Book review on how reader is positioned to react, colonial relationships within the text, and realism of the text.

Essay by tazzybabeHigh School, 10th gradeA-, September 2003

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Discuss the information that is provided about the Indigenous culture in the first few chapters. For example, their cultural way of living (lifestyle), impact of white settlers (colonisers) on their lifestyle.

The amount of information given in the first few chapters about the aboriginal lifestyle and way of living is quite large. As the author herself is aboriginal, she has probably put in quite a bit of information as it gives background to the story. The author, Doris Pilkington, also had to do research to add some realism to the text and by putting in the information about the aboriginal lifestyle and such, it paints a picture that the reader can imagine.

The prologue of the novel is mainly extra information about the journey made by the aboriginal girls and has some information about the aboriginal background. It tells how the aboriginals kept track of time and dates. "Numbers, dates, in fact mathematics of any kind, have little or no relevance in our traditional Aboriginal society.

Nature was their social calendar, everything was measured by events and incidents affected by seasonal changes." Aboriginal season names are also given. "The winter or rainy season is yalta or galyu time."

In the first chapter, the background of the Molly's family is being introduced, as is their daily lifestyle. By describing how the family goes about their daily lives, it is including little bits of information about the aboriginal culture. "This was a special time on the seasonal calendar when his family clans from far around would gather on their territory to set fire to areas of dense undergrowth to flush out any game, such as kangaroos and wallabies, that might be sheltering there." The quote then goes on to describe how the aboriginals use the animal meat and pelts to provide bags...