The Island Armin Greder Analysis

Armin Greder’s ‘The Island,’ published in 2002, conveys its multi-layered thematic depth through exploring notions of bullying, the politics of social hierarchies, racism, and ultimately widespread xenophobia within a seemingly simple plot line. It has been described as as a "timely" allegory about refugees, and reflecting predominant issues of contemporary Australian society. ‘The Island’ is a powerful allegory that draws overwhelming amounts of fear towards those who are different, and also ignorance which criticises the majority’s exclusion from the unknown and highlights the importance of relationships and communicates acceptance. ‘The Island’ is inundated with subtle criticism and paroxysms of prevailing social and political ideologies in our culture, specifically views of asylum seekers and the collective belief that Australian immigration intake is too …show more content…
“So they took him in” is juxtaposed with the islanders marching the man away with dangerous weapons and we see that the text is saying something positive while the images are negative. The use of “they” also implying the conformist civilisation, instead of using a specific individual name, the people are defined by a group. The satanic caricature of the priest symbolises the devil and how institutions such as education, family, law and religion all manifest into concordant, alike ways of thinking. This is portrayed when a mother warns her child about the man “he will come and eat you if you don’t finish your soup! ” The allusion of the Big Bad Wolf and threats in family life proves the irony of a primitive society that cannot think for itself. We can see that the community is dismissive to any inimitable opinions and lack of identity is apparent. Consequently, the satire and analogy in The Island makes us see the exclusion of a unique individual which results into intolerance and inconsideration of the