An outsider, simply put, is a person who has entered into a group or location from an external source. Outsiders represent the unknown, and therefore are often feared or considered untrustworthy by the insiders. There are many reasons why an outsider might have come in; perhaps they are simply traveling through the area or looking for a new place to settle down. In the case of Molly, Daisy, and Gracie in the movie "Rabbitproof Fence", they have been forced against their will to enter an area as outsiders. Although the experiences of an outsider can vary by a vast amount, one factor that outsiders share in common, that defines them as outsiders, is a feeling of separation from those around them.
"Rabbitproof Fence" is a story of insiders and outsiders, but one that goes against the common pattern of such stories. Most often we see the outsider joining the insiders of his or her own free will, and slowly attempting to fit in and live with the insiders despite their best efforts to keep the outsider out. However, in this story, the insiders (led by A. O. Neville) have brought the outsiders (Molly, Daisy, and Gracie) against their will into the community. It is Neville's belief that doing so will "save [the girls] from themselves". In doing so, he takes the girls from their home and everything they have ever known, to be placed in a foreign environment, Moore River. There, the girls are treated poorly and forced to give up everything from their old lives, even their language. Despite the many girls around them who have been put through the same thing, Molly, Daisy, and Gracie completely alone and separated from the group.
While at Moore River, the girls do their best to avoid any interactions with others, Nina is the only one they are shown speaking to, because without her help the girls would lost as to what they had to do to avoid punishment. Often the girls are shown alone in a corner or separate area. Instead of giving up and attempting to fit in with the rest, the girls escape and run home. Even when they meet other people who are friendly and attempt to help them on their journey, the girls stay silent as often as possible, unless those helping are clearly of their own group, like the hunters they first meet and obtain matches and food from. Whenever possible they rely only on themselves and never ask for help unless it is first offered to them.
This whole set of assignments has been very difficult on my own views of outsiders and insiders. To me, outsider and insiders are based entirely on their situations, and the experiences of each can vary wildly. There are outsiders who may be completely accepted by the insiders, and who completely accepted and feel at home with the insiders, but I would still consider them as outsiders, simply based on the fact that they came from somewhere else. In order to answer these assignments, however, I had to change my view of outsiders to a far more specific range. I still hold to my original views, but as with outsiders themselves, the perspective is what matters. For these assignments, I changed my views of outsiders closer to that of outcasts: people who are not accepted by or do not accept those around them.
Every person has their own opinions and perspectives. This is what often causes such conflict between insiders and outsiders. If those opinions don't match, or are simply unknown, it is far more difficult for people to accept each other. In "Rabbitproof Fence", Neville's misguided perspective that he was helping the girls caused conflicts between his people and the Aboriginals. Conflict, no matter how small, causes a separation between people, which can often just lead to more conflict.
<Taken from Intermission Timed Write>
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