hear both sides. As Jefferies converses, he glaces out of the window intermittently. The camera adopts his perspective , depicting various neighbours engaging in private activities, unaware that they are being spied on .

The fact that Jefferies can see such close detail into his neighbours windows suggest the densely packed, urbanised, interconnected nature of the community’s lives.

This scene is a rare one that is not framed from behind a window. It alludes to the idea that private affairs are conducted out in the open , and that it’s plain for anybody to see what’s going on. The idea of being open and extravagant in sexuality is emphasised, as is the notion of voyeurism.

“Can you just see me? I’m rushing home to a hot apartment to listen to the automatic alarm ring, and the electric dishwasher, and the garbage disposal… A nagging wife.”

“Jeff, wives don’t nag anymore. They discuss!”

“Maybe in a higher rent district they discuss. In my neighbourhood, they still nag.”

The dialogue alludes to changing gender norms and power dynamics between married couples.

Complementing this is a beautifully constructed shot, demonstrating just how much Jefferies can see from looking into the windows of his neighbours. In this shot, the “action” is framed behind windows. He witnesses a conflict among his neighbours, a husband and wife who appear to be at odds with each other. This marital conflict forms the basis of his suspicion that his neighbour has murdered his wife.

Hitchcock goes out of his way to depict Jefferies in an extremely unflattering light. Moments such as these, where he is seen trying to reach an impossible itch, with a look of intense concentration on his face, are usually done behind closed doors without people watching!

“Oh, why don’t you shut up”

The quarrelling husband is seen tending to the flowers in the garden. As a neighbour watches on, she gives unsolicited advice. The notion of intrusion and fluid boundaries within a densely packed apartment complex resurfaces yet again.

Sounds: sirens in the distance. Though being part of diegetic sound, and we associate this siren with the regular sounds of a city, we can also treat this is a harbinger of doom. It is intended to literally raise the alarm in the viewers’ minds.

“New York state sentence for a peeping tom is 6 months in the workhouse. They got no windows in the workhouse”

“Oh dear, we’ve become a race of peeping toms. What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change”

“How’s that for a bit of homespun philosophy?”

“When General Motors has to go to the bathroom ten times a day, the whole country’s ready to let go”

“Well, Stella, in economics, a kidney ailment has no relationship to the stock market, none whatsoever.”

Hitchcock captures the essence of the American life/ social context in the 1950s through dialogue. She’s an “insurance company nurse” → interesting sign of the times.

Stella’s line “I can smell trouble right here in this apartment. First you smash your leg and get to looking out the window, see things you shouldn’t see. Trouble.” foreshadows what’s going to happen later on in the movie.

“I’m not ready for marriage!” “She’s just not the girl for me… She’s too perfect. She’s too everything but what I want.”

“When I do [get married], it’s going to be to someone who thinks of life not as a new dress and a lobster dinner and the latest scandal. I need a woman who’s willing to go anywhere and do anything”

Note Jefferies ’ childish idealism about relationships. His child-like mindset is revealed as he laments about his girlfriend. Hitchcock uses this shot to almost infantilize Jefferies . Here, he’s depicted as being incapable of doing anything at all. He is dependent on a woman half his size to wash him, move him, clothe him. While he is lying down face first, he complaints about his girlfriend.

There is a moment of striking dissonance between this infantilizing portrayal, and other elements which point to his level of success. His watch is a clear status symbol, his salt and pepper gray hair allude to his high level of experience as a photographer. Complementing this scene is dialogue which exposes Jefferies’ indecisive, half-hearted and uncommitted character.

“Nothing has caused the human race so much trouble as intelligence. Modern marriage… Baloney! Once it was see somebody, get excited, get married. Now, it’s read a lot of books, fence with a lot of four syllable words, psychoanalyze each other, until you can’t tell the difference between a petting party and a civil service exam”

While Jefferies has remained immobilized by his injury and confined to his wheelchair, Stella is a ball of energy and in constant movement — a direct character foil . Since the moment she stepped into the apartment, she has not stood still, rather she is depicted as always moving around and always talking. Her quick wit, particularly in relation to the state of social relationships and marriage in society, reflects the common sensibilities shared by traditional, conservative Americans. This is an interesting point of contrast to Jefferies’ overly idealistic understanding of relationships.

“Will you fix me a sandwich please? “Yes I will and I’ll spread a little common sense on the bread”

Modern day feminists are likely to recoil in horror at Jefferies’ request. Yet, Stella’s clever deflection enables her to re-assert some dominance in the relationship. Through dialogue and the relationship between Stella and Jefferies, Hitchcock uncovers the changing social norms pertaining to gender in 1950s America . Viewers are likely to notice the infantilizing depiction of Jefferies again. Although he is much bigger in reality compared to Stella, because he is confined to a wheelchair, he looks like a small school boy asking his mom for lunch in this shot. We are intended to be highly critical of him and his abject lack of independence. Even though we have some sympathy for him as he is stuck in a wheelchair, his trivial pursuits of spying on his neighbours and the fact that he is taking joy in it, cause us to be revulsed.

New York at sunset.

Sound: piano and someone practicing singing musical scales. Voices of children playing in the street.

The Hitchcock blond, a picture of glamor and beauty . Lisa Freemont’s face looms over Jefferies and fills the entire screen, allowing us to appreciate her beauty. She lights up his life.

“Are you the Lisa Freemont who never wears the same dress twice?” “Only because it’s expected of her”

Hitchcock uses costume, hair, and make up to depict Lisa in a traditionally feminine way. This character represents conformity with social expectations of the time. The camera shots and lighting are chosen deliberately to cast her in a very positive, beautiful light. We are encouraged to view her as a likeable character, one who is stereotypically female. This conception will be later challenged, as Lisa emerges as the courageous hero of this story.

Hard lighting illuminates only part of the room. It casts rather ominous, clearly defined shadows on the walls. This undoubtedly alludes to the danger to come in the later part of the movie.

“I can see you looking very successful and very handsome in a dark blue flannel suit”

“Let’s stop talking nonsense, shall we?”

Red is the predominant color in the background of this shot. It emphasizes the romantic nature of Jeffries’ and Lisa’s dinner. On another level, red can also be interpreted as the color of danger and alarm, foreshadowing the danger that Lisa will put herself into for the sake of finding out the truth about Jeffries’ neighbour.

Sirens in the distance, growing increasingly louder. Danger? Alarm? Disrupting the peace? This is Hitchcock’s signature style of building tension.

“Lisa you’re not meant for this kind of life. Few people are.”

Jeffries’ personal life is fraught with troubled relationships. He’s seen here arguing with his girlfriend. Through a series of reverse shots , both characters take turns being depicted in the light and being cast in the shadows. Hitchcock thus uses lighting to dramatise the interpersonal conflicts that arise throughout the course of the movie, in particular, that these two characters are not thinking on the same wavelength.

“What would he be selling at 3 o’clock in the morning?”

It’s in the middle of the night . It’s raining heavily . The environment depicted here creates another type of atmosphere. What previously looked warm, inviting, and familiar is now portrayed as cold, unpleasant, and gloomy. Hitchcock’s use of one bright street light to illuminate the suspicious figure heightens the sense of mystery and tension in this scene. Jeffries has just spotted a suspicious character in a dark trench coat, carrying an even more suspicious looking silver suitcase. The windows that used to be open, now remain closed to prying eyes. Jeffries’ suspicion toward his neighbours grows.

Hitchcock uses the windows to frame his shots. In this scene, we see that he’s aligned two windows side by side, featuring two of Jeffries’ neighbours. Though this is a limited perspective, we get the sense that the community is ‘so close yet so far’. Despite being in close physical proximity, the lives of these neighbours could not be more different! This perhaps hints at the paradox of life in the bustling New York City — that you can be surrounded by people, yet feel lonelier and more alienated than ever.

“That’s no ordinary look. It’s the kind of look a man gives when he’s afraid somebody might be watching him”

Sound: Opera singing, dramatises this scene by adding tension.

This shot is framed from the perspective of Jeffries’ extended camera lens. We see the suspicious salesman from the next apartment block, going about his normal routine nonchalantly. If he were indeed a murderer as Jeffries’ suspects, then this depiction serves to exaggerate his sociopathic tendencies. Jeffries’ suspicion of his neighbour grows.

This shot is framed from behind Jeffries’ long camera lens. Although they are in separate apartment blocks, Jeffries has a clear look into the ongoing suspicious activities in Thorwald’s apartment. This is a visual symbol for the transgressive act of intruding on privacy. However viewers tend to sympathise with Jeffries as he is only spying on his neighbour for a good cause, to discover whether or not Thorwald killed his wife.

This shot juxtaposes the presentation of Jeffries with his friend from the police force. In this balanced shot composition , we see the extreme ends of the spectrum in masculinity . While Jeffries’ is rendered powerless, immobile, injured, in his light blue pajamas, fiddling with a back scratcher, his friend is wearing a sharp and crisp business suit, drinking alcohol, and depicted standing up tall. As the film progresses, we see how Jeffries’ loses parts of his identity. We already know that he’s unable to continue with being a photographer due to his injury, and that being a photographer is a point of pride. Jeffries’ presentation here seems to amplify the characterization of his infantilizing aimlessness.

Again, Lisa is seen turning on all the lights in his living room. This arguably a comment on how she is relentless in her pursuit of truth, and foreshadows her sacrificial and heroic acts later on in the play to bring the murderer to justice. It could also be related to the film’s romantic subplot – although Jeffries is indecisive about whether to marry her, she lights up his life and removes the darkness.

A piercing cry disrupts the peaceful night. A neighbour’s dog has been found dead. Perhaps this is a progression of tension in the film, another sign to illustrate that there’s more than meets the eye behind the veneer of normalcy in this community. The darkness of the night increases the sense of mystery and horror at the dog’s death – there’s a murderer in this community who’s killing innocent dogs and no one knows who it is.

The two female characters decide to find out what’s buried in the garden in a humorous flip of gender stereotypes . Lisa, who’s dressed well and all dolled up, and Stella, an elderly woman who’s small in size are eager to do the dirty work. What began as Jeffries’ secret suspicion of his neighbour has suddenly escalated.

Lisa’s heroic act. As she is across the block from Jeffries and Stella, the sense of her vulnerability is intensified. She is all alone in the home of a suspected murderer. While Jeffries and Stella are able to see how Lisa is in danger, they are powerless to do anything to stop it, except to witness it & call the police.

A truly terrifying shot , as Thorwald looks at Jeffries straight on. From behind the long camera lens, the killer’s face is clearly in view. Jeffries secret investigation has been discovered and viewers speculate that the killer’s wrath has been incurred. Dramatic tension is built up as we anticipate that Thorwald will attack Jeffries next.

Dramatic and harsh lighting is used to emphasize Thorwald’s villany. As we can’t see all of his face, or even whether he’s brought a weapon, this assists Hitchcock in presenting him as a dangerous character. Viewers also fear for Jeffries’ safety. Hitchcock uses sound effects of footsteps coming up the stairs to symbolize Jeffries’ imminent danger. Moreover, Jeffries’ helplessness is intensified as he desperately tries to find a hiding place in his apartment while being immobilized by his injury. In his struggle with Thorwald, this is where Jeffries is rendered the most powerless .

As the film concludes, Hitchcock inserts humor as we see that now both of Jeffries’ legs are injured. For all his good intentions in trying to catch Thorwald, he’s only put himself in the wheelchair for a longer time. On the other hand, the final shot captures the progression of Lisa’s character. Previously, she was a symbol of traditional femininity as emphasized through costume, hair, and make up. Here, she is seen wearing pants. She reads both Bazaar and a book about travelling to the Himalayas.

QUOTE ANALYSIS

Jeff: If you don ’ t pull me out of this swamp of boredom I am going to do something drastic.

Jeff’s Editor: Like what?

Jeff: Like what. I ’ m gonna get married and then I ’ ll never be able to go anywhere.

In this opening sequence Jeff is portrayed as an adventurous man with an exciting occupation. He is a globetrotting photojournalist for a prestigious magazine who is willing to take risks in to order to distinguish himself in his career. In fact, in his last assignment he positioned himself so close to a racing car track that it caused him to break his leg and remain in a cast for seven weeks. In this telephone conversation with his editor we understand that he has only a week remaining before his cast is removed. However, he is itching to get back to work and is disappointed that his editor will not give him an important assignment. As he is discussing this we can see Jeff observing his neighbours through his rear window in Greenwich Village (New York) watching their banal daily activities.

Jeff’s Editor: It ’ s about time you got married before you turn into a lonesome and bitter old man

Jeff: Yeah, can’t you just see me, rushing home to a hot apartment to listen to the automatic laundry and the electric dishwasher and the garbage disposal and the nagging wife…

Each apartment is framed almost as though it is a film or television screen, allowing the viewer to observe intimate and private moments not normally available for people to watch. However, this seems a very bland existence in contrast to the exciting life of travel and daring activities that his job involves. This is further accentuated by the mise-en-scène where his surroundings show some of the exciting images he has captured with his camera. The photos he has taken are framed and hanging on the wall to highlight the prestige of his work. In the background we can see his apartment has large shelves filled with books which suggest that Jeff is a well-educated and refined man.

We can see that Jeff’s boredom is profound and he jokingly suggests that his editor should rescue him before he plunges himself into further depths of a mundane existence. His reference to married life is equated with the ordinary and seemingly domestic lives he is observing in the surrounding apartments. Thus, marriage for Jeff is portrayed a place where one is confined by domesticity and represents an obstacle to his personal and professional aspirations. This is seen in the way he lists the new electrical appliances that are designed to make life easier for Americans giving them more leisure time. It is also a sign of wealth and well-being, but Jeff clearly states that he is not interested in this classic American dream. On the contrary, he has different expectations from life and desires more excitement and stimulation. While he is expressing these negative opinions of marriage he is observing Mr and Mrs Thorwald and the audience immediately associates them with the kind of trapped and unhappy couple Jeff has been referring to.

Jeff’s Editor: Jeff, wives don’t nag anymore. They discuss.

Jeff: Oh, is that so, is that so? Well, maybe in the high-rent district they discuss. In my neighbourhood they still nag.

Jeff’s view of marriage is very jaded and, therefore, we expect him to be resistant to the idea of romance and a meaningful relationship with a woman. Marriage represents a similar claustrophobic space, similar to his current situation. His cast prevents him from going out into the world and confines him to his apartment. This forces him to engage with ordinary people who are conducting ordinary lives. Jeff’s attitude to women as serving to impose limitations on men is especially echoed in his comment about the nagging wife and his denial that they are genuinely or naturally capable of rational discussion.

Jeff: Can you imagine her travelling around the world with a camera bum who never has more than a week ’ s salary in the bank. If she was only more ordinary…I need a woman who is willing to go anywhere and do anything and love it.

Jeff is discussing with Stella why he needs to break off his relationship with the wealthy Park Avenue socialite, Lisa Freemont. Jeff confessed to Stella that he is not ready for marriage but his real reason is that he thinks Lisa is not the right woman for him. Her upper-class manners make it difficult for him to consider her as a good life partner because his work involves a great deal of travel and adventure. He believes she does not share his sense of adventure and is only concerned with money and superficial appearances. Jeff cannot see himself in the kind of romantic scenario that he sees with the newly-wed couple who arrive in one of the apartments he is observing. Jeff makes it clear he cannot lead this kind of ordinary life and that he needs an extraordinary woman by his side. Despite her beauty and poise, he does not see this quality in Lisa and the more he observes the world through his rear window the more these ideas take seed in his mind.

Jeff: Miss Lonelyhearts (observing her acting out an imaginary situation). At least that ’ s something you ’ ll never have to worry about…we have a little apartment here that is probably about as popular as yours. You remember, of course, Miss Torso, the ballet dancer. She is like a queen bee with her pick of the drones.

Jeff and Lisa are indulging in the kind of observations of his neighbours that Stella disapproves of; they are watching their neighbours and passing judgement on their lives. Miss Lonelyhearts imagines what it would be like to entertain a male companion while the ballet dancer is surrounded by potential suitors all flocking to her home and competing for her attention. Jeff is making a commentary on their different and contrasting personalities. If Jeff does not marry Lisa he may himself end up like Miss Lonelyhearts, yearning for companionship. While Lisa will never want for attention because she is even more talented and attractive than Miss Torso. Jeff’s observations of his neighbours frequently confirm his worst fears about the relationship between men and women, and the more he has them under a microscope the more they seem to convince him of his opinions.

Lisa: You don’t think either one of us could ever change?

Jeff: Right now, it doesn’t seem so.

Lisa and Jeff have a very animated discussion about the very different worlds they belong to. Jeff is adamant that he is not willing to give up his exciting career as a photojournalist to work as a studio photographer for the New York elite. He is equally adamant that Lisa would never survive in his world. His career involves travelling to sometimes obscure or exotic locations under difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. He cannot imagine Lisa ever adapting to this kind of lifestyle, so they seem to have reached an impasse in their relationship despite their strong feelings for one another. It is clear that one of them needs to change in order for their relationship to work and Jeff simply does not consider this a possibility. Lisa, on the other hand, considers the idea of changing a distinct possibility and eventually proves Jeff wrong. When she helps him uncover Mr Thorwald’s sordid secret, putting her own life in danger and outwitting the murderer, Jeff begins to see Lisa in a completely new light.

Voyeurism, the act of secretly watching people to derive sexual pleasure, is portrayed as a form of entertainment. Jeffrey has relied on the voyeurism to substitute other more traditional or emerging entertainment mediums at the time of the film’s release. Jeff is positioned as a spectator who identifies with characters he sees in the kind of cinema he has invented for himself. As he observes and makes comments of the neighbours we are given an insight into the lives and activities of the neighbours but this information also allows Jeff to assert what kind of person he is and whether he could live the way his neighbours do. This mirrors the process of identification that is often theorised in film criticism. Cinema is not only a way to see the world it is also a way to define the self.

Stella: The New York state sentence for Peeping Toms is six months in the workhouse…They ’ ve got no windows in the workhouse. You know, in the old days they used to put your eyes out with a red-hot poker. Any of those bikini bombshells you ’ re always watching worth a poker .

Stella disapproves of the way in which Jeff has chosen to keep himself amused while recovering from his broken leg. In fact, she points out the social taboo of watching others and even suggests that he is engaging in a criminal activity. The idea that the cinematic gaze is also a perverse gaze is alluded to here. The spectator, much like Jeff, is deriving pleasure, which is sometimes of a sexual nature, through a privileged position of seeing that allows them to see people in their most intimate and private moments. The film is set during a summer heat wave so the women are frequently scantily dressed, especially Miss Torso. The neighbours are seen in their underwear or in their nightwear and so Jeff’s ability to see this is portrayed as an intrusion. Stella’s comments on his behaviour and that of spectators reinforces the perverse nature of voyeurism.

Stella: Oh, dear…We have become a race of Peeping Toms. What people ought to do is get out outside their own house and look in for a change.

Stella frowns upon his continual observation, especially because she suspects that he is using this to substitute sexual activity. Actually, she is making a more profound observation regarding surveillance. She is concerned that watching others is a way to scrutinise and judge them. In fact, Jeff’s curiosity and intrusive gaze on his neighbours is providing the spectator with the opportunity to observe themselves; ordinary, everyday people getting on with their lives. This kind of observation is facilitated through technology, in this case the power of the telephoto lens to reach into very intimate spaces. In contemporary society this ability to invade personal spaces has increased with technology and the ability to monitor others has become more intense. Jeff’s activity and use of technology foreshadows the future and the problematic role that this establishes between the observer and observed. What are the ethics of observing others and to what extent should these observations be used to interfere or intervene in the lives of these people? This is a conundrum that Jeff, Lisa and Stella must face as a result of their increasing interest in the lives of the neighbours.

Jeff: Get back! Out of sight! Quick!

Stella: What is it? What ’ s the matter?

At this point the danger of looking through the rear window becomes apparent. Jeff has outlined his very mysterious behaviour to Stella and we can see he has successfully developed the suspicion that Mr Thorwald has committed a crime. Stella interprets this as Mr Thorwald planning to leave his wife and they are now both deeply involved in the conjecture and speculation about the lives of the neighbours. If they are caught watching him then they could become the target of his violent inclinations. The idea that he could return their gaze would shift the balance of power between Jeff and his neighbours. Jeff’s secret observation of his neighbours is what allows him to gain so much insight. If the neighbours knew they were being watched, perhaps they would act differently. Jeff’s ability to enjoy watching his neighbours would be undermined and this highlights the importance of the power of the gaze and observing others without their knowledge.

Jeff: That ’ s no ordinary look. That ’ s the kind of a look of a man gives when he is afraid someone might be watching him.

Ironically, the salesman Mr Thorwald is being carefully observed by Jeff and this sets up a potential conflict between the two men. Stella expresses concerned that sleeping in his wheelchair and continually looking out his rear window and watching the neighbours has turned into an unhealthy obsession. Jeff has not slept well and his shoulders ache and are cramped from poor posture. As Stella massages his shoulders to give him some relief they discuss the observations he has made of the neighbours throughout the night, especially the suspicious behaviour of Mr Thorwald. Jeff tells Stella how he left the apartment several times in the rain carrying his sample case. Stella believes this is a sign that he is going to leave his wife and that he must be sneaking out his belongings. Their observations cast him as deceitful and someone to fear. In fact, as he approaches the window they retreat back into the shadows of the apartment in fear. As the camera pans down, Jeff notices Mr Thorwald looking down at the flower garden. Jeff slowly moves towards the light and his face and body are illuminated. This suggests that he has understood something important and intriguing about Mr Thorwald. However, the audience knows that there is one event he has not seen. Jeff was sleeping when Mr Thorwald left the apartment with a woman all dressed in black. This suggests that what we are able to observe and think we see is not always the full picture.

Lisa : Jeff – if you could only see yourself…sitting around, looking out a window to kill time, is one thing – but doing it the way you are – with binoculars and with wild opinions about every little movement you see – is a disease.

Jeff : Do you think I consider this recreation?

Now that Jeff is employing tools such as binoculars and a telephoto lens to help him get even closer to his subjects Lisa accentuates the social boundaries he is crossing. As a recreational pass time it is innocuous but Lisa’s comments suggest it has now become an obsession or possibly even an illness. This echoes Stella’s early comments that his fascination with his rear window is socially unacceptable behaviour and possibly even illicit behaviour. This helps to cast doubt over what he thinks he sees. If Jeff has become obsessed and he is, in fact, suffering from a disease, then his suspicions seem unfounded, even ridiculous. Thus, the permission to see also determines the credibility to what is perceived. Perhaps his suspicions about Mr Thorwald are a product of a disturbed mind. This increases the intrigue of the film as Jeff’s interpretation of his neighbour’s activity could just be a product of his boredom and his fertile imagination.

Doyle : That ’ s a secret private world you ’ re looking into out there. People do a lot of things in private they couldn ’ t possibly explain in public.

As Lisa and Jeff watch Miss Lonelyhearts entertain a young man in her room they see an example of Doyle’s argument. The young man begins to make heavy advances on Miss Lonelyhearts once she pulls down the blinds and he thinks they can’t be seen. Miss Lonelyhearts find him too violent and pushes him away. The young man is offended and leaves in a very disgruntled manner. Lisa and Jeff witness how people can behave very differently behind closed doors when they are not subject to the scrutiny of others. They begin to reflect on Doyle’s argument that watching the neighbours is unethical and is the same as intruding into their personal lives.

Lisa: I ’ m not much on rear window ethics … Jeff, you know if someone came in here, they wouldn ’ t believe what they ’ d see … You and me with long faces, plunged into despair because we find out a man didn ’ t kill his wife. We ’ re two of the most frightening ghouls I ’ ve ever known. You ’ d think we could be a bit happy that the poor woman is alive and well.

Here the idea of looking as a perverse practice. This suggests that we enjoy watching with anticipation of something horrific happening. This is an exciting pastime which we like to engage in. This is reflected in Lisa and Jeff’s disappointment that their suspicions have not been confirmed. They almost seem ready to give up their investigation when suddenly their suspicions are aroused again. A woman screams because her pet dog has been killed and all the neighbours, except Mr Thorwald, emerge from their apartments to see what has happened. They suspect that Mr Thorwald has killed the dog and they notice a difference in the flower bed, so Lisa and Stella begin investigations of their own.

