A Study Of The Place In My Place From The Perspective Of Spatial Narrative Theory

My Place,the first work of Sally Morgan,is one of the earliest literature works to expose how Aboriginal people lived and suffered under the rule of white colonial authority.In the process of seeking the truth of family history,the white authority's oppression to the entire Aboriginal people was unfolded,which provoked Sally's re-consideration of the identity of the Aboriginal people.As Aboriginal people,they have been suppressed for so long that they even had no idea how they could get their space physically and socially and where their place was.My Place for the first time brought these questions to the whole society,which received many rave reviews in both indigenous and non-indigenous community.This paper resorts to space narrative theory to study the place in multiple-dimension in My Place so as to put forward my personal viewpoint and discoveries.Chapter one examines the two spaces Sally Morgan's family experienced: the southern living space centred on Perth and the northern living space centred on Corunna Downs.By analysing the mental space changes these characters experienced when they live in different physical spaces,it is concluded that in the northern space where Aboriginal have been originated and hesitated,the Aboriginal were in carefree state and have a sense of safety because of their close contact with local communities and Aboriginal cultures.On the contrary,the Aboriginal would experience a twisted mental space with characteristic depression,fear and inability to identify themselves once they were forced to live in the southern city,where they had been dislocated from their own land,isolated from the community and sometimes lived in a contradicted environment.Chapter two analyses the social and historical background reflected in the novel based on social space.It is found that as vulnerable groups,the Aboriginal have suffered from dual oppression both in gender and racial under the White Australian Policy,especially for those "Stolen Generation" who is the outcome of assimilation policy.It is concluded that under the White Australian Policy,the Aboriginal sufferednot only from unfair treatment and deception in mainstream society,but also from being forced to keep silence under the white discourse without expressing their identity and appeals.They even completely lose the right to speak in the white society,being marginalized in social space.Chapter three discusses what the alienated Aboriginal could do to break the dilemma and reconstruct their place.It is pointed out that the reconstruction of their place demands physical space,mental space and social space simultaneously.To be specific,it includes return to the north physically,return to Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal tradition and culture.More importantly,they should be brave enough to overturn the white discourse and voice for Aboriginal people.By resorting to spatial narrative theory,the survival situation of Aboriginal can be revealed,which could expose the reason why Aboriginal suffered too much and explore how the Aboriginal,as the vulnerable groups,can reconstruct their own space under the white-dominant society.The final conclusion of this paper is that in order to break the living dilemma in Australia,the Aboriginal not only need to return to the original physical place in north,but also need to be related to their Aboriginal communities,culture as well as tradition so as to understand their indigenous culture properly.Therefore,they can finally establish a sense of cultural pride and sense of belonging in mental space.Furthermore,the Aboriginal should be fortitudinous enough to overturn the white discourse,and thus ultimately reconstruct the place physically,mentally and socially to find their right place in Australia society.