Malou
In South Sudanese culture, a man finds the one bull to which he is emotionally and spiritually connected and devoted. When Martin, a South Sudanese immigrant struggling to adjust to life in Australia, finds his bull at his job as a meat processor, he takes it home and refuses to let his superiors lay a hand on it. Eventually, Martin is forced to choose between embracing a new culture in order to provide a life for his family by returning the bull and remaining true to his original beliefs by protecting the bull. The most important moment in Eddy Bell’s short film “Grey Bull” is when Martin kills his bull.
This scene illustrates the internal tension caused by the conflict between believing in one culture while aspiring to fit into another. …show more content…
Martin eventually understands that he cannot stay true to his South Sudanese culture if he is to provide a living for his family in Australia. The threat of losing his job becomes apparent when Martin refuses to return the bull; as the loss of his only source of income becomes an alarming possibility, perhaps the need to support a family and a healthy lifestyle outweighs the urge to live by a certain set of values. By killing his bull, Martin is choosing a life in Australia over adhering to the culture in which he was raised. Just as he is encouraged to do, Martin is embracing his new life and providing closure for himself by cutting his last ties back to South Sudan. As South Sudanese traditions entail, Martin adopts his bull’s name, Malou, upon connecting with the animal. After killing the bull, however, Martin declares, “My name is Martin.” Not only has he physically eliminated his connection to his previous beliefs, but by reclaiming his Australian name, he is leaving behind the part of him that identifies with that culture and its values.
In conclusion, the most significant moment in “Grey Bull” is when Martin kills his bull because it captures the internal conflict induced by the striking contrast between the two cultures, as well as the sacrifice that must be made in order to assimilate to a society with values that blatantly oppose the culture in which Martin
In South Sudanese culture, a man finds the one bull to which he is emotionally and spiritually connected and devoted. When Martin, a South Sudanese immigrant struggling to adjust to life in Australia, finds his bull at his job as a meat processor, he takes it home and refuses to let his superiors lay a hand on it. Eventually, Martin is forced to choose between embracing a new culture in order to provide a life for his family by returning the bull and remaining true to his original beliefs by protecting the bull. The most important moment in Eddy Bell’s short film “Grey Bull” is when Martin kills his bull.
This scene illustrates the internal tension caused by the conflict between believing in one culture while aspiring to fit into another. …show more content…
Martin eventually understands that he cannot stay true to his South Sudanese culture if he is to provide a living for his family in Australia. The threat of losing his job becomes apparent when Martin refuses to return the bull; as the loss of his only source of income becomes an alarming possibility, perhaps the need to support a family and a healthy lifestyle outweighs the urge to live by a certain set of values. By killing his bull, Martin is choosing a life in Australia over adhering to the culture in which he was raised. Just as he is encouraged to do, Martin is embracing his new life and providing closure for himself by cutting his last ties back to South Sudan. As South Sudanese traditions entail, Martin adopts his bull’s name, Malou, upon connecting with the animal. After killing the bull, however, Martin declares, “My name is Martin.” Not only has he physically eliminated his connection to his previous beliefs, but by reclaiming his Australian name, he is leaving behind the part of him that identifies with that culture and its values.
In conclusion, the most significant moment in “Grey Bull” is when Martin kills his bull because it captures the internal conflict induced by the striking contrast between the two cultures, as well as the sacrifice that must be made in order to assimilate to a society with values that blatantly oppose the culture in which Martin