Setting

Physical setting

The general physical setting of the short story "N'goola" by Katharine Susannah Pritchard is Australia. The story mentions several generic locations connected to Gwelnit’s relentless search for N’goola, as he travels all over Australia to find her (p. 43, ll. 23-25). Gwelnit's references to other tribes in other parts of the country reflect the way in which Aboriginals use geographic directions for orientation and for identifying tribes. The mention of other locations, such as the “outlying suburbs of Perth” (p. 43, l. 1), where many missionary institutions were established, adds to the realism of the story. 

Gwelnit’s search takes him to the Aboriginal settlement where Mary lives. The settlement's description suggests the Aboriginals’ difficult living conditions. Mary’s improvised home, which also has a small garden, is suggestive of poverty, but also of her attempt to make it a home (p. 35, ll. 21-29).

The events probably take place around the same time when the story was published, in 1959. This is suggested by the fact that, 30 years earlier, Mary was taken away by white authorities and placed in a mission school (p. 42, ll. 28-31). The Australian government’s forced removal of native children from their families took place between 1910 and 1970, meaning the action probably does not take place earlier than the 1940s. 

Social setting

The ...