Thank you for inviting me to talk about a topic that I am truly passionate about – Australian stereotypes in contemporary Australian literature. Despite the encouragement of contemporary literature for young readers to look beyond these stereotypes, they still persist in some works. For my presentation, I have selected four contemporary Australian texts that both challenge and reinforce these stereotypes.
These texts include: Stony Heart Country by David Metzenthen, Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta, Initiation by Christobel Mattingley, and How Australian Are You? By Jim Haynes. My goal in this speech is to demonstrate how contemporary literature can encourage young readers to look beyond Australian stereotypes or reinforce them.
First of all, you may ask yourself, what is a stereotype? Well, according to the dictionary, a stereotype is a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly.”
Over the years, many people have formed their own judgments and opinions about Australians and their culture.
Many contemporary Australian texts reflect the stereotype that men have more power and success than women, and that Aboriginal people are uneducated and poor. However, there are exceptions to this trend, such as Melina Marchetta’s novel Looking for Alibrandi. This book is a prime example of a contemporary Australian text that challenges these stereotypes.
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta tells the story of Josie Alibrandi, a teenage girl from an Italian-Australian background who lives in Sydney with her traditional Italian family during the late 1990s. The book takes readers on a journey through Josie’s last few years of school at St Martha’s as she discovers her identity and navigates racial comments, family issues, and complex relationships. By featuring a female protagonist, Marchetta challenges common Australian stereotypes and encourages young readers to look beyond them.
In many stereotypes, men are categorized as more powerful and successful than women. As a result, they are often cast as the lead characters in books and movies. Meanwhile, women are seen as housewives who only cook, clean, and take care of their husbands. They are typically not portrayed as working-class individuals. However, Looking for Alibrandi challenges this notion by showing that women can be successful and know what they want. Another contemporary Australian text that challenges this stereotype is Initiation by Christobel Mattingley.
