Dungatar Analysis

One of the only people who truly embraces Dungatar’s new fashion, transforms himself and escapes Tilly’s revenge is Sergeant Farrat, the town’s police officer. He does not involves himself in the gossip of the town and seems to be sympathetic towards Tilly’s situation, as we see when he agrees to provide her with a police statement that may help her uncover the truth. Tilly’s arrival allows Farrat to openly express his passion for clothing and interest in cross-dressing. While the townswomen hide their true selves by dressing in a way that reflects how they want to be perceived, the opposite occurs with Farrat. He is accustomed to hiding his true self behind his elite police uniform, but Tilly’s designs allow him to reveal his true persona. He is able to break the expectations of society in Dungatar more than the townswomen who are only self-interested. He even confides in Tilly and resolves the deeds of the …show more content…
The audience is able to witness this transformation in Farrat and eventually, dressed in an eye-catching ensemble, his departure from Dungatar. Although we do not see Myrtle’s evolution into Tilly, flashbacks to her childhood show that she was plain and timid. This is a stark contrast to the current Tilly, who makes a dramatic entrance, flaunting her designer-inspired gowns at a football game and distracting all the players. Moorehouse utilises long shots to accurately show the blatant distinction between the neutral Australian desert and the bright red hue of Tilly’s dress. The townspeople are captivated by her, but are wary of her outsider status and allegations involving her past. Through this, we see that although Tilly has transformed herself, the people who knew her prior to her transformation struggle to accept the new Tilly due to their judgemental attitudes. In this sense, Tilly’s transformation and arrival in town allows Farrat to transform himself and depart