"The Secret River" that is no more a secret



My writing is based on the winner of the Orange Prize, Kate Grenville’s "The Secret River" which was shortlisted for THE Man BOOKER PRIZE 2006. I will discuss on how a man’s ignorance and desires leads to fear and disaster and eventually leads to the conflict between the ex-convict settlers and the aborigines. What are men’s desires? Women? Possessions and wealth? Power and authority? A sense of belonging? I am not being judgmental but I believe men desire everything that has been mentioned above and at times can be beyond needs as well.

Hence, men will do anything they can to achieve what they dream of and what they aim in life. And it is through this process that many weaker souls and frail hearts are deeply wounded and torn apart, even blood can be shed, human life can be in jeopardy and threatened, and all these occurred due to the men’s negligence. In “The Secret River”, Grenville has brilliantly portrayed the conflict between the white settlers who wanted to start afresh in this empty vast land, to their eyes at least, and the natives who have been living in the land down under, Hawkesbury River in particular, for many years even before the whites first landed here somewhere in the 18th century.

The above video clip is how "The Secret River" (Hawkesbury River) looks like now - No more a secret, definitely and a perfect gateway to nature and tranquility!

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