Lisa: Jeff, if your squeamish don ’ t look.

At this point the audience begin to see things through the rear window that are difficult to watch. The plan that Lisa and Stella devise is dangerous, and Jeff is afraid that something will happen to them. They both tower over him as they make the plans and dominate him. This shows Lisa is gaining a position of strength and Jeff is developing strong feelings for her. He watches her with a mix of fear and admiration, especially when Lisa climbs up the fire escape to make her way into Mr Thorwald’s apartment. He sees evidence of her more adventurous nature which makes Lisa more attractive to him but at the same time she is now in great danger. Thorwold returns to his apartment before she can leave and Jeff is forced to watch as she is attacked. He jostles in his wheelchair as they wait for the police to arrive and rescue Lisa. Jeff’s role as an injured photographer parallels that of the film viewer; a spectator who is bound to a chair and can only observe. However, this viewing dynamic is dramatically disrupted when Thorwald notices that Lisa is sending Jeff a signal by pointing to the wedding ring which she has managed to slip on her finger. Mr Thorwald looks up directly into the camera and directly at the spectator. The knowledge that he is being observed now puts him in a position of power and his gaze becomes threatening and menacing. Suddenly the actions that Jeff has been observing from a safe distance leap out of the frame of the rear window and begin to represent a real physical danger. This parallels the role of the spectator in the cinema who is physically moved in the horror genre. Hitchcock was a renowned master of this genre and incorporates many of its elements in this scene.

Coyne: (to Stella): Want to take a look?

Stella: No thanks, I don ’ t want any part of it.

Stella has given Doyle information to suggest that one of the body parts is inside Thorwald’s apartment and the police officers confirm her suspicions. They find a hat box inside Thorwald’s apartment that conceals a portion of the dead body. Doyle offers her the opportunity to see the body part with her own eyes, but she declines using an expression to indicate that she does not want to get involved in the discovery of Mr Thorwald’s crime. Unfortunately, her choice of words means that she has made a terrible yet amusing pun and she is horrified at the double meaning of her words. However, this allows the tone of the film to end on a more light-hearted and comical note. The camera pans around the apartment building and the spectator can see that calm and ordinary innocuous everyday activities have been re-established outside Jeff’s rear window. The pianist and Miss Lonelyhearts become friendly, the Thorwald appartment is being cleaned and repainted, a new pet dog has been found for the couple upstairs, Miss Torso’s husband returns from the army, and the newlyweds are settling into a more normal and somewhat acrimonious married life. All the problems that Jeff has been observing find a happy resolution. As the camera pans across into Jeff apartment the comedy is reiterated through the image of Jeff still confined to a wheelchair but this time with two broken legs. Despite this he has a big smile on his face and Lisa is seen lying down nearby. She is wearing much more practical clothes and reading a book called Beyond the Himalayas . Her more practical apparel and her interest in adventurous locations show that she is willing to make the changes in her personality that suit Jeff’s idea of a perfect wife. However, Lisa still keeps a keen interest in fashion. The spectator can see this as she looks across to Jeff furtively, checking that he is asleep. She promptly puts the book down to open a copy of the fashion magazine, Bazaar . Perhaps she hasn’t changed at all and will keep this a secret from Jeff.

Jeff: She ’ s just not the girl for me.

Stella: Yeah, she ’ s only perfect.

Jeff: She ’ s too perfect. She ’ s too talented. She ’ s too beautiful. She ’ s too sophisticated . She ’ s too everything but what I want.

Jeff uses class difference to highlight why Lisa would not be a suitable wife for him. He references her association with Park Avenue, the most expensive high-class area in New York, and the fact that she frequents expensive hotels and restaurants. He believes that Lisa lives a very privileged life where a new dress or a lobster dinner are her usual daily preoccupations. Despite the way Jeff distinguishes himself from his ordinary, and somewhat boring neighbours, he believes that he and Lisa are from vastly different classes and this is what makes her incompatible as a potential wife. Her class is an obstacle to Lisa meeting the idea of the perfect wife that Jeff has envisaged and described to Stella.

Lisa: I could get you a dozen assignments tomorrow… fashion, portraits …Don ’ t laugh I could do it!

Jeff: That ’ s what I am afraid of. Could you see me – driving down the fashion salon in a jeep – wearing combat boots and a three-day beard?

Lisa imagines Jeff settling down into a nice placid job as a studio photographer once they get married. Again, their class difference is used by Jeff to accentuate the idea that they are not a compatible couple. Lisa suggests she would be able to help in enter her prestigious world of New York high society and find some lucrative assignments. He mocks her, not because he doesn’t think she can do it, but because he knows this is how she would tie him down and lure him into a conventional marriage; the kind he has observed through the rear window and does not like. Lisa becomes quite despondent at this point as she can see that Jeff cannot be persuaded that they are match made in heaven and she seems like she is going to give up. She retreats into the kitchen while Jeff watches Miss Lonelyhearts imagining she is has company. Lisa’s despondency is echoed by the sadness in Jeff eyes as he observes a woman who feels alone without a man.

Lisa: There can ’ t be that much difference between people and the way they live. We all eat, talk, drink, laugh, and wear clothes

One of the reasons that Jeff argues Lisa is not a good match for him is their class difference. He does not believe that someone who works for a fashion house and frequents some of the finest restaurants and hotels in New York can have the same sense of adventure and willingness to live the modest and more practical life that Jeff leads. Lisa does not believe that their class difference means that they cannot fit into each other’s worlds. It is clear that Jeff insists that his wife must show the qualities that prove she would be able to exist in the world of a photo-journalist that involves extensive travel and living in rough and dangerous environments. This is in stark contrast to the comforts that Lisa has shown she is accustomed to by wearing a glamorous and expensive evening gown and ordering dinner from a fine restaurant that is delivered to Jeff’s apartment. The image of Lisa in this scene contrasts greatly with the image of Jeff’s ideal woman that he describes. Lisa is wearing an expensive and glamourous evening gown. In this scene the visual information accentuates contrast with the information provided in the dialogue. This conversation brings their relationship perilously close to the end. As Lisa leaves the apartment she says good-bye rather than good-night and this suggests she is thinking about abandoning Jeff, even if she is very much in love with him.

Jeff: Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase, and come back three times?

Lisa : He likes the way his wife welcomes him home.

Jeff believes something sinister is happening in the Thorwald apartment and he has used his telephoto lens on his camera to get a closer look at him. When he holds up the lens it looks majestic and powerful and the reflections of all the apartment building can be seen in the reflection on the big round lens. This lens penetrates the secret world of the neighbours and captures Thorwald in close up. It allows Jeff to watch him wrapping up a large butcher’s knife and a small saw in newspaper. Up until this point in the film everything Jeff has observed has been from a distance and often the equivalent of a long shot as he surveys the banal activities of his neighbours within the different apartments. The closer he is able to get to their movements and actions the more he is able to uncover about them. Thorwald’s actions continue to prey on Jeff’s mind and he is unable to think of anything else, even while in a romantic embrace with Lisa where she is kissing him. She is struggling to keep his attention as he questions what he has seen.

Jeff: Why didn ’ t he go to work today? …Why hasn ’ t he been in his wife ’ s bedroom all day? …There ’ s something terribly wrong.

We can see that Jeff’s imagination is beginning to run wild and he is presuming that Mr Thorwald has committed some kind of brutal crime. All the answers to the questions that Lisa offers are dismissed by Jeff. She is trying to explain the behaviour in more ordinary terms in the hope that she can get Jeff to concentrate on her, but Jeff is not satisfied with her explanations. Lisa gives up and moves away to smoke a cigarette and we can see that the answers Jeff imagines are leading him to the conclusion that Mr Thorwald has harmed his wife in some horrible way. This further confirms his belief that marriage is a destructive relationship that can lead to violence and horror. The audience can see how these preposterous conclusions and beliefs risk creating an even greater rift between Lisa and Jeffrey, reducing the possibility that they will ever come together as a happy couple.

Jeff ( looking at Miss Torso): That would be a terrible job to tackle … Just how would you start to cut up a human body?

Lisa : Jeff, I ’ ll be honest with you. You ’ re beginning to scare me.

Lisa is appalled at his conclusions and she reprimands him for becoming too obsessed with his rear window observations. She is adamant that his conjecture is disgraceful and the product of an unhealthy mind. Her arguments are persuasive as she reminds him that a murderer would hide behind curtains and not commit such a terrible act in open view. Suddenly, there is a medium close-up of Lisa as she stands up with a frightened expression on her face. Her gaze is now fixed on the rear window and there is a chilling change in the mood of the scene. They both look out the window and see Mr Thorwald tying up a large trunk, and Lisa finally begins to see what Jeff is seeing.

Lisa: Let ’ s start from the beginning again. Tell me everything you saw and what you think it means?

The camera dramatically zooms into another close-of Lisa’s shocked expression. Now Lisa wants to know everything Jeff has observed in the apartment. Now that she also witnessed some very odd behaviour Lisa no longer thinks that Jeff has allowed his imagination to run away with him. The world through the rear window begins to appear full of suspicion and intrigue for Lisa too. This shows how Lisa is beginning to shift her vision to align more closely with Jeff’s, and this marks the beginning of an important change in their relationship, especially in the way they see each other.

Stella: Now just where do you suppose he cut her up?

Stella has a very down to earth and somewhat cynical view of the world and so she has been doubting what Jeff thinks he sees. Her question about how Mr Thorwald has disposed of the body is a sign that she now also shares Jeff’s suspicions. Stella also adds some important comical relief to the film which ultimately ends up being a romantic film as well as a thriller. When she asks this question, the characters are framed in a two-shot or a medium shot. Stella is positioned behind Jeff as they look out through the rear window. We can see he is about to enjoy some breakfast that Stella has prepared for him. Jeff soon loses his appetite when she starts to imagine where and how he has killed his wife, suggesting it must have been in the bathtub. Her talk of washing away blood has not affected her appetite as she bites into a piece of toast. Jeff, on the other hand, can no longer stomach his food. Thus, the camera work is aiding in creating the humour. This composition of the shot highlights the irony of the situation. Jeff has been trying to convince people of his suspicions and when Stella finally shows signs of believing him it is not welcomed.

Doyle: You didn’t see the killing, or the body? How do you know there was a murder?

Jeff: Because everything that man’s done has been suspicious. Trips at night in the rain, saws, knives, trunks with rope, and a wife that isn’t there anymore.

Detective Doyle explains the constitutional rules that govern his ability to conduct an investigation and offers Jeff sensible explanations for the activities that he thinks he has seen. In fact, in light of Doyle’s preliminary investigations Jeff begins to feel foolish and thinks he has let his imagination get the better of him. It appears that Mrs Thorwald is, in fact, convalescing in the countryside. He returns to observing the other neighbours through his telephoto lens and Mr Thorwald come back into his field of vision. He sees that Mr Thorwald is packing and may be preparing to leave and that some of Mrs Thorwald’s belongings have remained in the apartment, which is strange given that Doyle has established she has gone on a trip.

Jeff: Did anybody actually see the wife get on the train?

Doyle: Did anyone, including you, actually see her murdered?

Here the two men a battling over the extent to which one can believe what they see. Just as Doyle demands some visual evidence that Mrs Thorwald has been murdered Jeff, equally demands visual evidence that she is still alive. Therefore, the question of Mr Thorwald’s guilt relies heavily on the ability to believe what one sees. Jeff scoffs at Doyle’s ability as a detective as he thinks that the police are not willing to seriously question Mr Thorwald’s actions and movements. Lisa and Stella, however, increasingly see Mr Thorwald from Jeff perspective and they start to interrogate everything they see.

Lisa uses her knowledge of women and women’s fashion to deduce that the woman seen leaving the apartment with Mr Thorwald could not have been his wife. The fact that she has left her favourite handbag behind and that her jewellery was casually stuffed into the bag leads her to the conclusion Mrs Thorwald did not leave the house or go on a trip. As she explains her theory Jeff looks up to her with an admiring gaze. Lisa proves her worth as an investigator and Jeff immediately feels aroused by Lisa. He wants to embrace and kiss her, something he has shown little interest in doing so far in the film. Her ability to share an interest in his observations through his rear window balances the power dynamics between them. Jeff acknowledges this by showing signs of accepting a romantic involvement with Lisa. The underlying message is that successful relationships are be based on equality not patriarchal authority. The film is enacting a progress narrative in terms of gender relations.

Jeff: Is this the Lisa Freemont who never wears the same dress twice?

Lisa: Only because it is expected of her. It ’ s right off the Paris plane. Do you think it will sell?

Lisa is portrayed as adhering to the expectations associated with her gender role. As a woman she is expected to look glamorous and attractive for men. Jeff imagines Lisa as the kind of woman who is a spoilt socialite and the way she moves around the room, almost performing for Jeff, seems to confirm this. Lisa switches on the three lampshades, one after the other and gradually reveals the glamorous evening gown she is wearing. Her dress has a fitted bodice with a deep V cut down in the front. This design is echoed at the back as the V shape reaches her lower back. The V shape also gives the bodice an off the shoulder quality and heightens the sensual nature of the dress. The opulence of the dress is seen in the full length white chiffon tulle skirt.  It has delicate back floral decorations emanating from the narrow patent leather belt which accentuates her tiny waistline. She is also wearing a white chiffon shoulder wrap and white silk gloves that reach her elbows to further indicate elegance.

As Lisa moves around the room, and adds light to the scene, she is parading for Jeff. Finally, she twirls around as he talks about the value of her dress. All her actions, words and movement are designed to control and attract the gaze. In this case she is specifically aiming to attract Jeff’s gaze, hoping that looking at her in this beautiful gown will make him fall in love with her. Thus, seeing her beauty will help him to believe that she is the right woman for him. This shows Lisa in a very traditional role for a woman, one where they expected to be sexually alluring and entertaining for men. Many feminists have argued that women are too often sexually objectified in film, especially in Hitchcock films. The camera portrays Lisa exactly as the superficial fashion-conscious woman that Jeff has described.

Stella: (Accusingly) You shouldn’t have let her do that! If he ever —

Lisa takes a great risk when she agrees to take the note that Jeff has written for Mr Thorwald asking, “What have you done with her?” Lisa is almost caught by Mr Thorwald when she slips it under his door. As Stella and Jeff observe her narrow escape they are very relieved as they both question whether it is appropriate for a woman to be exposed to this kind of danger. However, the scene shows the importance of Jeff’s vision. What Mr Thorwald can’t see is that he is being observed and who is observing him and this puts him in a vulnerable position. Jeff’s observation of Mr Thorwald transforms into a typical masculine pursuit of him. Jeff’s vision gives him power and authority to hunt down a murderer.

Jeff: (Finds the number) Chelsea 2-7099. (He looks up, reaches for the phone) We scared him once. Maybe we can scare him again. (Picks up receiver; pauses) I’m using that word “we” a little too freely, I guess. I don’t take any of the chances.

Up until this point in the film Stella and Lisa have been in very traditional roles; Stella nurses and feeds him while Lisa provides light-hearted and romantic companionship. Although Jeff is confined to a wheelchair he has been portrayed as active and adventurous. This is especially highlighted through the constant reference to the dangerous nature of his work. By getting more involved in Jeff’s observations through the rear window Lisa has shown that she is not afraid to takes risks. In fact, she shows that she is very excited by the dangerous situation. Now the women team up to take control of the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Mrs Thorwald. Only they believe Jeff suspicions and he needs their help if he is to prove to Detective Doyle that his suspicions are not irrational. Jeff is hesitant when he understands the women intend to search the garden outside Mr Thorwald’s apartment and wants to protect them. He devises a plan to lure Mr Thorwald away from the apartment so that Stella and Lisa can do this more safely. This shows that Jeff is developing a more progressive attitude towards the role of women and he can see that they are capable and able to do dangerous work too.

Stella: What’s she trying to do? Why doesn’t she turn him in?

Jeff: Smart girl.

Stella: Smart? She’ll be arrested!

Jeff: That’ll get her out of there, won’t it?

Lisa demonstrates her daring and cunning in a very tricky situation when she intrudes the apartment. She manages to use the arrival of the police not only to help her escape Mr Thorwald’s clutches but also to gather evidence of the crime. Jeff’s admiration of Lisa continues to grow as she shows both the physical ability to infiltrate the apartment, a place that Jeff has only been able to observe, and an intellectual ability to manipulate the situation with the police to get out of danger. Typically, when women are in dangerous situation in films, they often rely on a man to rescue them. Jeff is impressed by Lisa’s clever quick thinking.

Jeff (James Stewart)

Jeff represents the kind of ordinary man that cinema viewers can easily identify with. He is not a heroic or aristocratic figure. Although he is depicted as a refined and educated man he earns his living through hard work which often puts him in treacherous situations. His passion for his work is visible in his willingness to put himself at risk in order to take a spectacular or sensational photograph. Jeff is a thoroughly modern man in this sense and sees himself as different to the most people. There is a certain arrogance in his world view as he believes he is living an alternative life; one that is full of adventure and involves a rejection of the conventional notions of success and achievement. Hitchcock took great pleasure in creating these relatively ordinary individuals and placing them in unexpected, often bizarre situations. James Stewart was a very popular actor in Hollywood at the time and featured in several of Hitchcock’s film. He was not a typically handsome leading man but he comes across as a very amiable and likeable fellow, ensuring that the audience could easily identify with him and his situation.

Hitchcock liked to test his characters psychological rather than their physical resilience. He placed his characters in predicaments which subjected them to danger and distanced them in some way from wider society. In this way, the protagonist is forced to reckon with a different kind of logic and see through the surface meaning of exchanges and communications with the surrounding world. The strange or bizarre nature of these unusual circumstances were frequently portrayed with humour and were a source of amusement for both the character and the viewer. Jeff’s jaded view of marriage is the perspective through which he reads Mr Thorwald’s actions; presuming that the couple are in suffocating relationship from which there is no respite. Although Jeff’s suspicions are confirmed his view on marriage is altered because Lisa proves to be his ideal wife; through her courageous and cunning actions he is able to demonstrate that he can believe what he sees through his rear window.

Lisa Freemont (Grace Kelly)

Lisa Freemont is a lively, high spirited and independent woman who is very confident and full of self-assurance. Despite the fact that Jeff appears to be resisting her charm and desire to settle down she is able to gauge his psychological disposition and understand the source of his reluctance. Lisa’s narrative function is important both to the themes related to marriage and the power relationships between men and women. She represents a modern woman who is of independent means, knows what she wants and will pursue it without hesitation. This is evident in her willingness to assist Jeff in uncovering the Mr Thorwald’s gruesome murder. She places herself in significant danger when she first delivers the letter, creating enormous suspense as she only narrowly misses being seen by Mr Thorwald. Later when she goes into the garden with Stella and takes the initiative to climb up the fire escape and make her way directly into the Thorwald apartment she shows that she is physically agile and quite fearless. Thus, Lisa exhibits a great deal of determination to prove to Jeff that she is in fact suitable wife for him.

Grace Kelly was a Hollywood actress who is known for her beauty, elegance and aristocratic manner. Hitchcock’s leading ladies were frequently known as icy blondes. They were usually very attractive and somewhat mysterious. Their sophistication and poise often made them quite a formidable presence in the film and at times an adversary. These qualities are, in fact, what prevents Jeff from agreeing with Stella that Lisa would make an ideal wife. In his eyes her perfection exceeds his requirements. However, this is because he has allowed appearances to deceive him. Lisa’s enjoyment of refinement and luxury is not a sign that she is weak and helpless. Lisa shows that she is quite the opposite. Her independent spirit allows her to see Thorwald through Jeff’s eyes and to use her knowledge of women’s fashion and style to prove that Mrs Thorwald never left her apartment alive. Her understanding of the significance of leaving the handbag and jewellery behind goes beyond women’s intuition and prove to be important clues that neither Jeff nor Doyle could ever uncover. Thus, while Jeff seems to have correctly understood Mr Thorwald, the discovery of the crime also allows him to see a very different Lisa.

Stella (Thelma Ritter)

Stella is a very direct and pragmatic woman who is also a very astute observer. She seems somewhat concerned about Jeff’s unhealthy obsession with his rear window. She believes that this is an escape and substitute for other more normal pleasures and that Jeff has found a rather perverse and dubious activity to keep him busy while he is convalescing. Stella’s concern also stems from the fact that Jeff is not behaving like a normal red-blooded American man. His interest in the activities in his neighbourhood suggest that he gains more pleasure from watching the world and society rather than participating in it. She is particularly sceptical of his reluctance to marry Lisa. Stella often functions as the voice of reason in the film, she challenges all his notions about love and relationships and she does not see the activities through the rear window with the Jeff’s cynicism and directs this towards him rather than the outside world.

Stella’s stern and matronly manner also provide some delightful comic relief in the film. Her witty responses to Jeff’s comments about Lisa show that she thinks Lisa may in fact be too good for him. She describes Lisa as beautiful and Jeff as a “reasonably healthy specimen” to show that he would be foolish not to marry her. When he underestimates Lisa’s qualities, Stella slaps him with massage oil in a gesture to suggest he is being idiotic. This provides some great contrast to the seriousness of the suspicions that Jeff develops throughout the narrative. Stella is equally fearless as although she knows that Jeff’s observations will no doubt lead them to trouble her curiosity is also aroused. She happily speculates about the way in which Mr Thorwald has disposed of the body and her nursing training undoubtedly allows her to imagine the most practical way this could be done. This provides both important clues to the mystery of Mrs Thorwald’s disappearance and provides a macabre edge to her brand of humour. Thelma Ritter continued a long career as a comedy actor and played many similar roles in other Hollywood films.

Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle (Wendell Corey)  

At the beginning Doyle’s involvement in this investigation is purely personal rather than professional. Much like Stella and Lisa, he thinks that Jeff’s imagination has run wild, possibly as a symptom of being confined to the wheelchair and not having any interesting activities to keep his mind busy. Doyle initially humours Jeff purely as a personal favour and because they served in the army together. This comradery seems to be the only reason he takes the investigation at all seriously. He conducts his inquiries in a professional manner and accepts the veracity of the information he has obtained. When he informs Jeff that Mrs Thorwald has been reported alive and is staying out of town, Jeff starts to feel somewhat foolish and concedes that his suspicions may be far-fetched. Doyle is particularly important in pointing out the limitations of the law and how people’s right to privacy prevents him from making further inquiries. The banter between Doyle and Jeff is endearing and shows that they are indeed very good friends, so much so that they can taunt each other without taking offence. In a way, Jeff was hoping that Doyle would handle the matter, but it becomes increasingly clear that Doyle’s capacity to investigate is limited. As a representative of law and order his hands are tied and he is unable to break the law himself to satisfy Jeff’s curiosity.

When Doyle meets Lisa he also shows that he is not a man who is willing to break rules nor listen to the opinion of a woman. He ridicules Lisa’s argument that the presence of Mrs Thorwald’s handbag in the apartment is a sign that her trip away has been staged. Doyle is sympathetic to their concerns but is unable to pursue the matter beyond the intrigue it has now created for Lisa and Jeff. Doyle’s insistence on following the rules and his refusal to consider Lisa’s opinion mean that Jeff is forced to take the law into his own hands. Doyle shows he is both a conventional detective and a conventional male. He represents authority and propriety. However, it becomes clear that neither of these qualities are actually useful to solve this mystery.

Mr Thorwald (Raymond Burr)

Mr Thorwald is undoubtedly an evil and villainous character, but his heinous actions are hidden behind a façade of respectability and decorum. To the outer world he appears to be a law abiding and dutiful citizen. He holds down a respectable job as a travelling salesman which is a foundational component of the capitalist economy which dominates the US. He is married and lives in a nicely furnished apartment. He appears to look after his wife in a caring manner despite her complaining and ungrateful tone. However, his cold calculated nature is gradually revealed and is particularly evident in the scene where it seems he has killed the neighbour’s dog. When the dog is found dead by the owner she screams at the top of her voice. Her grief and dismay can be heard throughout the entire neighbourhood. As Jeff notices, Throwald is the only person not to look out into the courtyard to see what all the commotion is about. This not only confirms his guilt to Jeff but shows his cold murderous manner to the viewer. The serious somewhat angry expression he usually has on his face takes on a much more sinister quality when this information comes to light. Raymond Bur has played a variety of roles in Hollywood films and also enjoyed a long career in television. His stocky and imposing stature makes him perfect for this duplicitous and threatening role.

