To Kill a Mockingbird
What lesson does Atticus try to teach Scout when he says you never really understand a person “until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”?
He is teaching Scout empathy — to understand others by seeing things from their perspective.
How does Shakespeare contrast the Athenian court with the fairy world? I.e. What does each setting represent?
The Athenian court represents law, order, and control, while the fairy world embodies magic, freedom, and chaos.
Explain the effect of caesura in a line of poetry.
It creates a pause that can emphasise contrast, tension, or rhythm.
What is the symbolic significance of Blanche’s frequent bathing?
It symbolises her attempt to wash away guilt and trauma, and to seek comfort in illusion.
Who was the NZ prime minister involved in 'Ponytail gate' at the nearby Parnell café?
Sir John Key
How does Harper Lee use the character of Boo Radley to challenge stereotypes and prejudice?
Boo is feared and judged unfairly by the town, but is revealed to be kind and protective, showing how prejudice distorts truth.
Why is Helena’s pursuit of Demetrius unusual in the context of Elizabethan gender roles?
Women were expected to be passive in love, but Helena is active, bold, and challenges social norms.
What is a conceit, and how does it function in metaphysical poetry?
It is an extended, often surprising metaphor that encourages readers to see connections between very different things.
How does Stanley’s treatment of Blanche reflect post-war social changes in America?
It reflects shifting power from the Old South aristocracy (Blanche) to working-class, immigrant masculinity (Stanley).
What is the Waitangi Tribunal, and what is its purpose?
It is a commission set up to investigate breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and recommend settlements for Māori grievances.
Why is it significant that Atticus loses Tom Robinson’s case, despite his strong defense?
It shows how deeply ingrained racial prejudice is in Maycomb, overriding logic and evidence.
How does Shakespeare use Puck’s mistakes to develop the theme of love as irrational?
His errors cause confusion among the lovers, showing how love is unpredictable and not controlled by reason.
Identify and explain how sound devices (such as sibilance or plosives) can shape tone and mood.
Sibilance can create softness, menace, or secrecy; plosives can create harshness or urgency, shaping the atmosphere.
How does the motif of light relate to Blanche’s character and her illusions?
She avoids light to hide her fading beauty and past, clinging to illusions rather than reality.
In Māori culture, what is whakapapa, and why is it important?
Whakapapa means genealogy — it connects people to ancestors, land, and identity, central to Māori worldview.
Compare the symbolism of the mockingbird to both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
Both characters are innocent but harmed by society’s prejudice — like mockingbirds, they represent goodness destroyed by cruelty.
Analyse how the play’s resolution suggests both harmony and underlying tensions between order and chaos.
Marriages restore balance, but the memory of conflict and the uneasy union between opposites suggests harmony is fragile.
How does the use of ambiguity in poetry affect interpretation? Provide an example from a well-known poem.
E.g. The moral ambiguity of the mother in Request to a Year
How does Williams use music (Varsouviana Polka and “Blue Piano”) as a dramatic device?
Music mirrors Blanche’s mental state, signalling trauma, desire, and emotional intensity.
How has New Zealand literature reflected themes of land and identity? Give one author or text as an example.
Many works explore the connection between people and land. Example: Witi Ihimaera’s The Whale Rider explores Māori identity, culture, and environment.
How does Scout’s narrative perspective as an adult looking back shape the novel’s critique of prejudice?
It adds irony, hindsight, and reflection, allowing readers to see both childhood innocence and adult awareness of injustice.
"crows are fatted with the murrion flock."
Explain how enjambment functions in a poem; what can be some of its effects?
Increases pace, creates a disjointed structure
How does Williams use setting and stage directions to reflect the decline of the Old South?
The cramped, decaying apartment and rich stage directions contrast Blanche’s fading aristocratic ideals with harsh modern reality.
How long can a tuatara live?
Potentially up to 200 years in captivity