The Secret River By Andrew Bovell Essay - 1656 Words

Through our exploration within class, Andrew Bovell’s adaption of The Secret River has shown us its righteous place as a remarkable Australian play. The various themes throughout the novel highlight issues revolving around ownership and dispossession as well as reiterating how important reconciliation amongst white and indigenous Australians is. Bovell’s adaption is captivating, poignant and opens the door for a conversation of our nation’s history that has been silenced on many occasions. Bovell’s The Secret River is based on Kate Grenville’s novel of the same title. The story follows William Thornhill, his wife Sal and two children Dick and Willie on their journey to Australia. A waterman from the slums of London, William is deported to a convict settlement in Sydney Australia. This new country, this new land paves the way for his pardon and for him to have something he never dreamed of possessing whilst in London; a place of his own. Will and his family plant a crop and set up a hut right on the bank of the Hawkesbury River yet this place is home to others; a family from the Dharug people whose sole existence is dependent on the land. Battle lines are drawn in the earth between old and new inhabitants yet the battle of land simmers ahead. As Will’s desire for ownership of the land grows, the encounters with the Dharug are more constant and the fear-mongering from other pardoned convicts travel up and down the river these circumstances all boil t o a head; the result is aShow MoreRelatedThemes In Andrew Bovells The Secret River863 Words   |  4 PagesTheatre is a powerful way of exploring the key concerns of Australia and its people, successfully portraying Australia’s past and the conflict between two cultures. The secret river adapted by Andrew Bovell effectively uses themes in a powerful and meaningful manner through theatre in which this enables the audience to relate to and further develop their understanding of Australia’s history. Themes are explored thoroughly throughout the play that signifies different aspects with relevance to Australia’sRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Secret River1703 Words   |  7 Pagesevaluate how (language features) and why (contexts) different interpretations are represented in the study text and how those has enhanced your interpretations of the text. The Secret River (2013) a play adapted by Andrew Bovell from the book of the same title by Kate Granville, is set in colonial Australia along the Hawkesbury River. It focuses on the Thornhill Family, an English family recently transported to Australia and the Dhurag people, an Aboriginal family already living on the land. The purposeRead Moreate Grenville’s best selling 2005 book The Secret River, directed by Neil Armfield and adapted by600 Words   |  3 Pagesate Grenville’s best selling 2005 book The Secret River, directed by Neil Armfield and adapted by Andrew Bovell, is a shocking, scandalous – not to mention thrilling - insight into the historic events of the settling of Australia. This ambitious new play teaches us the truth behind what really happened between the two groups the ‘Dharug’s’ and the white settlers and by the use of Aboriginal dialect we are placed in the perspective of one white man, leaving the theatre in a deafening si lence. The