Isla's Online Journal

‘Boy’ directed by Taika Waititi showcases the importance of a role through the protagonist, Boy, throughout the bridge scene by also highlighting the issues of child neglect. It is here, at this iconic setting, that Boy realises his father isn’t a role model. Waititi effectively used the music, flashback and camera shot, particularly the close ups, to reinforce this message to the viewers, also intentionally creating awareness of the impacts of child neglect. 

Successfully utilising the music, Taika Waititi highlighted Boy’s realisation of his father not being a role model during the Bridge scene. Boys father, Shogun, was absent from the beginning of the film, implying that he wasn’t present for Boy’s childhood. This is showing Boy was faced with child neglect from a young age, as Shogun failed to meet a Boy’s physical and emotional needs as he was non-existent. When Shogun did return, he was not interested in his sons, only interested in uncovering buried money for selfish reasons. Blinded by the fantasy of thinking of Shogun as a role model, Boy sadly was unable to see this and looked up to Shogun.  It is at the bridge scene where Boy comes to the realisation that Shogun isn’t a role model and is confronted by the truth. Through the music we can see his sadness as he comes to the understanding of who his father truly is. Waititi purposely used Amazing Grace, a hymn, to reinforce Boys realisation to the viewers. Starting quietly under diegetic sounds, Amazing grace is sung in Maori, before overcoming all other sounds till it is all the sound that is present. Waititi was appropriate to play a hymn in the moment of Boys realisation at the bridge, as it holds importance to Boy and his mother; they used to spend time together there, and in his moment of connection to god, he is connecting with his Mother in heaven to try and gain advice from on what to do with his realisation. “That saved a wretch like me”. Boy is the ‘wretch’ in this context, as he is a poor, unfortunate, unhappy person.  Through his realisation, he is overpowered with sadness as he is confronted by the truth about who his father truly is, not a role model. In the lyrics, “I once was lost but now am found” it is describing how Boy is understanding the truth and finally accepting the fantasies of Shogun being perfect, a good role model, is just a fantasy.  “Was blind but now I see”, is referring to how Boy didn’t see that truth but now can, which shows how significant the bridge scene is in terms of the film. Waititi deliberately uses Amazing Grace, the meaning of the lyrics, to enhance the viewers understanding of Boy’s realisation toward Shogun. Also to show how challenging this understanding is for Boy, as it would be for anyone who believed something was true for their entirety if the life to find out that simply is not. Child neglect is shown as a huge issue throughout the film with how Shogun neglects Boy and Rooky, with not given the care, supervision, love and attention they needed to grow up safely and happily. The effect of child neglect on children can be very serious and can include problems with brain development, taking risks like running away from home, using drugs and alcohol or breaking the law. So the importance of a good role model definitely is an important factor towards children. This shows how Boy, because of Shogun not being a mature caring role model, tried smoking near the end of the film because he was under the influence of Shogun, and him thinking that it is appropriate to do so. This made me realise that child neglect is a very common, serious issue that really affects youth, and statistically proven that “Maori children with a single parent are four times more likely to be abused or neglected  than those in a non-single parent family.” This is saddening to hear as any children with any ethnicity shouldn’t be going through neglect from parents, as parent are usually role models to their children, like Boy with Shogun. This made me very appreciative of my parents, who uncondically support and love me, but also how they are good people who have a positive influence on me. With using the music, it highlighted through Boy’s realisation the importance of a role model during the bridge scene.

