Essay
Q: How is the concept of change explored in the dreamers?
Change can be voluntary, but it can also be spontaneous. It is a process, it can be a change in attitude and persperctive but change is mostly dependent on context and circumstances which is commonly observed in "The Dreamers." Change is explored in the play "The Dreamers" by Jack Davis through the distinctly Aboriginal perspective of the impact and consequences of white settlement on the traditional Aboriginal way of life.
"Uncle" Worru was actually a real person whom Davis had met during his youth, he could sing Aboriginal songs, track things that could not be seen and throw a spear with deadly accuracy . After losing contact with Worru Davis later met him again 15 years after. Worru had lost his eyesight, was wearing second hand clothes and had taken to the drink. This is a prime example of how white settlement has negatively impacted the aboriginal way of life as it emphasises the difficulty that Aboriginals have had in assimilating into white society. Another example of this is: Meena: "They'll be drunk, anyway."
Shane: "Yeah, Social Service cheques today."
This quote adeptly shows the difficulty Aboriginals have had in assimilating into white society as readers will observe that the adult members of the Wallitch family do not have jobs like any other typical family, they are fully dependent on the government for their income. Readers can also observe that through the transitions of contemporary and traditional Aboriginal way of life found throughout the play, that men have lost their dominance in Aboriginal Society. Readers will find that Dolly is the leader of the tribe, the dominant one of the family and this shows how white settlement has impacted the traditional Aboriginal way of life through the nullification of the role of Aboriginal men in Aboriginal families and society.
The traditional Aboriginal lifestyle was not one of wealth or luxury, it was a nomadic way of life. Aboriginals lived completely off what the land had to offer them and what they could hunt and gather. However, this lifestyle was extremely healthy until white settlement came along. White settlement completely changed the Aboriginal lifestyle in an especially negative way. These negative changes include the introduction of things such as tobacco and alcohol which much of the Aboriginal population has developed addictions to. Because of this, the average Aboriginal life expectancy is 10 years less than their non-indigenous counterparts. This is also way many Aboriginal families live in
