Module A - The Shoe-Horn Sonata Flashcards
Introduction - Topic Sentence
Distinctively visual is a median that sheds light on human experience and life. Distinctively visual is employed by a myriad of composers as a means of uncovering and highlighting experiences of war and the effects of war on those involved both directly and indirectly.
Distinctively visual is a median that sheds light on human experience and life. Distinctively visual is employed by a myriad of composers as a means of uncovering and highlighting experiences of war and the effects of war on those involved both directly and indirectly. In the compelling fictional drama ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, John Misto employs the use of theatre to create a unique visual memorial to the wartime experiences of women held captive in Japanese POW camps. Misto also explores the horrors and atrocities of war and ascends the heroic deeds of the women during these historical times. Similarly Kenneth Slessor, in his poignant poem ‘Beach Burial’, confronts the neglect of forgotten soldiers through his vibrant use of visual imagery.
Introduction - The Shoe-Horn Sonata - John Misto
In the compelling drama ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, John Misto employs the use of theatre to create a unique _visual memoria_l to the wartime experiences of women held captive in Japanese POW camps. Misto also explores the horrors and atrocities of war and ascends the heroic deeds of the women during these historical times.
Introduction - Beach Burial - Kenneth Slessor
Similarly Kenneth Slessor, in his poignant poem ‘Beach Burial’, confronts the neglect of forgotten soldiers through his vibrant use of visual imagery.
Horror and Atrocities of War - Introduction
In ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, Misto captures a unique perspective of the horrific and atrocious experiences of war and the impact it has on civilians. Through his characterisation of Bridie and Sheila, Misto portrays the hardships that the nurses had to endure both physically and emotionally as prisoners of war forgotten by their own government.
In ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, Misto captures a unique perspective of the horrific and atrocious experiences of war and the impact it has on civilians. Through his characterisation of Bridie and Sheila, Misto portrays the hardships that the nurses had to endure both physically and emotionally as prisoners of war forgotten by their own government. In Scene 3 Act 1, when Bridie recounts the first time she met Sheila in the South China Sea, after their ships had been sunk by Japanese Zeros, Misto uses ‘the sound of lapping waves’ to create an atmosphere of fear and danger amongst the audience emphasising their struggle for survival and their horrific experiences. Music and audible effects are an important element of the play and becomes a motif of the play through the way it is employed to evoke empathy. In Scene 3 Act 1, the patriotic song ‘Jerusalem’ is juxtaposed with “Slides of Singapore harbour… filled with burning ships.”, which further emphasises the vulnerability of the women and the British Empire at the time. Language features are also used within character dialogue to depict the inhuman manner in which the female POWs were treated; “They shoved us in the cargo hold–no food, no water, no space to lie down.” Through Misto’s use of repetition and diction through his use of strong verbs, Bridie gives the audience an insight into the horrific treatment that they experienced and evokes empathy within the responder. Through Misto’s portrayal of the horrors and atrocities of war, the audience is given a renewed lease on their understanding of war; essentially Misto de-glorifies war.
Horror and Atrocities of War - Quote 1
‘the sound of lapping waves’
Audible Effects
In Scene 3 Act 1, when Bridie recounts the first time she met Sheila in the South China Sea, after their ships had been sunk by Japanese Zeros, Misto uses ‘the sound of lapping waves’ to create an atmosphere of fear and danger amongst the audience emphasising their struggle for survival and their horrific experiences.
Horror and Atrocities of War - Quote 2
‘Jerusalem’
“Slides of Singapore harbour… filled with buringin ships.”
Music + Juxtaposition
Music and audible effects are an important element of the play and becomes a motif of the play through the way it is employed to evoke empathy. In Scene 3 Act 1, the patriotic song ‘Jerusalem’ is juxtaposed with “Slides of Singapore harbour… filled with burning ships.”, which further emphasises the vulnerability of the women and the British Empire at the time.
Horror and Atrocities of War - Quote 3
“They shoved us in the cargo hold–no food, no water, no space to lie down.”
Dialogue + Repetition + Diction + Strong Verbs
Language features are also used within character dialogue to depict the inhuman manner in which the female POWs were treated; “They shoved us in the cargo hold–no food, no water, no space to lie down.”
Through Misto’s use of repetition and diction through his use of strong verbs, Bridie gives the audience an insight into the horrific treatment that they experienced and evokes empathy within the responder.
Horror and Atrocities of War - Conclusion
Through Misto’s portrayal of the horrors and atrocities of war, the audience is given a renewed lease on their understanding of war; essentially Misto de-glorifies war.
Heroism - Introduction
Alternatively, in the play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, Misto creates a visual memorial for the women and army nurses who were forgotten by their own government. Through his use of literary language and drama, Misto brings light to the heroic deeds of the women and sheds new insights on the audience’s preexisting perceptions of war.
