Comparative Essay Wild Cat Falling and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

In the play Summer of The Seventeenth Doll (SOTSD), published in 1954 by Ray Lawler, and Wild Cat Falling (WCF), a novella by Mudrooroo (Nee Colin Johnson) published in 1966, central characters learn the importance of finding a healthy and permanent sense of belonging in order to belong and develop a true sense of identity- through... The characters, in particular, the Narrator of WCF learn the importance of finding a sense of belonging in order to form an identity and therefore sustain a sense of hope, whilst the main characters, in particular, Olive of SOTSD suffer the consequences of forming strong identities before discovering a sense belonging, leading them to create an unhealthy and impermanent sense of belonging shaped by their strong and rigid identities. Both texts, therefore, suggest through the contrasting outcomes that forming a healthy sense of belonging is vital in order to find meaning and happiness in life.

The characters from both texts project their identities upon themselves and others. The narrator through the use of the first person portrays his understanding of his actions and a false sense of identity "Actor and audience. Split personality. I can get outside my skin and look at myself." however he fails to see the happiness around him, instead of projects this insecurities of a false identity upon others "I ran into a University mob, thought they might be OK but they were a worse fake than the bodgie gang". This suggests despite their happiness he does not feel accepted within their groups of belonging as he does not yet accept himself as he lacks a true identity. On the other hand, the characters from SOTSD are able to accept themselves projecting strong identities upon one another and themselves. Olive strongly demonstrates this with much of her identity being influenced by her relationship with Roo and much of its uniqueness and in addition strongly correlating with her strong disapproval of marriage as a means of being unique. This idea of being unique creates her to make desperate attempts to depict Roo and Barney as different from other "ordinary men". This desire to live an exciting and unorthodox creates her to form labels upon the boys, with Roo being labeled as a youthful leader and a "man's man with a streak of gentleness" this view of Roo is however contradicted by Emma a character with a more realistic view "a packet of trouble, but at least he's honest.", and Barney being labeled as a womanizer "You've never met a bloke like Barney...the women go mad for him". Whilst these labels may have been true in the past they certainly are outdated, Olive, however, projects these unique and strong labels of identity upon Roo and Barney in order to maintain her sense of identity. Therefore, the narrator of WCF has a false sense of identity and projects this insecurity upon others, whilst the characters, in particular, Olive of SOTSD have strong identities that are projected from and upon themselves others.

The characters identities are restricted by their psychological connections with their parents of opposite sex. The narrator of WCF has a strong connection with his mother of full aboriginal blood, as a "nine-year-old" he stole a dress for her with the clothing being a recurring motif of the book, symbolizing identity and this action representing his love for her and a way of stealing back her identity that the white settlers had taken away from her, this being her values and children as a product of the stolen generation and post-colonization in the early 1950's, Whilst the narrators mother has a white colonized upbringing he has a strong connection with his Aboriginality and hung out as a child with the Noongar kids, his mother strongly relenting him interacting with his racial family "You haven't been with those dirty Noongar kids I hope?" as a way of protecting him from being taken away and therefore he was brought up on "the white side of the fence" stripped of his true identity and sense of belonging. Whilst his mother determines his upbringing the narrator also appears to have a much stronger connection to her partly sexual in nature, describing her in a lustful way "Her long black hair in two plaits almost to her waist. Her face shining with pleasure and she is so beautiful I feel a lump in my throat." with the use of relatable, descriptive language, emphasis on her waist, and the idea that his mother makes him uncomfortable suggests a sexual connection. Which may be seen to have restrictions on his sexual life viewing other women in his life as merely "bitches" no better than the "dogs in the pound". When he does however cut his mother off "No ties anymore, not even to my mum." he is able to find a sense of identity and belonging. Olive on the other hand from SOTSD appears not to have a father, therefore, no one to please and fulfill his desires. This absence of a father to please could suggest that Olive has substituted Roo in her father's place and she