The Rabbit Proof Fence

Themes
The Journey
Car, train, truck walk
Physical journey parallels Mollys journey to adulthood. In overcoming the
problems she encounters she learns and grows.
The essence o discussion on the physical journey should be the journeys
eect on the travellers.
!t the beginning the assumption is that the journey is too ar and too hard a
task
They are threatened by pursuit and capture. !t irst it is adrenaline o the
escape that drives the journey. Molly grows in conidence in her own abilities.
"he assumes a leadership role and controls tactics, procedures and
destination.
#hen encountering strangers and $racies negativity she is calm and single
minded.
%nvironmental dangers are complicated by human dangers
&andscape and people are ilmed to stress the ha'ards o the journey.
There are other things to consider in line with this theme(
The girls journey is one between cultures
It is a )uest, a recurring theme in literature as Molly searches or a way
home to complete the task and receive the reward
*niversal story o lost children inding their way home.
It is an escape
Home and Family
+appiness and stability o home lie or the girls is set up in the ilms opening
se)uences, This is what they lose and what they must regain. +ome is an
indeterminate place, an area near the ,igalong depot, where their e-tended
amily lives in harmony with the land. !n open space, a non.threatening
environment, a place where the girls can roam reely and saely.
These scenes later contrast with the artiicially created and unhappy group at
the Moore /iver settlement. The strength o the amily overcomes distances
and other obstacles including the white mans law. The mother daughter bond
is a lieline or Molly.
The ence acts as a spiritual connector. They are both shown holding the
ence.
Maude teaches Molly to live with the land. 0n the journey Molly loosely takes
on the role o the mother, she assumes a protective role and eels a duty to
get them all home. This amily unit gives them comort in being together. They
have a chance i they stay together.
Children and Childhood
Children undertake this journey. They are lost and inding their way home.
The theme o innocent children, lost in a hostile world and manipulated by
adults. Their youth and powerlessness is stressed in images rather than
dialogue. Their escape is an escape rom adult authority. This is a long
journey literally and iguratively.
Their vulnerability adds to the injustice we eel or them. They are young, they
lack resources and they are hunted 1 and yet, they win.
#e ask ourselves i we could do such a thing.
Inner strength and determination
Molly develops these as the ilm unolds. Inner strength is what people draw
on when their physical strength wavers or an emotional weight seems too
much to bear. 0n physically demanding journeys such as this, travellers will
die i all strength ails. Molly has enough inner strength or all 2 girls. "he
needs to have. #hatever indeinable inner resource Molly has, it is what
keeps her going.
3eville almost matches Molly in determination. +e is determined that the girls
will be recaptured, but they are not. Molly is determined to get home and she
does. Perhaps the dierence in success is the motivation o each. 0ne driven
by an artiicially imposed sense o law and duty and the other by eelings
intrinsic to being human, the ancient ties that bind amilies and societies.
Survival in the desert landscape
The #estern 4esert inluences the make.up o the people who live and work
there, and determines the nature o a journey through it. Moodoo and Maude
know the desert well. It neither rightens nor intimidates them. The amily hide
there when the girls return home. Molly is still learning the ways o the desert
but knows enough to survive the journey.
/iggs has a dierent response to this environment as do 3eville and the
inspector. 5or these men the desert is the enemy. The !boriginal people
regard the desert as home, a spiritual place that is part o their identity. The
mindset o the person out there inluences the outcome to a large e-tent.
&andscape is emphasised oten in the cinematography. Images o vast
spaces are re)uently interspersed with spindly legs and cheap shoes
trudging across the landscape to emphasise the harshness here. 0ur respect
or Molly increases.