One Day Of The Year Analysis

We live in a world where, without conflict, there is no entertainment. It is a convention of drama that there must be conflict between characters in order for it to be entertaining, and thus be successful. We can consider a text to be successful if the playwright is able to convey a view of a theme or issue to the audience that challenges our views as he or she originally intended. Through the conflicting views of characters, the audience is often exposed to attitudes and opinions different to their own. The One Day of the Year, by Alan Seymour, is a play that examines how through both the internal and external conflicts of different characters, we are exposed to an array of contrasting opinions, therefore validating the statement that this
And if it's a battle for you, right, it's a battle." (Pg95) Alf's attitude towards both his own status and Hughie's education due to his own insecurity is a source of conflict between Hughie and the other characters; it is Alf's inflated sense of ego on Anzac Day which Hughie objects to most. Thus through examining the basis of the conflict, we can better understand the character and the view they hold. This same analysis of character can be applied to Hughie. The audience knows that the main conflict he holds with Alf is due to his objection to the way Alf celebrates Anzac Day. However, for The One Day of the Year to be classified as a successful drama, the audience must be able to recognise and understand Hughie's point of view. Seymour does this by allowing us a glance into Hughie's childhood with his own recount of why he disagrees with the Anzac Tradition: "It's here. Encyclopaedia for Australian kids. You gave it to me yourself. Used to make me read the Anzac chapter every year. Well, I read it. The official history, all very glowing and patriotic. I read it... enough times to start seeing through