Tracking the text – brief notes on the Scenes

Student name:
This document is meant to support you with developing an analytical response to Jane Harrison’s ‘Rainbow’s End’. It
is meant to help you keep a big picture of the plot and character development as well as zooming in on key moments
in the text and exploring the writer’s choices here.
In the scene column, add the title Harrison gives each scene as you read.
If you prefer to do this by hand, expand each row a bit by hitting enter so that you have room and then print it.
I’ve done Act One Prologue for you.

Guidance:
In the final column, I want you to put one thing per paragraph. It could be:
a) A quote that used a specific technique. You might have noticed in the first Act in the prologue scene that
Harrison used a pathetic fallacy when she describes the weather as “gloomy,” matching this to the atmosphere
o the women inside.
b) A theme that is emerging and this scene is the point where you notice it.
c) A personal response – you might have felt something when reading the scene.
The most important thing over Easter is that you have read the play. If these summaries are taking too long and you
miss some rows because it is a short chapter and you don’t feel it is significant then that is fine. But you must have
read the whole text.

Scene 1 sentence summary Moment or quote that stood out and why…
Act One
1. Prologue Nan, Gladys and Dolly work to remove the ‘Gladys fakes cheerfulness’
sodden debris after a flood, covering the Harrison uses the prologue to introduce ideas
walls with hessian and magazines. of resignation endemic in Aboriginal
communities as they continue the process of
“rebuilding,” a process that requires them to
“fake cheerfulness” in the face of ongoing
“devastation.”
2. Scene 1A Gladys is getting dressed up and is excited “ I know how you feel about royalty. Even if
on meeting the queen. Before she she is the first reigning monarch to visit our
leaves, she helps dolly with her family homes.”
tree homework. Harrison describes the different views on the
royal monarchy and Gladys agrees while nan
does not.
3. Scene 1B She is seen coming back from visiting the “ Stops the likes of her seeing our humpies”
queen and she is tired Humpies are places where people used to live
which were temporary shelters used by
aboriginal people. The hessian was used to
disguise the living conditions from the queen.
4. Scene 2A Gladys is doing woodwork and watching “A black contestant Id like to see that”
bob dyers. Her Nan does not approve of her Highlights the racism of the time as Nan was
lifestyle and there is also a conversation with so surprised that there was a black contestant
dolly about boys. hinting that it was very unlikely and rare. It
also shows Dollys innocence as she did not
understand why people could tell if Gladys
was black.
5. Scene 2B A character named Errol comes to sell his “Yes Son Youd better ride on over there
book who dolly is attracted to, which nan That’s where youll be selling your
notices encyclopedias not here”
 Gladys is highlining the difference between
the rich and the aboriginals as she says that
they are not interested nor can afford it while
the white people can.
6. Scene 3 Dolly is discarding a few items with the help “You people can make something out of
of a salesman and her nan is happy that she nothing”
found the linoleum but was not happy about “ You people” Upsets dolly as she takes it the
dolly crossing the cork trees. Errol is home wrong way when what Errol really meant was
for dolly that aboriginal people are creative.
7. Scene 4 Dolly is setting the table for Glady’s stew “A girl from the flats”
dinner and is not sure whether to set one for Talks about employment rates and how a girl
papa. Nan declines dollys job opportunity from the flats (rich areas ) is working in stores
is surprising while Aboriginals don’t get to
work there.
8. Scene 5 Errol comes to the humpy leaving dolly “ You’re white .I’m Aboriginal”
embarrassed of her living situation, but Errol Dollys comment on race shows the societies
dismisses her and asks her out to the dance disregard on interracial couples at the time
pointing out how he does not care about their meaning aboriginals and white people could
cultural differences not be together.
9. Scene 6 An inspector comes to visit the home and The Term Assimilation was a policy in which
suggest assimilation and nan and Gladys are multiple generations face trauma today. It
faced with stress included removing children from families and
into white homes and norms.
10. Scene 7 Nan is mad that dolly is getting ready for the Nan talks about women in this society and
dance but Gladys approves of it. age highlighting the theme of gender norms
where being clever as a girl will not get you
anywhere
11. Scene 8 Dolly is home from the school dance after Nan reminds dolly about how they were made
hearing rumors regarding Robbie and lionel for this life making it important as it shows
which she takes up with nan who dismisses there is no escape from any of it.
them. Gladys also presents a job opportunity
12. Scene 9 Gladys and dolly are talking about the dance “You’re always telling me to stick up for
and Errol while dolly does her homework. myself but when do you eh?”
Dolly finds out nan actually agreed to her Theme of discrimination as they think its
going to the ball okay for white people to make fun of them
and shame them
13. Scene 10 Gladys goes to the bank where she also talks “How’d she fit in”
about dolly and her getting a job there “She” as in Dolly being an aboriginal woman,
highlighting the racism the bank mamager is
showing towards Gladys and her daughter but
she still got dolly an interview
14. Scene 11 Dolly and Errol are at the ball. Nancy bullies Bullying of Dolly by Nancy again highlights
her resulting in her crying and being how important wealth is and how dollys dress
confronted by her cousin who doesn’t really is a representation of where she comes from
like her or errol while Nancy dress also is but it is just better.
15. Scene 12 Dolly’s mum and nan wait for her at home
but nan has an intuitive feeling that
something is wrong
16. Scene 13 Dolly is crying near the river and Errol “ a real home is where people are looking out
comes to comfort her. Errol wants dolly to for each other”
run away with him but dolly does not agree Dolly refutes Errol’s white attitudes towards a
and goes home where she is met by her real home and places a greater deal on
cousin belonging
17. Scene 14 News that a hurricane is coming upsets nan
and Gladys because dolly is still out but she
comes home and relieves their worry
Act Two
19. Scene 1 After the hurricane glady is outside the I”t wasn’t him”
humpy. Nan tries to get dolly to tell her The only words dolly ever spoke in defence
 what’s up. Errol tries to say sorry to dolly. which made Nans concern as well as Gladys’s
concern even worse
20. Scene 2 A new house is built “Tin and canvas shanties” The living
conditions are shown
21. Scene 3 Gladys comes home with a letter from the Gladys implies to the chairman that
bank about a job. There is an argument. aboriginals are dirty and they do not wash or
Gladys leaves and goes on tv /radio to talk clean
about the house.
22. Scene 4 Errol comes over for Glady and letter she Errol helps Miss Gladys read breaking the
needs to sign. Errol finds out about dolly. stereotypes that aboriginals and white people
Gladys cant read or write don’t get along.
23. Scene 5 After a while nan is seen cooking outside. It Dolly’s rape child causes stress on dolly as
is discovered that dolly Is pregnant but not she didn’t plan for this and stresses if shes
with Errol’s baby instead with her cousins. going to love this child but Nan relives her of
Errol is related to Clem fisher, dolly’s father this stress by saying “No matter how they
which is why nan warned her. come into the world,
you still love ’em the same.”
24. Scene 6 Gladys and Errol discuss the report and talk
about how the radio did nothing in their
favour
25. Scene 7 Gladys talks about their rights and speaks up
for everyone. Nan realises that Errol is not
related to Gladys real father and gives dolly
and Errol her blessing. Errol is informed
about everything and understands.
General notes and reflections:

- The Rape of Dolly brang her family together and emphasised the belonging you must have in ones home as
said by Dolly to Errol when asked to run away with him.
- The contrast between the white peoples struggles and the Aboriginals struggles shows two perspectives of
two different races and how different they were
- Allows people to understand just how much aboriginals had to fight for their own rights overcoming
racism, discrimination and stereotypes