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Text: The Drover’s Wife Composer: Henry Lawson Year: 1892 Text types: Short Story

In the short story ‘The Drover’s Wife’, Henry Lawson, the composer, constructs a representation of Australia using the bush myth. This short story became an Australian classic. It describes the tough lives that families were going through when the men in the families had to work as drovers. Henry Lawson constructs this view of Australia by the use of imagery. This is shown in the sentence “Bush all around- bush with no horizon, for the country is flat.” This creates an image in the readers’ mind of Australia being a very isolated country compared to the others, which is also shown in the sentence “Nineteen miles to the nearest sign of civilization – a shanty on the main road.” This technique helps readers to visualize the scenes of the story and to help them understand the story more. When this story was written around 1892, it was the time of women’s suffrage. This can be expressed in the sentences “She is used to being left alone. She once lived like this for eighteen months.” This indicates how hard lives were for the women at home taking care of the children while their husbands were working as drovers away from home. This time period was also linked to the women’s rights because in 1899, Western Australia granted voting rights to women, which was a very important and significant event in Australian History. Another way the concept of Australia being a very harsh country is constructed by describing the drover’s wife’s personality and the way she acts. This is shown in the sentences “She loves her children, but has no time to show it. She seems harsh to them. Her surroundings are not favorable to the development of the ‘womanly’ or sentimental side of nature.” This explains why she treats her children bitterly. She also challenges the role of a woman in this particular story, which means she has to take on a masculine quality. Lawson included this into the story to link the gradual change into women’s rights later on in the decade. This short story forms a concept of Australia that it was not an easy country to live in. It mainly focuses on the role of woman in a family when their husband has to work to earn a living for themselves and their children, which was vital. This text reveals the identity of Australia to be a very tough and isolated country.

In a lot of different poems and other texts, many sides of Australia are being portrayed. There is the negative side, and the positive side. This photo represents the Aboriginals in Australia, particularly on the rights that Aboriginals had in the past years, and how they want to be looked at by others. This photo shows that they are just like anyone else. Their skin tone does not prove who they really are on the inside based on stereotypes.

__ ** Aboriginal Charter of Rights by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) ** __ We want hope, not racialism, Brotherhood, not ostracism, Black advance, not white ascendance. Make us equals, not dependents. We need help, not exploitation, We want freedom, not frustration; Not control, but self-reliance, Independence, not compliance, Not rebuff, but education, Self-respect, not resignation. Free us from mean subjection, From a bureaucrat Protection. Let's forget the old-time slavers: Give us fellowship, not favours; Encouragement, not prohibitions, Homes, not settlements and missions. We need love, not overlordship, Grip of hand, not whip-hand wardship; Opportunity that places White and black on equal basis. You dishearten, not defend us, Circumscribe, who should befriend us. Give us welcome, not aversion, Give us choice, not cold coercion, Status, not discrimination, Human rights, not segregation. You the law, like Roman Pontius, Make us proud, not colour-conscious; Give us the deal you still deny us, Give goodwill not bigot bias; Give ambition, not prevention, Confidence, not condescension; Give incentive, not restriction, Give us Christ, not crucifixion. Though baptised and blessed and bibled We are still tabooed and libelled. You devout Salvation-sellers; Make us neighbours, not fringe-dwellers; Make us mates, not poor relations, Citizens, not serfs on stations. Must we native Old Australians in our land rank as aliens? Banish bans and conquer caste Then we'll win our own at last.

Text: Aboriginal Charter of Rights Composer: Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) Text type: Poem

In the poem Aboriginal Charter of Rights, the composer, Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) constructed a representation of Australia using the aboriginal perspective. This poem later on became very popular and well-known. This poem describes the unfair treatment towards the Aboriginals in Australia in the past decades based on their skin colour. Walker constructs this view of Australia using juxtaposition. This can be shown in the sentence “Make us equals, not dependents.” This shows that the Australian Aboriginals craved to be independent and have equal rights. They wanted to be treated fairly, not like they are depending on the Whites for their survival. This method used creates a very strong impact on the readers as it is used multiple times throughout the poem. “We need love, not overlordship “ This brings up the event that happened up until the 1970s, in a few federal and state program, the government stated that they are permitted to take any Aboriginal children away from their families to “culture reprogramming”. That is to take the young generations of Aboriginals and try to reform them to be like a White Australian. Another way this view of Australia is constructed is the usage of short and daring words. For example, “Free us from mean subjection” This gives an awakening effect to the readers, especially the young generation of the Aboriginals. This technique used also shows the importance of the event, that something must be done very soon to change their history forever. The composer herself was very involved in the Aboriginal rights campaign; this poem made a very strong impact in the society. After years of struggle, a significant change has made, which led to a national apology from the Australian government, and the whole country celebrates Sorry Day on the 26th May every year since 1998 for all the children that were torn apart from their families. The poem constructs a concept of Australia of being very racist is the language use. This can be shown in the sentence “White and black on equal basis.” The language in this whole poem is very straight forward, which also creates a very strong impact because the message being brought across is very straight forward. In this sentence, juxtaposition is also used, which proves that This poem forms a concept of Australia that White Australians are not friendly, that they are racist. It mainly focuses on the fact that Aboriginals wanted rights and to be treated equally, just like another human being until this day. This text reveals the identity of Australia to be unfriendly and hard to live in if you are not White.

__**'STOLEN GENERATION' by Lee Emmett**__ 'stolen generation' is soft term for pain suffered by indigenous families ripped apart again

children placed in care losing track of heritage growing up with grief as their parents age

often death occurs before relatives reunite meanwhile anguish and sorrow terrifies each night

though Mr Rudd's 'sorry' is a step in right way must make greater effort to improve outcomes each day

access to archives and genealogical history helps overcome sense of loss and mystery

forming individual identity depends on accurate knowledge of ancestry and idea of 'home' most Australians acknowledge

many Aboriginal people displaced from their land became refugees in missions trying hard to understand

dispossession leads to estrangement and disunity compassion and wisdom can rebuild strong community This poem by Lee Emmett is a stereotype of the Stolen Generation. It only gives a general idea of what the Stolen Generation is about, without going into the full details. This poem uses short sentences to create impact to the readers. The title of the poem, “Stolen Generation”, is very straight forward of what the poem is about, which is easier for the readers to understand what is going on in the poem. It also uses very simple language which also helps readers to understand better. This poem creates a very negative perspective of Australia. __** ‘How We Fled When I Was A Girl’ by Molly Nungarrayi **__ This short story written by Molly Nungarrayi subverts the stereotype of the Stolen Generation. It uses colloquial language such as “whitefellas” and the places names in Aboriginal language like “Yinapaka” and “Jarralyku” which are very specific to the Aboriginals in Australia to make the readers feel like it is actually happening, which engages them into the story. This story was written in first person such as “When I was a little girl I saw my people shot at-“which makes the readers feel like they are going through the events with the characters in the story. A factor which makes this story to subvert the stereotypical is that it actually described the emotions that people were possibly going through and what they were going through. Unlike the “Stolen Generation” poem, this short story describes the events such as the people sleeping in caves and that they would gather berries and roots and ground seeds for the children to eat.

Tiffany,

Well Done!
 * Fantastic choice of visual for your opening!
 * You need to improve your paragraph structure
 * You discuss literary techniques well but try to discuss in greater detail the overall representations of Aboriginal people in each text

Tifffyyy, WELL DONE! this was awesome! you were very descriptive and you used a lot of good skills in order to pull this together! I think that the picture that you used was very good and it gave alot of depth to your analyses. You should be very proud of yourself, very good job!