The effectiveness of the representation of particular groups in texts is often the source of much conjecture. The stage drama, The Secret River, adapted by Andrew Bovell and set between September 1813 and April 1814, is moderately effective in representing the Dharug people’s perspective of land ownership, inter-race relationships and their own cultural values. Such perspectives are conveyed by Bovell’s use of dramatic conventions in order to humanise the Dharug perspective and add a dimension by giving voice to them.
The representation of the Dharug people’s perspective that they are the custodians of the land along the Hawkesbury River is effectively represented via truncated sentences, song and symbolism. This perspective is informed by …show more content…
The Secret River offers this perspective numerous times when the Dharug people offer their food to the settlers. For example, Yalamundi “takes a handful of the daisy yams” and offers it to Thornhill and told him it will make his children strong. Growing daisy yams are a significant part of the Dharug culture and to share the food to the settlers portrays the importance of their practices. It reflects how as a society that we tend not to acknowledge our past and that when the Dharug people share their culture practices and rituals we should willingly accept it. Another example is when Dick communicates and integrates with the Dharug children with the Dharug language, “Please Garraway…Warrawa. Warrawa.” This depicts the uniqueness of their culture as it identifies who they are and where they are from as they want to preserve their language. Therefore, it portrays that their perspective on their cultural practices are significant. Another example is in Act Two when “Gilyagan holds a carved carrying dish full of berries and bush fruits” and “holds out the berries and fruits to Sal”. His gesture conveys the Dharug’s people pride and through the choice of diction “holds” we can infer that Gilyagan is protective and and devoted to her culture. This pleases me as we often don’t …show more content…
The play offers the perspective that the Dharug people are the custodians of the land, their cultural belief and practices are significant and important and the inter-race relationship between them and the settlers. Bovell has represented these perspectives moderately as his outlook on the inter-race relationship was brought back due to the fact to privileging the settlers’ perspective. It allows us to have an understanding of the Dharug perspective and also encourages me to have a better
The representation of the Dharug people’s perspective that they are the custodians of the land along the Hawkesbury River is effectively represented via truncated sentences, song and symbolism. This perspective is informed by …show more content…
The Secret River offers this perspective numerous times when the Dharug people offer their food to the settlers. For example, Yalamundi “takes a handful of the daisy yams” and offers it to Thornhill and told him it will make his children strong. Growing daisy yams are a significant part of the Dharug culture and to share the food to the settlers portrays the importance of their practices. It reflects how as a society that we tend not to acknowledge our past and that when the Dharug people share their culture practices and rituals we should willingly accept it. Another example is when Dick communicates and integrates with the Dharug children with the Dharug language, “Please Garraway…Warrawa. Warrawa.” This depicts the uniqueness of their culture as it identifies who they are and where they are from as they want to preserve their language. Therefore, it portrays that their perspective on their cultural practices are significant. Another example is in Act Two when “Gilyagan holds a carved carrying dish full of berries and bush fruits” and “holds out the berries and fruits to Sal”. His gesture conveys the Dharug’s people pride and through the choice of diction “holds” we can infer that Gilyagan is protective and and devoted to her culture. This pleases me as we often don’t …show more content…
The play offers the perspective that the Dharug people are the custodians of the land, their cultural belief and practices are significant and important and the inter-race relationship between them and the settlers. Bovell has represented these perspectives moderately as his outlook on the inter-race relationship was brought back due to the fact to privileging the settlers’ perspective. It allows us to have an understanding of the Dharug perspective and also encourages me to have a better