Plot and structure
“Freddy Andrews” by Polly Borland reads like a self-portrait of an Australian man who is half-white, half-Aboriginal. His story is structured chronologically, like a review of his origins and recent past. However, the story is devoid of plot. Normally, stories are composed of a series of events that represent elements of the plot: exposition, rising action, climax and resolution.
In the case of “Freddy Andrews”, the story does not really include any event. It is simply the first-person narrator’s reflection on his origins and on the status of Aboriginals in Australia.
In what follows, we will look at some analytical elements relevant to the way the story is structured:
- point of view and narrator
- setting and time
- composition
- style of writing
- language
Point of view and narrator
The short story is a first-person account of the protagonist, Freddy Andrews. It reads like a personal disclosure of the protagonist’s origins and of his opinion on the status of Aboriginals in Australia: “I'm confused with my Aboriginal identity.” (l. 1); “There’s no way that a black Aboriginal is going to be a boss over white people.” (ll. 30-31)
As with any first-person narration, we only have access to the protagonist’s thoughts and memories. We do not know how objective they are or how other characters might feel about what it is narrated. His knowledge as a narrator is limited: “… I don't know all the circumstances because my mum wouldn't say too much.” (ll. 6-7)
His perspective is subjective and his analysis...
