Understanding Themes of Racism and Hope: The Lost Generation

1.

I think the key themes are family, hope, racism, aboriginals and the Lost Generation.

I think Family is one of the biggest themes, because without their family I don´t think they could have gotten through it. Actually I don´t think anybody could have gotten through that without a family. Without hope they would probably still be in the Moore River Settlement, because they would not have hoped that they could ever return safely. Racism because the whole idea of breeding out another race is very racist. Aboriginal because they were the main characters in this issue and film. The Lost Generation because Molly, Gracie and Daisy was a part of it, and it is important to remember that they were just a few of very many children.

I think that the biggest issue is probably that this all happened quite recently, 1900-1970. To actually steal children from their homes because some white men, wanted to breed out the black in them. The Lost Generation is not called that without a reason, many of them grew up without their families, and with self-esteem problems. Today a lot of them are alcoholics and depressed, after a life of people wanting to change them.

2.

The spirit bird first appears at the beginning of the movie and when Molly and Daisy is walking in the dessert near the ending of the movie. They have been walking for a long time in the dessert, and they are extremely tired and almost unconscious, when they suddenly see the spirit bird which

gains them a little more will to continue. The sight of the spirit bird makes them remember why they even started this journey to Jigalong. To come home to their mother, to freedom and their people.

An Eagle is a symbol of Opportunity, protection and freedom. It could not be another bird because those are the things that Molly wants and needs. Especially protection and freedom are things that Molly

wants.

3.
Because his policies is to extinguish the Aboriginal race, by breeding them out, so the black in them disappears. He finds the white race superior to the black race, and he just wants to “help”.
Not really because nowadays, it is the minorities that are racists. But back in Mr Neville's time there was a lot of racist people. I do not think what he did was alright, neither now nor back then, but I think that more people would agree with him back then than now. That is not an excuse, but I believe that he actually was not a racist in his own eyes, he probably thought he was doing them a favour.

4.
The conditions in the Moore River Settlement were neither bad nor good, they were alright. The children had a bed, they got food and they were not mistreated if they behaved properly. They did not have much privacy, but the biggest problem was probably that they could not leave whenever they wanted to.
I think most small children just accept their fate, because they do not have a lot to fight with. Some children who does not have any siblings to travel with finds it easier to accept I think. For example saw we how Daisy and Gracie in the movie did not have such a big problem with the settlement as Molly had, and that is probably because they were younger and more naive. Other children, like Molly, are so desperate to get away, that they will risk it all just to get home.

5.
Home is the only place Molly wishes to be. That is the place where she grew up and where her family is. She has everything she needs in her home, all the opportunities and freedom.