Great Expectations and Rabbit-Proof Fence Speech

SPEECH Good morning ……. My question to you is “Why are our morals and values such an integral part of our life?”[PAUSE]. Well the answer is that it defines who are and what we want to be in life. We strive to express our identity in the search for belonging to the places and the people we desire to be with but as we all know, life can throw unexpected events in the times of struggle between ourselves and our loved ones. * Why do we always seem to return to the people that matters the most to us? Is it because for some reason they are a part of our DNA, our blood and our identity? What happens if we lose this part of our gene, what will become of us?
Sometimes in life, we lose our morals and values without even knowing it in an attempt to examine our capability in society. In Great Expectations, Pip attempts to discover his potential to be a gentleman to be fit enough to be with Estella who he desires very much. This hungry desire is demonstrated through the use of negative connotation by Dicken to show Pip’s state of mind. “She said I was common, and I knew that I was common and that I wished I was not common”. The repetition of the word “common” is used as a reinforcement of Pip’s negativity of his identity as his view himself as an ordinary human, not distinctive enough to be with Estella. Pip is like a strand of grass in a farm paddock where there is one distinct tall tree. He wishes to be the tree where he is different from all the grasses around him. Wouldn’t we all want to be different?? Pip’s relationship with Joe defines Pip’s identity as who he is in life just like me and you with our loved ones. However, as a result of Pip’s search to fit in the upper class, Pip’s relationship with Joe (the person he loves the most) weakens to the point where Pip loses respect for Joe. “I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society” shows Pip’s depreciated view of Joe in society. Joe is regarded as worthless and insignificant. First person narration makes it extremely clear of the loss of Pip’s morals and values as it shows us Pip’s point of view, Pip’s maturity towards independence, . Pip’s negative feelings “less ignorant and worthy of my society” towards Joe further validate this loss of Pip’s identity. As a result of Pip’s pursuit to become a gentleman he loses his morals and values as well as the relationship that have been the foundation of these qualities.
A clear contrast to Pip is expressed through Molly from The Rabbit-Proof Fence where exposure to a new hostile environment has evoked her desire to return to her tribe. Molly’s Indigenous culture symbolizes her identity. Her feelings are represented by the emotions that we receive when we first start kindergarten and the only desire we have is to return to our loved ones. Molly faces an identity crisis: Is she an Aboriginal or is she a part of the white community, promoted by a false sense of belonging? It is this struggle of adopting a new culture and meanwhile losing her own that Molly wishes to re-establish her relationship with her family. “We’re going home, to mother”. The blunt and simple use of language shows that Molly still has her Indigenous culture within herself and that she will return back to her loved ones as a result of this loss. “Mother” signifies Molly’s identity as it refers not only to her mother but also to her culture. Flashbacks of Molly’s life with her mother hugging and caring for her reinforces Molly’s struggle with her place in the mission. It is only natural for us, human beings to do whatever it takes to return to our loved ones. These flashbacks indicate the lack of belonging of Molly physically and mentally to the white society and the loss of her own Indigenous culture. The internal conflict of Molly’s need to return to her tribe acts as a motivational drive so that she can re-establish her relationship with her family.
Clearly the search for who we want to be and who we want to be with will contain a conflict within ourselves and the people around us. Whether it is because we feel ashamed of whom we are or whether it is because we feel hostile of where we are? We will do whatever it takes in order to feel worthy of our identity.