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Chapter 41
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Yield, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Colonialism and Exploitation
The Power of Language and Cultural History
Family, Identity, and Belonging
Collective Trauma, Memory, and Guilt
Human Spirituality and the Natural World
Summary
Analysis
Albert writes about the bundadhaany (“artist”) Bernardo Bellotto, who painted the city of Warsaw, Poland 200 years before Nazis destroyed it. Afterward, the people of Warsaw used Bellotto’s paintings to rebuild their city. Similarly, Albert wants Aboriginal children to read his book and reconstruct their people’s history and culture. He is done feeling giyal-dhuray (“ashamed”) and hopes his family can free themselves of the pain of the past. Albert wants his bunhaan (“ashes”) spread over Prosperous’s “last yield” before it’s dug up. The last word he defines is Ngurambang—Australia. Albert remembers how the river nourished the land where Gondiwindis lived and still live. He encourages the reader to speak the word aloud.
By comparing his dictionary to Bellotto’s painting, Albert expresses his hope that future generations of Aboriginal Australians will use his work to preserve their ancestors’ history and reinvigorate their cultural heritage. At the end of his life, Albert frees himself from the guilt of his various shortcomings, recognizing that trauma and memories can be felt, processed, and released. His desire to be spread over Prosperous’s last yield indicates a longing to return to the land and also to nourish those who come after him. Albert’s final invitation to speak his homeland’s name aloud underscores his passionate belief that, despite all their suffering, Aboriginal culture is alive and will continue to be so for generations to come.
Active
Themes
