Anglais, Australia : country of contradiction, Terminale

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)