Rabbitproof fence is the harrowing true story of three mixedrace aboriginal children who walked a thousand miles to get back to their mothers. It is loosely based on a true story concerning the authors mother molly, as well as two other mixedrace aboriginal girls, daisy kadibil and gracie, who escape from the moore river native settlement, north of perth, western. When it was released, this scene was contentious because after the bringing them home report in 1997, the use of the. Mar 02, 2017 analysing rabbit proof fence 2002 from a semiotic perspective that it is obvious since the opening scene uses a lot of symbols and signs to give audience a clear meaning of how molly has a strong relationship with her land. Rabbitproof fence 2002 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. Molly and the girls must then elude the authorities on a dangerous 1,500mile adventure along the rabbitproof fence that bisects the continent and. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Rabbit proof fence is a movie directed by phillip noyce based on the novel by doris pilkington garimara. The rabbit proof fence is about a time in australia when halfcastes half aboriginal half european children were sent away to become normal. In the first one a short outline of british colonisation in australia and its impacts on the aborigines will be given. Follow the rabbitproof fence literary elements gradesaver. But, for those hours, you will live and breathe the lives of these. At a time when it was australian government policy to train aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society, young molly craig decides to lead her little sister and cousin in a daring escape from their internment camp.
It tells the story of three young aboriginal girls. Reviewed in the united kingdom on 25 november 2014. Molly, the oldest of the three girls, organises to escape from moore river with her sister and cousin. Rabbit proof fence in the context of australian identity. The heart of the story is the extraordinary journey molly, gracie and. When it was released, this scene was contentious because after the bringing them home report in 1997, the use of the term stolen to describe such removal was disputed. Set in 1931, rabbit proof fence brings to the screen the horrific consequences of a british policy that removed australian children who were of mixed whiteaboriginal background from their homes a practice that continued until the 1970s. The book cant decide if its a report, novel or it includes dull excerpts written by authorities which seem only to serve as proof that what is described is based. At a time when it was australian government policy to train aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society, young. Oral presentation students are to imagine they are pitching their book cover design to publishers at the university of queensland press. She lead her cousin gracie and her sister daisy to walk back home from the moore. In the excerpt, the stealing of children, it shows the offspring of the indigenous people being taken away from their parents as the white settlers thought they werent being treated properly.
Dec 01, 2009 robert manne stated in the sydney morning herald that rabbit proof fence is the first important feature film on the subject of the stolen generation and comments that no episode in our history is more ideologically sensitive or of greater contemporary significance for indigenous and nonindigenous relations that the story of the stolen generations. Jul 05, 2010 rabbitproof fence and the australian media. I was in western australia when i read this book, so it meant a lot to me to read about these little girls who bravely made their way home. Rabbit proof fence in the context of australian identity essay. It concerns the authors mother, and two other young mixedrace aboriginal girls, who ran away from a western australian settlement at moore river. They knew that once they reached billanooka station, it was simply a matter of following the rabbit proof fence to their final destination, the jigalong government depot. The follow the rabbit proof fence community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The rabbit proof fence plot summary portland place school ks2. The woman whose 1,000mile childhood trek across the australian outback inspired the 2002 film rabbitproof fence has died in the countrys far northwest. Settlement life was unbearable with its chains and padlocks, barred windows, hard cold beds, and horrible food. Rabbit proof fence is the short, but completely captivating story of three girls escape from a halfcaste aboriginal centre and their epic, long walk home back to their families. Dessert, wild animals, fence refers to her as a tough girl. Love and family symbolism background dialogue dialogue is used show how frightened and devastated the girls become when they are taken from their homes.
She tells her own story in under the wintamarra tree 2003, of her premature birth, under the tree of the book s title on balfour downs station, a pastoral lease and cattle station located about 2 kilometres northeast of newman in western australias pilbara region. Rabbit proof fence is a 2002 australian drama film directed and produced by phillip noyce based on the book follow the rabbit proof fence by doris pilkington garimara. The rabbit proof fence is separated into nine chapters. Read the extract from the book and summarise the sequence of events 150 words. Since that time, the rabbit proof fence has seen far less rabbit. The first several chapters is leadup to the escape of three girls from a settlement school which, by law, they were forced to attend. Of all the journeys made since white people set foot. Rabbitproof fence tells the true story of three aboriginal australian girls. Read the extract from the book and summarise the sequence of. In rabbit proof fence, awardwining author doris pilkington traces the story of her mother, molly, one of three young girls uprooted from their community in southwestern australia and taken to the moore river native settlement. It is based on the book follow the rabbitproof fence by. Noyce was a filmmaker at the height of his career when he made rabbitproof fence and this goes some way to explain why the film. Follow the rabbitproof fence study guide litcharts.
It was made into a film in 2002, entitled rabbit proof fence. Doris pilkington garimara tells the story of her mother in follow the rabbitproof fence. Based on a true story, the book is a personal account of an. Rabbitproof fence australia 2002 the case for global film. Rabbitproof fence tells the true story of three aboriginal australian girls molly, her sister daisy and their cousin, gracie. Music eyelevel camera angle setting briefly comment on their effects. Based on a true story, the film is set in 1931, in the outback of australia where molly craig 14, her younger sister daisy craig 8, and their cousin gracie 10 try to return to their homeland after they have been forcefully taken to a relocation camp by the government. Although the rabbit proof fence exists to this day, in the 1950s the government introduced myxomatosis a disease that affects rabbits to australia in a successful attempt to devastate the continents rabbit population.
Australias stolen generation mapped in doris pilkingtons. It was a typical response by the white people to a problem of their own making. Chapter one provides historical background on the main. She is an aboriginal children who get taken from her family and put in moore river campus. Molly, daisy, and gracie are uproot from their families to be taken to moore river settlement. She tells her own story in under the wintamarra tree 2003, of her premature birth, under the tree of the books title on balfour downs station, a pastoral lease and cattle station located about 2 kilometres northeast of newman in western australias pilbara region. This clip from the feature film rabbitproof fence presents an indigenous perspective on the issue of the stolen generations to a wide audience. Follow the rabbitproof fence by doris pilkington, nugi.
Indigenous people have been represented in a myriad of ways. This module has been designed to accompany the film rabbitproof fence 2002. The film techniques are used to stage the survivor storiesto make their experiences more compelling similarities differences. The film rabbit proof fence takes place in australia in 1931. The girls were not even allowed to speak their language.
The strange case of arthur upfield and snowy rowles. The whole rabbit proof fence which includes all three fences extends 2,023 miles 3,256 kilometers and is therefore the longest fence in the world. Molly and the girls must then elude the authorities on a dangerous 1,500mile adventure along the rabbit proof fence that bisects the continent and will lead them home. The girls must walk 1,500 miles 2414km through difficult conditions. Rabbitproof fence, her second book, is now a major motion picture from miramax films. For those who were residential school survivors, they had formed a legacy of alcohol and drug abuse problems, feelings of hopelessness. Rabbit proof fence is a contemporary drama about the struggle of three aboriginal girls from western australia. Rabbit proof fence opens by declaring it is a true story. When captured alongside two of her sisters actually cousins and sent to the moore river native settlement, molly devises a plan to escape the internment camp and make her way home by following the rabbit proof fence through western australia. The two frightened and miserable girls began to cry, silently at first, then uncontrollably this quote shows how much they. Comprehension and discussion activities for the movie. Oct 01, 20 rabbit proof fence is the short, but completely captivating story of three girls escape from a halfcaste aboriginal centre and their epic, long walk home back to their families. It includes dull excerpts written by authorities which seem only to serve as proof that.
Aboriginal children of mixed race were taken by force from their mothers and raised in training schools that would prepare them for lives as factory workers or domestic. Although rabbitproof fence depicted a successful escape made by molly and her sister from moore river settlement, the realities of removing indigenous children from their families had a traumatic experience. This study guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of rabbit proof fence. Rabbit proof fence captures their universally touching plight and unparalleled courage in a beautiful testament to the undying strength of the human spirit.
Follow the rabbitproof fence is an australian book by doris pilkington. Equally, australian film classics book rabbitproof fence, written by 2011 nsw australian of the year larissa bernhardt, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in. Comprehension and discussion activities for the movie abbit. This book is simply written, but extremely evocative and can easily be read in a couple of hours. Its script is a combination of a fictionalized memoir written by doris pilkington, whose mother was one of the three runaways, plus the 1997 report of the human rights and equal opportunity commission, entitled bringing them home.
Robert manne stated in the sydney morning herald that rabbit proof fence is the first important feature film on the subject of the stolen generation and comments that no episode in our history is more ideologically sensitive or of greater contemporary significance for indigenous and nonindigenous relations that the story of the stolen generations. This book, written by doris pilkington, tells how her mother molly and her younger cousins gracie and daisy in the life of an aboriginal woman, no one is more important than her mother when she is. If history teachers insist on discussing this topic, they will find the book a much more reliable resource than the film. Doris pilkington garimara s book, follow the rabbit proof fence 1996, describes the use of the fence in the 1930s by three indigenous australian girls.
Noyce has used a number of filimic and literary techniques thoughout rabbit proof fence to. They have been taken away from their mothers by the government because they are halfcaste children. A book was published about the incident called murder on the rabbit proof fence. To me, follow the rabbitproof fence is a book about connection to country and family. Nov 01, 2002 rabbit proof fence is the short, but completely captivating story of three girls escape from a halfcaste aboriginal centre and their epic, long walk home back to their families. Texts explore themes of human experience and cultural significance, interpersonal relationships, and ethical and. In the beginning of the book doris talks about how her mother and the others would move their settlement different places to get away from the white strangers and to follow the food. The policies depicted in the movie were enforced by the australian government, we are told, until 1970. Rabbit proof fence film study characters protagonist molly molly is the protagonist in rabbit proof fence. The fence cut through the country from south to north. The girls head north and, after getting some information from a woman who feeds them, are able to find the rabbit proof fence which molly knows will lead them home. Excerpted from follow the rabbitproof fence by doris pilkington, nugi garimara. Instead, their main source was the book written by mollys daughter, doris pilkington, called follow the rabbitproof fence 1996, which they adapted with creative licence.
Rabbitproof fence is the short, but completely captivating story of three girls escape from a halfcaste aboriginal centre and their epic, long walk home back to their families. Apr 02, 2009 for the most part the book is the exact same as the movie. The incident is now referred to as the murchison murders. This study guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of rabbitproof fence. The character of molly in follow the rabbitproof fence.
Follow the rabbitproof fence is an australian book by doris pilkington, published in 1996. Short summary of her book rabbit proof fence 3 the book is based on the true story of three aboriginal girls named molly 14, her sister daisy 8 and their cousin gracie 10 who ran away from a native settlement in south australia. The rabbits 1998, an allegorical picture book by john marsden writer and shaun tan illustrator and rabbit proof fence 2002, a film directed by phillip noyce, are just two examples of this. It is based on the book follow the rabbitproof fence by doris pilkington garimara, mollys daughter. It was and is an incredible monument to folly of man, for the rabbits soon managed to dig beneath the rabbit proof fence and spread to the sheep.
They called it the rabbit proof fence, and it stretched fully 1500 kilometers from the burning hot northwest to the cool and rainy south of the great continent. Based on a true story, the book is a personal account of an indigenous australian familys experiences as members of the stolen generation the forced removal of mixedrace children from their families during the early 20th century. I need to know all the differences from the rabbit proof. Dec 25, 2002 the most astonishing words in rabbit proof fence come right at the end, printed on the screen as a historical footnote. Rabbit proof fence, her second book, is now a major motion picture from miramax films. Given the context outlined above, it isnt surprising perhaps that rabbitproof fence proved a controversial film release in australia. Follow the rabbitproof fence is a surprising story of children practically kidnapped by the wellintentioned state in its misguided attempt to include the aborigine people of australia into the greater community of exeuropean citizens, with the rigid background of eighteenth century english legislation, unable to see the human aspects of life. The true story of one of the greatest escapes of all time by doris pilkington.
As larissa behrendt notes in her book on the film, this is the film that took the story of the stolen generations to the world. They knew that once they reached billanooka station, it was simply a matter of following the rabbitproof fence to their final destination, the jigalong government depot. Traditional cultural knowledge and the strength of family ties are the champions in the end. Doris pilkingtons mother and the protagonist of the book, molly is an intrepid fifteenyearold halfcaste, or mixedrace, aboriginal girl. Rabbitproof fence by doris pilkington reading guidebook. This book may be interesting for some, for the authors family no doubt, but. Follow the rabbit proof fence is a novel by doris pilkington garimara. Solitary confinement was doled out as regular punishment.
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