Miss Torso (Gerogina Darcy)

As a dancer Miss Torso provides a great deal of entertainment for Jeff. When he observes her she is frequently stretching or practicing her ballet movements and routines. Miss Torso is clearly an artistic type who enjoys life. She often entertains handsome men in her apartment and enjoys flirting with them. Miss Torso seems very uninhibited as she happily displays her dancing ability and her talent for the neighbourhood to see. She seems to nurture a very independent and free-spirited nature, but she also harbours an unexpected secret; Miss Torso’s affections are reserved for a man who is very unlike her enthusiastic admirers. Miss Torso’s character is further evidence that looks can be deceiving.

Songwriter (Ross Bagdasarian)

The delicate and melodic music that often drifts from his apartment gives the sense of a creative and soulful character. His skill is portrayed as a difficult, emotional and sometimes protracted process. This is evident in the fact that he is seen throwing his music sheets to the floor in moments of desperation as well as being fully engrossed in the writing process working away at his grand piano.  Lisa finds the songwriter’s music enchanting and touching. Her impression of the songwriter is romantic, and she imagines he is writing the music especially for her and Jeff. She admires his ability and wonders where he finds inspirations for such beautiful tones. Although the songwriter does not draw direct attention to himself his music is a charming, lyrical presence in the mise-en-scène.

Miss Lonelyhearts (Judith Evelyn)

The sadness that emanates from Miss Lonelyhearts gives a very negative portrayal of a woman who is without a man. While Jeff’s cynical view of marriage suggests that people are miserable and feel trapped by marriage, Miss Lonelyhearts suggests that a single life is far more depressing. This seems to be especially true for a woman as the songwriter is also alone but does not appear unhappy for this reason. Miss Lonelyhearts is so desperate for company that she pretends to entertain someone at home. She is portrayed as a rather pathetic character who is unable to manage a real date with a young man, particularly when it comes to being intimate with him. The evening ends disastrously as the young man storms out of her apartment. Miss Lonelyhearts is so depressed that Stella suspects she is contemplating suicide when she recognises the pills sitting on her bedside table. Like many of the characters in the film, Miss Lonelyhearts struggles with the notion of love and romance. However, she is redeemed by her coupling with the songwriter, who seems the perfect partner for her extremely fragile and sensitive nature.

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Rear Window and the Male Gaze

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Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

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• Historical Context
• Cinematography
• Key Symbols
• Sample Essay Topics
• Essay Topic Breakdown

Rear Window is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

When most people think of Hitchcock, it’s the screeching violins from  Psycho  that first come to mind. Whilst he is indeed known for his hair-curling thrillers,  Rear Window  is a slightly subtler film which focuses not on a murderer at large, but rather a crippled photographer who never even leaves his apartment.

Our protagonist L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies is portrayed by James Stewart, who was known at the time for portraying cowboys in various Western films as well as starring in an earlier Hitchcock film  Rope . After breaking his leg after a racing accident, Jeff begins to spy on his neighbours, one of whom he suspects of having committed a murder.

Despite some initial misgivings, his insurance nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) and lover Lisa (Grace Kelly) also come to share his suspicions and participate in his spying. Their contributions ultimately allow the mystery to be solved.

Intertwined with this mystery is also the rather complex story of Jeff and Lisa’s relationship. Jeff on one hand resembles the ‘macho’ men of action whom Stewart is very accustomed to playing. On the other hand, Kelly portrays a character much like herself, a refined and elegant urbanite whose lifestyle inherently clashes with that of an action photographer.

Hitchcock ultimately resolves both of these storylines in the film’s denouement.

2. Historial Context

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the film, it is crucial to understand a bit about its historical context. As with any other text, the social conditions at the time of  Rear Window ’s release in 1954 inform and shape the interactions and events of the film.

Released in the  post-war period , the film is undoubtedly characterised by the interpersonal suspicion which defined the era. In particular, there was a real fear in America of Communist influences and Soviet espionage - so much so that a tribunal was established, supposedly to weed out Communists despite a general lack of evidence. This practice of making accusations without such evidence is now known as the McCarthyism, named after the senator behind the tribunal.

The film undoubtedly carries undertones of this, particularly in Jeff’s disregard for his neighbours’ privacy and his unparalleled ability to jump to conclusions about them. During this era, people really did fear one another, since the threat of Communism felt so widespread. Jeff’s exaggerated interpretations of his neighbours’ actions lead him to an irrational sense of suspicion, which is in many way the basis of the entire film.

At the same time, the 1950s saw a  boom in photojournalism  as a legitimate profession. To some extent, this was fuelled by the heyday of  Life  magazine (an American weekly, as well-known then as  Time  magazine is today). This publication was almost entirely photojournalistic, and one of their war photojournalists, Robert Capa, is actually the basis of Jeff’s character. This explains the prevalence of cameras in his life, as well as his ability to emotionally distance himself from those whom he observes through the lens.

Another crucial historical element is  the institution of marriage , and how important it was to people during the 1950s. It was an aspiration which everyone was expected to have, and this is reflected statistically - only 9.3% of homes then had single occupants (as opposed to around 25% today). People also tended to marry at a younger age, generally in their early 20s.

Conversely, divorce was highly frowned upon, and once you were married, you would in general remain married for the rest of your life. In particular, divorced women suffered massive financial difficulties, since men, as breadwinners, held higher-paying jobs, and women were only employed in traditionally female roles (e.g. secretaries, nurses, teachers, librarians). Seen in this light, we can understand Lisa’s overwhelming desire to marry and settle down with Jeff. The importance of marriage is also evident in the lives of Jeff’s neighbours; Miss Torso’s 'juggling [of the] wolves', and Miss Lonelyheart’s depression both reflect this idea.

Combining a basic understanding of the film’s plot, as well as our knowledge of its history, we can begin to analyse some of the themes that emerge.

Possibly the central tenet of the film is the big question of  privacy . Even in today’s society, the sanctity of privacy is an important concept; every individual has a right to make their own choices without having to disclose, explain or justify all of them. The character of Doyle says almost these exact words: 

'That’s a secret and private world you’re looking into out there. People do a lot of things in private that they couldn’t possibly explain in public'

The tension that Hitchcock draws upon is this other idea of public responsibility, or civic duty - that is, the need to uphold the peace and protect one’s fellow citizens from harm. These ideas clash in  Rear Window , as fulfilling this civic responsibility (which for Jeff means privately investigating Thorwald) means that Thorwald’s right to privacy gets totally thrown out the window. So to speak.

Evidently, this is a major  moral dilemma . If you suspect that someone has committed murder, does this give you the right to disregard their privacy and surveil them in this way? While the film doesn’t give a definite answer (and you won’t be required to give a definite answer), Hitchcock undoubtedly explores the complexity of this question. Even Jeff has misgivings about what he’s seeing: 

 'Do you suppose it’s ethical to watch a man with binoculars, and a long-focus lens—until you can see the freckles on the back of his neck, and almost read his mail? Do you suppose it’s ethical even if you prove he didn’t commit a crime?'

In some ways, the audience is also positioned to reflect on this question, and in particular, reflect on the paranoia that characterised and defined the McCarthy era.

Somewhat separate to these questions is the  romance  between Jeff and Lisa, since Hitchcock seems to keep the thriller storyline and the romance storyline separate for a large part of the film. Their contrasting lifestyles and world views present a major obstacle in the fulfilment of their romance, and the murder mystery both distracts and unites them. Hitchcock further alludes to the question of whether marriage will be able to settle those differences after all - a major example is the following scene, in which Lisa not only reveals her discovery of Mrs Thorwald’s ring, but also expresses a desire for Jeff to ‘put a ring on it’ as well:

4. Cinematography

It’s impossible to study a Hitchcock film without considering how he impacted and manipulated its storytelling. The cinematographic techniques employed in  Rear Window  are important ways of shaping our understanding of the film, and Hitchcock uses a wide array of visual cues to communicate certain messages.

Lighting  is one such cue that he uses a lot - it is said that at certain points in filming, he had used every single light owned by the studio in which this film was shot. In this film, lighting is used to reveal things: when the lights are on in any given apartment, Jeff is able to peer inside and watch through the window (almost resembling a little TV screen; Jeff is also able to channel surf through the various apartments - Hitchcock uses panning to show this).

On the contrary, a lack of lighting is also used to hide things, and we see Thorwald utilise this at many stages in the film. Jeff also takes advantage of this, as he often sits in a position where he is very close to being in the shadows himself; if he feels the need, he is able to retreat such that he is fully enshrouded. Low-key lighting in these scenes also contributes to an overall sense of drama and tension.

Another handy visual cue is the  cross-cut , which is an example of the  Kuleshov effect . The Kuleshov effect is an editing technique whereby a sequence of two shots is used to convey information more effectively than just a single shot. Specifically, the cross-cut shifts from a shot of a person to a second shot of something that this person is watching.

We see this often, particularly when Jeff is responding to events in the courtyard; Hitchcock uses this cross-cut to immediately show us what has caused Jeff’s response. This visual cue indicates to viewers that we are seeing what Jeff is seeing, and is one of the few ways that Hitchcock helps audiences assume Jeff’s point-of-view in key moments.

Similarly, Hitchcock also uses  photographic vignetting  to merge our perspectives with Jeff’s - in certain shots, we see a fade in clarity and colour towards the sides of a frame, and this can look like a circular shadow, indicating to us that we are seeing something through a telescope or a long-focus lens.

Interestingly, a vignette is also a short, descriptive scene that focuses on a certain character and/or idea to provide us with insights about them - in this sense, it’s also possible to say that Jeff watches vignettes of his neighbours. Since this word has two meanings, you must be careful about which meaning you’re referring to.

By the way, to download a PDF version of this blog for printing or offline use, click here !

5. Key Symbols

As with any other text, it’s important to consider some of the key symbols that Hitchcock draws upon in order to tell his story. That being said, one of the benefits of studying a film is that these symbols tend to be quite visual - you are able to see these recurring images and this may make them easier to spot. We’ll be going through some of these key images in the final part of this guide.

One of the first symbols we see is  Jeff’s broken leg , which is propped up and completely covered by a cast, useless for the time being. Because he has been rendered immobile by his leg, readers can infer from this symbol that he is also incapable of working or even leaving his apartment, let alone solving a murder mystery. The broken leg is in this sense a symbol of his powerlessness and the source of much of his discontent.

Another interpretation of the broken leg however, is that it represents his impotence which on one hand is synonymous for powerlessness or helplessness, but is on the other hand an allusion to his apparent inability to feel sexual desire. Being constantly distracted from Lisa by other goings-on in the courtyard definitely supports this theory. All in all, Jeff’s broken leg represents some compromise of his manhood, both in the sense that he cannot work in the way that a man would have been expected to, but also in the sense that he is unable to feel any attraction towards Lisa, even as she tries her best to seduce him.

Conversely, Jeff’s  long-focus camera lens  is a symbol of his passive male gaze, which is more or less the only thing he can do in his condition. It is the main means through which he observes other people, and thus, it also symbolises his voyeuristic tendencies - just as his broken leg traps and inhibits him, his camera lens transports him out of his own apartment and allows him to project his own fears and insecurities into the apartments of his neighbours, watching them for entertainment, for visual pleasure.

In this latter sense, the camera lens can also be understood as a phallic symbol, an erection of sorts. It highlights Jeff’s perverted nature, and the pleasure he derives from the act of observing others. Yikes.

On the other hand,  Lisa’s dresses  underscore the more positive parts of her character. Her initial wardrobe represents her elegance and refinery whilst also communicating a degree of incompatibility with Jeff. However, as she changes and compromises throughout the film, her wardrobe also becomes much more practical and much less ostentatious as the film wears on, until she is finally wearing a smart blouse, jeans and a pair of loafers. The change in her wardrobe reflects changes in her character as well.

Finally,  the wedding ring of Mrs Thorwald  is hugely significant; wedding rings in general represent marriage and commitment, and are still very important symbols that people still wear today. Specifically, Mrs Thorwald’s ring means a couple of things in the context of the film - it is firstly a crucial piece of evidence (because if Mrs Thorwald was still alive, she would probably still be wearing it) and it is also a symbol through which Lisa can express a desire for stability, commitment and for herself to be married.

There’s definitely plenty to talk about with Hitchcock’s  Rear Window , and I hope these points of consideration help you tackle this film!

Test your film technique knowledge with the video below:

Ready to start writing on Rear Window ? Watch the Rear Window Essay Topic Breakdown:

6. Sample Essay Topics

• In Rear Window , Hitchcock suggests that everybody can be guilty of voyeurism. Do you agree?
• Jeff’s attempts to pursue justice are entirely without honour. To what extent is this true?
• In the society presented in Rear Window , Jeff has more power and agency than Lisa in spite of his injury. Do you agree?
• Discuss how the opening sequence sets up later themes and events in Rear Window .
• 'Of course, they can do the same thing to me, watch me like a bug under glass if they want to.' Hitchcock’s Rear Window argues that it is human nature to be suspicious. To what extent do you agree?
• Explore the role of Jeff’s courtyard neighbours in the narrative of Rear Window .
• Jeff and Lisa’s roles in Rear Window , as well as that which they witness, reflect the broader societal tensions between the sexes of the time. Discuss.
• 'I’m not much on rear window ethics.' The sanctity of domestic privacy supersedes the importance of public responsibility. Is this the message of Rear Window ?
• Marriage lies at the heart of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window . Discuss.
• Hitchcock’s Rear Window explores and ultimately condemns the spectacle made of human suffering. Is this an accurate reflection of the film?
• Rear Window argues that it is more important to be right than to be ethical. Do you agree?
• 'To see you is to love you.' What warnings and messages regarding attraction are offered by Hitchcock’s Rear Window ?
• In Rear Window , women are merely objects of a sexist male gaze. To what extent do you agree?
• In what ways do Hitchcock’s cinematic techniques enhance his storytelling in Rear Window ?
• 'When they’re in trouble, it’s always their Girl Friday that gets them out of it.' Is Lisa the true heroine of Rear Window ?

Now it's your turn to give these essay topics a go! In our ebook A Killer Text Guide: Rear Window , we've take 5 of these essay topics and show you our analysis, brainstorm and plan for each individual topic. We then write up full A+ essays - all annotated - so that you know exactly what you need to do to replicate a 50 study scorer's success!.

7. Essay Topic Breakdown

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can use LSG’s THINK and EXECUTE strategy - a technique to help you write better VCE essays. This essay topic breakdown will focus on the THINK part of the strategy. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response because it’ll dramatically enhance how much you can take away from the following essays and more importantly, your ability to apply this strategy in your own writing.

Within the THINK strategy, we have 3 steps, or ABC. These ABC components are:

Step 1: A nalyse

Step 2: B rainstorm

Step 3: C reate a Plan

Film technique-based prompt:

Hitchcock’s use of film techniques offers an unnerving viewing experience . Discuss.

Step 1: Analyse

While we should use film techniques as part of our evidence repertoire in each essay, this particular type of essay prompt literally begs for it. As such, I’d ensure that my essay has a greater focus on film techniques (without concerning myself too much over inclusion of quotes; the film techniques will act as a replacement for the quotes).

Step 2: Brainstorm

Since the essay prompt is rather open-ended, it is up to us to decide which central themes and ideas we’d like to focus on. By narrowing down the discussion possibilities ourselves, we’ll 1) make our lives easier by removing the pressure to write about everything , and 2) offer teachers and examiners a more linear and straightforward approach that will make it easier for them to follow (and give you better marks!).

The ‘unnerving viewing experience’ is present throughout the entire film, so my approach will be to divide up each paragraph into start of the film, middle of the film and end of the film discussions. This will help with my essay’s coherence (how well the ideas come together), and flow (how well the ideas logically progress from one to another).

Step 3: Create a Plan

Contention: Through a diverse range of film techniques, Hitchcock instils fear and apprehension into the audience of Rear Window .

P1: The opening sequence of Rear Window employs various film techniques to immediately establish underlying tension in its setting.

P2: Through employing the Kuleshov effect in the strategically cut scene of Miss Lonelyhearts’ attempted suicide, Hitchcock adds to the suspenseful tone of the film by developing a guilty voyeur within each viewer.

P3: In tandem with this, Hitchcock ultimately adds to the anxiety of the audience by employing lighting and cross-cutting techniques in the climax scene of the plot, in which an infuriated Thorwald attempts to enter Jeff’s apartment.

If you find this helpful, then you might want to check out our A Killer Text Guide: Rear Window ebook, which has all the information and resources you need to succeed in your exam, with detailed summaries and background information, as well as a detailed analysis of all five essay prompts!

8. Resources

Download a PDF version of this blog for printing or offline use

How To Write a Rear Window Film Analysis

Rear Window: How Does Its Message Remain Relevant Today?

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response (ebook)

How To Embed Quotes in Your Essay Like a Boss

How To Turn Text Response Essays From Average to A+

5 Tips for a Mic-Drop Worthy Essay Conclusion

Get our FREE VCE English Text Response mini-guide

Now quite sure how to nail your text response essays? Then download our free mini-guide, where we break down the art of writing the perfect text-response essay into three comprehensive steps. Click below to get your own copy today!

Access a FREE sample of our Rear Window study guide

Written by Matt Femia, a 46 study scorer (top 2% of his VCE English cohort)

• \Learn how to brainstorm ANY essay topic and plan your essay so you answer the topic accurately
• Includes fully annotated sample A+ essays
• Learn advanced VCAA expectations like ' different interpretations by different readers' and, 'views and values' so you can be confident your knowledge is on par with the Victorian cohort

Updated on 11/12/2020

‍ Nine Days by Toni Jordan is currently studied in VCE English under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

• Main Characters
• Themes, Ideas and Values

Literary Devices

• Essay Topics  

1. Summary  

Jordan’s novel traces the tumultuous lives of the Westaway family and their neighbours through four generations as they struggle through World War II (1939-45), the postwar period of the late 1940s and 50s, the 1990s and the early 2000s. Composed of nine chapters and subsequently nine unique perspectives of life, their family home in Rowena Parade, Richmond, becomes the focal point for Jordan’s exploration of femininity, masculinity, family and Australian society. ‍

2. Main Characters

Kip westaway.

'Mr. Husting always says first impressions count' (p. 5)

'Mr. Husting holds his other hand out flat and instead of an apple there’s a shilling.' (p. 6)

'I own the lanes, mostly. I know the web of them, every lane in Richmond.' (p. 21)

'When they put me in the grave, I know what it’ll say on the stone, if I get a stone, if they don’t bury me like a stray cat at the tip' (p. 29)

'I didn’t say goodbye to Dad! On account of a book' (p. 158)

'This photo won’t be out of my sight from now on. You’ve given me my sister back, Alec.' (p. 260)

Francis Westaway

'THE SHADOW CANNOT BE DEFEATED!' (p. 145)

'The toughest gang in Richmond! And they want me, Francis Westaway!' (p. 155)

'I see a purple jewel hanging on a gold chain. It’s a beaut, the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen…There’s no way I’m sharing this. It’s mine.' (p. 174)

'Do you understand how sensitive a reputation is? It’s up to me to be respectable. I’m the eldest. It’s my responsibility.' (p. 200)  

Connie Westaway

'Ma sitting with her dress lifted up to her face, Connie on her knees beside her, holding her arms, cooing soft like Ma is a baby.' (Kip, p. 35)

'We women do what’s expected. You [men] can do almost anything you care to think of.' (p. 280)

'It seems that all my life I’ve had nothing I’ve desired and I’ve given up having desire at all. Now I know what it feels like to want and I will give anything to have it' (p. 285)

'I thought we’d have more time than this. We’ve only just made it.' (p. 290)  

Jean Westaway

'Those moments, when [Kip] reminds me of Tom. I have to leave the room. The fury rises up my legs and up my body like a scream and it’s all I can do not to let it out.' (p. 212)

'We all die alone' (p. 212)

'This is not how I imagined it to be. Children. Mothering.' (p. 212)

'And for things like this, for girls like Connie and saving her future, there is a respectable woman who runs a business in Victoria Street' (pp. 221-222)

'I’d never of done it with boys but Connie, she was different.' (p. 239)

'we’re respectable people.' (p. 218)

Tom Westaway

‘Kipper’s old man…dropped off the tram in Swan Street somewhat worse for a whiskey or three and hit his head. Blam, splashed his brains all over the road. A sad end.’ (Pike, p. 24)

‘As a girl I had plenty of suitors, but none like Tom. Best behaviour in front of my father, children all brought up in the church by him.’ (p. 212)

Stanzi Westaway

‘The parcel is for Stanzi: inside is an old-fashioned coin, dull silver, with a king’s head on one side. It has a silver chain threaded through a hole in the middle. Stanzi looks like she’s about to cry.’ (Alec, p. 254)

‘She doesn’t mean to be hurtful. She is worries for me, that’s all…if she really thought I was in terrible trouble, she would be gentler.’ (Charlotte about Stanzi, p. 126)

‘the oblivious insouciance of the entitled’ (p. 51)

Charlotte Westaway

‘I say the question over and over: should I keep the baby?’ (p. 142)

‘The herbs are evidence of an understanding of our place in the universe…an acknowledgement of the delicate balance in our bodies…’ (p. 116)

‘There was only one place I could go: my sister’s’ (p. 124)

‘They contain all the hopes of the human spirit, all the refusal to quit, to keep believing people can feel better’ (p. 116)  

Alec Westaway

‘Yet here I am. Away from home in a world of strangers. Alone. Forgotten.’ (p. 241)

‘This waiting for my life to start, it’s driving me mental.’ (p. 244)

‘I don’t sketch. Instead I concentrate on the scene the scene in front of me so I can remember it later.’ (p. 251)

Libby Westaway

‘All the things I remember, everything about my life, our family, my childhood: it’s all real because Libby knows it too.’ (Alec, p. 273)

Jack Husting

‘I can see both sides.’ (p. 80)

‘Just let me kiss you, Connie. I’d die a happy man.’ (p. 284)

Ava and Sylvester Husting

‘If we have to send boys to fight…it’s layabout boys with no responsibilities, the Kip Westaways of the world, who ought to be going.’ (Ava, p. 102)

‘That shilling. Our little secret. Gentlemen’s honour.’ (Sylvester, p. 8)

Annabel Crouch

‘You’re a good girl, Annabel.’ (Mr. Crouch, p. 177)

‘I’d like to compliment their dresses, but I don’t know what to say.’ (p. 190)

‘He is killing himself, I know that. I won’t have him for much longer.’ (Annabel, p. 207)

‘No mother, no brothers. Working your youth away, looking after an old man.’ (p. 179)

‍ 3. Themes, Ideas and Values

‘Family house, family suburb, family man’ (Charlotte about Kip, p. 140)

‘Stuck here…looking after your old man. You should have a family of your own by now.’ (Mr. crouch to Annabel, pp. 178-179)

The theme of family is a recurring one that develops over time. Jordan’s inclusion of other families such as the Crouches, the Churches, the McCarthys and the Stewarts stands in contrast to the Westaways. The juxtaposition of family life in this way allows the reader to see how such factors like wealth, class and reputation can affect the family dynamic especially within the war period. The idea of family is strained by the pressures of war because with many families' sons and husbands away it left the other family members to adopt other roles - not only physically, but the conventional emotional roles of traditional families of the time are redistributed, specifically within the Westaway household. Jordan postulates that the role family plays in providing emotional/physical support is of far greater importance than the necessity to abide by society's idea of what family should look like.  