Taika Waititi made use of flashbacks to emphasise the importance of a role model during the bridge scene. At the start of the film, Boy protects himself by making up facts about his father because he is insecure that nobody wants him. So he made this mechanism to protect himself and his insecurities. For example he claims, Shogun does all these amazing activities, like how he is a scuba diver, the captain of the rugby team and holds the record for the must punched with one hand. But as the film progresses, it is obvious that we see the father as an immature, selfish man who doesn’t care less for his sons and who most certainly isn’t the person Boy makes him out to be. So it becomes clear that Boy is blinded by these fantasies but sadly still looks up to him as a heroic figure. This is showing how important a role model can be for youth, so important that they would go to the lengths of lying to have this hero, or role model, in their life, like how Boy did with Shogun. Near the start of the film, three flashbacks were played from Boy’s description to Rooky, they displayed a happy functioning family of Boy and his two parents. This created an image for the viewers of how happy the Mother and Father were, both together there, with their son. It is not until at the bridge, Boy has the realisation as the same flashbacks were repeated but with the important factor of Shogun being absent for all of them. So this is showing that all what Boy believed was all a lie. Coming to the realisation of the truth would have been very hard on Boy, as it would anyone who just came to the realisation that their role model/hero is not who they thought to be. The first flashback that repeated was a full shot of Boy and his Mother sitting on the iconic tree branch with the bridge purposely placed in the background, a symbol of connection with Boy and his Mother. They both seemed happy in the scene but the major aspect that Waititi was trying to get across to the viewers was Shogun’s absents. In the second flashback, they are at the beach, Boy’s Mother was crying, appearing very emotional while she caresses her tummy as she was pregnant with Rooky. In this moment I can infer that Boy’s mother is most likely thinking about how Shogun is not present in their sons lives, which isn’t what mothers want for their children to grow up without a father figure, but also about how he is not there to support her through this very emotional, tough journey. The last flashback repeated was a full over the shoulder shot of Boy looking into the room of Rooky’s birth, with his mother lying dead on the bed and with his Nana holding Rooky. The fact that Shogun wasn’t present for Rooky’s birth and there to support his partner shows what kind of person he is, a selfish man who neglects his family. Waititi’s intention of having Shogun as this absnet neglectful father is to display awareness on the importance of being a responsible parent. It is statistically shown in research that children that have been affected with neglect also getting into dangerous relationships and difficulty with relationships later in life, including with their own children, this is showing how the impact of your parents really influence your future; which is the idea Waititi express to the viewers. So it is most likely Boy will struggle with his relationships later in life, which is heartbreaking to hear as Boy had no control on who Shogun decided to be. This made me become very aware with how my parents have given me a positive future because they are responsible, mature and loving people. I understand that many children don’t have parents who support or love them unconditionally, which effects their future, and I found that the flashbacks further reinforced this for me. There is no denying that the bridge scene highlighted Boy’s reasilation and enabled viewers to see just how important role models are. 

Taika Waititi successfully used camera angles, particularly close ups, throughout bridge scene to reinforce the importance of a role model during Boy’s realisation. The visual presentation of this specific scene had a huge impact on making it aware to the viewers of Boy’s realisation. Waititi purposely, for effect, used close-ups on Boys face in between flashbacks to visual display his emotion and have the viewers empathize with Boy and see with true clarity his despair. Body language is an important way people communicate and express emotion so by Waititi using the technique of close-ups advances the understanding to the viewer as they can see how Boy is reacting and feel sympathy for the situation he is in. The first close-up is a extreme high angle that is a close up of Boys face as he slowly tilts his head backwards, this is when the first flashback is played so the beginning of his realisation. We can start to see that Boy is starting to see through his fantasies and beginning to realise the truth on how neglectful and absent Shogun was in both his and his Mothers lives. After the second flashback, another close-up was exhibited of Boy’s eyes and nose, so the camera is purposely becoming closer into Boy’s face for the effect of understanding the realisation Boy is starting to go through. With this we can see Boy becoming deeper into the understanding of how Shogun isn’t a role model. Then after the third flashback played of Boy’s Mother decreased from giving birth to Rooky, a very extreme close up of Boy’s eyes was shown, purposely in the same time the lyrics “was blind but now I see” from Amazing Grace was sung, all connecting to how Boy is finally having the realisation of how Shogun was not present in his or his Mothers lives, signiflying Shogun as not a role model. Waititi deliberately connected the close-ups to the flashbacks and music to enhance the viewer understanding of Boy’s realisation, creating sympathy of how the involvement of Shogun in Boy’s life really impacted Boy during the bridge scene. Statistic show that by the age of 17, 23.5% of children had had at least one report made regarding their welfare to child protection services, while almost 10% had been subject to substantiated abuse or neglect, and 3% had been put into foster or alternative care, with boys being more affected. This data from 2018, which is showing the child neglect is still a big issue in New Zealand as it was in 1984. By making this film, Waititi was creating awareness of child neglect and the issues on children faced with it. Whilst watching this scene, I felt grateful for my own life. I understand that many child aren’t giving the love and support they need and I found the close-ups furthermore reinforce this for me. So during the bridge scene there is no denying that the closeups highlight the importance of a role model.

