'The Secret River' - Structure and Language Use

Use this website to access information about literary devices that you can use: http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-t_s-54_u-245_t-639/required-skills-and-knowledge-language-features-and-techniques/nsw/english-skills/skills-by-mode-reading-and-writing

Use literary devices to make a connection to the the set text.

Your S/N Task - Exploring the Context - some further points

Aim to create four posts for The Secret River . You need to complete a post for the Picture Panic, Text Tremors, Film Flogging and Music Matters areas of the blog.


The posts will discuss articles of your choice. Your discussion should consider the article in relation to the context of Encountering Conflict and highlight any connections between The Secret River and the article. Include an idea for a piece of writing you think the material would inspire, try to note the form and audience for the piece.

So, have a go. Don't panic about doing it right or wrong, in this case it's about the discussion we can generate and the ideas that will put us in a strong position from which to tackle the SACs and exam.

If you see something put up by someone else that gets you thinking leave them a comment. If you come across something that inspires you in regards to The Rugmaker put a post up about that too. Good Luck.

THE RABBITS by John Marsden and Shaun Tan

Marsden and Tan put forward that Australia has been invaded. This comes through in the ise of the rabbit as a metaphor for European colonisers. Just as rabbits, an introduced species to Australia, are a pest and cause destruction of the environment, so too have the European colonisers. They caused destructive change by taking control, and dominating.

Connections with The Secret River:

Both show the European take over of Australia
They both outline changes to country and Aboriginal people - chopping down of trees, destruction of natural food sources, introduction of alcohol and disease.
Have a similar message - to put forward that invasion occured.
Grenville presents a sympathetic viewpoint that Marsden doesn't towards the Europeans who came, she considers the vicitm impact on those who were convicts or forced to escape persecution and poverty in Europe.

If Marsden and Tan had created The Rabbits for a SAC or Exam response addressing the promp that, 'Conflict creates a legacy of tragedy', it would work in all the ways required. It would have been an imaginative short story that considers themes present in The Secret River and aims to deliver a message to the reader about colonisation that is suportive of Grenville's perspective. At times in her text Grenville uses metaphor and so does Marsden. Also the naming of the characters is done for a purpose just like Grenvilee does. It would meet all the three requirements:

1. Consider the Context
2. Address the Prompt
3. Connect obviously with the set text

COLONISATION OR INVASION?

It is the same - the invader will call it colonisation and the ones being invaded will call it invasion. Australia = European/British = coloniser. Aboriginal people = invaded.

Those coming into a country would use the term colonisation instead of invasion because it doesn't have as vicious a connotation - it makes it sound as if it is ok.

Is there a right or wrong on this topic?
Colonisation is right because British introduced modern civilisation.
Invasion is right because the ownership of the land and culture of Aboriginal people was not respected.

This is a topic that extends to many more places than just Australia:

New Zealand - Maori
America and Canada - Indians
Ireland, Wales, Scorland - Celts/Gaelic
ETC

Encountering Conflict Wordle - Use wordle to respond to prompts

Initial Incidents of Conflict In the Secret River - pp 1-15

STRANGERS by the class:

Thornhill and his family are stuck in Australia, Australia is used by the British as a prison
Thornhill overcomes the conditions on the convict ship by imagining himself back at home
To Thornhill being in NSW seemed worse than dying
Thornhill comes in contact with an Aboriginal, it is his first contact with a native - cultural conflict, fear of what he doesn't understand
The narrative comments that Thornhill had died once he could die again, sentenced to death but got a second chance, how long will it last, also are some things worse than death?
Fear of him and his family being in danger
Thornhill is uncomfortable with surroundings where he has to live
He struggled to survive on the convict ship

Other:
Thornhill faces internal feelings of worthlessness due to his situation
Class conflict - gentry/upper, middle and lower classes portrayed in England
Status and power - Blackwood making his way up from convict to free man and landowner
Conflict between two William Thornhill's - internal/family conflict - Our main character felt like a replacement for his dead brother
Survival - youngest versus oldest in the Thornhill family - survival of the fittest
Environmental conflict - b/w boat and prison versus Australia the country - Australia = a prison without walls

• View these sites for a further synopsis and outline of conflicts and characters in The Secret River:

http://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/TG-The-Secret-River-10-pages.pdf

http://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/Writing-on-Contexts-The-Secret-River-5-pages.pdf    
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/gren-m07.shtml