Monday, March 28, 2011

Is 'Sorry' Enough?


Although, today we think that the Australians were atrocious towards the Aboriginals, the British knew they were doing the right thing. The movie Rabbit- proof Fence sends a very abundant message and view point of both racial groups reacting to each other. Stealing half-caste children from their parents was their way of saving the Aboriginals from themselves, more use of the ethnocentric language that drives the audience who watch the movie insane with anger and annoyance. What surprised me most was the fact that the camps that the children were forced to attend lasted for years upon years, beginning a few years after the colonization of Australia to 1970. The suffering seen in the eyes of the children in the movie, especially the main characters Molly, Gracie and Daisy, stirs deep emotion in the audience making the movie more documentary like. And the fact that it is based on a true story leaves the audience shaken up. At one point in the story, a new character is introduced, a maid working for white people. This further strengthens the cruelty that the Aboriginals had to suffer. The maid is put through some kind of torture through her master for providing the girls with shelter, this act questions all morals as to how a human is supposed to treat another human. The movie and other sources that we got a chance to look at provided us with a reason as to why the Aboriginals deserve an apology. The actions of the white Australians leave them with a sense of shame and a need to apologize to the Aboriginals. But is an apology enough? All those children that were stolen, all those families that were left devastated, this information shocks me to my core. The apology that the Australians provided the Aboriginals with stabilized relations between the two groups.

Wordle: http://www.creativespirits.info/downloads/politics/stolen-generations-postcard-2.png

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Rabbit Proof Fence- Is Molly really a hero?

Describe the character of Molly and discuss whether you think she is a hero or not. Give reason to support your opinion.

My definition of a hero is someone who puts others before themselves. Molly, the protagonist in the movie Rabbit Proof Fence, is the hero in this story. She takes a huge risk by running away from her Gulag (labour camp) taking her cousin and sister with her. She uses her best assets to overcome obstacles that come in her way and successfully manages to get rid of the tracker that starts following the siblings once they escape the camp. Her technique of taking the route through the river is a reflection of her intelligence. The shocking events that lead to the siblings fleeing give great meaning to their courageous decision. She exhibits selflessness, and her protectiveness towards her sister and cousin is shown when she does her best to stick with them throughout their time in the camp. Although this is a chance for Molly to survive as well, she is an evident hero because of her abrupt yet audacious decision.

Friday, January 28, 2011

My Learning Profile

According to my learning profile I have a keen eye for details and I process information when I write it down. I also learn better when things are in order and there is a list I can refer to when doing work. I found this to be true because I always rely on a list in my planner when doing my homework; it helps me to be more organized. I am a visual and an auditory learner and can cope when under stress. I need to focus more on the whole picture instead of just the details and take part in art, music and freeform movement related activities. This would help me connect more with myself. I would like my teachers to know that I may not always participate in class because I am still taking in the information they are feeding to the students and it may take me time to understand everything. I also prefer knowing what we do in class before class starts and feel confident when I know what we are going to learn. I now understand the inner workings of my mind and see myself as a good learner who actually absorbs the information given to her.