Disorientation And Reorientation Of Aboriginal Identity In Mudrooroo's Wild Cat Falling

This thesis explores the identity problem of Wild Cat Falling, one of the representative works of renowned Australia Aboriginal writer Mudrooroo. As an Aboriginal writer, through this novel, Mudrooroo reconciles himself with his past, and arouses public's awareness on the issues of Aborigines. Overall, the thesis is an investigation of the identity crisis of the protagonist. The trauma of the institutional experience and discriminatory treatment leaves the protagonist, a young Aborigine, alienated and rootless. By the reclaiming of Aboriginal identity through the embrace of Aboriginal culture and tradition, the protagonist is reoriented to his Aboriginal heritage in the end. In this study, language and cultural identity theories are used as analytical tools to examine their significance in the construction of identity.