A Postcolonial Study of Aboriginal Identity in Tara June Winch’s The Yield

Abstract

[Abstract] This study aspires to explore the issue of Aboriginal identity in Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield (2019) from a postcolonial point of view. In order to fulfill this main goal, I will focus on four major aspects connected to Aboriginality that are particularly relevant in the novel: language and culture, history and traditions, the importance of returning home in Aboriginal literature and, last but not least, Indigenous peoples and their relationship with the land. The methodologies used to carry out this paper were a previous close reading analysis of The Yield, researching about Aboriginal culture, language and struggles, and studying the history of Australian Aboriginal communities in relation to their identities. After years of being subjected to a colonial empire, the Aboriginal peoples of Australia are still suffering the consequences of a system fueled by white supremacy and imperialism. Stories like The Yield, contribute to Australia’s First Nations being validated and accepted.