Black rock, Nick Enright
Today I’ll be talking about the play “Blackrock” that I’ve been studying in class this term, the purpose of this speech is to make us think how Australian drama challenges us to think about Australian culture and identity, and the impacts it can have on us as person and as a community.
“Guys stick up for their mates no matter what”
“Blackrock” is a play written by Nick Enright that provides insight into Australian culture. Through the violent rape of a teenage girl, the audience is challenged to consider the values and attitudes still prevalent in Australia today. Enright uses authentic and raw Australian characters to reveal inherent patriarchal attitudes towards women and the problems with a society that promotes sexual double standards. Enright also exposes the flawed aspects of mateship and the growing need for balance between youth and independence and responsible parental guidance. “Blackrock” is a compelling play that encourages Australians to questions their own out-dated beliefs regarding women, mateship and youth culture by showing the damaging consequences of maintaining these attitudes.
The first aspect represented in the text is the stereotypes that surround women, that they are the weaker and less capable sex. The playwright has introduced the idea of Australian experience to be very stereotypical against women and men with the way the setting out of the characters are, like Cherie for example, in the opening scene Cherie wants her cousin, Jared, to teach her to surf. He is reluctant based on her gender. “Girls can’t do it” he says, Jared doesn’t consider Cherie as his equal and feels that even if a girl could surf well, it is because they have masculine qualities, women just don’t have as much freedom as what men do in this particular play, this is shown through the derisive and snared remarks towards Cherie and her wanting to learn how to surf.
Reflecting on the second aspect on the Australian experiences in this playwright, Nick
“Guys stick up for their mates no matter what”
“Blackrock” is a play written by Nick Enright that provides insight into Australian culture. Through the violent rape of a teenage girl, the audience is challenged to consider the values and attitudes still prevalent in Australia today. Enright uses authentic and raw Australian characters to reveal inherent patriarchal attitudes towards women and the problems with a society that promotes sexual double standards. Enright also exposes the flawed aspects of mateship and the growing need for balance between youth and independence and responsible parental guidance. “Blackrock” is a compelling play that encourages Australians to questions their own out-dated beliefs regarding women, mateship and youth culture by showing the damaging consequences of maintaining these attitudes.
The first aspect represented in the text is the stereotypes that surround women, that they are the weaker and less capable sex. The playwright has introduced the idea of Australian experience to be very stereotypical against women and men with the way the setting out of the characters are, like Cherie for example, in the opening scene Cherie wants her cousin, Jared, to teach her to surf. He is reluctant based on her gender. “Girls can’t do it” he says, Jared doesn’t consider Cherie as his equal and feels that even if a girl could surf well, it is because they have masculine qualities, women just don’t have as much freedom as what men do in this particular play, this is shown through the derisive and snared remarks towards Cherie and her wanting to learn how to surf.
Reflecting on the second aspect on the Australian experiences in this playwright, Nick