Analytical Response to a Satirical Text

Analytical Response to a Satirical Text

John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s ‘The Rabbits’ is an enthralling allegorical picture book which depicts the story of the colonisation of Australia. The message of the text shows that when the European people who are referred to as ‘the Rabbits’ came to Australia, the Indigenous Australians are soon overrun and invaded by them. This story is intended to symbolise the fight between the Indigenous Australians and the Outsiders. There is an emotional depth to both Marsden and Tan’s work that strongly affects the audience. The use of very simple text and evocative pictures help to convey Marsden’s and Tan’s point of view.

Throughout the text, the author uses various visual techniques to help create an empathetic relationship between the reader and the Indigenous Australians. Tan introduced a surreal quality of imagery throughout the book. The illustrations were ambiguous in terms of mixed admiration and dread, they were exaggerated but not caricatured or didactic. The illustrations throughout the book are very detailed and help to enhance the story immensely. The colourful images at the start of the book, before the Rabbits arrive, symbolise that the Indigenous Australians lived in a healthy, happy and harmonious environment. However, this transitions into dark and dull imagery when the outsiders arrive. This portrays that the Rabbits distorted the Indigenous Australians culture, heritage, history and way of life. The arrows on the Rabbit’s flag which point in every direction represent their never ending invasion of the Indigenous Australian’s land. As the story progresses the quantity of numbats, which represent the Indigenous Australians, decreases tremendously and the amount of rabbits increases. This symbolises the growing of the European population and the diminishing of the Indigenous Australians. The detailed imagery of the kangaroos with spears and the rabbits with guns symbolise the fights between the Indigenous