What Distinctive Features of Your Prescribed Text Allow Interaction with the Ideas, Forms and Language Within the Text Which Affects Those Responding to It?

In the context of the Second World War, many events have occurred that have resulted in the deaths and sufferings of many people. From the years that followed, commemorations were held to honour those people. However, not all people have been given acknowledgement. John Misto's play The Shoe Horn Sonata tells the stories of the forgotten especially in a feminist perspective. The playwright makes references to actual historical events and places with the use of many dramatic techniques working together to create realism in the play to allow audiences to engage with the characters. This is a distinctive feature of the play which allows interaction with the ideas of heroism, truth and government ignorance, with forms of various theatrical techniques and with language in the literary devices used in dialogue within the play. This allows it communicative effectively with responders.

The idea of heroism is a key element of the play. In Act One Scene Three, Bridie and Sheila meet for the first time and Bridie establishes her courage in the early part of the play. When Sheila begins to "nod off" Bridie hits her with a shoe-horn to stop her from drowning. While Bridie recalls it as a "tap-tap-tap" Sheila uses exaggerated onomatopoeia and recalls it to more of a "whack-whack-whack". Another example of heroism is the women in the prison camp where they form an orchestra in Act One Scene Five. The music of "Bolero" sung by the orchestra allows the audience to realise the unity of "Fifty voices and a shoe-horn" as they refuse to be defeated by the patriarchy of the Japanese. Sheila also displays heroism in her sacrifice of her body to obtain quinine to save Bridie's life. Even though it traumatised her for over fifty years, she manages to say in a definitive tone that "I'd do it all again, if I had to" in Act Two Scene Thirteen. This shows that even after all the physical & psychological hardships Sheila is still willing to make heroic sacrifices for Bridie. These dramatic devices interact with ideas of resilience and courage to help create the theme of heroism. It is a distinctive feature of the play which allows the audience to realise that, prisoners of war in history were not weak and hopeless, but were actually strong and resilient heroes.

The way Sheila sacrifices her virginity for Bridie's life is heroic and was very difficult. Revealing this truth to Bridie is another difficulty in itself. Therefore, the theme of truth is another central idea in the play. In Act One Scene Eight, she reveals her act of heroism. Dramatic techniques become crucial in creating an engaging climax for the audience. The sound of crickets re-enacts the situation described by Sheila and as more of the truth is released. This sound effect, increases in volume before ceasing when the complete truth is revealed. When the two women stand in isolated spotlights, the audience realises that a rift has formed in their friendship. Bridie had earlier emphasised her moral position when she says with in a disgusted tone "Sleeping with a Jap? I'd never have done that" so Sheila had lied to Bridie into thinking that the shoe-horn was sold for quinine. This revelation gives an element of shock to the audience. When Sheila's sacrifice is revealed publicly in Act Two Scene Thirteen stage directions show that Bridie "squeezes Sheila's hand and tries to smile gently" this friendship is rebuilt. It shows that truth is needed to maintain a close friendship. These theatrical techniques interact with references to actual events and the audience discovers that prisoners of war have long concealed truths and have suffered psychologically after their ordeal and attempts to conceal the truth. This is a distinctive quality of the drama text.

Whilst the audience is made to appreciate women prisoners of war, Misto deliberately places criticism on government powers. In Act Two Scene Nine, there is irony as the Australian government sends a message to the women and tells them to "keep smiling" under such horrendous prison conditions. This is followed by the photograph of the Prime Minister at the time, John Curtin looking distressed appearing on the screen. This emphasises to the audience of the government's lack of sympathy in assisting the women. Furthermore, the British government's irresponsibility by censorship is revealed in Act Two Scene Thirteen. They burned the women's diaries, erasing any records of their suffering because they would have "lost prestige if people found out how the women of their Empire had lived in the war". The