Australia :
country of contradiction
Ø
The
rabbit-proof fence :
It was built between 1901 and 1907
in order to keep rabbits and agricultural pests (animaux nuisibles) from the east. The number 2 (of 3) fence (une cloture, barrière) was the largest
fence in the world when it was built.
Ø
The stolen
generation
Between 1910 and 1970, 35000
Aboriginal and half-cast children were removed from their parents by the
government and put in white settlements in order to be assimilated and civilizied.
These children are called the “stolen generation”.
Ø
The rabbit
proof fence, 2002, Noyce
The film tells the true story of
three little Aboriginal girls who were put in white settlements and who escaped
it by following the rabbit-proof fence in order to find their way back home.
In the Outback, in western Australia
in 1931. A half-caste is a person whose parents come from different ethnic
origins. We can see 3 half-caste children (Daisy, Molly and Gracie) and their
family.
Landscape: desert, hot, arid, barren /
Languages: native language, a dialect / Clothes: very plain, poor and shabby
(poor condition) and barefoot (pied
nus) / Activities: hunting for food, self-sufficient, close to nature.
Mr. Neville (the chief protector of
Aboriginals) and his secretary. The low-angle shot gives an impression of
strength, power, and domination over the Aborigines, authority. Aborigines had
to ask permission if they wanted to marry, to visit their child and to buy some
new clothes.
He decides to remove the 3 little girls from
their family. It’s very emotional, heartbreaking, and heartrending. They are
devastated, shattered. They are crying/weeping and sobbing (sangloter). The scene shows that Aboriginals feel the same
emotions as anybody else.
The government aims at (avoir pour but de) eliminating/eradicating the Aboriginal race “breed out”
“stamp out” (eliminate).
Moore River is a native Settlement
where hundreds of half-caste children are trained to become domestic servants
and farm laborers. Mr. Neville thanks the ladies for their financial support.
He is hypocritical by putting the children in camps to help them.
The girls are 1200 miles far from
home. They are tired, exhausted, afraid, scared = frightened, lost = helpless. The
atmosphere at the settlement is strict, religious/austere, there is no place
for fun.
|
They
have to …
|
They
are not allowed to …
|
|
-
Pray before the meal
-
Make their beds
-
Speak English
-
Be quiet (during the meal, when the work, at night)
-
Obey the rules, the nuns
-
Eat and finish their meal
-
Work
|
-
Speak their native language
-
Sit down before prayer
-
Sleep in (dormir assez) / have a lie-in (faire la
grasse matinée)
-
Have fun
-
Leave the settlement
|
Their life in the settlement is
strict and difficult compared to their life with their family. Instead of
living in wilderness (à l’état
sauvage), there now like in prison. Unlike in the outback, they now have to
follow many rules. With their family, they could speak their native language
whereas in the settlement, they have to speak English.
The adults are filmed in front of a
church, to show that they use religion to justify their acts. They are trying
to Christianize them (a Christian = un
chrétien). The distance between
Molly and Mr. Neville seems very long/far/endless, as if Molly didn’t want to
go in Mr. Neville’s world. It also shows that their two worlds are very
different/opposite; there’s a gap (faussé)
between their worlds/culture/civilization/state of mind.
Mr. Neville commands the dialogue,
he has taken power/control over the situation. He checks the children’s back to
see if they have a fair skin, because he considers that they can go to school. He
considers that Molly’s skin is not fair enough and so that she’s not clever to
get an education.
Ø Vocabulary
To increase (augmenter) To implement (mettre en
place) Currently
= at the present time
To breed (engendrer)
Indigenous
=native
Peoples
= populations
To thrive = to
become, and continue to be successful, strong, healthy = to flourish (prospérer)
Encroachment (empiètement) Citizenship = the legal right
to belong to a country (citoyenneté)
Suffrage = the
right to vote Labourers (ouvriers/ouvriers agricoles)
