Module A - Language, Identity & Culture

Skeleton Essay Memorisation Flashcards

Mateship

Darryl’s alliance with retired QC Lawrence Hammill + Darryl’s colloquial renaming of “Lawrence” to “Lawrie”

Colloquial register and characterisation of Darryl

Class differences are marked but then disrupted. Working-class warmth breaks down hierarchy.

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“My specialty as QC was constitutional law… heard of the Tasmanian dams case, Mabo?”

Characterisation of Lawrence, combined with the mid-shot

Allies drive the fight for justice and give the struggle moral weight.

Multiculturalism

“Anyone that loves our Trace as much as we do, deserves our love. So we love you, Con. We love you.”

Dialogue, repetition and collective pronouns of ‘our’ and ‘we

Love crosses ethnic boundaries. Con’s acceptance into a family we sympathise with makes inclusion feel positive.

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Wedding joke; “What is it with wogs and cash” as the laughing track pauses on Con’s parents

Diegetic laughing track in addition to the satire joke

Exposes casual racism and how migrants were ridiculed.

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Farouk: “Now I’m Arab, and all people think Arab have bombs.”

Darryl: “You’re a bloody ripper, Farouk!”

Dramatic irony in combination with dark lighting

Darryl’s goodwill sits beside his failure to hear a serious point, which shows identity is complicated.

Family

“Dad had a way of making everyone feel special.”

Voiceover narration, and visuals of Darryl praising family members

Affection is shown through both words and images. Family warmth is the heart of the film.

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“Go on, tell them, tell them… Dale dug a hole. ''

Facial expressions and dialogue

Shared pride and happiness show a close, supportive family.

Land Rights & Home Ownership

“This house is like their land. It holds their memories. The land is their stories… The country’s got to stop stealing other people’s land.”

Emotive tone, sincere delivery, and parallelism against the land and their home

Darryl links his sense of place to Indigenous peoples. Everyone needs a sense of place, which drives both his growth and society’s.

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Establishing shots of the Kerrigan home against the airport runway.

Establishing shots, visual juxtaposition

The gap between the Australian Dream and the battler’s reality is made visible.

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“In a couple of weeks I reckon we’re in for a bit of a surprise.”

“Where’s the agreement with Darryl Kerrigan, 3 Highview Crescent Coolaroo?”

Close up, harsh sterile lighting, rhetorical question

Hope gives way to frustration, exposing how policy fails working-class homeowners.

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“I’m really starting to understand how the Aborigines feel… this house is like their land.”

Close up, symbolism of family memorabilia

Empathy grows as Darryl sees home as tie to identity and belonging.

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“It’s Mabo, it’s the vibe.”

Foreshadowing, cultural allusion

The Kerrigans’ fight is linked to wider Indigenous land rights.

The Aussie Battler & authority

“He takes great pride in his work”

Voiceover narration, characterisation of Darryl, archetype

Pride in a modest life defines the battler and makes Darryl relatable.

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“What for?”

Ironic tone, body language

Darryl’s naivety and resistance contrast with the calculated deception of authority.

Changing gender roles

Early scenes: Sal sits smaller beside Darryl

Framing and camera positioning of Sal and Darryl

Sal’s submissiveness shows Darryl as patriarch and the traditional family structure.

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Close up of Tracey’s ‘tertiary education’ in her gown

Close up and backgrounding

A generational shift. Women’s education challenges the old domestic role.

Egalitarianism

“They write the rules, they own the game.”

Allegory

Upper class power decides who gets heard, which undermines the egalitarian ideal.

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Courtroom: high and low angle shots, then Dennis and the judge at the same level

Camera angles and eye-level framing

An unequal power balance gives way to a fair hearing.