Women and Reproductive Rights

‘I tell her about shame and the way it’s always the women who wear it. I spare her nothing. I say loose women and no morals and I say bastard and I say slut.’ (Jean, p. 220)

‘You don’t have to have it, you know.’ (Stanzi, p. 132)

‘Your body, your choice…That’s what our feminist foremothers fought for’ (p. 134)

‘What if he wanted to know his child, doesn’t he have the right?’ (pp. 133-134)

Jordan highlights the controversial issues of premarital sex, abortion and the rights of women within the mid 20th and early 21st century. Indeed, it is this theme of women that becomes inextricably linked with the effect of a damaged reputation. When Connie falls pregnant, Jean implores that she has an abortion, in secret of course, in order to preserve her and her family’s reputation within the small community. The issue of abortion is later revisited when Charlotte becomes pregnant in the 1990s, where the contrast between the time periods becomes evident; while unplanned pregnancy is greatly stigmatised in the 1940s, the 1990s offers Charlotte a far wider array of options. It is through Jordan’s depiction of the two cases – Connie’s horrific backyard abortion, and Charlotte’s adjustment to parenthood – that she suggests the perceptions and attitudes towards morality, reputation and women have shifted over time, emphasising the importance of reproductive rights in the development of women.

Masculinity

‘I remember coming home from school once, crying. I would have been around six or seven. I was picked last for some team. That was me, the kid without a father.’ (Alec, p. 262)

‘”Westaway,” Cooper says. “Get in. For once in your life, do not be a pussy.”’ (p. 267)

Within the parameters of her text, Jordan articulates how men conform or reject masculine tropes in an effort to fit into society. Toughness, bulling and unsavory activity are presented as the characteristics of a man through such depictions of Mac and his gang. In its connection to the war period, the novel partly focuses on the notion that in order to be classified as a man he must first go through struggle and hardship as presented in the group of strangers taunting Jack, ultimately bullying him into certain ideals of masculinity which prove toxic and consequential - Jack dies as a result. It is Jordan who advocates for a balanced personality of both ‘masculine’ and 'feminine’ characteristics as suggested in the character development of Kip; evolving, learning and devising a true meaning of what it means to be a man outside of its conventional brutality.

Attitudes Towards Asia

‘She is with a customer or sweeping the floor with a broom made from free-range straw that died of natural causes or singing Kumbaya to the wheatgrass so it is karmically aligned.’ (Stanzi, p. 50)

‘The fear of the Nips coming made him a better man.’ (Annabel, p. 178)

‘always wanted to go to India [to study yoga] at a proper ashram.’ (pp. 132-133)

‘She makes her eyes go big and round like some manga puppy’ (p. 264)

Through both overt and subtle language, Jordan makes reference to the attitudes towards Asia which were prevalent at the time, specifically within the war period that saw many Australians ‘[fearing] the nip’. The derogative slang used for the Japanese represents a lack of understanding and fear (the bombing of Darwin and attack on Sydney left many feeling particularly vulnerable to the Japanese). Exacerbated by the fact that Japanese culture was not widely understood and was often misrepresented, the Japanese were stereotyped as brutal and inhuman. Over the course of the novel, attitudes towards Asia dramatically shift especially within the early 1990s of Stanzi and Charlotte's generation. The philosophical ideas of the east are often referenced by characters like Charlotte as she draws on them to make sense of her own complex life. The novel sees another shift in ideology represented through Alec as his generation's perception turns to a more commercial view. Asian culture has earned a place in mainstream media and western life without such gruesome and violent connotations as were previously held during the time of World War II.

4. Literary Devices

• Throughout her perspective driven text, Jordan makes many references to classic novels which help create a literary context for the narrative and lend themselves to the evolution of the characters throughout the course of the text.
• Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers – Kip’s characteristic trait of heroism when he sees the gang waiting for him and says ‘on-bloody-guard, d’Artagnan’ (p. 22)
• Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn – both coming-of-age stories about young men struggling within a tough world, only getting by on their wits and strength.
• Brontë sisters' Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights – their reference is used in discerning a customer’s knowledge on the texts, but reveals only a surface level understanding due to the novels carrying a certain cultural value.
• Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels – referenced by Jack Husting in relation to his adventures in the country. Its use pertains to how Jack feels out of place in his home town after leaving a boy and returning a grown man.
• A historical novel that plays with ideas of placing invented characters into a reconstructed world of the past.
• Uses elements of both realism and impressionism to create the text.

Realist Elements:

• A strong focus on everyday life within a particular society with reference to real historical detail.
• Incorporates a logical and strong foundation of context that can be easily digested and believed by the reader.
• Can use an omniscient narrator (all-knowing).

Impressionist Elements:

• Each chapter offers detail and presents a vivid interpretation of specific events.
• Sensory experiences are emphasised by the use of descriptive and poetic language.
• The linear flow of the narrative is disrupted by its construction in a non-chronological order, thereby forcing the reader to piece the whole narrative together at the end.
• Varied depending on the character’s perspective and time of perspective.
• Language is used to historicise each chapter through use of slang, colloquialisms, formal and proper English.
• The novel revolves around the Westaway’s family home in Rowena Parade, Richmond over the course of four generations.
• Rather than them move or the location change it evolves, paralleling the growth and evolution undergone by each of the Westaway family members.
• Inspired by a photograph in the collection of Argus war photos held at the State Library of Victoria, Jordan uses this image capturing a private and intimate moment to establish the premise for each of the book's chapters.
• Titled Nine Days and composed of nine unique perspectives on life at a given time, Jordan offers insight into the emotional livelihood of each narrator and attaches both intimate and historical significance to their stories. ‍

5. Essay Topics

• Toni Jordan’s Nine Days describes a world in which life in the 1930s and 40s was much harder than life in the 21st century. Do you agree?
• In Nine Days , older Kip’s point of view is very unrealistic. To what extent do you agree?
• Toni Jordan’s Nine Days shows us people can choose whether they end up happy or not. Discuss.
• The mood by the end of Nine Days is ultimately uplifting and positive. Do you agree?
• There is more tragedy in Nine Days than there is joy. To what extent do you agree? ‍
• Nine Days , by Toni Jordan, shows the best and worst of Australian culture. Discuss
• Jordan suggests that appreciation of family is integral to personal happiness. Discuss.
• 'Your body, your choice.' What do the different experiences of Connie and Charlotte reveal about changing societal attitudes towards women?
• There are many characters who are largely hidden figures within the text. What significance is produced by including and excluding different perspectives?

6. Essay Topic Breakdown

‍ Within the THINK strategy, we have 3 steps, or ABC. These ABC components are: Step 1: A nalyse Step 2: B rainstorm Step 3: C reate a Plan

‍ THINK How-based prompt: How does Nine Days explore the relationship between the past and the present ?

This is a ‘how’ essay prompt, so in our planning, we need to identify the ways in which the author accomplishes their task. When analysing your question it is important to know what the question is asking of you, so make sure you highlight the keywords and understand their meaning by themselves and in the context of the question. For example, this question is not just asking about the past and present, but rather the connection between the two - so if you discussed the past and the present separately you wouldn’t be answering the question.

Brainstorming is different for everyone, but what works for me is focusing on the key idea, which here would be the relationship between the past and the present, and listing my thoughts out. Not all the ideas will be as equally relevant/good, but I like to have things written down to then improve or simply not use in favour of other ideas.

Past → Present: Westaway family home, the house changes as the family grows Past → Present: Connie’s tragic abortion compared to Charlotte’s options in the 1990s, women’s rights evolving over time Past → Present: Melbourne becoming more multicultural, Alec’s chapter reveals how Melbourne has changed compared to chapters set in earlier times Past → Present: Kip teaching Alec to cherish those in front of us after seeing Connie’s picture Past → Present: Second World War contrast to 9/11 and war in Afghanistan

Now that I have all my ideas listed out I choose my strongest three to flesh out. There are different things that make an idea strong, but the things I consider are: - Do I have enough evidence to support this idea? - Is the idea substantial enough to turn into a whole paragraph? - Do I have an author’s views and values statement? - Can I include context or metalanguage into this idea?

Using the questions above, I decided to use the following ideas: - Westaway family home, the house changes as the family grows (symbolism) - Kip teaching Alec to cherish those in front of them (focus on characterisation) - Melbourne becoming more multicultural (can talk about historical context)

Contention: Through the use of setting and characterisation, Jordan’s Nine Days reveals how the past and present are interconnected. P1: Westaway home embodying the familial connection P2: The past is not completely separate from the present, it teaches us lessons that are pertinent to contemporary life (Alec) P3: Melbourne becoming more multicultural

If you found this helpful, then you might want to check out our A Killer Text Guide: Nine Days ebook which has an A+ sample essay in response to this prompt, complete with annotations on HOW and WHY the essay achieved A+! The study guide also includes 4 more essay topic breakdowns and sample A+ essays, detailed analysis AND a comprehensive explanation of LSG’s unique BBT strategy to elevate your writing!

The Lieutenant is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Grenville’s novel follows the life of protagonist, Lieutenant Daniel Rooke in his journey with the first fleet. Rooke’s primary conflict is his choice between his moral conscience and duty as a soldier. Because he is aware from an early age that he is out of step with the world, he tends to be more reasonable in his way of dealing with conflict. His final response to his inner conflict is to stand strongly by what he believes.

The Lieutenant at its core is a journey of self-discovery as Daniel Rooke navigates the immoral waters of British imperialism and its impact on the indigenous Australians. Becoming closer to Tagaran, Rooke attempts to bridge cultural barriers through the transformative power of language. Rooke observes the scissions created by violence and the perhaps misplaced Western superiority and is perpetually torn between his moral intuitions and his obligations and duty as a Lieutenant.

TIP: Have an understanding of the historical context behind The Lieutenant as well as the real life people that Grenville loosely based her novel off of. This means having a grasp on the first fleet, the British colonisation of Australia and important figures such as Bennelong.

Tip: i have included some examples from the text but this list is by no means exhaustive, occasionally there is a repetition of examples. it’s important to remember that examples are versatile and can be applied to many different themes and ideas. feel free to add and explore how other examples might enhance these themes..

Language dictates commonality and communication, yet to Rooke he discovers that central to the power of language is the willingness to cooperate, patience and respect. Throughout Grenville’s novel, however, it is clear that language can not only dispel the lasting vestiges of misunderstanding but it can also form the basis for racism and violence. It is through our language itself that reveals our biases.

The language of racism

• Weymark refers to the Indigenous men during their first encounter as “mister darkie” etc. each a patronising euphemism concealing his arrogant notions of superiority

The limitation of language to accurately portray and convey a moment

• “what had passed between Tagaran and himself had gone far beyond vocabulary or grammatical forms” (pg186)

The language of violence

• “what it said was I can kill you. He did not want her to learn that language. Certainly not from him” (pg224)
• “Violence had an enlivening effect. As long as someone else was the victim it made the blood pump, gave the world an edge of glamour” (pg239)
• “ Gamekeeper. He wondered whether that word had killed Brugden” (pg240)
• “The gun is the only language the buggers will understand” (pg241)
• “war was a species of conversation” (pg108)

Assumed cultural superiority of British empire

The hierarchical nature of British Society stands in diametric opposition to the community-oriented system employed by the Indigenous Australians. This hierarchy defines their people by their contributions to “Her Majesty” and shames and “punish[es]” all those who fail to comply with the loose morals and violence condoned by the British colonists. This notion is elucidated through the exploitation of the natives and the nations reliance on oppression and servitude to maintain its imperial status, put simply: their strength is an accident arising from the weakness of others. It is on this foundation that Grenville explores the violent treatment of the natives by the British and even their treatment of their own people.

• “In the world of Church Street, Benjamin Rooke was a man of education and standing and a father to be proud of. At the Portsmouth Naval Academy a mile away, he was an embarrassment” (pg6)
• “So we punish…. Every man is the same. If he steals, he is punished… It was interesting to hear that magnificent idea – the product of hundreds of years of British civilisation – spelled out so plain”(pg195)
• This was justice: impartial, blind, noble. The horror of the punishment was the proof of its impartiality. If it did not hurt, it was not justice.” (pg197)
• “By god they are savage… Dirty too, look at the filth on them”
• “they may be savages, we call them savages. But their feelings are no different from ours”
• Weymark resorts to derogatory name calling, urging on “my black friend” and “Mister Darkie” in his base supplications

Power of conscience

The morality that is ingrained in Rooke from the onset aligns quite naturally with our own moral standards. Yet Grenville encourages readers to explore the difficult choice between morals and disobedience. Rooke faces such a choice. To obey an order to accompany an expedition to capture or kill six indigenous men, this forms the central conflict of Grenville’s novel. As elucidated through both Rooke and Gardiner, moral acts that defy the expectations and “orders of Her Majesty” are deeply frowned upon.

• “But Rooke, think: this is not a request, it is an order” (pg246)
• “…spell out the consequences of refusal.” (pg248)
• “… the service of humanity and the service of His Majesty were not congruent” (pg249)
• “I am sorry to have been persuaded to comply with the order. I would not for any reason ever obey a similar order” (pg285)
• “your orders were a most gravely wrong thing, I regret beyond my words my part in the business” (pg285)

Violence is central to the operation of imperialists as the British tightens its grip on the Indigenous Australians. Grenville emphasises that the power sought out by the British empire will always come at the expense of the natives. Violence and force are used to assert power, confirm boundaries around usurped land, promulgate fear and discourage resistance. The gun becomes a symbol of the violence and force of the settle and they show little intention of relinquishing the dominant position that the gun affords them.

• The punishment for the mutineers of the Renegade reinforces Rooke’s understanding of institutional power and violence as one lieutenant is hanged in a gruesome spectacle and the others dispatched into a nameless void.
• Weymark is determined to affirm his dominance and establish the white man as a powerful force
• Brugden’s increased freedom with a weapon results in violence towards the natives which culminates in the kidnapping of the two native men who are “grabbed” against their will
• Brugden’s unchecked brutality, and Gilbert’s excessive use of force, highlights the colonialists’ use of violence as a means of achieving their goal

Duty, service, obedience and the military life

Conforming to the pressures of the British Empire, Rooke joins the marines and complicitly serves without attempting to question the morality behind his actions. Importantly, he joins the marines not out of patriotic pride, but because he believes it will aid him to pursue his academic curiosities and steer away from violence. Yet it only brings him closer to the reality that lurks behind the ostensibly moral quest of British imperialism.

Character Analysis

Tip: whilst the lieutenant focusses on rooke’s experiences, you can’t neglect the minor characters in the novel, they are there for a reason think about how these characters are similar or different, how their stories contribute to grenville’s overall message and their relationship with the central protagonist rooke. ‍, daniel rooke.

• Lieutenant on the first fleet
• Struggles to articulate his thoughts and emotions as he is afraid of being “out of step with the world”
• From a young age, Rooke’s interactions with others has made it clear to him that he is different. As such this dictates his response to conflict: blaming himself or withdrawing. His connection to Tagaran through mutual empathy demonstrates his ability to overcome conflict through mutual respect
• Rooke is bound by duty to Her Majesty yet finds his missions in conflict with his innate instinct for moral righteousness

Supporting quotes

• “quiet, moody, a man of few words”
• “he had no memories other than of being an outsider”
• Captain on the first fleet
• Stands in contrast to Rooke in every respect
• Storyteller that is obsessed with his narrative
• Ignores the cruelty and violence of the Imperialist expedition in favour of an interesting story
• Blinding opportunism that undermines his integrity
• His tendency to gloss over the violence committed in the name of Her Majesty reflects his loyalty to the expedition
• “man whose narrative was so important to him”
• “a storyteller who could turn the most commonplace event into something entertaining”
• Connects with Rooke through their mutual love for learning and language
• Tagaran voluntarily engages with Rooke in his quest to understand their language, this surpasses the clumsy and mandatory lessons imposed on Boinbar and Warungin.

Supporting quotes ‍

• “Forthright, ferless, sure of herself, she looked to him like a girl who had already mastered whatever social skills her world might demand”
• “a clever child like Tagaran was the perfect choice: quick to learn, but innocent. Curious, full of questions but only a child”
• Gardiner acts as a foil character to both Silk and Rooke, sharing the same trials and tribulations as Rooke however responding differently than Silk
• Rooke’s friendship with Gardiner establishes the grounds for their later discussions on language, the treatment of the natives and the imperialist machine as Gardiner sets an example of the consequences of going against the duties required of him
• Brugden is portrayed as an essential element of colonising and the survival of the British fleet. As an embodiment of violence, Grenville suggests that integral to the operation of imperialism is crude and unwavering violence
• “Brugden, out there in the woods, that powerful chest… He would be an efficient killer”
• “Something had happened out there in the woods about which Brudgen was remaining silent”
• “The prisoner, taller than anyone else, his powerful frame half bursting out of its thread bare check shirt…”  

Lancelot Percival James

• Family of slave owners, product of the empire
• Rooke’s inability to understand James is symbolic of his values not aligning with that of the British empire. It foreshadows his later conflict with the value of the empire
• James symbolises the derision of the British hierarchy
• “Gamekeeper! The word suggested the society that Lancelot Percival James had boasted of at the Academy… But New South Wales was no gentleman’s estate… and the gamekeeper was a criminal who had been given a gun” (pg91)

Interesting Points of Analysis

Silk’s Narrative

• Why is Silk obsessed with documenting the first fleet? What does he seek when he writes?

Rooke’s job as an astronomer

• Initially signing up for the first fleet as an astronomer, Rooke’s job is supposed to be observing comets and stars yet when he arrives he is tasked with a multitude of laborious tasks that hinder his astronomical work. In what ways does this act as a microcosm for the imperialist mission in Australia?

VOCAB: microcosm - a situation or event that encapsulates in miniature the characteristics of something much larger.

Rooke’s life in Antigua

• Why did Grenville include this section? What does it add to Rooke’s journey? Why does Rooke choose to do this?

Third Person Omniscient Narration

• Written from Rooke’s perspective, whose opinion do we hear the least of? And what unique perspective does Grenville’s choice of narrative perspective offer us?
• Grenville’s language reflects Rooke’s love for language. Her choice of imagery reveals Rooke’s way of seeing the world. For example, “crescent of yellow sand like a punctuation mark” accentuates Rooke’s tendency to observe his world as a linguist might and  highlights Rooke’s deep connection with language. Likewise, Rooke’s perception of a gun that speaks a language that “does not require listeners” emphasises his natural tendency to think as a linguist. Grenville does not write in an overly complex, dense or poetic way in order to mirror Rooke’s tendency to view things logically

How does the setting that Rooke finds himself in mirror or parallel the emotions that he experiences?

• Naval Academy (Portsmouth)
• “just another world that wrenched him out of shape”
• “sucked out of his spirit and left a shell being”
• “closed in on itself”, “narrow”, “squeezed tightly”
• Sydney Cove
• “There is nowhere in the world that I would rather be”(pg97)
• "On the northern shore, high dark prows of headlands hung over the water, the sombre woods pressing down into their own reflections. To the south the land was lower, each bay and promontory shining with the glossy leaves of mangroves. Now and then between them a crescent of yellow sand was like a punctuation mark” (pg89)

TIP: Just like the minor characters I mentioned before, meaning and themes come from all aspects of a novel not just plot points and major characters. By including niche examples such as the setting or the narrative perspective, you can demonstrate that you have a really thorough understanding of the text!

Video Transcription

This video’s takeaway message focuses on tackling essay prompts that include quotations. The extra quote with the prompt can seem superfluous, but often, they can provide hints about how to tackle or challenge the essay topic. It is there for a reason, and if you are familiar with the quote, I would recommend that you try to incorporate it into your essay!

Before we unpack today’s essay topic, let’s have a look at background information.

Kate Grenville’s The Lieutenant explores the commonality of the human spirit amidst tumultuous conflict during the First Fleet’s arrival in Australia in 1788. Drawing upon the true experiences of William Dawes, a British astronomer and one of the lieutenants to travel with the First Fleet, Grenville crafts a work of fiction inspired by Dawes’ “two little blue notebooks” detailing his growing understanding of the Aboriginal language Gadigal and his conversations and connection with Patyegarang, a young Aboriginal girl.

The ability for two individuals from completely different worlds to transcend their differences in order to share cherished moments and understandings together is exemplified in The Lieutenant , alongside the rife external and internal conflicts which threaten such relationship.

Today’s prompt is:

“But a man could not travel along two different paths.”

How does Grenville explore Rooke’s conflict of conscience in The Lieutenant?

Start off with focusing on the keywords in this prompt, especially the phrases that resonate with you for Steps 1 and 2 of brainstorming (which I have previously covered in other essay topic breakdowns.)

In particular, let’s have a look at the phrase “conflict of conscience” as this captures the essence of the prompt and what you will need to discuss in your essay.  

Conflict of conscience suggests internal conflict, which implies that we will need to consider morality and the concepts of right and wrong, especially when a difficult decision must be made and ‘sides’ need to be taken.  

Conflict itself is a central theme of The Lieutenant , however, it is important to recognise that this topic considers conflict through the narrower lens of ‘conflict of conscience’. This means that in your discussion, the relevance to the prompt is crucial to keep in mind to ensure you are actually answering the question!  

But first, let’s analyse the quote:

“But a man could not travel along two different paths”

This quote alludes to Rooke’s realisation regarding the reality of his identity, not only as Tagaran’s friend or “kamara” but also as a soldier or “Berewalgal". The resignation and recognition of the impossible – that is, for Rooke to continue attempting to appease both ‘sides’ without making critical decisions about who and what he ultimately valued more - is evident in this quote. Hence, this quote refers to the conflict of conscience he experiences and provides us with an insight into not only his character but also conflict itself.

Why is it not possible for a man to travel along two different paths?

What would happen if he tried?  

Why was this realisation important for Rooke, especially for his character and development?

These are the kinds of questions coming to mind upon seeing that quote alone, which all provide hints as to how I might tackle this prompt.  

Now that we have looked at a few ideas related to the question, we’ll now move into potential paragraphs for this essay.

Paragraph 1: Grenville’s utilisation of Rooke’s perspective in detailing his thought processes, observations and realisations reveals the facets of Rooke’s character contributing to his internal conflicts.

Remembering this is a ‘how’ prompt, we want to be analysing ways in which Grenville explores Rooke’s conflict of conscience. In this paragraph, I have chosen to focus on the raw and intimate expression of his inner thoughts and consciousness as the ‘how’ aspect.  

The detailed perspective reveals Rooke’s naivety in assuming the possibility of maintaining a peaceful connection with Tagaran and the Aboriginal community amidst turbulent and violent times. Consequently, it highlights his realisations regarding the morality of the conflicts he is involved in, and how despite one’s admirable intentions, “a man could not travel along two different paths” without facing dire consequences for their actions.  

Questions I might ask myself here include: why does Rooke initially try to deny the reality of his situation? What does his preference for a peaceful and accepting approach towards the Indigenous Australians suggest about his approach to conflict?

This cognitive dissonance ultimately contributes to his internal conflict between the value he places in his connections with Tagaran and her community and in his duties and obligations as a lieutenant. As readers, we come to realise the duality of this conflict in Rooke’s mind through the limited omniscient third person perspective, which provides us with an insight into Rooke’s shifting understandings of Indigenous people, conflict and even himself.  

I would then continue unpacking these changing understandings, especially ones relevant to his character which reveal his internal conflicts further. ‍

Paragraph 2: In addition, the stark contrast between Rooke’s approach to his conflict of conscience and other soldiers’ approaches underscores the rationale behind his actions and the stakes ineluctably linked with his choices and morality.  

This paragraph’s analysis revolves around Grenville’s inclusion of a host of different characters and outlooks - from Indigenous Australians to intransigent Colonial perspectives. I would emphasise the importance of juxtaposition between these different perspectives as it elucidates the values and beliefs underpinning each individual’s choices, especially during conflict.  

Although the core of the essay discusses internal conflicts, highlighting the connection between internal and external conflict would add another layer of complexity to your essay. Rooke’s conflict of conscience results in his permanent departure from Australia, and fleshing out the ramifications of dissent and opposition towards other Colonials is key in demonstrating your understanding of the complex and intertwined nature of conflict.

Paragraph 3: Through the detrimental implications of Rooke’s initial conflict avoidance, Grenville’s focus on his subsequent self-awareness to unite his morals and his actions highlights the strength of his character to resolve his internal conflicts to prevent further perpetration of injustice towards the Aboriginal population.  

Here, I am having a closer look at how Rooke's encounters with his conflicts of conscience and the repercussions of his actions in attempting to take a ‘middle-ground’ stance catalyse his development as an individual - in particular, how it solidifies his moral stance and his decision to act in a manner that reflects his beliefs.  

By showing Tagaran how to load the gun but not how to fire it, or by accepting the navigator role but distancing oneself from the group, he endeavours to avoid conflict with either ‘side’. However, passivity is a stance within itself, and in the case of the treatment towards Indigenous Australians, Rooke’s silence in not rejecting the actions of other “Berewalgal” inevitably enables injustice to continue.  

