Language analysis the power of ink
Sample Language Analysis VCAA Exam 2011
There are no existing samples of an analysis of this task as VCAA encountered some problems with copyright, so here goes …
Background information
Helen Day is a part-time journalist and blogger. She maintains her blog entitled Street beat on a variety of current social issues. This blog entry, The Power of Ink, is about tattoos and it has drawn a variety of responses from readers of her blog.
In recent years, the practice of ‘inking’ your body, or having tattoos indelibly imprinted on your skin has become almost ‘de rigueur’ for many in our society, especially the young. There is a wide variety of views about this practice and Helen Day, a regular blogger, has her say in her entry ‘The Power of Ink’. Rather than lecturing her substantial audience of followers, Day chooses simply to trace the stages of the history of tattoos, focusing on the changes in their meaning and significance. Her use of examples and language with negative connotations is effective in arguing that people who choose to ‘adorn’ themselves with tattoos are just as much victims or prisoners as those for whom they were originally intended. Her blog attracted four extremely varied responses within the next twenty four hours, showing that this is indeed a contentious issue.
Helen Day begins by establishing the ubiquitous nature of tattoos. In a light-hearted, humorous fashion, she mentions that people from all walks of life, including ‘suburban housewives’, ‘newsreaders and sitcom stars’ have words and pictures ‘draw[n]’ on their skin. Even at this early stage, she mentions ‘prison’ and readers may feel uncomfortable with this reference, which is just what the writer intends. She clearly states her contention that ‘the power of ink has diminished’.
Day begins her argument by clearly establishing the original purpose of tattooing, using examples from ‘millennia’ as support. She mentions the origins of the practice where the ‘unconsenting backs of
There are no existing samples of an analysis of this task as VCAA encountered some problems with copyright, so here goes …
Background information
Helen Day is a part-time journalist and blogger. She maintains her blog entitled Street beat on a variety of current social issues. This blog entry, The Power of Ink, is about tattoos and it has drawn a variety of responses from readers of her blog.
In recent years, the practice of ‘inking’ your body, or having tattoos indelibly imprinted on your skin has become almost ‘de rigueur’ for many in our society, especially the young. There is a wide variety of views about this practice and Helen Day, a regular blogger, has her say in her entry ‘The Power of Ink’. Rather than lecturing her substantial audience of followers, Day chooses simply to trace the stages of the history of tattoos, focusing on the changes in their meaning and significance. Her use of examples and language with negative connotations is effective in arguing that people who choose to ‘adorn’ themselves with tattoos are just as much victims or prisoners as those for whom they were originally intended. Her blog attracted four extremely varied responses within the next twenty four hours, showing that this is indeed a contentious issue.
Helen Day begins by establishing the ubiquitous nature of tattoos. In a light-hearted, humorous fashion, she mentions that people from all walks of life, including ‘suburban housewives’, ‘newsreaders and sitcom stars’ have words and pictures ‘draw[n]’ on their skin. Even at this early stage, she mentions ‘prison’ and readers may feel uncomfortable with this reference, which is just what the writer intends. She clearly states her contention that ‘the power of ink has diminished’.
Day begins her argument by clearly establishing the original purpose of tattooing, using examples from ‘millennia’ as support. She mentions the origins of the practice where the ‘unconsenting backs of