The importance of a role model was highlighted to the viewers all throughout the film ‘Boy’, but mostly during the very important bridge scene. Taika Waititi to empathise with Boy’s emotions and Waititi deliberately used music, flashbacks and close-ups to showcase this idea. And also to spread awareness of the impacts of child neglect.

Song:  Title: I’d Rather Go Blind

By: Etta James

Text  Type: Song

Data read: Term 3

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Brief plot overview 

‘I’d rather go blind’ is a blues song written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster and Etta James. It was first recorded by Etta James in 1967, released in 1968, and has afterwards become regarded as a blues and soul classic. It is a very popular song, even now after 42 years. 

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Characters you found interesting and why

In this song, ‘I’d Rather go blind’ it is referring to a woman in a relationship, but which the other person is falling out of love of and she doesn’t want him to go. And also who can’t go seeing that person with someone else and to walk away from her and their relationship, as this is shown in the line, “I would rather go blind boy, Than to see you, walk away from me child, no” I cannot relate to this as I haven’t been through a situation like this but I believe it is very common in society and this song shows the point of view of the person who does still love that person, but coming to a realisation that it is only one sided.  “So you see, I love you so much” “That I don’t want to watch you leave me babe” In society, songs are usually written because of a person’s experiences or relations so Etta James, when she sung this song, must of had a connection to this song, maybe she was going to tough love and someone might be leaving her for someone else. I learnt through this song that love can be hard and sometimes you were still in love but the other person might not be, which would be devastating for that person still in love.

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

The message I took away from the songs this that love is tough sometimes and can be heartbreaking for that person who still loves their parten but that is not recipucated. The meaning behind the song is that she’d rather go blind than dealing with the hurt of seeing your loved one walk away. Just the thought of them being with someone else breaks her heart. To me, this song is about lying to yourself, being blind on purpose about the fact that your loved one is about to leave cause he loves you no more. You don’t want to see it, but you know it will happen anyway, so all you have left is cry, “Something deep down in my soul said, “Cry girl” (cry, cry)” This taught me that love is not easy and things dont alway go in your favour. “Most of all, I just don’t, I just don’t want to be free no, ooh oo” this is referring to how the songwriter or the person this song if referring to, which could be any one, know the truth deep inside, but is afraid of being alone outside of a relationship. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

The challenges that the person singing the song is facing, is the fact that they are losing someone they hold dearly to someone else. “When I saw you and that girl, walking around, Ooh, I would rather, I would rather go blind boy,”  this is show how she has suppositious of her partner leaving her but she still loves him, “Ooh, so you see, I love you so much.”  It must be very hard on her as I have heard stories of people that I know who have fallen out of love and it is very hard, heartbreaking. So in society, this happens regularly and Etta James intentions was to probably make it aware to people that there are others going through what she is. I learnt from this that people would  do anything for love, even though they know deep down that the other person has moved on, and also that is shows in the song when she sings “And babe, baby (baby, baby, baby) I’d rather, I’d rather be blind boy.” 