It is only through his understanding that non-committal actions also incriminate him as a perpetrator that his choice to sacrifice his Colonial obligations for taking an active stance to fulfil his moral obligations comes to light. This reveals the role that internal conflicts may have in inciting powerful change and realisations in an individual.  

The complexity of internal conflict can be difficult to discuss, but by using the quote provided in the prompt and asking yourself questions about the implications of the quote, we are able to delve into and construct a sophisticated understanding of The Lieutenant and of conflict itself.

LSG-curated sample essay topics for The Lieutenant

Now it's your turn! Here's a list of essay topics for your studies:

• The Lieutenant demonstrates how an individual's true self emerges in the face of conflict.' Discuss. ‍
• ' The Lieutenant shows the catalysts for miscommunication and misunderstanding between the First Fleet and the local Aboriginal population.' Discuss. ‍
• ' The Lieutenant presents a society where sustained, amicable relations between the "Berewalgal" and the Aboriginal population were impossible.' Do you agree? ‍
• “But a man could not travel along two different paths.” How is Rooke's conflict of conscience explored in The Lieutenant ? ‍
• 'Rooke's own differences furthered his understanding of and connection with Tagaran.' Discuss. ‍
• "You did not learn a language without entering into a relationship with the people who spoke it with you." How is this concept explored in The Lieutenant ? ‍
• "The intention of evil was there which is all that God see when he looks into our hearts." 'Grenville explores the importance of intention over action in The Lieutenant .' Discuss. ‍
• Why are Rooke's realisations about and outlook on the world an anomaly? ‍
• ' The Lieutenant explores how social change can only happen with dissent and non-conformity.' To what extent do you agree? ‍
• How does Grenville construct morality in The Lieutenant ? ‍
• 'Rooke discovers that exploration of the self is crucial in shaping one's sense of identity.' Discuss. ‍
• 'It is easier to resist change than to enable it.' How does The Lieutenant demonstrate this idea? ‍
• 'In The Lieutenant , it is the individual who determines what is possible and what is impossible.' Discuss. ‍
• "If he were to go back to that night on the sand of Botany Bay, would he make the same choice again, knowing that this was where it would lead him...?" How does Grenville explore how and why difficult choices are made? ‍
• 'Intransigence and a sense of superiority ultimately prevent unity in New South Wales.' Do you agree?

Finding out that your school has selected to study a Shakespeare play as your section A text can be a pretty daunting prospect. If I’m honest, I wasn’t all too thrilled upon discovering this either...it seemed as though I now not only had to worry about analysing my text, but also understanding what Shakespeare was saying through all of his old-fashioned words. 

However, let’s not fret - in this post, I’ll share with you some Measure for Measure specific advice and tactics, alongside excerpts of an essay of mine as a reference. 

Before you start reading, How To Approach Shakespeare: A Guide To Studying Shakespeare is a must read for any student studying Shakespeare.

Historical Context 

Having a basic understanding of the historical context of the play is an integral part of developing your understanding of Measure for Measure (and is explored further in Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare ). For example, for prompts that open with “What does Shakespeare suggest about…?” or “How does Measure for Measure reflect Shakespeare’s ideas about…?” it can be really helpful to understand Shakespeare’s own position in society and how that influenced his writing. 

There’s no need to memorise certain parts of Shakespeare’s history - as that would serve no purpose - just try to gauge an understanding of what life was like in his time. Through understanding Shakespeare’s position in society, we are able to infer his stances on various characters/ideologies in the play. 

• Measure for Measure is often regarded as an anti-Puritan satire. Although Shakespeare’s religion has been a subject of much debate and research, with many theories about his faith being brought forward, many believe that he was a secret Catholic. He is believed to be a ‘ secret’ Catholic, as he lived during the rise of the Puritans - those who wished to reform the Church of England and create more of a focus on Protestant teachings, as opposed to Catholic teachings. It was often difficult for Catholics to practice their faith at this time. 
• Angelo and Isabella - particularly Angelo, are believed to embody puritanism, as shown through their excessive piety. By revealing Angelo to be “yet a devil,” though “angel on the outward side,” Shakespeare critiques Puritans, perhaps branding them as hypocritical or even unhuman; those “not born of man and woman.” Thus, we can assume that Shakespeare would take a similar stance to most of us - that Angelo wasn’t the greatest guy and that his excessive, unnatural and puritanical nature was more of a flaw than a virtue. 

Tips for Moving Past the Generic Examples/Evidence Found in the Play 

It’s important to try and stand out with your examples in your body paragraphs. If you’re writing the same, simple ideas as everyone else, it will be hard for VCAA assessors to reward you for that. Your ideas are the most important part of your essay because they show how well you’ve understood and analysed the text - which is what they are asking from you, it’s called an ‘analytical interpretation of a text,’ not ‘how many big words can you write in this essay.’ You can stand out in Measure for Measure by: 

1. Taking Note of Stage Directions and Structure of Speech

Many students tend to simply focus on the dialogue in the play, but stage directions can tell you so much about what Shakespeare was really trying to illustrate in his characters. 

• For example, in his monologue, I would often reference how Angelo is alone on stage, appearing at his most uninhibited, with his self-interrogation revealing his internal struggle over his newfound lust for Isabella. I would also reference how Shakespeare’s choice of syntax and structure of speech reveal Angelo’s moral turmoil as he repetitively asks himself “what’s this?” indicating his confusion and disgust for his feelings which “unshapes” him. 
• Isabella is shown to “[kneel]” by Mariana at the conclusion of the play, in order to ask for Angelo’s forgiveness. This detail is one that is easily missed, but it is an important one, as it is an obvious reference to Christianity, and symbolises Isabella’s return to her “gentle and fair” and “saint” like nature. 

2. Drawing Connections Between Characters - Analyse Their Similarities and Differences. 

Drawing these connections can be a useful way to incorporate other characters not necessarily mentioned in your prompt. For example, in my own English exam last year, I chose the prompt “ ...Power corrupts both Angelo and the Duke. Do you agree? ” and tried to pair Angelo and Isabella, in order to incorporate another character into my essay (so that my entire essay wasn’t just about two characters).

• A favourite pair of mine to analyse together was Angelo and Isabella. Although at first glance they seem quite different, when you read into the text a little deeper you can find many similarities. For example, while Angelo lives alone in his garden, “succumbed by brick,” requiring “two keys” to enter, “nun,” Isabella, wishes to join the nuns of Saint Clare where she “must not speak with men” or “show [her] face.” Shakespeare’s depiction of the two, stresses their seclusion, piety and restriction from the “vice” plaguing Vienna. What’s important about this point is that you can alter your wording of it to fit various points that you may make. For example, you could use this example to prove to your assessor how Isabella’s alignment with Angelo signals Shakespeare’s condemnation of her excessive puritanical nature (as I did in my body paragraph below) or, you could use these same points to argue how Angelo was once indeed a virtuous man who was similar to the “saint” Isabella, and that it was the power that corrupted him (as you could argue in the 2019 prompt). 
• Another great pair is the Duke and Angelo. Although they certainly are different in many ways, an interesting argument that I used frequently, was that they both were selfish characters who abused their power as men and as leaders in a patriarchal society. It is obvious where Angelo did this - through his cruel bribery of Isabella to “lay down the treasures of [her] body,” however the Duke’s behaviour is more subtle. The Duke’s proposal to Isabella at the conclusion of the play, as he asks her to “give [him her] hand,” in marriage, coincides with the revelation that Claudio is indeed alive. It appears that the Duke has orchestrated the timing of his proposal to most forcefully secure Isabella and in this sense, his abuse of power can be likened to Angelo’s “devilish” bribery. This is as, through Shakespeare’s depiction of Isabella, it is evident that she has little interest in marriage; she simply wishes to join a convent where she “must not speak with men,” as she lives a life of “strict restraint.” The Duke is aware of this, yet he demands Isabella to “be [his]”-  wishing to take her from her true desire and Shakespeare is able to elucidate Isabella’s distaste through her response to this: silence. By contrasting Isabella’s once powerful voice - her “speechless dialect” that can “move men” - with her silence in response to the Duke’s proposal, Shakespeare is able to convey the depth of the Duke’s selfishness and thus his similarity to Angelo.

We've got a character list for you in Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare (just scroll down to the Character section).

What’s important to realise about these bits of evidence is that you can use them in so many different prompts, provided that you tailor your wording to best answer the topic. For example, you could try fitting at least one of the above examples in these prompts: 

• ‘Give me your hand and say you will be mine…’ The characters in ‘ Measure for Measure’ are more interested in taking than giving. Discuss. 
• ‘More than our brother is our chastity.' Explore how Shakespeare presents Isabella's attitude to chastity throughout Measure for Measure .
• ‘I have seen corruption boil …' To what extent does Shakespeare explore corruption in Measure for Measure , and by what means? 
• ‘Measure or Measure presents a society in which women are denied power.’ Discuss.

How To Kick Start Your Essay with a Smashing Introduction

There’s no set way on how to write an introduction. Lots of people write them in many different ways and these can all do well! This is the best part about English - you don’t have to be writing like the person sitting next to you in order to get a good mark. I personally preferred writing short and sweet introductions, just because they were quick to write and easy to understand. 

For example, for the prompt...

“...women are frail too.” 

To what extent does ‘Measure for Measure’ examine the flaws of Isabella? 

...my topic sentences were...

• Isabella is depicted as a moral, virtuous and pious woman, but it is this aspect of her nature that paradoxically aligns her with the “tyrannous” Angelo. 
• Shakespeare explores the hypocrisy and corruption of Isabella as a flaw, as she deviates from her initially “gentle and fair” nature.
• Despite exploring Isabella’s flaws to a large degree, Shakespeare does indeed present her redemption at the denouement of the play. 

...and my introduction was: 

William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Measure for Measure’ depicts a seventeenth century Viennese society in which disease, misconduct and licentiousness are rife. It is upon a backdrop of such ordeals that Shakespeare presents the character of Isabella, who is initially depicted as of stark contrast to the libertine populate of Vienna. To a considerable extent, ‘Measure for Measure’ does indeed examine the flaws of the “gentle and fair” Isabella, but Shakespeare suggests that perhaps she is not “saint” nor “devil,” rather that she is a human with her own flaws and with her own redeeming qualities. 

Instead of rewording my topic sentences, I touched on them more vaguely, because I knew that I wouldn’t get any ‘extra’ points for repeating them twice, essentially.  However, if you feel more confident in touching on your topic sentences more specifically - go ahead!! There are so many different ways to write an introduction! Do what works for you! 

Body Paragraphs 

This body paragraph included my pairing between Angelo and Isabella. My advice would be to continue to incorporate the language used in the prompt. In this paragraph, you can see me use the word “flaw” quite a bit, just in order to ensure that I’m actually answering the prompt , not a prompt that I have studied before. 

Isabella is depicted as a moral, virtuous and pious woman, but it is this aspect of her nature that paradoxically aligns her with the “tyrannous” Angelo. Where Angelo is “of ample grace and honour,” Isabella is “gentle and fair.” Where Angelo believes in “stricture and firm abstinence,” Isabella too believes that “most desire should meet the full blow of justice.” This similarity is enhanced by their seclusion from the lecherous society in which they reside. Angelo lives alone in his garden, “succumbed by brick,” requiring “two keys” to enter, whilst Isabella desires the life of a nun where she “must not speak with men” or “show [her] face.” This depiction of both Angelo and Isabella stresses their seclusion, piety and restriction from the “vice” that the libertine populate is drunk from. However, Shakespeare’s revelation that Angelo is “yet a devil” though “angel on the outward side,” is perhaps Shakespeare’s commentary on absolute stricture being yet a facade, a flaw even. Shakespeare presents Isabella’s chastity and piety as synonymous with her identity, which ultimately leaves her unable to differentiate between the two, as she states that she would “throw down [her] life,” for Claudio, yet maintains that “more than our brother is our chastity.” Though virtuous in a sense, she is cruel in another. Although at first glance, Shakespeare’s depiction of Isabella’s excessive puritanical nature appears to be her virtue, by aligning her with the “devil” that is Angelo, it appears that this is indeed her flaw. 

Conclude Your Essay by Dazzling Your Assessor!  

My main tip for a conclusion is to finish it off with a confident commentary of the entire piece and what you think that the author was trying to convey through their words (in relation to the topic). For example, in pretty much all of my essays, I would conclude with a sentence that referenced the entire play -  for example, how it appeared to be such a polarising play, with largely exaggerated, polarising characters/settings (eg. Angelo and the Duke, or the brothels that stood tall next to the monastery): 

Ultimately, Shakespeare’s play ‘Measure for Measure,’ depicts Isabella as a multifaceted character. She is not simply one thing - not simply good nor bad -  her character’s depiction continues to oscillate between the polar ends of the spectrum. Although yes, she does have flaws, so too does she have redeeming qualities. Though at times deceitful and hypocritical, she too is forgiving and gentle. Thus, as Shakespeare’s play, ‘Measure for Measure,’ does centre on polarising characters in a polarising setting, perhaps through his exploration of Isabella’s flaws alongside her virtues, he suggests that both the good and the bad inhabit us.

Measure for Measure is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Last updated 20/10/19

Planning is an essential part of any successful text response essay. It helps you ensure that you’re answering the prompt, utilising enough quotes and writing the most unique and perceptive analysis possible! The hard part of this is that you only have about FIVE MINUTES to plan each essay in the Year 12 English exam… (more info on the best way to tackle that challenge in this video !)

So, I developed the FIVE TYPES of essay prompts to help students streamline their planning process and maximise every minute of their SACs and exams.

By identifying the type of prompt you’re being challenged with immediately, a number of parameters or guidelines are already set in place. For a specific type of prompt, you have specific criteria to meet – for example, in a metalanguage-based prompt , you immediately know that any evidence you brainstorm in your planning stage should be based around the literary techniques used in your given text.

If you’d like the full picture on our best FREE advice on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response here .

1. Theme-Based Prompt

‘Ambition in the play Macbeth leads to success.’ Discuss. ( Macbeth )

When you’re presented with a theme-based prompt, you can automatically shift your brainstorming and planning towards the themes mentioned in the prompt along with any others that you can link to the core theme in some way.

In regard to this Macbeth prompt, for example, you could explore the different ways the theme of ambition is presented in the text. Additionally, the themes of guilt and power are intimately related to ambition in the text, so you can use those other ideas to aid your brainstorming and get you a step ahead of the rest of the state come exam day.

2. Character-Based Prompt

‘Frankenstein’s hubris is what punishes him.’ Discuss. ( Frankenstein )

These prompts are pretty easy to spot – if you see a character’s name in the prompt, there you have it; you have a character-based prompt on your hands.

Once you know this, you can assume that each example you brainstorm has to be relevant to the specific character named in the prompt in some way. Also, you can explore how the actions of characters don’t occur in isolation – they’re almost always interrelated. Remember, however, that the actions of characters are always connected to the themes and ideas the author is trying to convey.

This type of prompt also grants you some freedoms that other types don’t give. For example, unlike a Theme-based prompt, a character-based prompt means that it’s perfectly fine to write about characters in the topic sentences of your body paragraphs.

3. How-Based Prompt

‘How does Grenville showcase Rooke’s inner conflict in The Lieutenant ?’ ( The Lieutenant )

Unlike other prompts, the ‘How’ positions you to focus more on the author’s writing intentions. This can be achieved by discussing metalanguage – language that describes language (read my blog post about it here ). These prompts tell you immediately that you need to be thinking about the literary techniques explored in the text and explain how they affect the narrative.

Rather than using specific techniques to frame your specific arguments, it’s best to use them as evidence to support arguments that attack the main themes/ideas mentioned in the prompt.

4. Metalanguage or Film-Technique-Based Prompt

‘Hitchcock’s use of film techniques offers an unnerving viewing experience’. Discuss. ( Rear Window )

This type of prompt is very similar to How-based prompts, specifically in the fact that the discussion of literary techniques is essential.

For this type of prompt specifically, however, the actual techniques used can form more of a basis for your arguments, unlike in How-based prompts .

5. Quote-Based Prompt

“Out, damned spot!” How does Shakespeare explore the burden of a guilty conscience in Macbeth ? ( Macbeth )

Countless students ask me every year, “What do I do when there’s a quote in the prompt?!” My reply to these questions is actually fairly straightforward!

There are two main things that you should do when presented with this type of prompt. Firstly, contextualise the quote in your essay and try to use it in your analysis in some way. Secondly, interpret the themes and issues addressed in the quote and implement these into your discussion. The best place to do both of these is in a body paragraph – it weaves in seamlessly and allows for a good amount of analysis, among other reasons!

When faced with unknown prompts in a SAC or your exam, it's reassuring to have a formulaic breakdown of the prompt so that your brain immediately starts categorising the prompt - which of the 5 types of prompts does this one in front of me fall into? To learn more about brainstorming, planning, essay structures for Text Response, read our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Before you start diving into Jamie's incredible In Cold Blood study guide, I'd highly recommend that you check out LSG's free Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Introduction and Narration ‍

• Although its structure and cinematic plot development resemble that of crime fiction, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is a ‘nonfiction novel’ detailing the 1959 murders of four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Put simply, the book was conceived of journalism and born of a novelist. 

• The novel is a product of years of extensive research by Capote and his friend and fellow author Harper Lee, who followed the trails of the Kansas criminals across numerous US states. In Cold Blood revolutionised the American ideals of journalism and literature, blurring the lines between these labels.

• A notable technique Capote employed in order to access classified information was becoming personally acquainted with the criminals of the case. For example, Capote became extremely close to Perry Smith, one of the main murderers in the case, which gave him exclusive information on the personal motives of the killers. 

• In Cold Blood reflects this relationship with the murderer through Capote’s narration of the book as an objective bystander. On page 23, we see the almost endearing way that Capote describes Perry; “his voice was both gentle and prim– a voice that, though soft, manufactured each word exactly, ejected it like a smoke ring issuing from a parson’s mouth.” As such, Capote’s friendship with Perry allows him to present the killer to the audience with a certain humanity and empathy, showcasing a broader picture of criminals than just a merciless murderer.

True facts of the Case

• On the 15th of November, 1959, all four members of the small farming Clutter family were brutally murdered, including Herbert Clutter, his wife Bonnie Clutter and their two teenage children, Nancy and Kenyon.

• The family was discovered bound and shot in the head. Herb’s throat had also been slashed. After ransacking the entire house, the criminals had left without finding any cash, carrying with them no more than fifty dollars, a pair of binoculars and a transistor radio.

• Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene ‘Dick’ Hickock were convicted of the crime. The two men had become acquainted during serving time at the Kansas State Penitentiary, and soon confessed to the crime, claiming that that they had heard from another prisoner that Herb Clutter was extremely wealthy, and kept his money in an easy-to-reach safe in his house.

• After the confession, the two murderers were flown from Nevada to Garden City, where they stood trial for their crimes. On 29 March, 1960, they received a guilty verdict, and were sentenced to the death penalty. For the following five years, Smith and Hickock lived on death row in Leavenworth, Kansas and were executed by hanging on the 14th of April, 1965.

Perry Edward Smith

One of the two murderers of the Clutter case, Smith is portrayed as a sensitive and artistic man haunted by his turbulent and lonely childhood. Described by Capote as a man of ‘actorish’ good looks, he disfigured both of his legs due to a motorcycle accident, which gave him chronic pain and an addiction to aspirin. His criminal actions are often directly linked to his childhood, described as ‘no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another’. Smith’s father was extremely abusive towards his wife, Flo Buckskin, and his four children, and so Buckskin later divorced him, taking the children with her. However, on her own she became an alcoholic and died by choking on her own vomit when Smith was only thirteen years old. He was then transferred to a Catholic orphanage, where he suffered from psychological, sexual and physical abuse from the nuns, one of whom attempted to drown him. Smith’s father and two of his siblings committed suicide during his time on death row. Smith eventually befriended Capote through their extensive interviews, and is believed to have shared personal information with him, believing him to be a true friend.

Richard Eugene ‘Dick’ Hickock

The second murderer of the Clutter case. Having grown up in Kansas, Hickock was a popular football player before turning to a life of crime after realising that he could not afford to go to college. During the course of the Clutter murder investigations, Hickock persistently blamed all of the murders on his partner in crime, Smith, claiming that ‘Perry Smith killed the Clutters…. It was Perry. I couldn’t stop him. He killed them all.’ Capote later states that during the murder, Smith was the one who stopped Hickock from raping the 16-year-old Nancy Clutter, as Hickock harboured pedophilic tendencies.

Herbert Clutter

A well-liked and kind-hearted wheat farmer in Holcomb, Kansas. Proprietor of the large River Valley Farm, Herb is described as a hardworking and valued citizen before his murder, who lead a relatively quiet life other than a troubled marriage with his wife due to her chronic depression.

Bonnie Clutter

Described as an ‘anxious woman’, it is revealed that Bonnie has a history of numerous mental illnesses, one of which is postpartum depression. Capote states that she and Herb had not slept in the same bed for many years.

Nancy Clutter

Described as the ‘darling of the town’ - the class president and future prom queen Nancy was the 16 year old daughter of the Clutters.

Kenyon Clutter

Athletic but introverted, Kenyon was the 15 year old son of Herbert and Bonnie Clutter.

Alvin Dewey

A personal friend of the Clutters, Dewey was the primary investigator in the Clutter murder case and worked for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Themes and Motifs

The american dream.

The novel is Capote’s reflection upon the American Dream, as he portrays both the lives of those who epitomise it and those who are tragically out of its reach. Herb Clutter’s position as an upstanding American citizen with a prosperous farm elicits the reader’s interpretation of his character as the rags-to-riches ideal. In stark contrast with this, the rootless and criminal Dick Hancock and Perry Smith are presented as individuals for whom the Dream is perpetually unattainable. Their attempt to finally become ‘rich’ materialises through their attempt to rob the Clutters’ home, the failure of which ironically results in their brutal murders of the people who successfully represented the American Dream.

In accordance with the American Dream, In Cold Blood also explores the concept of what is considered ‘normal’ in America, and what can be revealed as the darker underbelly of its white picket fence ideal. Dick asserts throughout the novel that he is ‘normal’, but from an external, objective perspective, he is clearly far from such; he has distorted physical features and has committed a terrible, vicious murder. Capote also explores the idea of normal mental health, as Bonnie Clutter seems to have the perfect marriage and life with Herb, and yet suffers from extreme bouts of ‘nervousness’ and chronic depression which result in her hospitalisation.

What is evil is primarily explored through the character of Perry, who has conflicting ideals about what can be considered truly ‘evil’. The more feminine and gentler of the two murderers, Perry possesses conflicting morals, as despite being a ruthless murderer, he does feel remorse and is affected by what he has done. He even thinks to himself that Herb Clutter is a ‘very nice gentleman’ even in the midst of slitting his throat. Capote in the novel reveals that there are numerous facets to the meaning of true ‘evil’, and the blurred borders that exist between each of these.

Symbolising the idea of dominance and power, Dick and Perry, who have a complementary and polarised gender relationship, feed off each other in order to boost their own masculinity. Described as ‘aggressively heterosexual’, Dick is evidently the more stereotypically masculine counterpart, having had numerous relations with women. Perry, on the other hand, is more feminine and submissive, as Dick often calls him names such as ‘sugar’ and ‘honey’. Both men in the novel utilise the other in order to make themselves feel more masculine in their highly restrictive and conservative society — while Dick emphasises Perry’s feminine qualities, Perry admires Dick and craves his words of affirmation that he, too, is masculine.

Essay Writing for In Cold Blood

Below are some possible prompts for In Cold Blood , and possible ideas to begin writing an essay.

Theme-based Essay Prompt

"I think it is a hell of a thing that a life has to be taken in this manner. I say this especially because there's a great deal I could have offered society. I certainly think capital punishment is legally and morally wrong.”

Is In Cold Blood merely a novelistic argument against the death penalty? Discuss.

To learn more about LSG’s Five Types of essay prompts, I’d highly recommend checking out this blog post . It’s a super unique strategy developed by the founder of LSG, Lisa Tran. The Five Types method, outlined in the top-rated How To Write A Killer Text Response eBook , takes the stress of students and gives them easy to follow rules and tips so that they know how to approach every essay topic, every time.

