Advanced Module B:

Critical Study of Literature

The Hare with Amber Eyes,
by Edmund de Waal
 Encourage autonomous thinking
Encourage students to discuss what they consider the main points of
the of the rubric require:
• develop detailed analytical and critical knowledge – students
explore the ideas expressed in the text through analysing its
construction, content and language
• understanding and appreciation – students discuss and evaluate
the ways in which the text has been read, received and valued in
historical and other contexts
• through increasingly informed and personal responses – students
research others’ perspectives of the text and test these against
their own understanding interpretations of the text
• the text in its entirety – students develop a deeper understanding
• distinctive qualities – what aspects of the text make it unique? eg.
genré, form, characterisation, narrative style, structure, etc.
• textual integrity – generally refers to the unity of a text; its coherent
use of form and language to produce an integrated whole in terms
of meaning and value
• significance – what does the text mean to them? Why are the ideas
it conveyed worth valuing?
Encourage
critical
thinking in the
class room
 Critical Reading – New Historicism
 This critical school has been hugely influential on scholarship of
the last decade. The overarching concern of ‘The Hare with
Amber Eyes’ falls within a critical reading of New Historicism:
 New Historicists is interested in recovering lost histories and in
exploring mechanisms of repression and subjugation. New
Historicists tend to concentrate on those at the top of the social
hierarchy (i.e. the church, the monarchy, the upper-classes. It
tends to draw on the disciplines of political science and
anthropology, due to its interest in governments, institutions, and
culture, and is interested in questions of circulation, negotiation,
profit and exchange , i.e. how activities that purport to be above
the market (including literature) are in fact informed by the values
of that market. However, New Historicists take this position further
by then claiming that all cultural activities may be considered as
equally important texts for historical analysis. It is also more
specifically concerned with questions of power and culture,
especially the messy commingling of the social and the cultural,
or of the supposedly autonomous self and the cultural/ political
institutions that in fact produce that self.
The story, in a nutshell . . .

• ‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’ follows the story of the

wealthy Ephrussis family through Charles Ephrussi’s
collection of Japanese netsuke. De Waal A texts that is a
compassionate assay of flawed and fascinating human
characters. The celebrated ceramicist Edmund de Waal
became the fifth generation to inherit this miniature and
impeccably detailed collection of netsuke. The novel
traces his dedicated journey to trace the his family’s
trauma and survival through the beauty and mystery of
the exquisite collection.

• The collection’s changing owners reveals a dynamic

and powerful family, that was almost wiped out by the
hatred and greed of the Nazis. The novel’s gripping
reality and the near annihilation of the Ephrussis family,
paralleled the destruction of Europe during WWII.
 Distinctive qualities of
‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’:

 Structure: the structure of de Waal’s narrative is related chronologically in

five-parts, which has the effect of unfolding history
 – how might finding your place in history be comforting, or confronting?

 Genre: de Waal’s memoir maps a personal journey, an exploration into the

complex world of family heritage and inheritance
 – students consider what legacies we inherent, knowingly and unknowingly?
Why is it there such a need for humans to document their life? Does it help us
to understand the world, or heal hurts?

 Themes: de Waal’s questions our perception of self through challenges ideal

about are and beauty: the ‘theory of why some objects – pots, baskets, cloth
made by unknown craftsmen – were so beautiful . . . They expressed
unconscious beauty because they had been made in such numbers that the
craftsman had been liberated from his ego.’
– What do students personally feel about values expressed in this statement?
 Distinctive qualities of
‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’:

 Historical context: Netsuke are small Japanese wooden or

ivory that were worm by Japanese men in 17th century. This
enigmatic figures became fashionable and sought-after
collectors items in 1900s.
The historical context of Netsuke:
Noriko Tsuchiya explains the history of netsuke at the
British Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkxLBxrt_X4

 Personal context: De Wall’s personal context:

The Hare with Amber Eyes - a closer look at the netsuke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMci7etxN8U
 Ideas: The concept that collectables, having the power to absorb
the essence of the epoch from which they belong and "retain the
pulse of their making“, which represents their value, like secrets. How
does de Wall explore this idea in the novel? How does this concept
resonate throughout humanity?
Distinctive qualities of
‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’:

