Stolen 8 sample essay 4

Reading & Responding - Unit 1 Â

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By Jane Harrison

Sample Essay 4 PROMPT 'Jimmy and Ruby are the most obvious victims in Stolen, but all suffer in their different ways.' Discuss this statement.

Throughout the 20th century the Australian Government's Assimilation Policy recommended that aboriginal children be removed from their families, on the grounds they could readily assimilate into mainstream white society. This could not be further from the truth with the policy systematically eroding the cultural, physical, social and emotional fabric of indigenous society. Stolen highlights how this practice dispossessed individuals of there innocence, hope and identity.

Each individual stolen from their families suffered in a unique way whether it was through physical and emotional abuse, or from being taken from their homes and families. Harrison's portrayal of the characters is an overview of the non homogenous suffering experienced throughout the period of the 'Stolen generation'.

Ruby and Jimmy were two characters damaged both physically and emotionally. These two individuals were so badly brought down by white society that they could not regain control of their adult lives. For Ruby the constant lies and sexual abuse that occurred within the walls of the "home" is what controlled her fate. Ruby has no sense of belonging and never experienced the love of a mother. She became highly institutionalised and her life was based around routine. Voices continue to reverberate in her mind "Wash for me Ruby, Clean for me Ruby" these were voices of order and abuse "You dirty abo". Even when her father Len and her sister "finally track her down", Ruby is lost and confused. They have "come to take her home" but she is so detached from her emotions that she just replies with "Don't need no trouble, got enough to do". Ruby and Jimmy's admission that they "promised not to tell' represents the silencing of Aboriginal children about what was happening to them, and it reflects how they were bribed and trapped into going along with the system that abused and exploited them.

Like Ruby, Jimmy was constantly told lies "your mother's dead" and denied a sense of hope for his future. "What do you do when you meet your mother for the first time in twenty-six years," when all along you have thought "your mother's dead." Jimmy was given not only a false cultural identity but also a false name, Jimmy. He was denied his birth name of Willy Wajurri so he could adapt to white society.

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VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2

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Reading & Responding - Unit 1

Jimmy's crimes and misdemeanours after his institutional upbringing are an expression of his anger at how white society has damaged his identity and robbed him of a sense of belonging. His actions effected his personality immensely as he spent a lot of time in prison and to him "Prison don't make you tough, it makes ya weak, ya spirit just shrivels up inside." This and the news of his mother s death leads him to commit suicide so he can finally go and meet his mother.

In contrast to Jimmy and Ruby who were sexually abused, lost hope and never regained control of their lives, Anne, Shirley and Sandy's struggle can be seen as successful ones. The type of suffering they experienced was of a slightly different nature to Jimmy and Ruby. The story of Anne follows her struggle to be reunited with her aboriginal identity, and is successful in discovering her roots but complications were still apparent. Anne's suffering is based around a crisis of identity. She is left thinking 'I don't know where I belong anymore', after being told her Aboriginal mother is still alive. But Anne accepts her circumstances and says she 'has two mums and loves them both'. Like Anne, Sandy's struggle began with being taken away from his mother as a child, as she was declared an unfit mother. But Sandy overcame the struggles he is faced with and is successful in that he is able to be at peace with his culture and identity even though he was never reunited with his family.

Shirley's struggle to be reunited was a long and hurtful journey, but after being reunited with her family Shirley was very optimistic and it would be true to say her struggle like Anne and Sandy's was a successful one. Even though she was stolen herself, Shirley's story is one of how she was trying to find her own children, Kate and Lionel who were also stolen. After being put 'on hold for twenty-seven years' and experiencing great difficulties she was able to be reunited with her family and enjoy the pleasures of being a grandmother. Shirley's story highlights that the stolen children were not the only one's who suffered as a result of the Assimilation policy.

'I want my mummy', 'Hide the welfare', 'Run, the welfare'!

These cries for help were heard throughout the 20 century as a result of the government's assimilation policy. Each individual cry though represents the non homogenous suffering that individuals experienced, as no two individuals suffering is them same. Ruby and Jimmy appear to be the most obvious victims in Jane Harrison's Stolen as they lose all sense of hope by being sexually abused and never regain control of their lives. The people who enforced the removal of these children caused widespread grief and alienation which resulted in such painful consequences for these children and their families.

VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2

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