English Distinctive Voices Essay

“Distinctive voices offer a variety of perspectives on the world”. Compare how this is achieved in your prescribed text and ONCE other related text of your own choosing.

Through certain representations and perspectives, authors are able to deliver powerful messages through their texts and influence a global audience. As such, distinctive voices and their interpretation shed light upon the significant events which occur within humanity and ultimately bring to life the experiences of people as a whole in order to create multiple perspectives change. This notion can be explored through the speech of Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s Address to the Plenary Session, Earth Summit, as she blames the older generation for the environmental degradation that has occurred and ultimately brings out her voice to her audience on this point in order to encourage action. In conjunction to this, Peter Goldsworthy’s novel Maestro focuses on the central character of Paul Crabbe to highlight the personal development of an individual who encounters hardship which in turns heightens his understanding of the world around him. . Similarly, Paul Keating’s speech, Funeral Service of the Unknown Soldier, delivers Keating’ momentous message that although war is considered a mad and brutal time, he believes that Australians demonstrate exceptional comradery and bravery through the times of need. Ultimately, the texts discussed will contribute to how distinctive voices offer a variety of perspectives on the world.

By recognising the responsibility an individual in society holds towards a certain issue, that particular society is able to progress in a positive direction. As conveyed in Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s speech, Address to the Plenary Session, Earth Summit she addresses her strong opinion to her audience that she wants adults to realise that they are the reason for all problems in the world and hence, speaks on behalf of all afflicted children in her generation. In delivering her message, Suzuki’s intergenerational statement, “I am here to speak for all generations to come”, increases her accountability and importance as she speaks on behalf of an innocent and unborn audience. Suzuki furthers her argument to her audience as she states through the exclamation, “If you don’t know how to fix it please stop breaking it!” as it clarifies her disapproval of the ‘adults’, whereby, she promotes understanding and awareness of the decay of the natural world. Furthermore, Suzuki’s closing analogy, “Parents should be able to…” utilises the paternal experience of being able to care for a child as an adult, as a way of cementing the need to address the problems in the world caused by a lack of care and consideration of others. This ultimately conveys Suzuki’s initial message of demanding adults to wake up on what is occurring within the world and to take responsibility, for they are the reasons for the world’s troubles. Within this, Suzuki portrays through her distinctive voice a different perspective on the world, as expressed through a child’s perspective.

Individuals primarily perceive reality through the encounters they face on a daily basis, in correspondence to how they act upon it which results to the knowledge they gain in the end. Within this, a similar thematic concern can be conveyed through the character of Paul Crabbe in Goldsworthy’s novel Maestro, as he explores the transforming relationship between himself and his piano teacher, Eduard Keller, resulting from understanding the importance of Keller’s role which invalidates his immature self into a more knowledgeable man. When Paul is introduced to his piano teacher, Eduard Keller, he immediately judges him as he states, “A pianist’s hands? Impossible. Too unfunctional, surely”, which demonstrates that Paul’s sarcasm reinforces the initial distance and thus elucidates Paul’s inability to learn off Keller and take criticism despite being constructive. Nonetheless, Paul’s experiences with Keller progresses into a ‘father/son’ like relationship as Paul explores a more softer side of Keller, when he state to Paul, “our hours together are over”, which metaphorically symbolises that Paul and Keller’s journey together has reached an end and ultimately has exposed how Pauls experiences with Keller has been brought to life through the way he distinctively interprets it in the novel. Particularly when he responds to Keller’s statement by saying, “you’ve been like a father to me”, which comprehends through the simile, that Paul has discovered Keller’s more intimate and emotional side and thus developed a more fatherly son type of bond, resulting in Paul’s experiences being brought to life and cements his maturation and self-development. Thus, both Suzuki and Goldsworthy capture distinctive voices through the way they perceive the world in their perspective, and elaborate on it to their audiences so that a variety of perspectives can be viewed on the world. Ultimately, these are applicable to their respective societies as they deliver powerful messages that allow us to constantly re-evaluate our world and situation for the better.

The brutal and damaging aspect of war has much to teach us, particularly as it connotes a time of deep mourning and loss through the impacts faced