Identity
The multifaceted nature of an
individual’s identity is shaped
by personal narratives,
cultural or religious
background, social
interactions and the way
society sees us. In the film,
Rabbit Proof Fence (RBF),
directed by Phillip Noyce and
the text, The Burnt Stick,
written by Anthony Hill have
a strong notion of Aboriginal
identity and how their
experiences, cultural customs
and their physical appearance
influenced their position into
Australia’s racially
discriminatory society. An
example of identity in RBF is
when Molly is captured and
brought back to the Moore
River Native Settlement after
heroically escaping with her
cousins, Daisy and Gracie.
When Molly is being
captured the only words that
she can cry out are, “I want
my mother. I want my
mother. I want my mother.”
The use of truncated
sentences and repetition
shows the abruptness of
Molly’s emotions. The reader
feels empathetic due to the
abrupt, short sentences that
Molly wails as she is forcibly
being carried away. In this
Racism
For centuries, people have
been subjected to racism
based on their appearance,
culture, and religion. White
people have been viciously
discriminatory towards those
who did not share the same
skin color or practice the
same religion as them. In the
movie Rabbit-Proof Fence
(RBF) directed by Phillip
Noyce, and the book The
Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill,
multiple examples are
presented depicting how
white people treated
Aboriginals in brutal ways
due to their black skin,
different religious practices,
and distinct rituals and
cultural customs. An example
of racism in RBF is when Dr.
Neville, one of the main
antagonists, explains in a
meeting that it is his duty as
Chief Protector of Aborigines
to prevent the indigenous
population from mating with
others. He believes that they
should be assimilated into the
white population and
questions whether they
should be allowed to maintain
their native lifestyles.
Neville's views on preventing
Aboriginal people from
Loss & Displacement
Loss and displacement have a
profound impact on
individuals who are forcibly
taken away from their homes,
lose their cultural and
religious background, and are
forced to live under the
control of unfamiliar people.
This represents a deep rupture
from their origins. The theme
of loss and displacement is
evident in the film "The
Rabbit Proof Fence" (RBF),
directed by Phillip Noyce,
and the text "The Burnt Stick"
by Anthony Hill. Noyce
emphasizes the idea of loss
and displacement through the
storyline of the three girls
who were captured by white
governmental authorities. For
instance, Molly expresses her
longing for home, family, and
roots in a heartfelt
conversation with her cousin
and sister. She states, "They
took us from our mothers,
they took us from our land...
They took everything away,
except our spirits." Molly's
repetition of "they took"
emphasizes the magnitude of
the loss and displacement
they have endured. The
contrast between "everything"
and "except" highlights the
resilience they have gained
scene Noyce uses close up
shots of Molly’s face,
emphasizing her emotions
and conveying her anguish
and longing for her mother.
The close-up also helps the
audience empathize with
Molly’s character through her
intense yearning and the
depth of her Aboriginal
identity, which is the reason
that she is forcibly taken back
to the settlement. Another
example of identity in RBF is
when new girls in the
settlement, Molly, Gracie and
Daisy speak in their native
tongue to one another. Which
is when a nun catches them
talking in their mother tongue
to which the nun responds,
“This is your new home. We
don’t use that jabber here”
The nun exclaims this in an
authoritative tone to establish
that this is their new home
and they have to strip away a
part of their identity,
language, whilst also having
to live in a completely foreign
place compared to as they
were brought up. Which
shows that the settlement
wants to create a new identity.
Moreover, the nun’s face is
shown through a close-up
making her appear more
imposing whilst capturing the
intensity of her face which is
also carried in her scathing
'mating' with their own kind
and assimilating them into
white society are clearly
racist and unjustifiable.
Neville uses emotive
language to express his racist
view, particularly in his
statement 'not to mate with
the wrong kind,' which carries
a negative connotation
intended to make the
audience uncomfortable. This
discomfort helps evoke
empathy towards Aboriginal
people, whose lives are
largely controlled by white
people. Another example of
racism in RBF involves Dr.
Neville expressing his racist
views once again, stating that
the 'half-caste children belong
to a new race. They will be
educated in white ways,
trained in white jobs, and
marry white partners. Their
descendants will be absorbed
into the white population.
That is the government's
plan.' The use of truncated
sentences reflects the
abruptness and overwhelming
racism in Dr. Neville's plan
for the Aboriginals. His
words exhibit blatant racism,
as his malicious plans aim to
separate and dismantle
Aboriginal families,
stemming from the belief in
white supremacy. Likewise,
examples of blatant racism
through their journey. Despite
being displaced, their
connection to their homes and
roots remains embedded in
their hearts. Another example
of this theme is evident when
Gracie, one of the three girls,
expresses her homesickness
and desire to return to "our
land, our country... we have
to find our way back home."
Through anaphora, Gracie's
heartfelt statement conveys
her intense emotion and
longing for her homeland.
The repetition of "our"
emphasizes her deep
attachment to her land,
country, and home. This
yearning reveals the profound
loss they experience and their
longing to restore their sense
of identity, belonging, and
cultural connection. In "The
Burnt Stick," the protagonist
John experiences loss and
displacement when captured
by white officers. The
narrator describes his heart as
"aching with the weight of
displacement, longing for a
world that was forever out of
his reach." This imagery
evokes empathy from the
reader, imagining the pain of
being separated from family
and yearning for their touch
and presence. The use of
alliteration in "weight" and
"world" adds rhythm and
words. An example of
identity is The Burnt stick is
when the protagonist, John
Jagammara is having a sort of
an identity crisis. He doesn't
know which category he falls
in, black or white. As he was
half white and half black. His
situation made him “[wonder]
where he fitted. He belonged
nowhere]. Through the
internal monologue, the
reader gains an insight into
John’s brain; the author
provides contemplation about
his place in the world. It
reveals his internal conflict
with the identity of being a
half-caste and his sense of not
belonging anywhere. Ergo,
through the aforementioned
examples, the audience can
conclude that personal
experiences and cultural
background are factors that
help people explore their
identity. If an individual has a
hole in their identity, this can
cause them to feel as if they
don’t have a place in society
leading to an identity crisis.
can be found throughout The further intensifies the reader's
Burnt Stick. One instance emotional connection to
occurs when one of the John's suffering. Hence, the
officers taking away the three Aboriginal girls and
protagonist, John Jagamarra, John Jagamarra, undergo
reassures his boss that deep loss and displacement,
Aboriginals are not similar to experiencing a sense of
humans because 'They are not longing and disconnection
like us. They soon forget.' from their homes and roots.
This statement contains layers This theme resonates with
of underlying racism, as the any individual who is forcibly
officer compares white people removed from their familiar
to Aboriginals and asserts that environment and placed in a
Aboriginals are very foreign environment.
different, lacking the
cognitive ability to remember
things for an extended period.
The phrase 'They are not like
us' suggests a dehumanizing
perspective by emphasizing
the differences between
whites and Aboriginals.
Furthermore, it becomes
evident that the white officer
has been taught that
Aboriginal people are not
fully human, but rather closer
to animals, as they
supposedly lack the capability
to remember significant life
events, such as their child
being taken away. This
perpetuates intergenerational
racism, as discriminatory
practices and biases are
passed down through
generations, leading to the
ongoing marginalization and
oppression of certain racial or
ethnic groups, in this case, the
 Aboriginals. Thus, through
the aforementioned examples,
the audience can conclude
that Aboriginals have been
targets of racial
discrimination by the
dominant white supremacist
groups.

Racism:

Loss and displacement: