Discovery Speech

The process of discovery may encompass the experience of uncovering something for the first
time, compelling individuals to reconsider what they believed to be true. The transformative
ramifications of discoveries provoke individuals to acknowledge new worlds, values and ideas
that challenges their former perspectives. Ivan O’ Mahoney’s documentary series Go Back to
Where You Came From (2011) and Chimamanda Adichie’s anecdotal speech, The Danger of
a Single Story (2009), explore similar aspects of intensely meaningful discoveries that
address the variable consequences of uncovering what is hidden and reconsidering what is
known. 4

Discoveries have the potential to transform an individual’s perspective; often uncovering what
is hidden, challenging assumptions about aspects of human experience. In O’ Mahoney’s
documentary, Darren Hassan holds a firm stance against illegal refugees, “If people are
destroying their documents, what are they trying to hide?” In this scene, the camera zooms
into a close up of Darren’s cynical expression. Wasme, an illegal immigrant from Iraq,
justifies his lack of documentation using imperative language “[the smuggler] will kill you of
course”. Confronted by this response, Darren’s shock is indicated in the rhetorical questions,
“Really? Kill you?”, as his assumptions on human experience were being challenged.

During the police night raid in Malaysia, Gleny Rae experiences a similar revelation, “[these
refugees] live in a construction site. It is smelly and dirty. I can’t believe I am here watching
this.” Emotive language suggests her astonishment while intense background music fades into
sombre melody, setting a dismal atmosphere. 7

Similarly, Adichie’s speech uses personal anecdotes to highlight the transformative effect of
exposing the truth hidden behind stereotypes and the harm of making assumptions. This is
exemplified through the hyperbole when she confesses to holding stereotypical views on her
houseboy’s poverty, “it was impossible for me to see [Fide and his family] as anything else
but poor”. She continues the “single story” motif, relating to her own generalisation of the
boy’s family to her overall message, describing how her revelation of human experience
challenged her judgement.

Adichie again stresses the impact of stereotypes in another childhood anecdote when she was
convinced that “books by their very nature had to have foreigners”. She juxtaposes her
previously held assumption to a “mental shift” in her perception as she recalls, “When I

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discovered African books I realised that people like me, could also exist in literature.” This
intensely meaningful discovery uncovered a literary world unintentionally hidden from her,
challenging her previous beliefs, ultimately transforming her perspective. 7

Discoveries that expose what is hidden, cause a shift in perception compelling individuals to
reconsider the world around them. Raye Colby immediately voiced her animosity towards the
asylum seekers, “When the boat crashed coming into Christmas Island, I thought, serve you
bastards right.” O’ Mahoney’s mid shot of Raye, showing her expression and tense body
language compliments the expletives, conveying her hostility. However, after a series of
multifaceted discoveries she admits that “getting to know people personally is a whole new
concept”, reflecting that she “was a close minded person”.

Comparatively, Raquel Moore, a self-confessed racist, opposed the arrival of refugees

seeking asylum in Australia. In her introductory interview, she states, “I don’t like Africans…
I am racist.” Raquel’s short, simple sentences and unapologetic tone explicitly presents her
intolerance and strong racist opinions. Raquel’s tenacious views are further supported in her
response to the raid in Malaysia, “I don’t like refugees and asylum seekers…they should stay
where they are…this is good…pretty exciting.” Her use of third person pronoun dehumanises
refugees and her light chuckle is sinister, juxtaposing with the tragic events presented by the
hand held camera. An edited flashback to Raquel’s introductory interview, accompanied by
her recitation of the cliché “[don’t] judge a book by its cover” contrasts her beliefs. Supported
by the voiceover narration, her altered perspective and willingness to acknowledge refugees in
a positive manner is revealed. 10

Therefore, their exposure to the media’s minimal coverage on the harsh reality of displaced
people led both participants to conjure misconceived opinions on human experience. Their
participation in the social experiment gave them an insight of the complexity of the affair
making them reconsider their views. This is supported by Raye’s metaphorical comment, “a
lot of people look, but do not see [what is happening]” 3

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Comparatively, through accumulative listing, Adichie describes her ignorant roommate who
believed “Africa was a place of senseless wars, dying of poverty and AIDS”. Using a
hyperbole, she emphasises that her roommate “had a single story of catastrophe”. Adichie’s
confessional tone admits “endless stories of Mexicans …fleecing the healthcare system,
sneaking across the border, [she] had bought into the single story of Mexicans”. Like the
documentary participants, Adichie and her roommate change after contact with people they
categorised with stereotypes, highlighting the importance of personal experiences, leading
them to reconsider what they thought to be true. 4

Thus, discoveries are transformative as they lead individuals to uncover new worlds, values
and ideas that transforms their beliefs and assumptions often driving them to reconsider the
world around them in a different light. A comparative study of Ivan O’ Mahoney’s
documentary series Go Back to Where You Came From and Chimamanda Adichie’s anecdotal
speech, The Danger of a Single Story, supports this notion that such discoveries, whether they
are physical or emotional, deliberate or unexpected, essentially offer the individual renewed
perspectives. Thus, proving that the process of discovery involves uncovering what is hidden
and reconsidering what is known. 4

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