Sally Morgan's Inner Journey

“The concept of inner journey is represented in spiritual enlightenment, self-discovery and the gaining of wisdom” Sally Morgan, throughout the story of my place embarks on an inner journey of discovering who she is. By piecing together her families past, she slowly and unwillingly discovers who she is, understands who she is and is responsible for her families inner journey too. From a young age Sally was asking questions. She was curious of her heritage. When asking Nan and Mum what she was, they replied “Tell them you’re Indian.” From a young age, Sally had been told a lie, as it was thought that it would protect her. This white lie begins an inner journey of self-discovery as Sally tries to discover who she really is.
Sally at a young
For example, I know what it’s like to be hungry, it’s a terrible thing.” This was a hint at Nan’s past and “We expect of the Milroys, but not of girls of your calibre” showing that societies general view of Aboriginals at the time was that they were inferior. Sally begins to piece these remarks together and gets to the realisation that Nan is black. This brings up hidden secrets that Nan and Mum had tried to supress all this time, about their past which had scared them both for life. Nan then has a sense of denial and rejection. She believes that now that Sally knows what she truly is, she is not wanted. “You bloody kids don’t want me, you want a bloody white grandmother, I’m black” Sally cannot understand why Nan reacts the way she did. Nan lacks a sense of self actualisation at this moment and needs to go through the inner journey which will be dangerous and confronting to get over her horrendous and scarring past have a sense of personal triumph. For the first time in Sally’s life Sally is conscious of Nan’s colouring. “For the first time in my fifteen years, I was conscious of Nan’s colouring...if she wasn’t white, then neither were we. What did that make us, what did that make me?” This is a moment of epiphany for Sally, as she is lost. She has no sense of belonging anymore, so sense of self and most importantly is lacking any identity. This is the true start to
This physical journey is the catalyst to the inner journey, which results in the discovery of the families past, identity and meaning. Nan is still reluctant to accept the past and Sally and Mum help Nan through the pain of accepting her history. “She didn’t want me to come. She just doesn’t want to be Aboriginal.” It is necessary for the whole family to succeed in this inner journey as it is also Sally’s goal to ensure Nan makes peace with the past. It requires Nan to become terminally ill to allow her to open up. This was the completion of Nan and the Morgan families inner journey, which they took together. “We were different people now...We had an Aboriginal consciousness now, and were proud of it.” At Nan’s deathbed a sense of togetherness and belonging which was not present is Sally’s earlier came along. “We all knew something more than Nan’s body was dying. She was a symbol. Part of us was going, too.” Nan had faced a great struggle, but was received with a great reward, happiness and peace in her