Preview

Mabo

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
813 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mabo
TOPIC: ‘People like us have no choice but to be troublemakers.’ Is Eddie Mabo right?

To some extent, the process of Eddie Mabo’s selflessly giving benefits individuals instead of requiring sacrifice. In the film Mabo, the director Rachel Perkins depicts Eddie’s whole life devotion to Aboriginal land right and fight against racism and inequality. Eddie devotes his whole life being a qualified ‘troublemaker’ and in the meantime he also enjoys the outcome of his effort. Racism and inequality are depicted by Perkins as the hidden rules at the start of the film.

Firstly, Eddie has pulled over by the police while he is drunk on the road. Perhaps this is an event for him to stay calm and become more realistic. Although the police let him go, he is already humiliated by the police. After that, Eddie starts to dance the island dance. The dance is very significant. Although he suffered earlier racist treatment, this moment shows the audience that Eddie will not be beaten. He has pride in his soul, in his ancestry and his culture.
Later in the film, where Eddie and Bonita are forced to stay in town, Bonita is told “There’s no room love”. With angry and shame, Eddie calls out to the Hotel Manager, “What you think we’re gonna leave our black skin on the sheets!” Perkins use a medium shot to show Eddie and Bonita’s angry expression and body movements. This make the viewer becomes unpleasantly and realized the real effects of unequal treatment. At that time there was no law preventing Indigenous people from staying in hotel rooms at all.
The setting of the pub where Eddie visits is a typical example showing how Aborigines are considered as “second-class” in the 1950s’ Australia. Eddie has experience of being taken to the back door for a beer and refused to serve him. At first Eddie accepts this injustice, however, later in the story, he refuses to leave until he is offered the service by protest against the unfair treatment to the barman. This indicates that the social level

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    MABO PRACTICE ESSAY PRIDE

    • 1055 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The culture of the Meriam People forms a big part of his identity which he takes great pride in. Though he was exiled from Murray Island at a young age, he still associates himself to being an Islander and takes great pride in being so. When he first introduces himself to Netta, he uses his Indigenous name – “Whitefellas’ name Eddie, but it’s Koiki for real.” Eddie is introducing himself to a girl he seemingly likes a lot evident by over-the-shoulder-shots between the two and Eddie’s stunned and giddy expression shown by the close-ups on his face. The audience may interpret this introduction as just a cultural agenda as Netta too looks to be Indigenous. However most may associate his introduction as Eddie being proud of his race. Eddie wants people to know that he is proud of being Indigenous and this is shown when Eddie nags Netta for his “good shirt” so he can “look black”. This can be interpreted by some viewers as Eddie being proud of his race. However, his wanting for whiter shirt so he can appear “blacker” can be more likely perceivable to him being excited and nervous to…

    • 1055 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eddie Adams Shipway

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He brought many ugly truths of the world to life with his photographs. His pictures evoke an array of emotions, anywhere between sorrow and pain to joy and happiness. This is why i think that Eddie’s work is so…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mabo eal

    • 822 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The story film Mabo, in leading up to its supportive and motivated revolution in Australia's history, is assist by Eddie's family determination to win Eddie Mabo's land rights case and thus restore justice to indigenous people. The foundations of his familial and social assitance can be seen in his encounter with white authority and his later involvement in the union movement, as well as his role as political activist. In addition, key argument with influential figures also helps to motivate him to stick together with his family. Eddie's personal characteristics, partly born out of his early families supportive for respect, also influence his passion and determination to fight for better conditions for his people. Yet, arguably Eddie could not have achieve fame on his own-it is the support of his wife,Bonita, and the key advice of his legal team that ultimately propels him on his difficult legal path towards achieving recognition of past wrongs in relation to indigenous land ownership.…

    • 822 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No Sugar Play Analysis

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An Indigenous person, who legitimately works for payment, gets less as a result than a white person does for literally doing nothing. From this example, it can be inferred that in some cases the Indigenous were used as a resource for the Europeans gain, even at the expense of the Native’s livelihood. Additionally, another example of othering within the 1905 act comes from section 12; “Ministers can dictate where Aboriginals in terms of reserves and boundaries”. Ironically enough, this section is one of the primary forces of conflict driving the play, the gentrification of the Indigenous reserve in order to benefit white authority figures in a political sense. The othering of Indigenous Australian’s predates the 1905 act and is even evident at the very roots of the Australian nation through the establishment of the Australia constitution, section 51, part 26 states; “the people of any race for who it is deemed necessary to make special laws”. Furthermore, it is clear that the marginalisation of the Australian Aborigines came from a systematic, institutionalised sense through the 1905 act, and indirectly through the Australian…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Craig Ashby