Alternatively, in the play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’, Misto creates a visual memorial for the women and army nurses who were forgotten by their own government. Through his use of literary language and drama, Misto brings light to the heroic deeds of the women and sheds new insights on the audience’s preexisting perceptions of war. Misto projects quite confronting images throughout the play in order to emphasise these heroic acts of the individuals. “She went to… to a Japanese guard—and… she sold herself to him for tablets…. They don’t give medals for things like that. But they should.” Misto employs ellipsis within the dialogue to emphasise the immense nature of Sheila’s tough, but heroic act. Although Sheila’s life was not in direct danger through her act of heroism, Misto places substantial significance on her action in order to capture more profound nature of heroism. Misto also uses the motif of music in order to reveal and highlight the heroic acts of the two women, and uses the women’s music as an example of their heroic character. “Together we made a glorious sound that rose above the camp… Fifty voices set us free.” Through his emotive depiction of the women’s music, Misto reveals the power of music, and mate-ship, as a means of overcoming adversity, and his use of metaphor shows how as a group, they psychologically triumphed against the Japanese and were able to finally feel the sense of freedom that they had longed for.
Heroism - Quote 1
“She went to… to a Japanese guard—and… she sold herself to him for tablets…. They don’t give medals for things like that. But they should.”
Ellipsis + Diallogue
Misto projects quite confronting images throughout the play in order to emphasise these heroic acts of the individuals. “She went to… to a Japanese guard—and… she sold herself to him for tablets…. They don’t give medals for things like that. But they should.”
Misto employs ellipsis within the dialogue to emphasise the immense nature of Sheila’s tough, but heroic act whilst placing substantial significance on her action in order to capture the more profound nature of heroism.
Heroism - Quote 2
“Together we made a glorious sound that rose above the camp… Fifty voices set us free.”
Emotive Language
Misto also uses the motif of music in order to reveal and highlight the heroic acts of the two women, and uses the women’s music as an example of their heroic character. “Together we made a glorious sound that rose above the camp… Fifty voices set us free.”
Through his emotive depiction of the women’s music, Misto reveals the power of music, and mate-ship, as a means of overcoming adversity, and his use of metaphor shows how as a group, they psychologically triumphed against the Japanese and were able to finally feel the sense of freedom that they had longed for.
Forgotten Soldiers and Neglect - Introduction
Congruently in ‘Beach Burial’, Slessor brings light to the forgotten soldiers and casualties of war and confronts the neglect of the soldiers despite the profound sacrifice they had made.
Congruently in ‘Beach Burial’, Slessor brings light to the forgotten soldiers and casualties of war and confronts the neglect of the soldiers despite the profound sacrifice they had made. Slessor employs assonance and metaphor when describing the manner in which the bodies were retrieved and buried, “pluck them from the shallows and bury them in burrows.” Slessor uses burrows as a metaphor for the way in which the soldiers were inhumanely treated; like animals buried in burrows, and also emphasises the neglect of the soldiers through his employment of assonance. Slessor also uses personification in order to create a stark image of their desuetude, “The breath of the wet season washed their inscriptions.” Through Slessor’s use of personification the audience is confronted with a symbol of how with their inscriptions, the souls of the soldiers were washed away leaving behind a cold and bitter residue within the responder. Slessor also uses allusion, to highlight the significant sacrifices of the soldiers, “And each cross, the driven stake of tidewood”. Through the use of allusion, the crosses for the soldiers become symbolic of the cross in which Jesus Christ died on, alluding to the significant sacrifice that the soldiers made; evoking a more profound response to the neglect of the soldiers.
Forgotten Soldiers and Neglect - Quote 1
“pluck them from the shallows and bury them in burrows.”
Assonance + Metaphor
Slessor employs assonance and metaphor when describing the manner in which the bodies were retrieved and buried, “pluck them from the shallows and bury them in burrows.”
Slessor uses burrows as a metaphor for the way in which the soldiers were inhumanely treated; like animals buried in burrows, and also emphasises the neglect of the soldiers through his employment of assonance.
Forgotten Soldiers and Neglect - Quote 2
“The breath of the wet season washed their inscriptions.”
Personification
Slessor also uses personification in order to create a stark image of their desuetude, “The breath of the wet season washed their inscriptions.”
Through Slessor’s use of personification the audience is confronted with a symbol of how with their inscriptions, the souls of the soldiers were washed away leaving behind a cold and bitter residue within the responder.
Forgotten Soldiers and Neglect - Quote 3
“And each cross, the driven stake of tidewood”
Allusion
Slessor also uses allusion, to highlight the significant sacrifices of the soldiers, “And each cross, the driven stake of tidewood”.
Through the use of allusion, the crosses for the soldiers become symbolic of the cross in which Jesus Christ died on, alluding to the significant sacrifice that the soldiers made; evoking a more profound response to the neglect of the soldiers.