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

“I’d rather go blind” is a perfect title for this song as it refers to the major theme behind the song and it is also repeated throughout the song. It was appropriate for this song because it made sense that it would be called this, as most songs nowadays are named after the lyrics in the song, so in this case it should be call ‘I’d Rather go blind’. For example, this is shown in another song by Etta James ‘At Last’, which have that song title repeated throughout the song. So I learnt that usually when naming a song, it should theoretically have lyrics from the song as the as the title. 

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

If I were to recommend ‘I’d rather go blind’, it would be to people who are going through what the person in the song is, but then also there is controversy there as if they listen to it, it might make them feel even more sad and lonely. Or it could make them determined to do something and confront that person who is moving away from them. I believe that this song was very well written and also sung, as Etta James is an incredible singer, which show in hows it has become a very popular song.

Text Title: ‘Boy’

Director: Taika Waititi

Text  Type: Movie

Data watched: Term 3

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Brief plot overview 

‘Boy’ directed by Taika Waititi is about a boy who lives in Waihau Bay in 1984. This boy, the protagonist, dreams about a heroic father who adventures around the world but when he comes home after 6 years of disappearing the father turns out to be a drunken idiot who is a leader of a gang. Then it carries on to evolve the relationship of the father and boy, also the Boys younger brother, Rooky. Also, the challenges they face.

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Characters you found interesting and why

A character I found interesting was Rooky, Boys younger brother. This is because he stood out to me, mostly because I felt sorry for him as he feels guilty for ‘killing’ his mother, as his mother died giving birth to him. “My mums dead, I killed her,” said Rooky. But also how he was quite a concealed and observant person who didn’t communicate (talk) a lot. Indicating Rooky as an introverted person, this also connects to how he imagines scenes that are happening in cartoon drawings, which I found very interesting and an effective way of showing how this little boy thinks. Also showing his emotions and how he is feeling through the different drawings. I think Taika Waititi’s intention of having this character survive at birth but not the Mother, was to create awareness of how this happens in the real world. Showing that it affects the child mentally, meaning that they might believe that they killed their Mother, like Rooky. Also that it is stated that the death of a parent at a very young age can make them feel different from their peers. This is shown with Rooky with how he thinks he has superpowers and it is only shown that Boy and Weirdo was his only friend in the film. Rooky asked Weirdo, “do you have any friends?” so Waititi probably made Rooky and Weirdo become friends because Rooky feels like he can connect with Weirdo more than anyone else as he feels different from other kids because of what he thinks he did to his mother. So it is inferring that Rooky thinks of himself as different and weird. I feel empathy for children in society, and Rooky, as it would be very hard to deal with this especially if the other parent isn’t there loving and supporting you. So I cannot relate to how Rooky feels and the difficulty of dealing with losing your mother at birth, as my Mum is still with me and is caring, loving person. 

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

A message that I took from the text was the importance of a role model. From the very beginning of the film, we realise the Boy’s father, Shogun, is absent. When he does return, he is only interested in uncovering money he had previously buried and not interested in his sons. As he only spends “quality time” with his son when is high. But Boy is unable to see this sadly and looks up to his father. It is the bridge scene where Boy is confronted by the truth that his father isn’t a role model, he is a selfish neglectful person who isn’t a role model that Boy needs as a father figure. A role model is a “person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people” so this is shown that Shogun isn’t these things to his son which affects Boy and Rooky as a role model should be there to help shape how they behave in school, relationships, or when making difficult decisions. My role models are my caregivers, so my Mum and Dad. They support me unconditionally, like shogun should toward his son but does not, and are also there for me through hard times. This positively affected my childhood as I always had someone mature and loving to look up too. I believe as a child it is very important to have a role model as that person who you look up too shapes how your future will be. But with Boy, that fact that his mother passed away and his father is a selfish man, and also figuring who Shogun truly is thorough his realisation at the bridge scene, makes his childhood a very difficult time. Waititi’s intention to show how the importance of a role model effected Boy was to create awareness on how children do need someone they can admire and strive to be like but also show maturity in children, like Boy, to recognise that the person they look up to might be irresponsible and not a good role model, as Boy did in his realisation. In society, most children do have a role model, someone they look up to, and this helps them to figure out who they want to be when they grow up and if Boy didn’t have the realisation of who truly Shogun is, he would probably turn out like an absent, selfish father too. As he wouldn’t have anyone else learn right and wrong from. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