• The best way to approach any essay prompt is to recognise the limiting and/or important words of the essay question. In this thematic prompt these words are: ‘legally and morally’, and ‘merely’.

• Secondly, for prompts which incorporate a quote, it is helpful to understand the context of the quote. In this case, the quote was said by Perry as his last words before his execution by hanging. Consider the importance of this; these words are especially more meaningful as they symbolise the last direct influence he leaves upon society. They are remorseful words of a murderer reproaching the justice system, which begs the question - does Capote position the reader to agree with the murderer’s view?

• Planning this essay can be structured along three arguments...

1. Capote argues against capital punishment through eliciting pathos for the murderers and portraying them as more than mere monsters.

• Evidence for this argument could be based mostly on the descriptive elements of Capote’s writing, or his emotional attachment to the murderers, particularly Perry.

• Capote paints Perry particularly sympathetically, highlighting his sensitivity as well as his broken and abusive childhood. Quotations from the novel make it clear that his character is romanticised to an extent, such as “It was a changeling's face, and mirror-guided experiments had taught him how to ring the changes, how to look now ominous, now impish, now soulful; a tilt of the head, a twist of the lips, and the corrupt gypsy became the gentle romantic.”

2. In Cold Blood supports the anti-death penalty argument through its structure and organisation.

• The epigraph of the novel is a verse of the poem, ‘Ballade des pendus’ by Francois Villon, that he composed whilst on death row in 1463. Villon’s criminal circumstances were strikingly similar with Dick and Perry’s, as he murdered a priest and stole from his strongbox before being arrested and sentenced to death. Despite this, Villon was ultimately charged with a 10 year banishment from Paris, whereas the Clutter family murderers are hanged - a strikingly different outcome. Thus, Capote employs this poetic epigraph to strengthen his argument against the unjust executions of Perry and Dick.

• In addition to this, the structure of the novel is also used to argue against capital punishment. Although Part One focuses on the lives of both the Clutter family members and Dick and Perry preceding the murder, Part Two skips over the actual murders themselves and recounts the aftermath of its events. This allows Capote to further develop Dick and Perry into real, complex people rather than merely cold blooded murderers; people who do not deserve such a cruel fate.  

3. However, Capote does ostensibly condemn the cruelty of the murders and presents the opposing argument that capital punishment is not, in fact, ‘legally and morally wrong’.

• The brutality of the Clutter murders are emphasised through the novel, as Larry Hendricks, who discovers the bodies along with the police, provides the gruesome details of the bodies - ‘each tied up and shot in the head, one with a slit throat’.

• As Perry later admits to the murder in his extended confession, Dewey highlights the fact that the Clutters ‘had suffered’ due to the ‘prolonged terror' inflicted by the murderers, and orders them, as such, to be ‘hanged back to back’.

• The argument for capital punishment in In Cold Blood is also supported by religious beliefs. As a small and predominantly Christian town, Kansas and its residents can be perceived interpreting the words of the Bible literally; at the end Dick and Perry’s trial, the prosecuting attorney Logan Green reads an excerpt from Genesis in the Holy Bible: ‘Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.’ Rejecting the notion that Christianity preaches forgiveness, Green strives to punish the killers for failing to abide by the laws and prophecies of the Old Testament.

Character essay prompt

Perry Smith, despite Capote’s authorial sympathy towards him, is really a cold and merciless monster. Discuss.

When approaching character-based prompts, you must depart slightly from examining the holistic messages of the author, as you would in a theme-based prompt, but rather analyse how the specific character develops this authorial message. The above essay question could be brainstormed in the following way:

1. Capote’s description of Perry shows that he is far from a ‘monster’, but a human being of great sensitivity and emotion.

• During his confession of the Clutter murders, Perry’s comment, ‘There's got to be something wrong with somebody who'd do a thing like that,’ shows that he, to some extent, understands the gravity of his actions and regrets them.

• Perry is also described by his sister as ‘gentle’, and someone who ‘used to cry because he thought the sunset was so beautiful’. Likewise, even in moments of cruelty, he often shows mercy and a wide moral compass, even stopping Dick from raping Nancy Clutter during their murder spree.

2. Perry is also depicted as someone ‘weakened’ by the tragic events of his past and his own insecurities, rather than an inherently ‘cold and merciless’ person.

• Capote often links Perry’s violent tendencies with his childhood, described as ‘no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another’, as he was raised ‘with no rule or discipline, or anyone to show [him] right from wrong’.

• In addition to this, Perry can be perceived to be the more insecure and submissive of the two killers, as while Dick often calls him stereotypically feminine names such as ‘sugar’ and honey’, Perry admires his ‘aggressive’ masculinity and craves his words of affirmation in order to feel as masculine and strong as his counterpart.

3. Despite this, Capote does not entirely erase the murderous aspects of Perry’s character.

• Due to the prompt and seemingly nonchalant way in which he kills the clutters, Dick becomes convinced that Perry is that rarity of a person,"a natural killer.”

• Thus, Capote, despite his empathetic portrayal of Perry, never allows the reader to forget the  extent of his criminality, and how easily he was able to fire those ‘four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives.’

Whether you consider yourself a Frankenstein expert, or someone who is a bit taken back by the density of the novel and Shelley’s writing, do not fret! Below I will outline 3 tips which, will hopefully give you a clearer perspective on how to approach writing on Frankenstein! Let’s get started!

1. ALWAYS TRY TO TALK ABOUT SHELLEY’S CONCERNS

Since the book was set during the Age of Enlightenment and the Romantic era, Shelley essentially used Frankenstein as a vessel to criticise and warn readers against many of the values upheld during her era. It’s therefore crucial that you address this!

The late 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century were exciting times for science and exploration. Shelley’s two main protagonists, Walton and Frankenstein, both passionately sough to discover what had previously been hidden. Walton wanted to be the first to find a passage through the Arctic Circle; Frankenstein wanted to be the first to create manmade life, to uncover the mysteries of Nature.  Both men claimed to be desirous of benefitting humankind but both wanted glory more. This obsession to win accolades for their discoveries will destroy Victor, and turn Walton for a while into a hard taskmaster over his crew.

Juxtaposed against these two characters is Henry Clerval. Clerval, too, has an inquiring mind but he also cares about humanity, family and friends. He represents the balanced human being who is sociable, compassionate, intelligent and loyal to his friends. Victor’s ability to reanimate the dead, to bring to life his gigantic Creature using the newly discovered electricity, makes him a genius but also a monster. In his inexperience he botches the work producing a hideous and terrifying creature with, ironically, initially all the virtues of the ideal man of he world. Repulsed by his amateurish handiwork, Victor abandons his creation, setting in place the vengeance that will unfold later.

Try to ground any response to Shelley’s text in the enormous enthusiasm for new discoveries and new geographic phenomena that attracted lavish praise for those who went where others feared to tread. It was this praise that drove Walton and Frankenstein to exceed reasonable expectations becoming reckless and careless of the consequences of their actions.

2. ALWAYS TRY TO DRAWS LINKS AND CONTRAST DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND THEMES!

Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature are interconnected in so many ways – whether it be their isolation, ambition, desire for companionship, desire for vengeance or the Romantic values they share. I’ve also noted that it is also really easy to connect themes in Frankenstein as the tragic story-arc of the novel is built upon many different causes. What I mean by this is that there is a clearly define relationship between isolation, ambition and vengeance (and ultimately tragedy) in the sense that isolation is what led to the brewing of unchecked ambition which essentially causes the resultant tragedy.

Take Frankenstein for example: having left his loving family and friends, who provided him with love and companionship for Ingolstadt, there was no one to hold him back from his natural tendencies towards unchecked ambitions, leading him to creating the monster who out of spite towards society kills all of Frankenstein’s loved ones, leading them towards the desire for mutual destruction. Being able to see these links and draw them together will not only add depth to your writing but it also arms you with the ability to be able to deal with a wider array of prompts.

3. ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK FOR MORE NUANCED EXAMPLES AND DISCUSSIONS!

While Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature can be discussed incredibly thoroughly (and by all means go ahead and do it), but it is also very important to consider the novel as a whole and talk about, if not more thoroughly, on the minor characters. While characters such as the De Laceys, villagers and the rustic in the forest can be used to highlight the injustices brought upon the creature and people’s natural instincts of self preservation and prejudice, innocent characters such as Elizabeth and Justine can be used to emphasise the injustice of society and the consequences of unchecked ambition and isolation.

Henry Clerval (like previously mentioned) can be contrasted against Walton and his best friend Frankenstein to show that as long as we have a balanced lifestyle and companionship, ambition will not lead us to ruin. Characters such as the Turkish merchant can also have parallels drawn with Frankenstein in telling how our selfish desire and actions, born out of inconsideration for their consequences, can backfire with great intensity. Lastly the character of Safie (someone I used a lot in my discussions) can be compared and contrasted with the Creature to show the different treatment they receive despite both being “outsiders” to the De Laceys due to their starkly different appearances.

Mentioning these characters and utilising these contrasts can be monumental in showing your understanding of the novel and by extension, your English analytical ability.

[Video Transcription]

‍ Hey guys, I'm Lisa, welcome back to Lisa's Study Guides. Today, we're going to be talking about Frankenstein and breaking down an essay topic for it. So in the past, I've done plenty of videos looking at different types of essay topics and breaking them down by looking at keywords and then going into the body paragraphs and looking at those ideas. This time round, the takeaway message that I want you to leave with is understanding what types of evidence you should be using inside your body paragraphs. Specifically, I wanted to talk about literary devices or metalanguage. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein uses so many literary devices that it's impossible to ignore. If you are somebody who is studying this text or other texts that you use and are heavily embedded with literary techniques, then it's really important that you don't just use dialogue as part of your quotes, but actually reading between the lines. I'll teach you on how it's not just about finding dialogue, which you include as quotes inside your body paragraphs, but reading between the lines, so looking at literary devices like metaphors, symbols, imagery, so let's get started. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein constitutes escaping critique of the prioritization of scientific advancement over human welfare and relationship. Dr. Frankenstein is fascinated with science and discovery, he is consumed with the idea of a new and more noble race by stitching up dead body parts from a cemetery. He feverishly works away at his experiment until one day the creature is born. Frankenstein is horrified at the living thing he has made and completely rejects the creature, leaving it without a parental figure. The creature is left alone to look after himself. He educates himself and on repeated occasions tries to approach people in society, however, is rejected every time because of his monstrous appearance. As a result, the creature becomes enraged at humanity and Frankenstein's unfair treatment towards him and consequently exacts revenge on Frankenstein and his family. The essay topic we'll be looking at today is, Our sympathies in this novel ultimately lie with the creature. Discuss. So in previous videos, we've looked at keywords, how to identify them and how to define them. Since it's pretty straightforward for this essay topic, I thought I would skip that part and then go into the more nitty gritty with the body paragraphs. But, if you are unfamiliar with these steps, then I'll link them in the card above and also in the description below so you can have a look at how I went ahead and did the keyword section in my planning, now back to the prompt. Unequivocally within Frankenstein, Shelley portrays sympathy as spread throughout the text through depicting the creature as innately human through his desire for relationship and the challenges he faces at the hands of the prejudice enlightenment society he's born into, Shelley elicits sympathy for his situation. However, through the notable absence of the female gender throughout the text, Shelley portrays those silent within society as most deserving of sympathy. So, with this in mind, here are the potential paragraphs in response to this prompt. Paragraph one, Shelley's depiction of the creature as innately human motivates support for his challenges at the hands of a prejudice society. The action of the creature to open his dull yellow eye, symbolic of his nature as a human being alongside a green wrinkled on his cheeks, with one hand stretched out, indicates his simple desire for paternal connection. Through constructing the creature's actions as innately human Shelley acts proleptically of the inequitable experiences the creature will experience throughout the structural architecture of the text. And through doing so, depicts his character as worthy of support. Similarly, through the metaphor of fire, Shelley explores the duality of progress and innovation of which the creature desires. The fire, one that gives light as well as heat, yet also causes a cry of pain, indicates the hardships of the creature in his isolation, whereby, his forced to withdraw from his desire for education. Upon viewing himself in a pool, the creature becomes "fully convinced that I was in reality [a] monster" with the consequent sensations of despondency and mortification granting the reader the opportunity to sympathize with the creature in order to indicate the intensely negative social prejudices that are inflicted upon the creature. So you can see that we've looked at symbols of the creature's nature and the metaphor of fire to support our topic sentence. Using literary techniques is what's going to make the difference between you and another student who might be saying the same thing. Why? Because when you look at literary devices, it means that you're reading just beyond the lines, just beyond what's in front of you. You're now introducing your own interpretation, so you're looking at fire and thinking about what that means in connection to the text, and why Mary Shelley would use the term of a fire and revolve her discussion around that. So let's see how we keep doing this in the next body paragraph. Paragraph two, Shelley indicates the significance of relationships as a key element of human nature that the creature is denied, motivating affinity from readers. In replacement of human relationships, the creature rather seeks comfort within the natural world. The metaphorical huge cloak that the creature takes refuge within indicates this, illustrative of an ecosystem, the forest allows the creator to surround himself with life. The subsequent attempts to "imitate the pleasant songs of the birds" reveals the desperate urge of the creature for companionship as he is abandoned by the paternal relationship represented by Victor Frankenstein, which forms a core of human relationships. Again, here we've discussed the metaphorical huge cloak and its connection with the forest, I strongly encourage you to have the goal of discussing at least one literary device per body paragraph. And no, there is no such thing as talking about too many literary devices because it's really just about whether or not your argument is concise and whether or not you're backing that up with evidence. Paragraph three. However, it is Shelley's depiction of the submissive female sex within Frankenstein that becomes most deserving of sympathy. Each female character is characterized as passive, disposable, and they're serving a utilitarian function, namely as a channel of action for the male characters within the text. Notably, the complete lack of absence of Margaret Saville, functioning only as an audience for Walton's letters exemplifies this. Margaret's role within the text is simply to enable Walton to relay the story of Frankenstein and as such were the most necessary character of the texts whilst the most distant. This ironic dichotomy enables Shelley to exemplify the difficult role of the female within society, arising sympathy from the readership. Here, even the purposeful emission of a character is discussed as a language technique. So, this type of literary device definitely tops the cake because you're literally looking at what's not even there. That's definitely reading between the lines. Frankenstein is a very complex novel, and sometimes that's what makes it a difficult text to study. But, it lends itself to many unique interpretations and it's heavily dressed with heaps of literary devices or metalanguage, however you want to call it. So, that's what makes it an absolutely fantastic text for high school students to study. If you wanted to find out more on how to nail a Frankenstein essay, then I'll link you to my blog just down below, because there are definitely more tips there to help you excel in this particular text. Thank you so much for watching, and especially even if you're not studying this text, I hope you've been able to take something away from this video. And I'm confident that you have because talking about literary devices is definitely a topic that isn't necessarily the fore front of discussion in classrooms, and it's something that a lot of people struggle with. So, I hope you are able to walk away with a new goal in sight in order to improve your English essays. So, I will see you guys next time, thank you so much for joining me, see you guys soon. Bye!

The idea of VCE English assessments can sometimes be a bit daunting. Always so much you want to write, never as much time as you need and they always seem to come around sooner than you think. But there is never as much cause for alarm as you think and I’m willing to guarantee that almost everyone reading this is so much better than they think at English . 

You’ve already come so far from where you started in your high school English journey. I’d like to challenge anyone reading this to go and find the earliest English essay you’ve got tucked away somewhere. I’ve done this myself and, if yours is anything like mine, you’ll be almost disgusted by what you find. Year-7-me just loved to retell the story, cling to my rigid TEEL formulas and leave my quotes just dangling, write the same basic paragraph three times and call it a complete essay. Not a pretty read and I’m sure a couple of you can relate. But, this exercise does at least prove a very valuable point: you are capable of improving at English .

So let’s start thinking about that essay you’ve got coming up again. You’ve just given yourself a nice confidence booster with that walk down memory lane, reminding yourself that you are a more-than-capable English student these days. But all you now want to do is your very best for this next essay. But how do you keep improving between now and then? After all, if you knew what you had to do to improve your English, you’d already be doing it, right? So what we’re going to do now is to have a look at what taking your essays to that next level really looks like; how you can improve your writing between now and then, whenever that might be. 

So to do this, we’re going to take an already good paragraph and improve it together. Take this one, one that I conveniently prepared earlier to a Station Eleven prompt that has to do with the theme of memory/history.

Part 1: The Good Paragraph

Q: Mandel shows the importance of remembering the past. To what extent is this true?

A: In Station Eleven, the characters often find meaning from the creation of enduring legacies. Mandel demonstrates this idea through the naming of Jeevan’s son after his brother, Frank. By creating such an enduring legacy for a character who believes in the power of such legacies - 'they’re all immortal to me' - Mandel implies that characters like this are able to achieve meaning and fulfilment by preserving these legacies. Mandel also uses the character of Miranda to highlight the importance of legacies to provide meaning where Miranda lacks it in her day-to-day life. Even though Miranda’s life is left incomplete by her sudden death, the beauty in the scene of her death suggests that a sense of fulfilment has been achieved despite the emptiness of her life relative to other characters: 'its extravagant sunsets and its indigo sea'. Hence, the meaning in her life comes from the legacy that she creates from the art she makes in her 'independent' life. This is contrasted against the character of Arthur, whose legacy does not influence any events in the post-flu world, because of his failure to create legacy or meaning beyond his day-to-day life. Further, Arthur’s death in the hectic Elgin Theatre has far less beauty than that of Miranda, implying less fulfilment in his life. Therefore, Mandel uses her text to demonstrate the value of creating legacies that allow others to remember the past.

Let’s call this our good paragraph. I’ve modelled this off of an essay I found from my Year 10 self, as happy as Year-10-me would have been with this performance, it’s far from perfect. But, it is a very functional paragraph that does all that a paragraph really needs to do. It introduces an idea, justifies it with evidence, links back at the end and doesn’t waste too much time retelling the story. So now we get to the fun bit: we’re going to take this already good paragraph, and turn it into a better paragraph.

So how do we make a good paragraph better ? 

Well, for a start, we can integrate our quotes so that the paragraph reads better . You’ll see in just a second how much of a difference this can make. This is something I learnt to do between Years 10 and 11. Other improvements that could be made include answering the prompt more directly and using some of the language of the prompt within our answers. So let’s change this and see now what these small differences do to our paragraph.

Part 2: The Better Paragraph

A: In Station Eleven, the characters often find meaning from the creation of enduring legacies that allow others to remember the individuals who came before. Mandel demonstrates this idea through the naming of Jeevan’s son after his brother, Frank. By creating this symbolic memorial for a character who believes that such legacies can allow individuals such as actors to become 'immortal', Mandel implies that characters like this are able to achieve meaning and fulfilment through their legacies. Furthermore, Mandel also uses the character of Miranda to highlight the importance of creating a legacy through one’s art to provide meaning where Miranda lacks it in her day-to-day life. Although abruptly killed off in the middle of the text, Mandel imbues her death with a certain beauty through its 'extravagant sunsets and indigo sea'. In doing so, Mandel provides a sense of completion about Miranda’s life and suggests that a sense of fulfilment has been achieved despite the emptiness of her life relative to other characters. Hence, the meaning in her life comes from the legacy that she creates from the art she makes in her 'independent' life. This is contrasted against the character of Arthur, whose legacy does not influence any events in the post-flu world, because of his failure to create legacy or meaning beyond his day-to-day life. Further, Arthur’s death in the hectic Elgin Theatre has far less beauty than that of Miranda, implying less fulfilment in his life. Therefore, Mandel uses her text to demonstrate the importance of creating legacies that allow others to remember the past.

There we have it. The paragraph has been rewritten based on the ones I wrote in Year 11 and we have the first signs of improvement. The topic sentence now references the ‘remembering the past’ aspect of the prompt. The linking sentence now uses the ‘importance’ part of the prompt. All of the same quotes are used but are now integrated (check out How To Embed Quotes in Your Essay Like a Boss if you need more help with this). 

We’ve made sure not to have more than one sentence starting with Mandel (a small nitpick but still a nice addition). It flows better. It answers the prompt more directly and suddenly we have a better paragraph . Year-11-me has shown improvement and with this comes better scores and more confidence: something that’s very important for success in English. If you’re confident and proud of what you’re writing, then you’ll have higher marks and, even better, more fun!

We haven’t changed much and the paragraph is already better . But it’s not my best paragraph. Between Years 11 and 12, I learnt even more things. I was taught to write about not only the world of the text but also the world around us that we and Mandel live in: you’ll notice that this better paragraph talks more about ‘characters’ that live ‘in the text’ whereas my best paragraph would talk more about the text in the context of the world you and I live in . I learnt to make my topic sentences more abstract and broad so that they relate more to our own world and less to the world of the text and remind whoever’s assessing that my ideas apply to everyone and not just within the texts. I learnt to respond more directly to different types of prompts (Discuss, To what extent is this true?, How does Mandel… and others) and I learnt to be more direct in discussing the views and values of Mandel (what she likes, what she doesn’t like, what she wants to see more of in the world)

So let’s apply some final changes, and see what our paragraph looks after two more years of refining English. This final paragraph is almost exactly the same as one I wrote in timed conditions before my final exam.

The Final Part: The Best Paragraph

A: Mandel explores the importance of legacies, not only as sources of meaning for their creators, but also for their roles in allowing others to remember the roles of those who came before. Such an idea is explored through the naming of Jeevan’s son, securing the legacy of Frank. By affording such a permeating influence to an individual who writes of and appreciates the 'immortal[ity]' of long-dead actors, Mandel implies that an appreciation of the inherent value in a legacy and its ability to influence future events is a key quality in individuals. Furthermore, Mandel uses the character of Miranda to highlight the importance of creating a legacy that outlives oneself to provide meaning. Although abruptly killed off in the middle of the text, Mandel imbues her death with a certain beauty through its 'extravagant sunsets and indigo sea'. In doing so, Mandel provides a sense of completion about Miranda’s life and suggests that a sense of fulfilment has been achieved despite the emptiness of her life relative to other characters. Hence, Mandel suggests that the meaning in Miranda’s life comes from the legacy that is the art she makes in her 'independent' life that continues to influence events and allow others to remember the past long after her death. Mandel provides contrast through her exploration of Arthur, whose legacy does not influence any events in the post-flu world because of his failure to create legacy or meaning beyond his day-to-day life. Further, Arthur’s death in the hectic Elgin Theatre has far less beauty than that of Miranda, reinforcing Mandel’s view that individuals who forfeit control of their own legacies, as Arthur does, lead far less completed and fulfilled lives. Therefore, Mandel highlights the immense importance of creating legacies that allow others to remember the past and encourages greater appreciation of the value of legacies in contemporary society.

So, two years later, and we’ve got what is still essentially the same paragraph, just brushed up to an even better, or best , standard. So if we’re using the same evidence, exploring the same characters and introducing the same ideas, why is this paragraph better than the last two?  

Well, if you study the topic and linking sentences, they discuss the concept of a legacy being a means of allowing others to remember the past and the importance of such a thing and everything in-between links this concept to the text. ' Mandel highlights the immense importance' represents a subtle but nice nod to the wording of the prompt by giving an ‘extent’ to which Mandel ‘shows’ or highlights. Every piece of evidence is discussed in reference to what Mandel believes about the world around us and how individuals should act in modern society. 

And there’s something very nice that we can now reflect on. This paragraph has gone from good to much better without having to introduce any new ideas. There are no overly complex interpretations of the text, we’ve just taken the same skeleton of a paragraph and made it look better without changing its real substance. 

And one of the wonderful things about making efforts to improve the quality of your writing is all the confidence that comes with this, whether this be from getting better at discussing views and values , learning to integrate your quotes or any achievement like this. I know that my confidence surged as my English got better and, as I got more confidence in my writing, I got more confidence in what I wrote about. My interpretations of the text became more and more obscure and a bit whacky at times and I had fun writing about these things. If you improve your writing, you’ll improve what you’re writing about which will mean you’ll have more fun writing and the cycle of improvement will just continue.  

So to cap off, I thought it might be nice to have a checklist of sorts that you might be able to put against your own writing.

What’s the next step I could take in improving my English?

• Are all my quotes properly integrated ? (Hint: if the sentence doesn’t make sense without quotation marks, the answer is no)
• Have I got more than a couple of sentences starting the same way or could I vary my sentence structure a bit more?
• Have I explicitly used some parts of the prompt in my own writing so that I can directly answer the question in my essays?
• Am I writing about both the world of the text and the world we live in outside of the text instead of just the characters and relationships within the text?
• Are my topic and linking sentences describing a concept that relates to the prompt with everything in-between relating this concept to the text? (I found this a very useful way of thinking of paragraphs)
• Is all of my evidence being discussed in relation to the views of the author ?
• Does my essay/paragraph explain what the author would like to see more of/less of in modern society based on what is explored in the text?
• Is my essay/paragraph specific to the exact wording and type of prompt?

And these are just some of the improvements that could be made. I’m sure each of you could ask teachers and past students and find many, many more tips on improvement. Just as long as you’re thinking about what the next step in your English might be, then you’re already headed in the right direction. So good luck and happy writing!

English is tough. Whether it be memorising quotes or writing under timed conditions, everybody has something that they need to work on — some missing link that may make the difference between grades.

The fun yet exasperating part of English is that there’s always some way to improve. Even the best of the best can struggle with differentiating themselves from the pack, irrespective of how many quotes they know or how well they understand the subject matter. Often, students can feel shackled by the formulaic “topic sentence plus explanation plus evidence plus analysis plus concluding statement”, leaving great ideas in the mud as they scramble to fit their essay into restrictive boxes.

Sometimes, the conventional structure of an English essay can weigh a student down, which is why bending those rules is a skill that, eventually, can prove the key to truly going above and beyond .

Walk before you run

Before you move past your structure, though, you’ve got to know it.

Every essay paragraph needs to hit on a few key points: a main argument, evidence, and analysis of that evidence relating back to the prompt. For example…

In Station Eleven, forgetting is more important than remembering. Do you agree?

Planning is crucial irrespective of your writing style. The texts you study are meant to be thought-provoking, so thought needs to go into what you’re going to say even before you start saying it. My more flexible, relaxed essays always resulted in plans that looked identical to more conventional responses, as seen below.

• Forgetting is important as a coping mechanism to the post-modern world -> older people who “lost more” e.g. Jeevan, Dieter, Clark’s demands to “[not] think about it”
• Nevertheless, remembering is important in forging paths to the future -> the Travelling Symphony
• When they are both embraced, both forgetting and remembering can create the new and honour the old -> the Museum of Civilisation and the electric town

Once you have this understanding of structure, you can begin to move past it.

What exactly does an essay “beyond structure” mean? The way English is currently taught results in a lot of essays more or less looking the same, with a topic sentence dutifully followed by explanation of that point, and evidence not being introduced until about halfway through the paragraph.

Essays beyond structure don’t ignore those points, but rather, they shuffle them around a little. Evidence can be introduced right after the topic sentence, for example.

The shock of the Georgia Flu is catastrophic, entirely subverting the technological interconnectedness of the 21st century… The “divide between a before and an after” that the Georgia Flu marks is so devastating and uncompromising that it is little wonder, then, that forgetting should become such a crucial tool for reconciling oneself with the radical new world order.

Growing out of "crutch" phrases

In structured essays, transitions between points are obvious. When we want to introduce a quote, we say something like “In Mandel’s Station Eleven… ”, and when we want to analyse that quote we say “Here, the author…”.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using phrases like these! They can be very helpful in showing your assessor where you are addressing the task and the text. But addressing “crutch” phrases in your writing, which are often overused and underdeveloped, is a fairly straightforward way of forcing yourself to write differently.

Some “crutches” that I always used include:

• This exemplifies… – introduction to analysis
• Indeed… – transition to another point
• Ultimately/In conclusion… – concluding

It is important not to mistake signposting for these crutch phrases, such as “Furthermore” or “Conversely”. Signposting helps assessors determine when you are building on or deviating from previous points, which is highly useful when they’ve read a hundred essays on the same prompt as yours. Crutch phrases, on the other hand, make you feel better about your essay, when in actuality they contribute very little and could be rewritten to be something of greater value.

The following statement follows the typical English pattern of evidence to analysis.

In Emily St John Mandel’s Station Eleven, Dieter “longs for the sound of an electric guitar”. This exemplifies the wider loss of technology, and even identity, suffered by humanity after the Georgia Flu, and indeed is further highlighted by the “incomplete list” of Chapter 6.

There’s nothing wrong with the analysis above, and it makes a good point about the text. But removing “This exemplifies” forces a writer to try something daring and new…

Dieter, an otherwise well-adjusted member of the Travelling Symphony, “longs for the sound of an electric guitar” – his desire echoes Chapter 6’s list, and the omnipresent lack of electricity to a species once defined by it.

Shorter quotes are your friend

A great way to keep up the momentum of such an essay is to let points bleed into each other. There is no rule in English that says the first two sentences of your paragraph can’t include evidence, nor any regulations stipulating that the end of a paragraph has to be a rewritten version of the topic sentence.

Evidence, I have found, is the best way to bridge gaps between discrete points of structure. Not only does using evidence show understanding of the text, but it doesn’t have to be an entire sentence all on its own. Sometimes, two or three words are enough to marry two points – and, at the end of the day, shorter quotes are easier to memorise!

Mandel’s narrator mourns fundamental modern aspects of survival, such as “pharmaceuticals” and “fire departments… police”, in the same space that she pays homage to “concert stages” and “social media”. The resulting impression is not one of traditional cutthroat dystopia… Rather, Mandel’s quiet remembrance of the … modern innovations of technology that brought the 21st century together … highlights the emotional consequences of such ease of communication being lost.

Reading is fundamental

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about moving beyond structure, don’t worry – there’s something quick and easy that you can do right now to help push your writing, and it doesn’t even involve any writing of your own.

If you get the opportunity to, I would encourage you to read other people’s essays. Obviously, higher-grade essays are always valuable, but they can also be intimidating, even demoralising. I’ve found that reading essays at my grade level, or even lower, have been fantastic for learning new phrases and picking up different bits of evidence.

The best thing about English, in my opinion, is the same thing that brings it the most criticism – that there is no right answer. It can never hurt your understanding of a text (or your potential grade) if your discussion is informed about more perspectives.

Practice makes... progress!

At the end of the day, any and all good English essays have their roots in the fundamentals. Even as you play around with structure and move past formula, it is always crucial to remember the basics, and to return to them if you feel like you’re getting lost.

Always remember to link back to the prompt! It’s something so basic and obvious that students of all grades overlook. The prompt is the backbone of your essay – make sure that you keep it centre stage.

Get feedback as often as you can, whether it be from teachers, tutors or other students that you trust. English is a game of constant tweaking and refinement, and the more feedback you get the better your essays will be for it.

Finally, practice. Writing, like any skill, can only be honed and improved if one puts effort into honing and improving it. Writing beyond structure often comes as a massive learning curve, and it is diligence and a willingness to learn – not natural talent – that will allow you to become better and better at it.

To conclude

English is tough, and because almost everybody does it, it can be hard to stand out from the masses. Being different takes courage, and in VCE it certainly takes a lot of work, but I have found that writing beyond structure has the potential to elevate not only your understanding of a text or your performance in SACs and the exam, but your enjoyment of writing for English as a whole.

Introduction to Animal Farm:

- Written in 1945 by George Orwell, Animal Farm is an allegorical novella about the 1917 Russian Revolution and the repressive Stalinist period which followed.

- As a democratic socialist, Orwell was an adamant critic of Joseph Stalin and his totalitarian dictatorship over Russia.  

- Thus, Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a satirical fable against Stalin’s tyrannical control, stating that he wrote it with the intention of ‘fusing political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole’.

- The novella is set in Manor Farm, located in Willingdon, England at an undisclosed time.

- As the events of Animal Farm symbolise the power struggle of early 20th century Russia, this ambiguity of time is intended to prevent Orwell’s warning against repressive tyranny from becoming dated.

- Orwell’s use of a farm as the main setting is also notable, as farms represent nations in Animal Farm ; both require a vast amount of work in order to function properly. Thus, the act of the animals cooperating to cast the humans out of the farm symbolises a workers’ revolution against their oppressive leadership.

Main Character Analysis:

Napoleon (pig):

- Based on Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, he emerges as the leader of the Farm after the Rebellion.

- He consolidates his control over the farm with the violent force of his nine attack dogs, having raised them as puppies; these directly symbolise Stalin’s military force.

- He never contributes to other animals’ efforts at revolution, as he is only a corrupt individual who seeks to take advantage of opportunities created for him by others.

Snowball (pig):

- Based on Soviet rebel Leon Trotsky, he challenges Napoleon for control of the Farm after he takes control of the leadership.

- Similar to the leader he is modelled after, Snowball is eloquent, charismatic, intelligent and persuasive - thus, he wins the loyalty and support of other animals easily.

Boxer (cart-horse):

- Extremely devoted to the farm and the Rebellion, Boxer symbolises what Orwell believed to be the best qualities of the proletariat, or the exploited working class, such as loyalty, strength, camaraderie and hard work, perceivable by his personal motto of ‘I will work harder’.

- However, he simultaneously suffers from typical weakness of the working class, such as a naive trust in the intelligentsia and a slow-witted oblivion to political corruption, represented by his other motto of ‘Napoleon is always right’.

Squealer (pig):

- Manipulative and highly persuasive, he spreads Napoleon’s propaganda throughout the farm to intimidate uneducated animals into supporting Napoleon’s ideas and policies.

- Orwell uses the character of Squealer to warn against politicians’ deliberate manipulation of mass media in order to gain social and political control.

Old Major (boar):

- Based on the socialist revolutionary Karl Marx, as well as Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, Old Major’s dream of a socialist utopia acts as a major motive for the Rebellion.

- Major’s death creates a political vacuum in the farm, leaving Napoleon and Snowball in a power struggle for control of his followers.

Themes and Motifs:

- By allegorising in Napoleon dictator Joseph Stalin, Animal Farm is first and foremost a satirical critique of politicians’ tyrannical misuse of power.

- This is epitomised by the deceitful methods Napoleon uses to gain support, such as lying to the other animals that Snowball is a political traitor in order to banish him from the Farm.

Naive Proletariat:

- Animal Farm explores the need for the working class to be educated, as the inability of the farm animals to question Napoleon’s authority directly leads to the perpetuation of his oppression.

- Thus, Orwell presents to his readership that the working class may suffer not only due to dictators’ abuse of power, but also from their own naive unwillingness to question the intentions of the authority.

False Allegiance:

- Orwell accurately exhibits treacherous aspects of the human condition in his portrayal of dramatised relationships between humans and animals.

- Just as the pig rulers of the rebellion eventually betray their own idealistic visions, the theme of alliance is shattered between Frederick and Napoleon when the latter learns that the former has been forging banknotes while buying firewood from him.

- Thus, Animal Farm depicts the idea that alliances formed in a tyrannical dictatorship are merely veneers of camaraderie, which hide each person’s capability to destroy others in their path towards control.

Analysis of Quotes:

‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’

- From Chapter 3, this slogan is based off of Old Major’s speech before his death about the need for animals to unite in the face of human oppression and tyranny.

- The quote is a noteworthy example of propaganda in Animal Farm, as the leaders utilise language in order to essentially brainwash the working class animals.

- Although it initially helps the animals to remember their goals, the phrase later loses its meaning of solidarity as it becomes a nonsensical noise made by sheep when used to drown out the voices of challengers to the regime.

‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.’

- This quote exemplifies the pigs’ abuse of logic and language to keep their power over their followers.

- The evidently senseless and illogical meaning behind this phrase is an example of the methods that the leader of the Farm takes in order to brainwash his followers.

- The quote also suggests that the pigs’ real intention to create an animal utopia is not, in fact, to rise up against the oppression of the humans, but to become part of the elite; the ‘some’ that possess greater rights and power than the rest of the underprivileged society.

5 Types of Essay Prompts

Your approach to each essay will depend on what type of prompt is being asked. Be aware that not all essay prompts are the same, which means that sometimes your preferred essay structure simply won’t suit the type of prompt asked. That's why it's important to be aware of the 5 types of essay topics – what you should watch out for and how you could approach your essay writing. The topics used in this blog post have been curated by Lisa's Study Guides.

1. Theme-based prompts :

Animal Farm is first and foremost a satirical critique of politicians’ tyrannical misuse of power.

Usually your paragraphs will be based around particular themes. For example in this case, paragraphs may be based on ‘love’, ‘escape’, ‘horrors of war’ etc. These paragraphs can have character discussions embedded within them in order to demonstrate how the characters represent each theme. Discussion of the author’s choice of language such as symbols or imagery can be essential to the analysis of a theme.

2. Character-based prompts :

Boxer is the only animal with redeeming qualities. Do you agree?

These prompts focus on one or more characters. In this case, you can structure your essay paragraphs based on particular characters or something in common with a set of characters. Essays can become quite repetitive if each paragraph is based around one character so try to add in discussion about themes or the character’s relationships with other characters. Remember that minor characters can be just as important as major characters.

3. How-based prompts : 

How does Napoleon exert control over the farm?

These prompts are usually structured, ‘how does the character do this,’ or 'how does the author do this'. In this case, since the prompt is focused on one main character, try to weave in the main character’s interactions with other characters and how other characters influenced them.

4. Metalanguage-based prompts :

The language in Animal Farm is crucial to Orwell's storytelling.

These types of prompts are the rarest of the 5 prompts but don’t be surprised if you’re asked one. They focus more on the  language  part of the text; rather than the plot, themes or characters. Your discussion will revolve around the author’s use of language (metaphors, prose, syntax etc.). These discussions are typically viewed as ‘harder’ prompts because you need to think about how the author achieves a particular message about character or theme through their choice of words. Check out our blog post on  metalanguage  and what you need to look out for.

Extra helpful resource by the BBC: Form, structure and language in Animal Farm .

5. Quote prompts :

'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.’ How is this true in Animal Farm?

These prompts can be character- or theme-based. However, it differs from other essay topics because it includes a direct quote from the text. Remember that the quote is part of the prompt, so ensure that you address it. One of the best ways of doing so is to incorporate the quote into the essay itself.

When faced with unknown prompts in a SAC or your exam, it's reassuring to have a formulaic breakdown of the prompt so that your brain immediately starts categorising the prompt - which of the 5 types of prompts does this one in front of me fall into?

To learn more, I discuss this and offer you practical strategies (so you never mind-blank again!) in my ebook, How To Write A Killer Text Response . Feel free to check it out, and good luck!

Introduction and Key Themes of Reckoning and The Namesake

Families. Love them or hate them, everybody has a family in some shape or form.

Lahiri’s novel The Namesake and Szubanski’s memoir Reckoning both explore just how complex family dynamics can be. In particular, both texts take an intergenerational approach, which means that they look at how children might struggle to understand their parents’ psyches, and vice versa. They also look at how these struggles can play out into adulthood and throughout the course of one’s life in complicated and poignant ways.

And of course, it gets trickier from there: Lahiri and Szubanski tell the stories of families, yes, but they also tell stories of migration, trauma, and heritage. In both texts, these ideas colour the experiences of the central families and are thus just as crucial for our analysis. Let’s go over the key characters of each text first, before having a closer look at how they compare on each of these themes. In particular, we’ll be going through snapshots of scenes from both texts and comparing what they have to say about these themes.

Characters in Reckoning and The Namesake

The namesake.

Lahiri’s novel revolves around the fictional Ganguli family: Ashima and Ashoke have two children, Sonia and Gogol, the latter of whom is the protagonist. The novel spans over three decades, starting from Gogol’s birth shortly after Ashima and Ashoke’s move to America. By the time it finishes, both Gogol and his younger sister have grown up, and Ashoke has passed away. Thus, this story traces the development of this fictional family over time, illustrating how their relationships with one another change over time.

Szubanski’s memoir, on the other hand, is largely about her own family, including her Scottish mother Margaret and her Polish father Zbigniew. In particular, Reckoning is a family history of her dad’s side, who were living in Poland when the Nazis invaded in 1939. There is some exposition of his family, including his parents Jadwiga and Mieczyslaw, his sister Danuta, and her family as well.

Zbigniew would eventually fight as an assassin the Polish resistance, and Reckoning reflects on how that impacted and shaped his relationship with Magda. The memoir is described to be “as much a biography of her father as it is about her.”

In the process, we learn about his migration, moving to Scotland after the war (where he met Margaret), then to England, then to Australia, with Magda their youngest child aged 5. The memoir covers her life from there onwards, including a journey back to Europe to reconnect with the rest of her family.

Themes in Reckoning and The Namesake

At LSG, we use the CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT strategy to help us easily find points of similarity and difference. This is particularly important when it comes to essay writing, because you want to know that you're coming up with unique comparative points (compared to the rest of the Victorian cohort!). I don't discuss this strategy in detail here, but if you're interested, check out my How To Write A Killer Comparative ebook. I use this strategy throughout my discussion of themes below and techniques in the next section.

Family in Reckoning and The Namesake

Evidently, this theme largely underpins the stories of both texts. In particular, The Namesake and Reckoning both show that relationships between family members—whether that be parents, children or siblings—can be really complicated.

Let’s start with The Namesake . Motifs of parenthood and marriage are evident front and centre right from the novel’s get go, as a pregnant Ashima reflects on her life as it stands in 1968. When Gogol is born, his parents’ love for him is also evident: “Ashoke has never seen a more perfect thing.” At the same time, while Ashima is starting to see “pieces of her family in [Gogol’s] face,” her own grandmother is passing away—it’s thus important to remember that parenthood runs both ways (this’ll be important for both texts).

In any case, Ashima struggles with the first few years of parenthood - despite settling into a schedule, she finds herself “despondent” when Gogol begins nursery school. However, she grows accustomed to it in time, making “forays out of the apartment” and settling into some semblance of a routine to keep herself somewhat occupied.

Parenthood isn’t really shown to get any easier though—at his 14th birthday, we see a somewhat awkward exchange between Ashoke and Gogol, now “nearly as tall” as his father. What Ashoke thinks is a nice gift actually sets off a decades-long identity crisis for Gogol regarding his name: “from the little that he knows about Russian writers, it dismays him that his parents chose the weirdest namesake.”

This scene demonstrates how there can be miscommunications between parents and children that make it difficult for them to understand each other. Without explaining his name to his son, Gogol and Ashoke are unable to truly connect; Gogol is annoyed if anything, answering his father “a bit impatiently”. Parents and children may want to understand each other better, but this is evidently not always possible. The consequences of this can often span over years, with Gogol changing his name to Nikhil and training himself to “ignore his parents, to tune out their concerns and pleas” once he goes to college.

Still, familial love perseveres over time, though it sometimes shifts and changes along the way. With Gogol and Sonia both grown up, Ashima reflects on the separate lives they now lead, noting that she “must be willing to accept” her “children’s independence”, and her son’s partner Maxine despite her misgivings. Culture also plays a role here, which we will explore more in the next section. However, what is evoked in this passage (near the start of chapter 7) is that parents have their child’s best interests in mind. Indeed, similar themes flow through both texts.

That said, familial love can be harder to see in Reckoning —in particular, Magda’s father is characterised throughout the memoir as emotionally distant to the point of cruelty. When she first learns of the Holocaust, she finds Zbigniew’s “lack of feeling…monstrous.” She doesn’t understand how he can be so detached from the war having lived “right in the centre of it.” She also doesn’t understand why he yearns more than anything to escape that period of his life.

The texts are similar in that both of them illustrate how parents and children often struggle with barriers in communication despite their love for each other. In particular, children may not always understand their parents’ experiences from before they were born, or how those experiences affect them in the present.

It’s not all bad though—love perseveres, and sometimes parents can surprise you. When Magda finally comes out to her parents, their response is generally quite receptive, and her father is perhaps uncharacteristically touching in this scene: “Whatever his misgivings were he didn’t dwell on them and he never let the come between us. As I was about to leave they both put their arms around me. ‘We love you,’ they said.”

Trauma in Reckoning and The Namesake

Additionally, both texts deal with parent-child relationships that are affected by experiences of trauma that parents attempt to suppress.

In The Namesake , it’s largely Ashoke’s brush with death that jars his world view, to the point where he names Gogol after the author whose book saved his life after his accident. However, because he doesn’t process his trauma or tell Gogol the story, it leads to a gap in understanding that compromises some elements of their relationship.

These themes are more strongly present in Reckoning , where Zbigniew’s experiences in the war shape many of his opinions and attitudes, as well as his approach to parenting. Tennis, for example, becomes a vehicle for him to teach Magda about winning and losing, “never once let[ting Magda] win.” They have a similarly clinical experience with hunting, where Zbigniew “los[es] patience” with Magda for mourning the death of a rabbit.

Correctly, though retrospectively, Magda hypothesises that this came from a need to “prove himself” after the war ended, and to “discharge the pent-up killer energy inside him.” Even though she would only understand this in time, it didn’t change how her father’s trauma shaped her childhood in ways that she couldn’t have understood at the time.

Reckoning also shows that trauma can be intergenerational, or as Magda puts it “passed on genetically.” She discovers that her maternal grandfather Luke lived through the Irish famine, and watched ten of his siblings die of poverty, causing her to wonder about the “gift of [her] Irish inheritance” that was left on her psyche.

What’s worth remembering here is that it isn’t just the fathers who bury traumatic events from their past (surprising, I know). When Magda’s mother slaps her for the first time, it is because Magda repeats one of her own deepest regrets, soiling a dress made to visit their respective fathers in hospital: “I understand now, of course, that it was herself she was slapping.”

So, while it is true in both texts that traumatic memories impact how parents relate to their children, Reckoning is a deeper and broader exploration of intergenerational trauma. In particular, Magda not only looks at her relationship with her parents, but also her parents’ relationship with theirs.

Migration & Heritage in Reckoning and The Namesake

This is the final piece of the puzzle in terms of major themes and how they fit together. With how characters relate to culture and heritage, we also see both texts evince some rich, intergenerational differences.

In The Namesake , there’s a marked cultural schism between Gogol and his parents. Gogol is desperate to escape his ethnicity, and his status as a second-generation migrant means he is well-assimilated into American culture—he wears his shoes in the house, addresses his parents in English, and dresses like an American. He is also comfortable dating American people, feeling “effortlessly incorporated” into Maxine’s family and daily life. On the other hand, Ashima is demonstrated to struggle more with the move, describing it as a “lifelong pregnancy”, a burden that people treat with “pity and respect.” There are ties to other themes here as well—for example Ashima’s homesickness is sharpened by the fact that she is separated from her family, in particular her parents. It also means that she becomes a part of the life from which Gogol is so desperate to escape.

In Reckoning however, this generational gap is reversed. It is Zbignew who yearns to escape his home culture, while Magda desperately wishes to understand her father: “while I was racing backwards towards my Polishness, my father was rushing in the other direction, assimilating at a rate of knots.” Though this is reversed, there are still ties into other themes: intergenerational misunderstandings for instance are perpetuated by their differing stances on migration. Trauma is also relevant, as Zbigniew is trying to escape it, while Magda is simply working towards understanding her father.

Put this way, we can understand how familial relationships can be complicated by migration, trauma, and the different attitudes it can engender.

Reckoning and The Namesake are two texts that explore many similar themes—family, migration, trauma, heritage, identity—over the span of decades. I would probably argue that family is the central theme that grounds many of the others; it shapes the identity of children—migrant children—and brings out traumatic memories in spite of your best efforts to suppress them.

Hopefully, this gives you a good overview of the themes across these two texts, how they fit together, and how they are similar or different. Don’t forget that themes can overlap and intersect, as is often the case here.

Reckoning and The Namesake Essay Prompt Breakdown

The topic draws on two quotes:

“But in the meantime I had been given a great gift—my parents’ unconditional love.” ( Reckoning )

“‘Don’t worry,’ his father says. ‘To me and your mother you will never be anyone but Gogol.’” ( The Namesake )

And the prompt itself is:

Compare what the two texts suggest about parent-child relationships.

Topics for comparative essays are usually pretty broad, but let’s pull out some key words and questions that the topic and the quotes seem to raise.

