Of Postcolonization In 'That Deadner Dance, And' That Deadman Dance?

Australia is one of the worst countries for having pointless and prefabricated ideas of "Aussiness" that basically has no real relation to our true ‘culture’ or the way in which we really see ourselves. We, however, reach for these stereotypes when trying to find some expression of our Australian identity. However, sometimes these representations and ideas of national identity have not depicted the way the rest of the nation sees it. Deep inside the ‘reality’ of texts today background shows another side that can be often overlooked. These can be found the film, Red Dog. And the movie, The Castle. in the book, Harp in the South.

The discourse of whiteness began at Colonisation when Indigenous Peoples were dehumanised. To legitimise the colonisation Moreton Robinson (2004) and Phillips (2005) state the traditional owners of the land needed to be ‘othered’, thus lacking innately human characteristics and, therefore, of unequal civil status. Othering of Indigenous Peoples enabled Australia to be defined as ‘Terra Nullius’, and according to McGrath (1995) and Crowley (1980), the myth of Terra Nullius is central to the discourse of whiteness and the white epistemology of Australia. The invasion and subsequent Colonisation

Describe and explain Australian Indigenous people’s historical and contemporary connections to land and sea and the resources derived from them. How have settler discourses associated with colonization affected these connections to country?

Australia is filled with many different aspects in which makes it the country it is today. I believe it is important to study texts that explore aspects of Australia by studying texts such as ‘The Club’, by David Williamson, a play written in 1977 about an Australian football club and movies such as “The Castle”, directed by Rob Stitch in 1997, about the daily life of an Australian family when their happiness is threatened when developers attempt to buy their house to expand the neighboring airport. Both these texts show us what Australian life was like in the past. By us looking at themes such as language, tradition and the mateship shown we are able to explore different aspects of Australia that make it what it is today.

Buchan and Heath (2006) argue that Indigenous Australian people could never meet these British standards of ‘civilisation’ because it was built on a ‘solidly Eurocentric template’ of what constitutes a State, property, and cultivation, therefore, the term ‘savage’ was possible constructed to aid the description of Australia as terra nullius, rather than

The notion of the contemporary indigenous identity and the impact of these notions are both explored in texts that have been studied. Ivan Sen’s 2002 film ‘Beneath Clouds’ focuses on the stereotypical behaviours of Indigenous Australians highlighting Lina and Vaughn’s journey. This also signifies the status and place of the Australian identity today. Through the use of visual techniques and stereotypes the ideas that the Indigenous are uneducated, involved in crime and the stereotypical portrayal of white people are all explored. Similarly the notion of urban and rural life is represented in Kennith Slessor’s ‘William Street’ and ‘Country Towns’.

An individual’s search for identity is fuelled by a need to find a place in the world where we belong, thus not belonging consequently leas to a feeling of alienation and isolation. This notion is explored through May’s journey seeking to connect with her racial heritage, her idea of understanding and acceptance. The old man Graham, May encounters at the mission expresses an Aboriginal perspective on the contemporary relationship between the two societies. “no one to talk about it. And they die, kill em selves, than those governments just put another numba, nother cross in they list. They still trying to do it, kill us of, tell us that its always been they plan.” They hybrid vernacular communicates the hatred through the ethnolect strongly marked by the non –standard features of the pronouns in “they list,” “they plan.” Graham’s diatribe reflects him as an individual demonstrating the marginalisation of the minority groups. Similarly, Armin Greder’s picture book The island demonstrates the notion concerning the duality of belonging with its inherit prejudices and xenophobic attitudes expresses the majority’s deliberate exclusion of ‘the other’ outside

Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree.

The ‘colonisation' of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries. In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. This paper will examine the works of Tim Rowse and Jeremy Beckett as well as other symbols of identity that are available to modern Aborigines in post colonial Australia.

Noel Pearson’s speech ‘an Australian history for us all’ discusses his approach to trying to solve some of the most systemic problems facing Australian Aboriginals today. The speakers are successful in understanding the ideas and values of the speech. Through the uses of various language techniques and context, Pearson’s speech details the struggles of the relationship between the first European settlers and Aboriginal Australians.

Lloyd Jones’s novel, Mister Pip, is set in Bougainville in the 1990’s, in the period of time following the abandonment of the Panguna mine by the Australians and the subsequent civil war and blockade. This backdrop provides the perfect environment for Jones to use foreign literature to explore ideas relating to post-colonialism, both on an individual and community level. This exploration provides much food-for-thought for the postcolonial critic, including issues such as cultural hegemony, the struggle for identity when confronted with hybridity, and the role of the literary canon in European colonisation.

The postcolonialism theory is a theory that has brought many controversies and opposing viewpoints across the world of literature. In, -this theory, a set of lost identities, use of language in writing, and the questioning of the real definition of this theory are some of the characteristics highlighted in this concept. On the other hand, conflicting opinions, multiple perspectives, and authors not agreeing on the definition of this theory are some of the problems that bring powerful discussions and arguments in the world of literature.

This essay will try to critical review the work of Frantz Fanon work with regards to post-colonial theory. Colonialization can be traced to the early to eleventh century and abolished in the twentieth century. Franz fanon is one of the critical writers of the post-colonial theory having scripted a number of books. The essay will focus on black skin white face argument, first the review will focus on post-colonial theory then, will focus on the impact and effects colonization has on colonised nation, the struggle for identity, globalization and will conclude with the question will blacks ever be free? Fanon indicates that colonisation has effected the culture, believes, religion identity of black skin and psychology of black skinned could result to violence. Frantz further more justifies violence as way to political and cultural identification

The first part of the essay will address colonialism itself, post-colonialism and neo-colonialism, looking which of these ideas and theories are most applicable today. The second part will assess today's' world and how colonialism comes into it: colonialism has a different form and meaning than when it started.

The postcolonial era presents various issues for the decolonized nations, like the reconstruction of a government and the maintenance of an economy. In addition to that, the individual identity of the colonized people is a complex issue that they must cope with as well, and it is an issue that is still present today. Compared to the other issues of postcolonialism, the construction of one’s identity might appear trivial; however, there are many problems of postcolonial identity, including the obligation of one to perceive themselves as people do from the outside through stereotypes, and the difficulty of unifying two conflicting identities: one that is created by outside sources, and one that is created through personal experiences.