The White Australia Policy and the Issues of Aboriginal Population As Depicted in Contemporary Aboriginal Drama

Bc. Přemysl Šourek

Diplomová práce

Anotace:

The aim of this thesis is to present issues of Aboriginal population in Australia as they are depicted in five plays by contemporary Aboriginal playwrights. The first chapter studies the historical background of the White Australia policy and the Governmental policies towards Aboriginal people during 20th century. It analyses the policies of "protection", assimilation and self-determination. The second chapter presents general overview of contemporary Aboriginal drama, focusing on content, style, form and structure. The use of humour as a vital component of Aboriginal plays is also studied. The last chapter analyses five plays by contemporary playwrights. These are No Sugar, The Dreamers and Barungin (Smell the Wind) by Jack Davis (1917-2000), Box the Pony by Scott Rankin and Leah Purcell (1970- ) and Waiting for Ships by Ernie Blackmore (1940- ). The issues examined in the plays (poverty, crime, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, loss of identity) are presented to be a direct consequence of the above mentioned Governmental policies.

Abstract:

The aim of this thesis is to present issues of Aboriginal population in Australia as they are depicted in five plays by contemporary Aboriginal playwrights. The first chapter studies the historical background of the White Australia policy and the Governmental policies towards Aboriginal people during 20th century. It analyses the policies of "protection", assimilation and self-determination. The second chapter presents general overview of contemporary Aboriginal drama, focusing on content, style, form and structure. The use of humour as a vital component of Aboriginal plays is also studied. The last chapter analyses five plays by contemporary playwrights. These are No Sugar, The Dreamers and Barungin (Smell the Wind) by Jack Davis (1917-2000), Box the Pony by Scott Rankin and Leah Purcell (1970- ) and Waiting for Ships by Ernie Blackmore (1940- ). The issues examined in the plays (poverty, crime, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, loss of identity) are presented to be a direct consequence of the above mentioned Governmental policies.

Keywords

Australia, White Australia policy, Aboriginal population, assimilation, protection, the Stolen Generations, Aboriginal drama, Jack Davis, Leah Purcell, Ernie Blackmore, No Sugar, The Dreamers, Barungin (Smell the Wind), Box the Pony, Waiting for Ships, identity, oppression, forced removal, alcohol abuse, child abuse, domestic violence

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 1. 5. 2009

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 19. 6. 2009
• Vedoucí: Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D.

Masarykova univerzita

Filozofická fakulta

Magisterský studijní program / obor:
Učitelství pro střední školy / Učitelství anglického jazyka a literatury pro střední školy