During the film, Boy had to deal with an accumulation of challenges resulting from his father coming home but the biggest challenge Boy had to face was the realisation of who his father is. At the start of the film Boy creates fantasies of who he makes out his father to be, for example, like when he believes his dad is a “deep-sea treasure diver”, a “captain of the rugby team” and “holds the record for punching the most people with one hand”. But sadly when his father does return home Boy falls into the trap of believing that his father is what he fantasies about and it isn’t till the bridge scene that he has a realisation of who truly the father is, not a role model. This was challenging for Boy as if it would be for anyone who has just realised that they have no parental figures as Boy figured out that his father was absent for most of his life. Because I look up to my father greatly, and he isn’t a selfish absent dad, I cannot relate to how Boy is feeling at that time. But I do feel empathy towards him as I would feel utterly broken if I found out the everything I believed was true suddenly wasn’t. So I feel grateful for my own life with a loving father. Waititi’s intention to create this challenge for Boy to overcome was to make it aware to the viewers that in the world today there are children with neglectful parents who don’t love them unconditionally, and it does affect those children now and in there futures. It is also emotionally harmful to those children with neglectful parents in society as they are not given the care, supervision, love and attention they need to grow up safely and happily. 

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

The title ‘Boy’ is appropriate from this film because I could infer that it would be about the protagonist which is a young boy, coincidentally named Boy. Which it was about but also about having a neglectful parent and the importance of having a role model to look up too, especially at Boy age. I think that it is appropriate with the context of the film and I believe that Waititi chooses a suitable title to represent this film, as it is directed towards Boy who the film follows and develop as a character throughout the film. 

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

If I were to recommend this film ‘Boy’, it would be to ages from 15 plus as there are some unsuitable aspects in the movie, for example like drugs and gangs. But also to people who need confronting to how life could be for some children, to show that we don’t all get the same childhood and there are some parents who neglect their children. Which has a huge impact on those children, as it shows with Boy and Rooky, with how Boy creates up fantasies to hide from the truth and how Rooky would be scarred for life for what he thinks he did to his mother. To recognise this in society, what was shown in the film and to find help for a child suffering from what Boy and Rooky were going through, would be what Taika Waititi intended to get across to the viewers.

Text Title:  Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Text  Type: Novel

Data Read: Term 3

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Brief plot overview 

Humanity is destroyed after a war with partials, engineered beings identical to humans, has decimated the majority of the population. Then reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus, RM, to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, as babies keep on dying, she discovers that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempting to find a cure to RM and save the human population. 

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Characters you found interesting and why

The character I found interesting in Partials was Kira Walker. This is because she had a strong determination and courage to help find a cure for RM all through the book. She works in a hospital, in the maternity ward, which makes me more interested in who she is because you would have to be a very caring and determined person to work with the babies who are all dying because of RM affecting them. I can connect to her  as a character as I love looking after babies and do regular babysitting jobs, also wanting to in my future to do work around babies or childcare. With Kira having a lot of pressure on her to find the cure to save all of humanity also creates deeper appreciation of  her as a character. This made me respect her for choosing such a hard, dedicated job, especially with what is going on in the world today with Covid-19 and all the medical workers dedicating all their time to help the sick. “No matter why you’re here, no matter why any of us are here, you’re never tied down to fate. You’re never locked in. You make your own choices, Kira, and you can’t let anyone ever take that away from you.” This is showing Kira becoming even more interesting as it is meaning she becomes more independent and more determined to help and cure the dying babies that she clearly deeply cares for. Kira said “There are some things more important than ourselves – more important than the limits of the present, and the whims of the now. There is a future to build and protect. And if we’re going to make that future as reality, we have to stop fighting among ourselves. We have to end dissent whenever we find it. We have to trust one another again.” This is showing how selfless Kira is, making her even more interesting to me and also increasing my respect for her as a character. Dan Wells intentions of making Kira  work in the maternity ward was probably to create awareness of how hard it is to be a nurse and by also adding in the killer virus made you really think about how much stress is on those workers. This made me think about all the nurses in the real world and how they would have that same stress on them too, and especially because I can relate to this as my Mum was a nurse when she was younger and has the experience of what the pressure is like.  She is now a hospice worker, looking after patients nearing death, this relates to Kira in a sense that Kira looks after babies who are confronted by death at birth because of the virus. 

