The Yield

In The Yield, many of the characters’ conflicts are rooted in racial oppression and colonial exploitation. When settlers invaded Australia in the late 18th century, they subjugated the Aboriginal people who lived there. By the time Reverend Greenleaf came into contact with the indigenous population a century later, discrimination and disease had driven many Indigenous Australians into abject poverty. European settlers spread disease, sexually assaulted Indigenous women, and ultimately enslaved a large number of…

In The Yield, Albert Gondiwindi’s dictionary of Wiradjuri words showcases language as an effective means of passing down cultural knowledge and history. Albert begins compiling the dictionary after the Rinepalm mining company has threatened to take possession of his and Elsie’s land. Having lived on the old Mission’s farmland for most of his life, Albert hopes to convince the local council of the region’s cultural significance based on the Aboriginal language that…

The Yield juxtaposes the Gondiwindi family’s personal tragedies with the collective trauma of generations of Aboriginal Australians. Jedda’s disappearance has haunted her family over the years, particularly August, who blames herself for not telling anyone about how her uncle, Jimmy Corvette, sexually abused female family members, including her and Jedda. Likewise, the Aboriginal population at large bears the scars of centuries of colonial oppression. In his dictionary, Poppy Albert frequently remarks upon…

All three narratives in The Yield explore human spirituality and connection to the land. The Aboriginal belief system emphasizes humanity’s oneness with the natural world of land, plants, and animals. Though Reverend Greenleaf is a Christian minister, his time with the Mission’s Aboriginal residents teaches him to admire their spiritual reverence to the extent that he allows them to call God “Baymee,” referencing their own version of the creator. In his dictionary, Albert discusses his…