Perspectives

Reception and criticism

The film Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) directed by Phillip Noyce was generally well-received by both critics and audiences. It garnered positive reviews for its powerful storytelling, compelling performances, and exploration of important themes…

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Textual perspectives

If you wish to read more about the Stolen Generations and the situation of Aboriginals in Australia, we recommend the short story “Flight” by Katharine Susannah Prichard. The short story presents constable O’Shea, who is escorting three Aboriginal girls that have been removed from their families. You could look at the attitudes of O’Shea and his wife Nancy and compare them with Neville’s attitude and opinions about the Aboriginals in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence. The short story also includes an attempted escape by the three Aboriginal girls but, unlike in the film, where Molly and her sister persevere and manage to make it home, the escape in the short story fails, because the three girls are afraid of entering the forest alone at night.

The short story “Heart is Where the Home Is” by Thea Astley tells about Nelly, an Aboriginal woman, who runs away with her son when the authorities come to remove the children from the camp. Nelly’s white employees help hide her and offer her help. Just like the film Rabbit-Proof Fence, the short story highlights the importance of community and heritage for Aboriginal people.

For a non-fiction perspective, you can also look at Kevin Rudd’s Apology Speech. Kevin Rudd was the Australian prime-minister from 2007 to 2010, and he gave his apology to the Indigenous people of Australia in 2008, acknowledging the wrongs that the white settlers and the government had done to the native populations. In the speech, Rudd focuses heavily on the Stolen Generations and the effect the forced removals had on Aborigi…