Notes on positioning techniques

The aesthetic features of a text position the reader to understand and accept its point of view.

As we progress through this unit, you will be analyzing various texts to identify the way Australia is represented. The questions you need to ask yourself are:

· What does this text say to the reader about Australia and Australians?

· How does the text convey this message? What aesthetic features/positioning techniques position the reader to understand the text's messages and to respond?

The positioning techniques will be different for different kinds of texts. They will include the following:

Movies: camera angles, camera shots, lighting, costuming, characterisation, dialogue, setting, sound effects, music, structure, filming devices such as slow motion, fast forward etc

Short stories: structure, characterisation, point of view, symbols/motifs, language choices, setting, satire, irony

Poetry: simile, metaphor, alliteration, imagery, assonance, personification, repetition, rhyme, rhythm.

Articles: headline, by-line, visuals, language choices, structure, who is quoted and what they say