 Language: de Waal writes in first person narrative to

depict intricate descriptions, the past grandeur of the
bel époque in Paris, a dynamic period between 1971
and 1914, that influenced culture, art, architecture that
captured diverse styles
The text is written with an artist’s precision and sensibility
to this other medium: a meticulous attention to the
detail of language, its rhythms and its evocative
potential :
-Melancholy, I think, is a sort of default vagueness, a
get-out clause, a smothering lack of focus. And this
netsuke is a small, tough explosion of exactitude. It
deserves this kind of exactitude in return.
– how does the language of the text shape its meaning?
Distinctive qualities of
‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’:
 Setting: de Waal’s portrays an insightful history of
Europe from the late nineteenth century to the middle
of the twentieth. The text evokes historically poignant
movements that changed our thinking and
perception, such as the fin de siecle France, which
provided the impetus for movements such as
symbolism and modernism
 – how does the setting contribute to the drama of the
narrative?

 Values: Creativity and beauty are valued as goals for

the human spirit, which is revealed in de Waal’s
reverence of the Wiener Werkstatt of Vienna, which
established an innovative community of visual artists
and is considered to be the pioneer of modern art. De
Waal connects with these craftsmen through a
celebration of the luxury of beauty
 – in what ways are the values of creativity and beauty
relevant in modern society? How does the way these
values change throughout the text reflect on society?
Ideas for Formative/Summative Assessments:

What the syllabus says:

 Students base their judgements on detailed evidence
drawn from:
•their research into the various aspects of the text’s
content
•Reading material such as articles, poems, short
stories, etc. that relate to issues raised in the text

 Students evaluate notions of context with regard to

the text’s composition and reception; investigate and
evaluate the perspectives of others; and explore the
ideas in the text, further strengthening their informed
personal perspective.
 Through reading,
viewing or listening
they critically
analyse, evaluate
Students have and comment on
opportunities to the text’s specific
appreciate and language features
express views about and form. They
the aesthetic and express complex
What the syllabus ideas precisely and
imaginative
says: cohesively using
aspects of the text appropriate register,
by composing structure and
creative and modality. They draft,
critical texts of their appraise and refine
own. their own texts,
applying the
conventions of
syntax, spelling and
grammar
appropriately.
Students can investigate:

• De Waal’s use of nesuke as a metaphor for

storytelling?

• How de Waal explores the existential vitality

of some objects emit, that "retain the pulse
of their making“. Do some objects, such as
netsuke, retain the passion and imagination
of those who crafted them, the power an
refinement of those who collected them, the
charm and energy Those who cherished
them?
 Ideas for Summative Assessments:
 Opportunities for students to engage deeply with the text as a responder and composer
further develops personal and intellectual connections with the text, enabling them to
express their considered perspective of its value and meaning.
 Students can produce responses in a variety of medium, including:
• Podcast
• Transcript
• Musical compositions that trace the distinctive qualities of the text
• Poem
• Visual representation
•Prezi, or other technology-based presentation
•Film
•Students consider netsuke’s decorative functionality and choose one of the following
images of possible equivalents of netsuke as a creative writing stimulus.

Cell phone charms Ancient Roman fibula

NESA HSC Exam Specifications – exam-style HSC questions in
2019
 Section II — Module B: Critical Study of Literature
 20 marks
 Allow about 40 minutes for this section
 This question is an example of the type of questions that may be asked in Section II.
 Your answer will be assessed on how well you:
● demonstrate an informed understanding of the ideas expressed in the text
● evaluate the text’s distinctive language and stylistic qualities
● organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience,
purpose and form.
 The primary concern of good nonfiction is the representation of truth. To what
extent does this statement relate to your own understanding of your prescribed
text? In your response, refer to the quotation and your prescribed text.
 The sample question above is specific to one form of the prescribed texts, in this
case, non-fiction.
 However, the HSC question may be specific to the prescribed text itself, asking
about any aspect of the novel, such as theme, characterization, ideas, etc.