The one that stands out the most to me is this idea of ‘unconditional love’. For parents, this usually means they’ll love and support their child no matter what mistakes or choices they make . In the context of Reckoning , this was brought up in terms of Magda’s sexuality , which is neither a mistake nor a choice, but consider how it permeates through the memoir, and how it’s always been there in some of her parents’ thoughts, words and actions. And how might it compare with The Namesake ?

The other quote is a little more interesting, in particular the ‘to me and your mother’ bit, which I think complicates the idea of unconditional love . Is love still unconditional if parents define who you are and who you will “never be”? I think what’s implied here is that you want to include some discussion of parental expectations, which is another can of worms. It might include things like how parents want you to behave, what career choices they might want you to make, whether or not they approve of your friends or romantic partners .

Now, let’s dive into a possible plan to tackle a topic like this...

Paragraph One

So firstly, let's establish that parent-child relationships are often laden with expectations .

It may not be the obvious example, but Ashima’s family had undoubtedly expected her to marry Ashoke , a PhD student in Boston at the time, as conveyed through “her mother’s salesmanship” . We see this mirrored in the life of Moushumi as well, whose parents orchestrated a “series of unsuccessful schemes” to see her married in her adolescence. Gogol experiences expectations that aren’t all so intentional—while his parents don’t mean him any harm by naming him Gogol, he feels trapped by the name, “ always hated it” in fact. Still, his parents are markedly “ disappointedly ” when he chooses Columbia over MIT, and are “ distressed ” by his low income while he’s at college.

Szubanski’s parents have somewhat similar expectations in this regard: “t he ranks of the second generation are full of doctors and lawyers and professionals.” She felt that “ all of the family’s educational hopes rested on [her].”

These examples mightn’t be the most obvious, but they’re effective for making this point, and don’t need too much explanation to tie it into the prompt .

Paragraph Two

Let’s keep this in mind for our second paragraph: trauma can be passed on intergenerationally through how parents treat their children, and this can bring its own set of expectations as well.

Gogol feels trapped by his name, but it is a result of his father’s traumatic experiences . What Ashoke might not realise is that this has caused Gogol even more distress of his own. This is probably stronger in Reckoning , where Peter’s emotional capacity is compromised as a result of war . When Magda looks through the book filled with pictures of decomposing bodies and feels uneasy, her father’s comment, “ don’t be silly, it’s just a picture,” m akes her feel ashamed of herself for her “stupidity and weakness” . So, parental expectations can be distorted by their traumatic experiences, which only serves to pass that trauma on.

Paragraph Three

To conclude, let’s flip this around to look at how children respond to their parents: in both texts, there’s a sense that being able to confront these expectations and memories from the past helps children to synthesise their own identity and move forward in their own lives.

In The Namesake , Gogol only reads The Overcoat after his father dies, in fact saving it from a box that was about to be donated, “ destined to disappear from his life altogether.” The novel ends here, which could represent that he is able to move into a new phase of his life only after having grappled with this one. Szubanski’s pilgrimage back to Poland and Ireland come from similar desires to better understand her parents. She “wondered if Europe might provide the sense of home [she] craved” particularly given her father’s desire to never look back at his traumatic past there.

I think the bottom line is that parent-child relationships are already complex, and can be further complicated by a number of factors. Still, it’s up to children to grapple with the burden of expectations, and to forge our own path forward from there.

Runaway is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Creative Response. For a detailed guide on Creative Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Creative Writing .

The biggest challenge of the creative writing SAC in VCE is figuring out how to balance your own ideas and style with that of the text you’re studying. The assessment requires you to incorporate elements of a text into your writing without copying the original narrative. In this case, Runaway by Alice Munro (2004) is a short story collection that explores themes of marriage, loss, mother/daughter relationships, womanhood and more. To be able to emulate Munro’s writing style within your original piece, it’s important to analyse the most frequent devices she incorporates into her work. By focusing specifically on the three stories ‘Chance’, ‘Soon’ and ‘Silence’, we can understand how Munro writes and how to embed that into a Creative Response. 

If you would like more information on the themes in Runaway , you can refer to this blog post.

Literary devices can be defined as the techniques that an author uses in writing to convey meaning and their ideas within their work. These devices construct the story and emphasise key themes , which are particularly important to note when studying a text in VCE English. There are many devices that you may already be familiar with - metaphors, similes and repetition are commonly used in a variety of types of writing. For example, repetition of a certain word or phrase within a text highlights that it has significance and is reinforcing a particular idea or theme. By identifying which literary devices an author prefers to include in their novel, you can gain an understanding of their style and have a practical method for emulating it within a Creative Response. Below is a breakdown of some of the techniques woven by Munro throughout ‘Chance’, ‘Soon’ and ‘Silence.’

Embedded Narrative

An embedded narrative is like a story within a story, often with the intention of lending symbolic significance to the narrative. In ‘Chance’, Munro includes many references to Greek mythology, embedding a story within the broader narrative. The myths she has chosen are similar to events in Juliet’s life, creating an intentional comparison. 

For instance, Juliet’s affection for Eric prompts her to visit his home where she meets Christa and Ailo, two women Eric has had a relationship with. Upon meeting them, Juliet is reminded of ‘Briseis and Chryseis’, who were ‘playmates’ of a Greek king. Munro’s use of this embedded narrative within Juliet’s story reveals how Juliet feels jealous of the two women and sees them as incapable of having a serious relationship with Eric. To echo this in a Creative Response, you might want to include either a myth, folktale or historical event that relates to your narrative and the characters within it. 

Time Progression/Regression

Time progression/regression refers to jumping back and forwards in time within a story to give context to certain characters or events. For example, the narrative moves back and forth in ‘Silence’ to slowly reveal the before and after of Juliet and Penelope’s estrangement. This helps to inform the reader of Penelope’s motives for no longer speaking to Juliet, and how Juliet deals with the pain of losing a relationship with her daughter. Any movement through time is typically shown through section breaks in the writing, as it alerts the reader that one scene has ended and a new one has begun. These moments might interrupt the chronological narrative, or you might choose to jump backwards and forwards consistently, although this can make your piece more complicated.

Epistolary Elements

‘Epistolary’ is defined as literary work ‘in the form of letters’. Munro weaves elements of this within Runaway, including letters within several of the stories. The letters help to convey the narrative through one character’s perspective, providing insight into their motivations and perspectives. This is particularly effective when the story is written in the third person, as a letter is usually in the first person, allowing for characters to be understood on a deeper level.

In ‘Soon’, Juliet’s letter to Eric demonstrates their intimacy as a couple. Munro has constructed the letter so that it contains very mundane details about Juliet’s time with Sara, instead of just the exciting or alarming news she might have to share. The personal nature of the letter conveys just how close Eric and Juliet are, and how different her relationship with him is from that with Sara. Epistolary elements can be easily included as a small section of a Creative Response as correspondence between two of your characters.

Finally, Munro often uses italics to emphasise certain words or phrases that are particularly important. Italics can also convey the tone of a character, as they might draw attention to some words spoken in excitement or anger. For example, when Juliet meets Joan at the church in ‘Silence’, Joan’s dialogue often has italics to highlight when she is making passive-aggressive remarks about Juliet’s relationship with Penelope. Munro is demonstrating that Joan has been influenced by Penelope in her opinion of Juliet, as she clearly dislikes her and speaks in a condescending manner towards her. You might decide to implement italics only in dialogue, or to use it in other parts of your response, to highlight an important moment within the plot.

Tips for Emulating Munro’s Style

While emulating the style of an author is an important component of a Creative Response, coming up with your own ideas is equally important! To find an idea that you are invested in, think about the parts of Runaway that really spoke to you and that you would like to explore more; this could be a broad theme or a specific character. It is easier to write about something you are interested in than something you feel obligated to write about. Come up with potential responses that you are excited to write, and then plan accordingly by asking “How can I incorporate parts of Munro’s style into this piece?”

To plan out your piece, start by creating a simple plot structure to guide your writing. If it helps, this can include a 3-act structure consisting of a set-up, conflict, and resolution; or you might prefer to do a simple dot point plan instead. When considering what literary devices you would like to include, pick at least one literary technique, and work on making it fit with your idea. Focus on incorporating that one as best as you can before you move on to another one. You might want to pick a second technique that is more subtle, like italics, and start applying that in your second or third draft.

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The Female Role Analysis in the Film “Rear Window” Essay (Movie Review)

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Body of the paper, works cited.

Nowadays, it became a commonplace practice among many people to oppose the social manifestations of sexism and male-chauvinism, as such that result in the humanization of women. Nevertheless, as practice indicates, not too many people are thoroughly aware of all the discursive aspects of what the above-mentioned notions stand for. In this respect, watching the 1954 film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock should come in as a great asset for them, because (contrary’s to the director’s will) it does expose the metaphysical ground, out of which men’s sexist attitudes towards women actually derive.

In my paper, I will explore the validity of this suggestion at length, while referring to some of the film’s scenes, as such that subtly promote the essentially sexist idea that, when compared to men, women appear to be differently ‘brain-wired’, which in turn implies their cognitive/perceptual ‘otherness’ – if not an outright inferiority.

The fact that Rear Window clearly tends to stereotype women in terms of a ‘nuisance’, becomes quite obvious in the film’s initial scene, where the main character (Jeff) talks on the phone with his employer, while mentioning that one of the reasons why will not consider marrying a woman, is that this would force him to spend too much time with a ‘nagging wife’ (00.06.24). The very manner of how Jeff came up with this statement leaves only a few doubts that he sincerely believed that one of the main ‘functions’ of wives, is to bug their husbands. However, even though Jeff’s assumption, in this respect, appears rather unsubstantiated, during the course of the fifties, it remained the integral part of what was then the predominant socio-cultural discourse in America.

As the film’s plot continues to unravel, viewers get to be exposed to more and more scenes that appear to confirm the validity of the male-chauvinistic idea that the socially disadvantaged status of women is thoroughly ‘natural’. The discursive legitimacy of this suggestion can be well illustrated, in regards to the scene, in which the character of Jeff’s maid Stella expounds on the sheer appropriateness of a ‘loveless’ marriage, as such that sooner or later is predetermined to end up in the romantic reconciliation of the involved parties: “Some of the world’s happiest marriages have started ‘under the gun’, as you might say” (00.11.45). Having been expressed by an older (and presumably wiser) woman, this idea correlates perfectly well with men’s unconscious anxiety to impose their dominance upon women – even if the latter exhibit the signs of resistance.

Nevertheless, in light of what is about follow in the film, the earlier mentioned emanations of the cinematographic sexism can be well deemed rather ‘innocent’. The reason for this is that many of the film’s consequential scenes seem to be fully consistent with the philosophy of one the 20 th century’s most notorious sexists – Otto Weininger. For example, according to Weininger: “The male lives consciously, the female lives unconsciously… The woman receives her consciousness from the man” (61).

The suggestion that this idea may not be altogether deprived of a rationale is supported by the film’s scene, in which Lisa (Jeff’s fiancée) elaborates on how she spent her day: “I had to dash to the Waldorf for a quick drink with Madame Dufresne, and then I had lunch with the Harper’s Bazaar people… Then I had to have a cocktail with Leland and Slim Hayward” (00.20.01). It is understood, of course, that this implies that the life of a single woman is pointless to an extent – unless we are to assume that there is indeed some deep purpose to one’s bellyful idling.

The sexist idea that, while remaining single, women will not be able to realize their existential potential to the fullest, is being explored even further in the scene where Jeff watches one of his presumably divorced female-neighbors serving a dinner for two in her apartment, while pretending that she is being on a date with some invisible man (00.22.51). After having been exposed to this scene, viewers will inevitably conclude that there is indeed something utterly unnatural about the situation. After all, in it, the concerned woman is shown being in the state of an acute emotional distress – all due to her loneliness. At the same time, however, viewers are expected to give her a credit for not giving up on the dream of finding happiness in marriage – throughout the film’s entirety, she tries to lure the potential ‘suitors’ to her apartment.

The movie’s apparent sexism is also exhibited in the where scene Lisa suggests that no price for a fashionable dress can be high enough: “If I paid (highly) for it, it means it was well worth it” (00.17.35). This can be well interpreted as yet another indication that women are naturally ‘preprogrammed’ to go about striving to attain a social prominence by the mean of affiliating themselves with men, who after having been turned into husbands, begin to play the role of hunter-gatherers. After all, a woman’s ability to please the eye of a man represents the foremost precondition for her to be able to win a husband.

There is another memorable scene in the movie, where Jeff and Lisa converse on the subject of what triggers a man’s sensation of affection towards a woman: “Lisa: How far does a girl have to go before you’ll notice her? Jeff: Well, if she’s pretty enough, she doesn’t have to go anywhere” (00.44.14). It goes without saying, of course, that the quoted verbal exchange between the two is there to advocate the idea that used to be considered thoroughly appropriate in the fifties – a woman’s worth is solely concerned with what happened to be the particulars of her physical appearance.

Apparently, the director believed that, on an unconscious level, women are perfectly aware of it, which is exactly the reason why Rear Window contains a number of scenes, in which women appear to be solely preoccupied with creating the atmosphere of a sexual tension, while in the company of men. The most illustrative of them is probably the one, in which Jeff’s another female-neighbor flirts with three men at once (00.24.25). Yet, as the film implies, the purpose of this flirtation is far from having been concerned with the woman’s desire to socialize, but rather with the fact that she happened to be aware of what constitutes her foremost existential priority – ‘catching’ a rich man for a husband.

As Jeff noted: “She picked the most prosperous-looking one” (00.24.29). The subtle message that this scene conveys can be deciphered as follows: as opposed to what it happened to be the case with men (who usually resort to socialization, as the mean of expanding their intellectual horizons), women indulge in this specific activity solely for the purpose of living up to what happened to be their biological ‘calling’ in life. This interpretation correlates perfectly well with Weininger’s sexist assumption that: “It is true that woman has the gift of speech, but she has not the art of talking; she converses (flirts) or chatters, but she does not talk” (118). The above-stated implies that, as compared to men, women are being much closer to nature – hence, the popularity of another sexist idea that women tend to act rather instinctively, while facing life-challenges.

Sure enough, Hitchcock’s movie is there to confirm the validity of this stereotypical assumption. It is not only the Lisa takes pride in the sheer acuteness of her feminine intuition, but she clearly refers to it as the instrument of pursuing an unmistakably sexual agenda, on her part: “Lisa: I will trade you (Jeff) my feminine intuition for a bed for the night” (01.10.45). This, of course, is nothing but yet another proof that Rear Window deliberately stereotypes women as the emotion-driven creatures.

However, it is specifically the fact that this film appears to emphasize the sheer strength of female sexuality, which can be seen the most clear indication of its gender-biasness. To illustrate the validity of this suggestion, we can well refer to the scene, in which Lisa admits to Jeff that when she feels sexually aroused, the sensation in question completely overwhelms her: “When I want a man, I want all of him” (00.44.32). After all this scene implies that, whereas, male sexuality can be compared with an incidental skin-itch, which goes away after having been scratched, female sexuality is best compared with an allergic skin-rash, the scratching of which only increases the itch’s severity.

Perceptually arrogant males may well assume that the very specifics of women’s bodily constitution, determine the mentioned state of affairs. The reason for this is that the female genitals are ‘internal’, which in turn implies that women experience a somewhat hard time, while trying to act in the asexual manner – hence, the phenomenon of numerous ‘G-spots’ being located all over a woman’s body. Thus, even though that, in the formal sense of this word, there is nothing utterly inappropriate about the mentioned scene; it is far from being the case de facto , as it hints that a woman’s whole body is in essence one big sexual organ. It is understood, of course, that this idea is potentially capable of dehumanizing women. As such, it can hardly be considered socially appropriate.

I believe that the earlier deployed line of argumentation, in defense of the suggestion that the film Rear Window emanates the strongly defined spirit of sexism, is fully consistent with the paper’s initial thesis. Apparently, Rear Window could not offer a discursively progressive interpretation, as to what delineates the qualitative essence of the interrelationship between the representatives of both genders, by definition – the movie was produced at the time when the notion of sexism did not even exist. Nevertheless, I believe that there is a certain educational value to the film in question. After all, as it was mentioned in the Introduction, it does contain a number of clues, as to what account for the theoretical premise, upon which the sexist prejudices toward women continue to be based.

Rear Window . Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. James Stewart, Grace Kell, Wendell Corey and Thelma Ritter. Paramount Pictures, 1954. Web.

Weininger, Otto 1906, Sex & Character . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 17). The Female Role Analysis in the Film "Rear Window". https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-female-role-analysis-in-the-film-rear-window/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "The Female Role Analysis in the Film "Rear Window"." May 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-female-role-analysis-in-the-film-rear-window/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Female Role Analysis in the Film "Rear Window"." May 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-female-role-analysis-in-the-film-rear-window/.

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IvyPanda . "The Female Role Analysis in the Film "Rear Window"." May 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-female-role-analysis-in-the-film-rear-window/.

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Evaluating Performances in Hitchcock's "Rear Window"

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Introduction

Evaluating performances: the five categories, appropriateness, 2. inherent thoughtfulness or emotionality.

3. Expressive Coherence

4. wholeness and unity, 5. effortlessness, analysis of film's suspense and hitchcock's approach, conclusion: a symphony of performances.

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Rear Window

By alfred hitchcock.

• Rear Window Summary

The entirety of Rear Window takes place in and around the back courtyard connecting apartments in the West Village of New York City. L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart), the resident of one of the second-floor apartments, is a photojournalist who recently broke his leg while on the job. He is going stir crazy, having been stuck inside for the past six weeks. He entertains himself by moving his wheelchair next to the rear window of his apartment and watching his neighbors.

Jeff's chatty nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter) cautions Jeff about the legal consequences for "Peeping Toms", but Jeff laughs off her warnings. While Stella massages him, Jeff confesses that his girlfriend, Lisa, expects him to marry her but he thinks she's too perfect-Park-Avenue for him. Later, Jeff is awakened by a kiss from Lisa (Grace Kelly). She sets up a fancy take-out dinner for them. After eating, Lisa and Jeff have a serious conversation about their differences. Jeff describes the difficult conditions that Lisa would have to endure as the wife of a traveling photojournalist; he doesn't think that she's meant for "that kind of life." Jeff's stubbornness frustrates Lisa; she loves him and just wants them to be together.

That night, a thunderstorm wakes Jeff up at 2 a.m. He sees the salesman who lives in the building across from his leave his apartment with a briefcase and return an hour later. Strangely, the salesman then leaves with his briefcase once more. Jeff falls asleep. When Jeff wakes up, he sees the salesman return for a second time. Meanwhile, the salesman's wife, who previously appeared to be homebound, is no longer in their apartment. The next day, Jeff watches the salesman wrap a thin saw and a butcher knife in newspaper.

Lisa comes to visit, but she feels like Jeff's mind is elsewhere. He proves her right by sharing his suspicion that the salesman killed his wife and chopped up her body. Lisa is frustrated with Jeff's obsession with watching his neighbors and threatens to leave. Then, she goes quiet when she sees the salesman wrapping heavy ropes around a big, brown chest. Suddenly, Lisa isn't so dismissive; she asks Jeff to tell her everything he's seen. Later, Lisa snoops around and finds out that the salesman's name is Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr).

Jeff calls his friend, Det. Doyle (Wendell Corey), to report a "neighborhood murder." Meanwhile, Jeff and Stella keep watching Mr. Thorwald 's apartment as two uniformed deliverymen carry out the rope-wrapped trunk. Det. Doyle arrives and is immediately skeptical about Jeff's far-flung conclusions. Nevertheless, Doyle agrees to find out where Mrs. Thorwald is. After Doyle leaves, Jeff notices a little dog digging up the flowers that Mr. Thorwald planted in the courtyard the day before. That evening, Doyle returns and tells Jeff that Mrs. Thorwald took a train to Merrittsville the night before and even sent a postcard to her husband informing him of her safe arrival. However, Jeff keeps questioning Doyle's information.

While he is alone that evening, Jeff watches Mr. Thorwald pack all of his clothing. Excited, Jeff calls Doyle's house and leaves an urgent message. Then, he watches Thorwald empty his wife's handbag, the contents of which include her jewelry. Lisa arrives. After getting Jeff's update, Lisa says that Mrs. Thorwald would never leave behind her favorite handbag or her jewelry if she were going on a trip. Lisa speculates that the woman who left the Thorwalds' apartment with Mr. Thorwald was not actually his wife. Doyle comes to Jeff's apartment and systematically dismisses all of Jeff and Lisa's questions. It turns out that the mysterious trunk was filled with Mrs. Thorwald's clothing.

Lisa and Jeff are deflated after Doyle's refusal to take their suspicions seriously and close the window to spend some time alone. But just as Lisa and Jeff start flirting, a loud scream emerges from behind the closed blinds. The woman who sleeps on the fire escape is weeping - someone has strangled her little dog and broken its neck. All the neighbors rush onto their balconies except for Mr. Thorwald, who is sitting in his apartment in the dark. The next day, Lisa and Stella stand beside Jeff while he uses his camera to spy on Mr. Thorwald washing the bathroom walls. Stella comments that there must have been a lot of blood when Mr. Thorwald killed his wife. Jeff then compares two slides he took of the flowerbeds in the courtyard - it is clear that the flowers that Mr. Thorwald planted have gotten shorter over time. He believes that something is buried under them. Jeff writes an anonymous note to Mr. Thorwald that reads, "What have you done with her?"

Stella and Jeff watch as Lisa slips the note under Mr. Thorwald's door. Thorwald comes into the hallway after reading it, but Lisa is already gone. Later, Jeff makes an anonymous phone call to Mr. Thorwald in order to get him out of the apartment, thus making it safe for Lisa and Stella to dig around in the flowerbed. However, nothing is buried there. Since Mr. Thorwald is still out, Lisa decides to shimmy up the fire escape and into his apartment. Unfortunately, Mr. Thorwald returns before Lisa has the chance to escape. Jeff calls the police, but Mr. Thorwald has already found Lisa in his apartment. He attacks her. Luckily, the police show up and take Lisa away. She flashes her ring finger at Jeff, showing him that she has managed to steal Mrs. Thorwald's wedding ring - proof that her disappearance is involuntary. Mr. Thorwald sees Lisa signaling to Jeff before the police take her away. Stella runs to the police station with money to bail Lisa out.

Jeff is alone in his apartment, sitting in the dark, when Thorwald comes inside. He demands that Jeff return the wedding ring, but Jeff explains that Lisa has given it to the police. Thorwald attacks Jeff just as Doyle and Lisa arrive at Thorwald's apartment across the courtyard. Jeff calls out their names and they run down the stairs, but Thorwald is already strangling Jeff; he dangles him from the window. The policemen grab Thorwald from inside Jeff's apartment, but Jeff falls. Thorwald makes a full confession to the police - he disposed of Mrs. Thorwald's body in the East River. Then, he killed the dog for digging where her head was buried. After that, he moved the head to a hatbox inside.

In the epilogue, Jeff's neighbors' lives resume. Meanwhile, he's asleep in his wheelchair, now with both legs in casts. Lisa is sitting on the bed reading a book called "Beyond the High Himalayas." Once she sees that Jeff is asleep, she puts down the book and picks up Harper's Bazaar .

Rear Window Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Rear Window is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Jeff's Character

As a character, Jeff is sympathetic because his worst trait (at this point in his life) is that he watches others in order to escape from his own problems. It is hard not to feel sorry for him, but that doesn't mean we aren't appalled by his...

From whom does jefferies receive a phone call at the very beginning of the film

That would be his editor.

The Window (Visual Imagery)

One of the most important visual elements of Rear Window is Hitchcock's use of the window itself. From the opening credits of the film, the window frames the world outside Jeff's apartment. Each of the neighbors that...

Study Guide for Rear Window

Rear Window study guide contains a biography of Alfred Hitchcock, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Rear Window
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Rear Window

Rear Window essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock.

• Physical and Emotional Immobility: Parallel Characteristics in 'Rear Window'
• The Dilemma of Prying
• 'Rear Window' as a Snapshot of Its Era
• Gender Roles and Household Pressures in 'Rear Window'
• A Critique of Escapism in “It Had to Be Murder” and "Rear Window"

Wikipedia Entries for Rear Window

• Introduction