Holiday work - Simmo's Sample

Your holiday questions - which you should all have anyway...

What do you believe are the three most beneficial values and beliefs in the Australian culture?

How are these values and belief expressed by Oodgeroo in at least 3 of her short stories?

How is the importance of these values and beliefs, reiterated in Bancroft’s illustrations?

Quotes in yellow, Techniques bold and blue, link value and beliefs to question

Well done to Simmo, who was the first - and so far only - one of you to get me your holiday homework.

I've pasted his below so you can see what it needs to look like.
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Simmo Answers

Q1- Obedience, leadership and Bravery.

Q2-a) The value of obedience is clearly shown in Oodgeroo’s stories of Burr-Nong p71, Repeat Exercise p41 and The Left Hander. Obedience is a foundation of the ancient aboriginal characteristic, as shown in Oodgeroos story, Burr-Nong. Repetition of the term ‘taught’ shows that the children must obey to the teachings of the tribal elders, much the same as children today must respect and obey their teachers. This notably portrays obedience as a belief as well as a value. Repeat Exercise is a story that greatly contrasts the learning and obedience of the aboriginal dreamtime to that of today. Each time Oodgeroo is told by her teacher Old Mac, to “Repeat Exercise,” although unwillingly she obeys, once again proving obedience to be a vital value of the Aboriginal culture. The Left Hander exhibits Oodgeroo disobeying her teachers by using her left hand which was not allowed. “I was always very careful to make sure no one saw what I was doing” demonstrates that Oodgeroo was not trying to draw attention to herself but found that way easier. Oodgeroo was yelled at by her teacher about not being obedient, conveying obedience as a vital value of the Aboriginal culture, as it is today.

b) In Oodgeroos story Burr-Nong, the value of leadership is shown to be extremely important to the people of the aboriginal dreamtime. “The time of learning in the Aboriginal world never stops.” The fact that learning never stops means that knowledge is nurtured and children are taught at a young age to observe, imitate and many other things and are then tested so that they can showcase what they have been taught. Oodgeroo has shown that a large amount of the teachings are focused towards the plants and animals showing that there is a bond between the aboriginal people and nature. “The welfare of the tribe is in the hands if a council of wise men, the tribal elders,” and this position is an aim for many of the children. 

c) Bravery is a value shown in many of Oodgeroos stories but stands out in Burr-Nong. The children are taught to be brave and also “The art of pain bearing, which the children learnt in the Burr-Nong,” the ring where the children finalised their skills in preparation for testing which they finished usually around “the age of 16-18 and were then entitled to a man or woman of the tribe.” “The cutting of the Burr-Nong marks in their flesh teaches them to bear pain,” shows that bravery is a vital belief of the aboriginal dreamtime. Through this story, Oodgeroo, with the use of imagery portrays the childhood of a child from the aboriginal dreamtime as quite challenging, but also very necessary, just as education is for the children today, although not as harsh physically.

(3)a) Obedience is reiterated in Bancroft’s illustration on the story Burr-Nong. The children have reached the end of their training and have worked together. The Oval shapes indicate the Burr-Nong circles where the children do their final testing. They have got to the end, showing they have obeyed each other and their elders and instructors, showing obedience as a stand-out value of the aboriginal dreamtime.

B) Leadership is illustrated in the story Repeat Exercise by Bancroft. The first illustration shows two girls, a younger and an older one, standing side by side. They are surrounded by many pieces of paper with multiple red crosses on them. These demonstrate failure, most likely in the younger girl. It is very possible that the older woman has attempted or is going to attempt to bring the younger girl to success. This is how Bancroft has illustrated leadership in her painting.

C) Bravery is demonstrated in the illustration by Bancroft to the story The Left Hander. The illustration shows a young girl reaching out to a set of hands about to hug them. This shows that they have not seen each other in a while and have possibly endured some hardships in this time, showing bravery in a deeper form in the illustration than first expected after reading the story. The background is coloured brightly, further showing that things are good. The illustration shows that the child has been brave and will be rewarded for that.