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

A message that I took from the text was the importance of ambition and striving for what you believe in. If Kira didn’t have ambition, humanity wouldn’t have survived. So with her standing up and doing what she thought was right resulted in finding the cure, also her proving her society wrong.  “Each life has a different purpose, and some people can find their purpose more easily than others. The key, the most important thing you can ever know, is that whatever your purpose is, that’s not your only choice” This is referring to what Kira’s ambition is, which is caring and helping people so she thought she didn’t have a choice to go and find the cure even when she was told  she didn’t have permission. Wells’ intention to showcase Kira’s ambition all throughout the text was to show to the readers that having that ambition gives meaning to life, also having that confidence to strive to achieve gets you somewhere even if you don’t succeed or you do. “‘Hope is not a strategy,’ said Kira, ‘It’s not plan A,’ said Jayden, ‘and it shouldn’t be plan B, but it is every plan C that has ever been made.” This indicates that you do have to have hope to strive for success but its the ambition behind that backs it up, for example when Kira went into partial territory to find a partial, they had no idea what was going to happen but it was their hope and ambition to find success that helped them achieve their goal. I learnt from thisif you don’t have the ambition to get to where you want to be, you will never get anywhere in life and be in the same situation as before. I see this in society in government elections and how the people in those parties srive for what they believe New Zealand’s society needs, also trying to convice the nation they are right. So these parties have the ambition to get the votes otherwise they wouldn’t get where they want to be, which is apart of the goverment. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

During the text, Kira had to face an accumulation of challenges which majoly connected with finding the cure for RM. From mankind being practically nearly wiped from existence,  “There are forty thousand people on Long Island,” he said. “There used to be millions.”, and RM killing all the  newborns, Kira as the heroic character of the novel has to find solutions for these challenges. In doing this, she evolves as a character with how she becomes more determined and stronger. Meaning she followed what she believed is right, “You make your own choices, Kira, and you can’t let anyone ever take that away from you.” So she demonstrates this when she goes behind her own society to find a partial to find the cure from. In society, people do speak out and strive for what they want but sometimes it goes in your favor but mostly not. After Kira did make those actions for what she believed what was right it took a long time to convince her government to believe she was right.  I can relate to Kira having no clue what was going to happen but to just followed her gut as I dont have a clue what is going to happenin my future, let alone in the next week. Wells’s intention to create all these challenges that Kira had to face and fight her way through made the novel compelling and hooked the reader in. If there weren’t these barriers that the characters had to overcome, the reader would lose interest and not enjoy the book but because there were challenges going on in every turn of the book I was fascinated to find  out what happens next; this refers to all books too as it has to be compelling for the reader to carry on.

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

My response to the title of the text ‘Partials’ captivated me because the front cover looked very interesting, making me fascinated to read it. Also it looked like a book and genre I would enjoy, which it was as it was full of action and also romance. I believe that the title was appropriate for this text because it referred to a big challenge throughout the book, which is the Partials who we find out contains the cure for RM towards the end of the text. So ‘Partails’ was a good, important keyword that is short and attention grabbing that intrigues the reader. 

