The Rabbit Proof Fence - Reconciliation Letter to Aboriginal Australians

Dear all Australians,
The natives of a country deserve respect. They were the first to live there. They were the first to cultivate the land, raise children there, and survive its floods or draughts. The Aboriginal Australians did all this and more in Australia. Their civilization had set up clear boundaries of the different tribes and had thrived peacefully. Imagine what it felt like for them when the first fleet of British arrived. They were curious, but a little cautious. Then the British started to take over, clearing out the Aboriginal Australians’ sacred trees for their farmland. Imagine how the Aboriginal Australians felt when their spiritual lands were taken form them by a people that confused them. Their children were taken by the British to be turned into British servants. The British taught the stolen children English and the customs of English life. The children’s own Aboriginal culture faded. This way, after generations, the Aboriginal culture faded. The Aboriginal Australians deserve an apology. An apology for what was taken from them – their land, their culture, and even a generation of their children. The Aboriginal Australians deserve an apology and respect for what they used to be.

The Rabbit Proof Fence - Is Molly a Hero?

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

I do think Molly is a hero. She is unafraid to stand up to those oppressing her. She does not only do this for herself, but also for those she cares about, her sister and her cousin. Molly sees that they can win freedom if they are smart enough. The staff at the compound tell the captives that there is nowhere better than where they are now, that they should be happy that they are privileged enough to live there. Molly is strong enough to have a mind of her own. Molly is strong enough to be a leader. She tells her sister and her cousin that they are going to leave the dump they lived in and find their way home. She is truly the leader of the group, keeping them from losing hope. She takes her chance to escape when she sees that everyone is going for roll call and that no one will notice them leaving. Molly holds their little group together and keeps hopes up.

Ethnocentricity

How did the ethnocentricity of the British and the First Australians cause conflict between the two groups?

The two groups that met in Australia, the Aboriginals and the British, came from very different backgrounds. The Aboriginals were an ancient race that had lived on their own land for hundreds of years. They had already set up a harmonious society, a society that held boundaries and rules. Then the British arrived, travel-worn but curious. But when they saw the dark-skinned natives, thought themselves superior. They thought that the natives’ customs, such as not wearing clothing on top and killing for revenge, were unrefined and barbaric. The British had conquered many lands before, so when Captain James Cook claimed the land for England, they thought that the land was all theirs. They started building on the land, not even bothering to ask the natives for permission. They viewed the natives, who worshipped animal deities and lived in the woods, as animals to be tamed. Animals weren’t asked for permission to build on their land. So the British kept arriving on ships and settling in Australia. But when the natives try to do something about it, they are killed and their rebellions squashed.