The authorial intent

“AUTHOR’S NOTE

Rainbow’s End was commissioned by Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-
operative. The original brief was to tell a decade of Victorian Koori history and to write about
‘the heroes’ (community  love and belonging/leadership). There were many heroes in that
era, but I was drawn to the ‘unsung’ heroes, and in particular the women who fought the good
fight in their daily struggles to keep their families together, house, feed, cloth, educate and,
above all, (women leadership).Love and protect their children (And aren’t we all still fighting
that good fight?) (love and belonging) It’s always a bittersweet experience researching the kinds
of plays I’m drawn to write. Perhaps not bitter—a deep sadness for what our Elders had to
suffer due to their Aboriginal heritage, (race and racism/ not only them their ancestor have to
suffer) sweet because of the poignant stories many of the Elders shared with me. Some of the
Aunties that I spoke to recalled the freedom that they felt as children living on The Flats (loved
and belonged)—that area between Shepparton and Mooroopna where many Aboriginal
families lived on the fringe. They remember being protected from the reality (leadership hiding
the secret) of their often dire circumstances by their Elders—that was ‘grown-up business’.

I want to emphasise that Rainbow’s End is a work of “fiction—the characters and personal
interactions portrayed are not based on real people or events, but I do hope they have an
emotional truth.(include in the essay, intro/body paragraph) The exception are those historical
events which provide a backdrop to the play, such as the Queen’s visit and the development of
the Rumbalara housing which occurred during the 1950s.(white leadership) I would like to
express my sincere admiration to those families who lived on The Flats (belonging), and those
who endured similar challenges, with thanks to all those who shared their stories. Thanks also
to Ilbijerri and the fabulous and dedicated director, cast and crew who brought the story to life
in its first production

- At least one per paragraph (authorial intent)

- Should mention the author’s name
- The last evidence
- T E E E E E EA L

Nan’s life was dictated by racism

- She does not believe white pp (refusing Errol)
- Keep her family in the current stage of life (keep Dolly working in farm instead of going
to white institution)

Evidence example/ authorial intent

Through emphasizing both the institutional and interpersonal racism faced by nan during
the play, Jane Harrison offers an insight (deeper understanding) to the struggles of the first
 nation. Elders during both prewar and postwar time, where they had to go through a ‘deep
sadness due to their Aboriginal heritage.
Template
• Through (example from text) AUTHOR (offer, provides, asserts) a (condemnation,
evaluation) of (idea, theme, concept, action)
• In doing so, AUTHOR (establish, condemns, reveal)
• (Scene, event) allows AUTHOR to (suggest, convey, assert) that
• AUTHOR’s depiction of (character) as (courageous, morally conscious, selfish)
emphasizes their belief that.
• AUTHOR’s suggestion that… (serves as a reminder, highlights, emphasizes the
importance of…)
• (Hence, thus, as a result…) AUTHOR asserts that…
• Evident through AUTHOR’s (characters’ actions/dialogue/section of text…) is the idea
that…