Using Titles for Evidence & Analysis in Text Response | VCE English Study Tips

Using Titles for Evidence & Analysis in Text Response | VCE English Study Tips

Let’s talk about an often overlooked piece of evidence you can use in your essays: THE TITLE.

Yep. It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But the way you analyse a title can demonstrate not only your deep understanding of the text but also your grasp of overarching themes, context, and settings. 

Let me break it down for you, using examples from VCE English texts (some that I have cheeky resources for!) to show how you can improve your analysis. 

Why Titles? 

Unlike those hundreds of VCE English quotes you memorise via flashcards or ROTE methods, the title of a text is always going to be in your brain. Why not use it to your advantage? 

A title often encapsulates the essence of the story, serving as a lens through which you can analyse key themes, characters, and the author’s intent. By unpacking the layers of meaning behind a title, you can showcase:

• Textual knowledge: How the title connects to themes, symbols, or motifs.
• Contextual understanding: The setting, historical context, or cultural implications tied to the title.
• Meta-analysis: How the title shapes the way readers interpret the story. (How meta!)

That sounds like a lot of VCE English jargon - but I’ll unpack it for you below with some tangible examples from the VCE English text list. 

Examples from the VCE English Text List

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

The title of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle is long, wordy, and often abbreviated to WHALITC. 

• Perspective: The “we” reflects Merricat and Constance, emphasising their insular sisterly bond. It implies they may move through life as a unit (perhaps the natural result of surviving their traumatic upbringing with only each other to rely on)
• Timelessness: “Always” reinforces the themes of entrapment and permanence. They do not remember a time where things were different.
• Symbolism: While they live in a mansion in a technical sense, calling it a “castle” evokes gothic imagery. A fortress that both protects and traps the girls. It reinforces this sense of seclusion, as well as gently tapping into themes of class - hinting at the girls’ heritage and affluent backgrounds. 
• Foreshadowing: The only time the home is referred to as a Castle (within the text) is after the house has been burnt down. Ominously, the fire is foreshadowed by the title. (shoutout to @marikaki__ on Tiktok for this awesome insight)

By the way - I taught We Have Always Lived in the Castle and have written a 37-page VCE English study guide for it (with lovely reviews). You can grab it here.

High Ground

The title of High Ground has multiple meanings. 

• Literal meaning: The physical high ground depicted in the film symbolises vantage points and power dynamics achieved through gaining a literal high ground. 
• Military meaning: One who can has high ground by being able to see their enemies, their movements and strategies, can usually control subsequent outcomes & win. 
• Metaphorical meaning: The film explores moral high ground, particularly the clash between the colony and the Yolngu tribe. There are several moments exploring who occupies the moral high ground, as well as political and cultural.

By the way - I taught High Ground and have written a 37-page VCE English study guide for it (with lovely reviews). You can grab it here.

Oedipus Rex

The Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex is an interesting play on words.

• Literal meaning: “Oedipus” translates to “swollen foot,” symbolising his fate and past (his injury as a child) - as well as a jest at Oedipus’s ignorance.
• Irony: The verb root in his name, “Oedi,” relates to knowledge or seeing, yet Oedipus is blind to the truth about his life, illustrating the tragic irony of his story.

The Memory Police

The English title of Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police differs significantly from its Japanese title, which translates to Secret Crystallization.

• English interpretation: The Orwellian tone emphasises dystopian control, aligning the story with themes of government interference and loss of individuality. Even things as intangible as your memories become political if they pose a threat of rebellion.
• Japanese interpretation: The original title feels more abstract, a layer of ambiguity to how the narrative unfolds. Additionally, others have pointed out that this reflects Japanese society and rigid, stifling sociocultural norms of the time.

How to Use Titles in Your Text Response Essays

Here’s a little framework for you to practice title analysis into your responses:

1. Literal: What does the title literally mean?
2. Unpack: How does it connect to key themes, symbols/motifs, or characters?
3. Context: Does the title tie into anything historical, sociocultural, etc? Is there anything that ties to what we know about the author & their history/values/perspectives? 

Never forget: When analysing, justify how the title supports your argument within the essay’s topic. If the essay prompt asks about isolation in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, you can reference how the title encapsulates the sisters’ lifelong detachment from the outside world and the gothic tone of the story. 

Copying and pasting good but generic analysis will not push you into the 40 study score zone! Make sure to always be specific to the prompt. 



Resources to Help You Prepare

I’ve written a lot of resources you can explore on my website, but if you’re seeking something text-specific, I have: 

• Study Guides: Comprehensive guides with 37-pages written by me, and lots of lovely ratings you can check out. 
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle 
• High Ground
• Blogs: If you’re not sure about a guide yet, take a gander at my text-specific blogs!
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle 
• High Ground

For everything else, take a little stalk of my website. There’s plenty of free and paid VCE English resources to get you feeling 100% prepared for your VCE English exam.

If you have any questions regarding this blog, the study guide or the other free resources, feel free to email me directly and we'll get in touch launatutors@gmail.com 💌

Good luck and happy studying!💚

About the author

My name's Launa, also known as LaunaTutors! I've been tutoring since 2020, and have worked with over 100 students for hundreds of hours. I've done workshops that sold over 200+ tickets and created several resources, paid & free. If you're curious about what people have to say, head over to my testimonials section of the site. I taught VCE English High Ground for a group of students in 2024, and so I've created these High Ground resources for all high schoolers to access and enjoy.