Finding Eliza: Power and Colonial Storytelling

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Focusing on the colonial narrative surrounding Eliza Fraser's shipwreck and subsequent capture by the Butchulla people in 1836, the author examines the portrayal of Aboriginal people in colonizers' stories. Through a critical lens, she analyzes various literary works, revealing recurring tropes such as the promiscuity of Aboriginal women and the myth of the noble savage. Behrendt argues that these narratives not only mirror the values of their creators but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes that contributed to the dispossession and oppression of Aboriginal communities in Australia.