-       Forgiveness

-       Hunger (being hungry and a hunger for more)

-       Perseverance 
-        Family

-        Coming of age (growing-up)

-        Freedom and confinement

-        Identity
We looked at "escape from the hospital" again and examined how music and cinematography help to:

- Show how happiness can be found in the most unlikely of circumstances

- We discussed the allusion of 'fun and games' when the Walls are under suspicion of child neglect- a very serious charge

- maintain a light-hearted façade while purposefully choosing to ignore the seriousness of Jeanette accidentally setting herself on fire

 Fire- Fire is represented in the opening scene where Jeanette accidentally lights herself on fire. The fire symbol evolves to represent the unknown and the chaotic as well as the beauty and uncertainty in life.

 The Walls homes- The different homes the Walls live in are shown to be a representation of the neglect that the Walls children suffer at the hands of their parents. The contents of the homes changes as the parents hold onto employment and lose it which takes the viewers on the same journey of highs and lows as the Walls children.

Stars- stars are another symbol and are used for much the same purposes as symbolising The Glass Castle. Jeanette is told to pick a star by her father as a Christmas present. The effect is dependent on whether you personally see it as another unattainable idea or if you see it as special.

We deduced that Jeannette eventually makes a correlation between 'empty promises' and 'fancy words' when she tells her father that "talking is not trying".

 Situational Irony- The situational irony is the role reversal of children having to be adults because adults behave like children. 

 Dramatic Irony- Rose Mary calls having to pay for stolen goods “highway robbery”. We have unpacked the term “highway robbery” to mean overcharging or taking advantage of people unnecessarily, implying that the person experiencing highway robbery is upstanding and honest. 

 Vocabulary choice- we have discussed at length the language choices of the Walls parents. While both are highly educated, they choose base and foul language. We have discussed that perhaps this is an attempt by the Walls parents to stay committed to the choice of poverty and as we have learned, completely unnecessary. The profanity that the parents use send the audience into a deliberate state of confusion and is systematically set against displays of high intelligence. 

 Camera angles- A production choice is made to focus closely on the characters where an event or memory is being told. We have discussed that the reasons for this choice could be to highlight the effect on the people involved.  

 Thematic music- We have discussed how the musical choices in the film invoke certain feelings and emotional responses to the events taking place.

 Brian Walls- The only son of the Rex and Rose Mary Walls. Brian assumes the role of protector over his sisters.  Brian adores his mother and father and just like Jeannette, he is constantly faced with unpleasant situations. When Brian is an adult, he becomes a police officer and this symbolises the importance he places on protection and safety.

 Maureen Walls- The youngest daughter of Rex and Rose Mary Walls. Maureen is the most fragile of the siblings and is mostly raised by her siblings. She is often frightened of her father and feels frustrated by her mother's lack of concern for things. she is left with her parents the longest without any immediate support or protection from her siblings, an issue that causes her to withdraw from an important family event.. 

 

·   -Think about how you will use language features to create different levels of meaning. You can focus on a small moment or a broader event.

·    -Your digital story should contain a range of mediums and your choices of audio, imagery, text and effects will help to create an innovative digital story.

 This assessment is Authentic because you are being asked to examine and empathise with the Walls children in order to develop a character perspective. Your response is in character, but the event really happened. Your word length and image count are a guide only, it is up to you what your 2-3 minutes contains.