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The anecdote of the time he spent in Dubbo was significant as he explains to the audience “I learnt a lot that year. I learnt to drink and the correct way to smoke pot. I hung around in a gang and we taught one another.” This was a low point for Ashby, the use of the word ‘gang’ demonstrates his need for a place to fit in, there is little direction in his life at this point. Lacking education and not being able to read or write Ashby is placed into the 8th grade. “I was a rough kid trying to live in a rough world” the repetition of “rough” displays seclusion and a lack of guidance from fellow aboriginal teenagers. Ashby need support and exhibits lack of control and a sense of isolation, “My way of life had me headed towards Bathurst jail”. The use of first person perspective used through the speech interspersed with definitive statements demonstrates Ashby’s engaging tone, developing the audience’s perception on the hardship and danger he…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eddie is an agitated people which becomes the fundamental for his historical battle. Through the film, we can clearly see that Eddie is very easy to be outrage by anything which challenges his ‘pride’ in his mind even includes his family but not just the discrimination from the white society. Eddie always shows his activism through many overt behaviors which even affect his own family for example the night when he is been lock up because of his single protest with a sign ‘I’m not leaving here till I get a drink’ after he was kicked out the bar as an Indigenous people which he is proud of. The following day he quits his job because ‘they cut my [his] pay. Put me [him] on the shore with a stinkin’ sledgehammer’ although he was just locked up for whole night yesterday. His agitation and careless brings many troubles includes both ways of incomes and family relationship to his family, making their happiness on the blink of destruction. There has a very impressive scene which clearly portrays Eddie’s anger to his wife Bonita Mabo which leads her to leave just because she asks to go to toilet when Eddie is grumble about his case although she already listens to him for hours. As a husband and father, he is not good enough, however, his goal will less possible to achieve if he is a good…

    • 1171 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The tone in the beginning of the song is quite optimistic. Eddie got a job as a bouncer, had a house, a girlfriend, life was going great for him. However, the song takes an unexpected turn and is also quite pessimistic near the end. Eddie made a record, but the A&R Man tells him he doesn’t hear a single. He also started to party a whole lot, and lost focus of what’s really important to him.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the earlier scene we clearly see the tension growing over Eddie's disapproval towards Catherine and Rodolfo’s growing relationship. It is very clear that Catherine and Rodolfo like each other and Eddie doesn't bother Catherine in anyway except she is confused the fact that Eddie's acting weird towards her new found love. Eddie is back after an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Alfieri that Rodolfo is breaking the law. He also tried to prove Rodolfo is not a "real" man meaning he is Homosexual. "He ain't right" quote was always repeated in Eddie's speech showing he is obsessed and strongly believes in what he says.…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Typical Australian

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The poem “If I was the Son of an Englishman” written by poet Komninos Papadopoulos takes a critical view of Australians and the some of the attitudes, values and beliefs which exclude certain groups from being accepted in Australian society. The poem describes the Australia through a migrant who feels that because of his cultural background, he isn’t treated as a real Aussie and will never really be apart of Australian culture. Komninos uses a rhyme scheme of ABCB to engage the reader and make the poem more appealing. In the first stanza, he discusses some of the positive opportunities Australia has to offer “I could be a union boss or a co-star with Skippy; I could even be prime-minister” but only IF he was an Australian. As the poem progresses he begins to describe some negative aspects of Australian Culture “I could desecrate the countryside, and destroy the kangaroo.” (Click Twice) The author has used humour, sarcasm, simple language and typical Australian phrases and slang such as “Fair Dinkum” and “True Blue” to reinforce the authors irritation at the Australian culture. Repetition of phrases “If I was the son of an Englishman, I’d…

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    But by the end of the play Eddie no longer protects Catherine with all his strength; instead, he focuses solely on attacking Rudolfo and Marco because of his intense jealousy over Rudolfo’s relationship with Catherine. In spite of the advice of his lawyer Alfieri to let things run their course Eddie betrays Rudolfo and Marco and in doing so loses his reputation and goes against his own moral code. In the end Eddie has almost gone mad because his friends and…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The audience may feel tension and start questioning about Eddie’s further steps. Arthur Miller uses dramatic irony which builds up tension and suspense towards the reader. The audience might wonder who gets the power next. The audience may think anyone can gain the power now because Eddie, the main character lost it.…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Aborigines Act of 1905 supposed to be an act that raised provision for the better protection and care of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Western Australia; however in reality the real purpose of the act was not to make the general wellbeing of the Aborigines better, it was to control every movement they made and have power over every aspect of their lives. The following essay discusses several of the clauses in the text that prove its intention most deceiving, and what the act truly accomplished.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Keen, I. 2004. Aboriginal Economy and Society: Australia at the Threshold of Colonisation. Melbourne, Oxford University Press.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Short Story Of Scrutiny

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “An aboriginal trying to help us with our alcohol problems!” The room erupted with derisory laughter. She was exasperated that the men couldn’t differentiate between her profession and that of her skin colour, she wondered if any of these men had ever met an aboriginal. What had caused brought about their ill-informed misconceptions? Perhaps they had, had negative personal experience and that was why they were being so hostile.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Aboriginals in Australia

    • 2244 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Aboriginal people of Australia have been an ostracized ethnic group throughout their native land since being discovered by the English Captain James Cook on April 23 1770, which marked a dramatic turning point for the last significant land mass to be colonized by European settlers. The development of the Aborigines class status, welfare and rights have gradually evolved to a somewhat humane level over the past four decades, significant government amendments have been made to counteract what was a very ‘Un-Australian’ (Rudd. K, 2008) perception of its indigenous peoples. However the struggle of the Australian Aborigine in 21st century Australia is still riddled with prejudice and problems. In what follows a detailed analysis will describe the nature of what it means to be an Aboriginal in Australian society today and how that came to be. As well as exploring foreseeable outcomes for the future in terms of status, welfare, existence, recognition and possible impact and influence as a struggling indigenous community in it’s multicultural homeland.…

    • 2244 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays