There are two interlinked social elements; narratives and societal issues. This paper seeks to understand the role that narratives have in challenging the dominant myths of Australia. In the first section, we will, summarily describe the distinct features of three social focused motion picture films; Rabbit-Proof Fence, Head On and Romper Stomper, in a bid to understand the overall message that they portray (de Lepervanche, 2013). We will try and understand the setting, the characters and the moods of the various films. In the second section, the paper will focus on how the features of the stories portrayed in the films challenge the dominant myths of Australia.
The use of artistic output to battle societal problems is not a modern concept. The telling of stories has been used as a way to pass educative messages for centuries. These educative messages were used to serve as warnings of wrong doing or generally to inform the receivers of different societal problems while suggesting ways of combating them. History serves as testimony of the use of art and more so literature as a tool for combating social issues (Gelber, and McNamara, 2015). There are different avenues available currently through which an artist can communicate his attitudes towards societal problems. Narration has greatly evolved over the centuries with the adaptation of technology in the storytelling. However, despite the advancement in the methods of communication, the role of storytelling in the society has to a large extent remained the same. According to Pilkington (2013) in modern day storytelling, motion pictures and print media has taken a lead in solving social issues and more so in civilized communities.
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Australia is one such civilized community. The development of Australia as a business and leisure destination has seen an influx in cultural diversification. Despite its economic and technological advancement, Australia is home to one of the most traditional cultures around the globe. Unfortunately so, the diversification of cultures has brought rise to social injustices and social discrimination based on cultural differences (Hollinsworth, 2013). Hate crime and hate violence is on the rise in some of parts of the country such like Melbourne. Social discrimination usually stems from the different social myths that individuals grow up with which results in stereo-typing and biased judgment of individuals with different cultures. The most prevalent of the social discrimination areas are race, and sex which often ignite into violence with violence among the youth being the most prevalent.
Features of the Social Focused Films
The most conspicuous common feature of all three films is the age of the main characters. Rabbit-Proof Fence is about three young girls and their escape from racial biased camps established to reeducate mixed race girls in a bid to suppress and eventually make the Aboriginal culture extinct (Shepherd, 2014). Head On, on the other hand is a story about a teenage boy battling sexual and cultural conflict. The main Characters of the film Romper Stomper are also young adults who are engaged in violence and crime. It is notable that the affected parties, according to the script writers of these three films, are more often than not young individuals.
The events surrounding the three films are dramatic. This serves to show the social outlook of the problems that face Australia. The purpose of dramatic moods in narrations is often to solicit empathy for the characters of the narrative (Megalogenis, 2003). It is therefore a common occurrence for writers and producers to appeal to the emotions of the viewers and listeners of narratives in regards to curbing social problems. Dramatic narratives usually involve a sad or emotional occurrence regarding a particular subject matter. In the instance of the three focus films, the drama unfolds around the characters situations that have been occasioned by the social ill in question. For Rabbit-Proof Fence, drama unfolded around the effects of racial prejudice and discrimination as was witnessed by the characters (Markus, 2013). In Head On, the drama manifested in the relationship the character had with his parents as well as the society around him. The narrative behind Romper Stomper focused the emotional drama on the effects of violence not only to those who are victims of it but also those who use it.
Challenge to Dominant Myths of Australia
It is common place for myths to spark stereo typing which in turn result in discrimination based on cultural differences. In Australia, the development of discriminative social frameworks is fast founded in how the Country was born. In the face of historical inaccuracies and public psychological manipulation in order to procure public support in legislation, the work of political and founding leaders has degraded the very fabric upon which Australia is built on (Noyce et al., 2003). Despite efforts by public participation forums, the situation remains a ticking time bomb and more so in the urban areas.
Historical event clarification is one of the ways in which the films, and more so Rabbit-Proof Fence, have challenged the dominant myth the Aboriginal culture. While most people would, due to ignorance and other psychological influences, dismiss claims of cultural distortion by the colonial powers, the film seeks to clarify, in a dramatic way, the occurrences that led to cultural domination by one group (Megalogenis, 2003). Due to historical evidence dilution, it is common for people to lose sight of the origin of a community which helps in fueling myths and by extension discrimination and prejudice. The dramatization of the characters’ situation in many ways helps in causing empathy towards victims of discrimination. It provides a descriptive presentation of the injustices that the Aboriginal population faced in the 1970’s while trying to fight discrimination through emotional guilt.
Another way in which the films have challenged the dominant myths is through the personification of the real victims of societal problems. The general perception is that when discussing matters regarding social problems, the older, wiser generations are the ones who are looked upon to provide solutions. The characters of the focus films are young. The narrative focuses on the effects of social problems on the youth. This challenges the myth of portraying the youth as a violent generation as opposed to victims of social irresponsibility of the preceding generations (White, 2010). The narratives seek to change the focus of youths as perpetrators of social problems to the solutions of the social problems, the girls in Rabbit-Proof Fence offer the solution of running away from racial intolerance back to cultural homes, the Boy in Head On offers the solution to sexual discrimination by embracing stigmatization, while shunning cultural intolerance as was offered by his parents, and the Neo-Nazi youth who was the main character ended up killing his friend, who was a depiction of violence influencing peer pressure, while choosing to embrace family and love.
The impact of narratives and other art forms in social directional control is immense. While the depiction of social problems, solutions and effects are usually metaphorical with regard to particular narratives, most are always often intended to bring to the attention of the community different social problems that manifest in our day to day lives. It is common historical knowledge that even the technology we have now was made possible through the passing down of means and methodologies from the forefathers through different types of narratives. It is therefore important to educate the coming generation on such great importance of art and literature.
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