“Sky High” by Hannah Roberts, “Looking for Alibrandi” directed by Kate Woods, “My Father Began As A God” by Ian Mudie

The way in which we view the world is always changing and to put it plainly, always will be changing. The outlook of the world in the eyes of an eighty year old is vastly different when compared to that of the world seen through the eyes of a six year old. This proves that our perspectives never stay permanent and is always changing. The main reason is most probably due to new experiences encountered in our life, knowledge or our level of maturity. This is shown in prose fiction text “Sky High” by Hannah Roberts, the film “Looking for Alibrandi” directed by Kate Woods and the poem “My Father Began As A God” by Ian Mudie.

In the prose fiction text “Sky High” by Hannah Roberts. This text reflects on a youth persona who turns a simple washing line that is located in a normal back yard into an irrepressible adventure, which is compared to the dull and boring life of the same persona as an adult.

The use of imagination brings a child’s perspective of the garden to a level in which everything is brought to life in and around the backyard. The child’s perspective makes simple items show great symbolism such as the washing line which lifts the persona to an “exalter position, almost sky high”. The washing line is also personified with “sliver skeletal arms” and is “best climbing tree” which metaphorically describes the washing line. Sustained metaphors like “pegs adorning its trunk” are used to further show the responder the comparison between the washing line and a tree. The use of similes enables the responder to be able to take part in the poem and see things in the eyes of an imaginative child, a child who finds a simple backyard, where clothes can be hung like “coloured flags in a secret code”, mystifying and amusing.

The persona turns from childhood to adulthood and back through to show the physical and personal changes a person must go through to have a different perspective of the world. The use of non-linear narration makes the reader go backwards and forward between these to worlds, where in the present, the washing line is used to describe the adult persona which is “older, more aged warped”. The adult persona find the world less entertaining then it once did as a child. The persona feels that it has to many responsibilities “it is unlikely the washing line could support me this time. There are too many things tying me to the ground” which suggest that the personas perspective has changed.

“Sky High” shows the responder a perfect example of how a washing line can be turned into an entertaining object for a child where it is seen as responsibilities as an adult. This shows that the way we view the world is constantly changing.

In the coming of age film “Looking for Alibrandi” directed by Kate Woods. Shows the life of an outspoken teen during the last year of high school and the ways in which her perspective changes about many things in her world.

In the beginning of the film Josie’s perspective of her culture and her relationships is completely different compared to her perspectives at the end of the film.

The opening scene of the film shows Josie’s Italian family crushing up tomatoes; while we are watch we hear a voice over which fills the responder in on background information. During this time there is background music “Tintarella Di Luna” by Happylands which highlights how uncomfortable Josie is with her culture. During this voices over we hear an explanation of tomato day which shows the responder Josie’s negative perspective towards her culture, when she describes it as “national wog day”. When she is speaking we see a sepia wash over the screen which represent a older style movie buts also tell us that her relatives are living there life’s in a different time period and place to her. When Josie’s comes into the picture we see this wash disappeared which shows us that Josie’s does not belong “this is where I come from but do I belong her” in the world of her relatives and shows the responder that she has a different perspective of her world compared to her family.

Half way through this first scene she decides to head to the beach with her two friends for St Martha’s. When this occurs she removes her apron which represents her throwing away her Italian culture and going and joining her Anglo friends which in her perspective seem normal.

When Josie’s meets her long lost love John Barton, who goes to an all boys private school, the director makes the scene slow down and uses an emotive song which clearly states Josie’s intentions for him. While John Barton is stepping out of the bus we hear Josie say “there is always a slither of hope” which tell the responder that Josie’s believes that John Barton has the perfect life and that he could make her complete.

But by the end of the film the way Josie’s see the world has completely distorted. Her perspective of her culture has completely changed, she is no longer self-conscious of her culture. This is shown when her boyfriend who is exceptionally Anglo and her two best friends who come and join her on the annual tomato day which is not described as “national wog day”. During this scene we see Josie’s boyfriend dance with her grandmother to the repetition of the same song fromthe start of the film, but this version is a vibrant and moving version by Gina Zoia. This has shown the responder that Josie’s is no longer humiliated of her culture but is now enlivened by it and respects everything about it.

Her perspective of John Barton’s life has complexly turned around. In the beginning of the film Josie believed a life of wealth and prestige was very inviting, but once she was aware that the life Josie sought after caused John Barton to commit suicide, her opinion changed very quickly. The death of John Barton made Josie see the world in a entirely different way.

In “Looking for Alibrandi” directed by Kate Woods the responder see that a person’s perspective of the world can change over a short period of time. We see in this film that minor set backs can cause major changes in a person’s life. This film has shown how Josie’s way in which she viewed the world is always changing.

The poem “My Father Began As A God” by Ian Mudie shows the responder the perspective of child to his father during different stages in his life.

The first paragraph of this poem goes into to immense detail about how great his father was. The son tells us that “his laws where as immutable as if brought down from Sinai” which is suggesting to the responder that his laws where always right and where as important as the Ten Commandments which where given to Moses on ‘Mt Sinai’. The sons perspective changed as he began to get older and become more mature. The use of sustained metaphors “he lifted me to heaven”, “made of me a godling” and “long-dead god” are used to further tell the responder that his father began and also ended as a god. When the son started to hit his teen years, which are the most rebellious years of anyone’s life, Ian Mudie uses repetition of the word “strange” which suggest to the responder that over each paragraph the sons perspective keeps changing. Also the repetition of “shrank” is used to highlight how small his father has become in his eyes compared to when he was younger.

The poem “My Father Began As A God” shows us how a boys perspective of the world had completely changed. The boys “world” metaphorically when he was young was his father and this has changed as he has maturated and experienced more of life. But when the son became older his perspective changed and his father became his “world” again. This shows that the way we view the world is constantly changing.

“Sky High” by Hannah Roberts, the film “Looking for Alibrandi” directed by Kate Woods and the poem “My Father Began As A God” by Ian Mudie have shown to the responder that a person perspective can change over a long or short period of time. They also illustrate that a person can not only change one part about them but they can change many part. Some changers are for the good but some may be for the bad. When a person’s perspective is changed the way they view their life and their world is also changing. This means that the way we view the world will always be changing.