Further information
About the author
Emma Hughes is a PhD Candidate in the Theatre and Drama Program at La Trobe University. She has a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Honours) from Monash University and a Master of Arts from La Trobe University. Emma’s doctoral research investigates the representation of mothers within contemporary Australian female authored plays.
Publication details
Volume 33, November 2015
Maternal practice and maternal presence in Jane Harrison's Stolen
Abstract
This paper offers an analysis of the representation of Aboriginal mothers in Jane Harrison’s play, Stolen. It argues that the Aboriginal mother characters in Stolen endeavour to engage in maternal practices even after their children are taken from them. The act of a non-Aboriginal person speaking about Aboriginal representation is acknowledged as problematic. Further, this paper proposes that if white feminists seek to analyse the representation of Aboriginal women then they should be open to criticism of their analyses. Engaging with dramatic criticism, postcolonial theory and maternal philosophy, the author presents Harrison’s play-text as constituting an important contribution to discourses surrounding the Stolen Generations.
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University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
