The 7 Stages of Grieving

The 7 Stages of Grieving

by

Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The 7 Stages of Grieving makes teaching easy.

Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi Term Analysis

Gamilaraay (sometimes spelled “Kamilaroi”) is an endangered language spoken by some Aboriginal people native to southeast Australia, including the Murri people. Many Gamilaraay words appear throughout The 7 Stages of Grieving.

Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi Quotes in The 7 Stages of Grieving

The The 7 Stages of Grieving quotes below are all either spoken by Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi or refer to Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
).
Scene 3: Purification Quotes

The Woman lights up a wad of eucalypt leaves and watches them burn. She blows out the flame and as the embers smoke she sings a song for the spirits of those that have gone before her and asks permission to tell the story of her grief.

Related Characters: The Woman
Page Number: 278
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 11: Murri Gets a Dress Quotes

Thinking that tomorrow will be a better day, I go to bed. Kicking that sniffer dog out. Still with the sound of sirens in my head. Snuggling up to my doona and pillow. Morning comes, I wake up, looking in the mirror. Nice hair, beautiful black skin, white shiny teeth. I'M STILL BLACK! NUNNA!

Related Characters: The Woman (speaker)
Page Number: 285
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The 7 Stages of Grieving LitChart as a printable PDF.
The 7 Stages of Grieving PDF

Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi Term Timeline in The 7 Stages of Grieving

The timeline below shows where the term Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi appears in The 7 Stages of Grieving. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 3: Purification
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Memory and Family Trauma Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...then blows out the flame. As the embers smoke, she sings a song in the Gamilaraay (sometimes spelled Kamilaroi) language for the spirits of those she has lost, asking for their... (full context)
Scene 8: Black Skin Girl
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...that the letter Z has appeared on her chest. The Woman sings a song in Gamilaraay, repeating the words “black skin girl” and a refrain which loosely translates to celebrating becoming... (full context)
Scene 11: Murri Gets a Dress
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...rejoices in the fact that she is still black. “NUNNA,” she shouts, which is the Gamilaraay word for “me.” (full context)