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Essay / Australian identity in literature: Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey and The Turning by Tim Winton
Did your grandparents ever tell you they rode a kangaroo to school? It was a load of bullshit. It's true that your elders have been lying to you all this time. And you fell for it. We've all heard that Australians ride the good old kangaroo to school or work, but that's just a typical Australian stereotype. Australian identity was very different because you can't base Australian identity on that of one Australian, everyone has their own identity. BUT it has been found that Australians have similarities to their identity, namely that we Australians are all about camaraderie, loyalty and inclusion. Identity has changed over time due to the fact that people change. This is happening everywhere, not just Australia. Look at it like this, you're not what your grandparents expected in the 1960s. In 2020, Australia's identity has become blonde hair, a nice brown tan and blue eyes , well that's not really your identity, if you look around there are a lot of Australians who have brown eyes and black hair, so I guess that rumor was just an Australian stereotype. It just depends on the person's genetics. You're no longer going to wear beach-appropriate swimsuits, instead you need skin-showing bikinis to show off your model body. It's YOUR identity, not Australia's. But there's one thing most Australians wear and that's flamboyant flip-flops. We've all heard about the typical Australian stereotypes, that's what their stereotypes are, they are WRONG and always will be. So yes, the identity of Australians is completely different than it was in the 1960s because we have changed after all, we are human beings and we are adapting to our changing environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayJasper Jones by Craig Silvey clearly shows the Australian identity based in the sixties. The book follows the story of a white Australian boy, Charlie, a "half-caste" Jasper Jones, and the dead white Australian girl. The story follows the boys through their journey and how their Australian identity is shown. The book represents many Australian issues we face today, showing that we have not solved all of our problems and instead use humor to cover up our problems, some of these issues include racism and bullying . This is shown with the words "half cast", Jasper is excluded from many of the town's social events due to his family background. Her mother is Indigenous and her father is Caucasian. This led the city to label him “half-breed.” This is not the only racism in the book, Charlie's best friend Jeffery is teased and imitated because of his race and because he is from Vietnam, as this book takes place there is a war in Vietnam, and this is shown on page 267 when Charlie says "A Lu is on the ground now." Huddled on their lawn. And they continue. They hit him and spat on him. As they swing and kick, I hear them screaming red rat! Fucking red rat” this shows them bullying An Lu because they are Vietnamese, not Australian and losing their job. Throughout the book, Charlie refers to Jasper as the town outcast. It's because of the reputation that Jasper has earned. Jasper is described as a thief, a liar,.