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

I would recommend this text to teenagers. I believe that this story line and genre of book would really hook teenagers in, as it did to me. From a world wide virus to saving all of humanity is a captivating action filled novel perfect to interest a teenager. I don’t think it is sophisticated enough to be recommended to adults but it depends on what stage of reading you are, although the book isn’t a very hard read, you still need a good comprehension to follow the storyline. Usually in society, teenagers are classified under young adult fiction when looking for books to read, Partials would fit under this category perfectly. So I reckon that this book would be perfect for teens who love an action pack book with lots of thrilling moments.  

Research on Child Neglect in NZ

Abuse is harming a child:

• Physically (eg, giving them hidings)
• Emotionally (eg, yelling or swearing at them, shaming or rejecting them) Shogun did this
• Sexually (eg, involving them in sexual activities).

Neglect is failing to meet a child’s physical and emotional needs – that is, not giving them the care, supervision, love and attention they need to grow up safely and happily (eg, failure to provide food, warm clothing or health care).

Emotional abuse and neglect can cause serious and long-term damage.

Early signs of abuse and neglect

These include problems that need to be checked out:

• parent has a drug, alcohol or gambling problem
• parent does not engage with their child or has a difficult relationship with them
• child doesn’t have enough clothes on and is often cold and hungry
• child has unexplained or changeable emotions (eg, withdrawn or depressed)
• parents frequently yell at, swear at or shame a child
• child seems scared of a particular adult.

21/9/20 – https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/abuse/child-ok/recognising-abuse-and-neglect

Data

• Between 1 January 2019 and 30 November 2019, 11 children and young people have died as a result of homicide in New Zealand, because of a result of child neglect and abuse. Of the cases where the relationship to the victim was known, 27% were mothers, 24% were fathers, and 17% were de facto partners.
• https://www.childmatters.org.nz/insights/nz-statistics/ – 21/9/20
• By the age of 17, 23.5% of children had had at least one report made regarding their welfare to child protection services, while almost 10% had been subject to substantiated abuse or neglect, and 3% had been put into foster or alternative care, with boys being more affected. Data from 2018

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/study-one-in-four-new-zealand-children-reported-welfare-agencies#:~:text=By%20the%20age%20of%2017,with%20boys%20being%20more%20affected.

In the year ended 31 March 1961, child welfare officers handled 6,607 cases.
In 2014, 146,657 notifications were made to Child, Youth and Family yet the
population aged 17 and under had grown by just 30%.
The rate of substantiated physical abuse grew more than ten-fold from 2.5 per
10,000 children in 1967 to 29 per 10,000 in 2014

For the last fifty years, families that feature ex-nuptial births, have one or both
parents absent, large numbers of siblings (especially from clustered or multiple
births) and/or very young mothers have been consistently over-represented in
the incidence of child abuse.

Maori and Pacific families exhibit more of these features and have appeared
disproportionately in child maltreatment statistics since earliest data
analysis in 1967.

While the incidence of child abuse has climbed, the death rate from child
maltreatment has fluctuated between 0.7 and 1.4 per 100,000 children since the
early 1960s. Of the seven deaths recorded in 1967, two children were European,
two were Pacific, two were Maori and one was part-Maori.
The growth of child abuse has accompanied a reduction in marriage and an
increase in cohabiting or single-parent families.

The high rates of single, step or blended families among Maori present a much
more compelling reason for disproportionate child abuse incidence than either
colonisation or unemployment.

Maori children with a single parent are four times more likely to be abused than
those in a non-single parent family; Maori children whose caregiver had spent
80% or more of the last five years on a benefit were 19 times more likely to
suffer maltreatment than those with no benefit history.

Like non-Maori, Maori children with two-parent working families have very low
abuse rates.
The likelihood of a child being in poverty and abused is smaller than the
likelihood of being on a benefit and abused.

https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Child-Abuse-and-Family-Structure-FULL-REPORT.pdf

Write your response to the film using the following points:

Write a BRIEF plot overview.

