Inheritance

‘You won this farm on the flip of a coin’ Dibs and Girlie flip of the coin ultimately destroys their families discuss: Inheritance is a play written by playwright Hannie Rayson. The complex play consists of two families being torn apart because of a fight over a farm ownership. The toss of a coin decides the future for twin sisters Dibs and Girlie Myrtle. Four years pass since their father’s death and one must return to Mallee from Melbourne to run the farm. Both girls seem reluctant to take on responsibility of the farm, Girlie then suggests tossing a coin. The sides of the coin represent the choice of either ‘duty’ or ‘freedom’. Dibs wins ‘ duty’ while Girlie wins the ‘freedom’. Dibs inherits Allendale on the flip of a coin and accepts her ‘duty’ to take over the farm half-heartedly ‘I never wanted the farm’. As time passes, the resentment and obligation she is burdened with tear away at her relationship with her sister, Nugget and the family. At times, Dibs in manipulated by her sister because of Girlies determination and dominance. Her acceptance of Allendale represents the conflict between duty and freedom and how she feels that life is about accepting what you are given and dealing with it. She takes on the farm and all its difficulties just how she took on Nugget as a son despite the families sniggering. Yet, during this time she becomes bitter and cold hearted no longer loving or compromising with her family. Hannie Rayson wrote Dib’s as a character with commitment to family and a define quality of duty. The circumstance of her receiving the farm led her to expect others to be similar to her, to make sacrifices and follow dreams. When others didn’t mould to her values Dibs became ruthless in her dealings. The ownership of the farm changed Dibs because her anger overtook her sense of duty that helped her bring up Nugget as a son and protecting Williams from his father’s homophobia. She now didn’t consider Nugget family ‘You’re not family. I’m sorry but