ENGLISH PAPER 2 - SHAFANA AND AUNT SARRINAH

THESIS

Powerful theatrical language has the capacity to deepen our understanding of the evolving nature of culture, prompting us to recognise that identity is fluid—constantly reshaped by shifting values and lived experience.

Throughout Alana Valentine’s verbatim play Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah, a rich array of dramatic and linguistic devices are employed to reposition the audience’s perspective on how changing social environments influence an individual’s expression of cultural identity. Through the deliberate contrast between characters, it becomes clear that responses to social change are not uniform, but instead shaped by internalised beliefs, past traumas, and the sociopolitical expectations that surround them.

THE HIJAB AS A SYMBOL

Valentine’s use of the hijab as a central symbol illustrates the contrasting views between Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah. For Shafana, the hijab becomes a “personal and cultural” expression of identity and faith. Her statement, “No, my faith is private and cultural,” reflects a nuanced understanding that her religious identity is not a public statement, but a deeply personal and cultural experience. In contrast, Aunt Sarrinah sees the hijab as a symbol of oppression rooted in her traumatic past, having been forced to wear it in Pakistan. This conflict comes to a head when Aunt Sarrinah exclaims,

THE HIJAB AS A SYMBOL

“You’ll see me. I’ll see you. But… we won’t be able to see each other,” highlighting the emotional and ideological divide between them. The ID card, symbolises social legitimacy and education for Aunt Sarrinah, however contrasts with Shafana’s rejection of Western validation. Together, these symbols represent two opposing views of empowerment and belonging. Valentine uses these motifs to reveal how individuals within the same culture can interpret identity differently, depending on generational experience and context.

MOTIF OF FOOD

The recurring motif of food, such as the preparation of sabzi, symbolises comfort and cultural continutiy, while these rituals create moments of harmony, as they also mask the deeper ideological divisions between characters. valentine uses this motif to. reflect Australia’s shallow multiculturalism—where cultural food is accepted, but the perople and traditions behind them are often misunderstood or rejected.

DARI SONG- TARANHA SAALANG

Addtionally, Shafanas singing of the Dari song, “Taranha Saalang” while putting on the hijab is a ppoignant act of cultural assertion.

DIALOGUE AND ACCENT

Valentine uses dialogue and accent to show how language influences perception. Aunt Sarrinah’s broken English and strong accent, as noted in “Aunty can’t speak English properly” (pg 8), positions her as ‘other’ in Australian society, despite her qualifications as an engineer. This is reinforced when she uses culturally specific idioms, such as “Be careful that your toe does not go in your eye,” which carry meaning within an Afghan worldview but appear absurd to outsiders.

BODY 6

In contrast, Shafana speaks with fluency and assertiveness, using high-modality language like “We are Muslims” to assert her identity confidently. This highlights the generational shift in how younger migrants express faith and identity within a Western framework. The tension between their expressions reveals how language can both connect and divide individuals, reflecting the Valentines concern with how personal experiences explore the complexity of cultural belonging.