‘Boy’ directed by Taika Waititi is about a boy who lives in Waihau Bay in 1984. This boy dreams about a heroic father who adventures around the world but when he comes home after 6 years of disappearing the farther turns out to be a drunken idiot who is a leader of a gang. Then is carries on to evolve the relationship of the father and boy also boys younger brother, Rooky. Also the challenges they face.

Discuss a character that you found interesting and describe why they stood out to you.

A character I found interesting was Rooky, Boys younger brother. This is because he really stood out to me, mostly because I felt sorry for him as he feels guilty for ‘killing’ his mother, as his mother died giving birth to him. But also how he was quite concealed and observant person who didn’t communicate (talk) a lot. Indicating Rooky as an introverted person, this also connects to how he imagines scenes that are happening in cartoon drawings, which I found very interesting and an effective way of showing how this little boy thinks. Also showing his emotions and how he is feeling through the different drawings. I think Taika Waititi intentions of having this character survive at birth but not the Mother, was to create awareness of how this happens in the real world. Showing that it effects the child mentally, meaning that they might believe that they killed their Mother, like Rooky. Also that it is stated that a death of a parent at a very young age can make them feel different from their peers. This is shown with Rooky with how he thinks he has superpowers and it is only shown that Boy was his only friend.

Write about a scene that stood out to you . Why?

A scene that stood out to me was the ending scene, where the father is in the grave site of his wife, and his kids come and sat beside him. This really left an impact on me because it really showed the father, Alamein, was tying towards the end and in the movie before this scene, it showed him standing outside the gravesite pacing about whether to go inside and visit his wife. Which this resulted with him deciding not to go in and walking away, so ending with him in the gravesite sitting beside the grave was very emotional and stood out. Also it put Alamein in a perspective not as an absent drunken father, but as a really lost and emotional person who probably regrets how he treated and left his children. When the children joined him it created a very emotional atmosphere for me as it show the character in a very vulnerable position..

What message do you think the director, Taika Waititi, was conveying in the text. Use an example to support your explanation.

A message that Taika Waititi was trying to convey in the movie was the complications of families and how some families do struggle. And also how some children have to take on so much responsibility from a very young age because of an absent father and past away mother, which connects to Boy.

Write about a cinematography technique that was of interest to you. Why was it effective/surprising/distracting…

A cinematography technique that was of interest to me was how Taika Waititi effectively displayed Rooky’s imaginary by displaying it as a stop-motion drawings on a sketch pad. From the start of the film, it is show that Rooky thought that he had superpowers, this is because of how his mother died at his birth, this causing Rooky to believe he has superpowers. So by using the sketches, Taika Waititi used Rooky’s imaginary of having superpowers to display what he is thinking on the sketchs to what is going is really going on in the scene in front of him. By using this cinematography technique it made me, as the audience, look at his perspective and what he thinks about whats happening. So Waititi’s intentions by making the audience experiencing Rooky world through drawings created an effect on how he was still childish

Give your reflection on the setting. Why do you think it was set in Waihau Bay in 1984? Write about how the director showcases the setting.

I think that Taika Waititi used the setting of Waihau Bay in 1984 really effectively and using the long shot of the beautiful environment to set the atmosphere of the film. Meaning….

Maturity from kids more than father. – Father is immature – boy starts to become like father throughout film

On a blissful summer morning on the West Coast at Muriwai, the birds were so noisy it sounded like a symphony choir. The horizon seemed to be stitched with a line of fluorescent orange as the burning sun appeared. Luminous colours reached away from the yawning sun, infecting the night sky with the summer light, poisoning the odd cloud that passed by, turning the white to a soft pink. From the peninsula, looking out to the calm sea, the gannets wheeled and arced gliding through the early rays of flaring sunlight. Their chaotic calls ringed off the cliffs. Birds perched on the lush green tree branches surrounded the edges of the family beach house, lively singing joyous tunes that informed everyone of the wondrous day ahead. Lonesome rabbits appeared from underground borrows from below the house on the lavish green paddocks. They sat there, peacefully. The stairs groaned as people emerged from prolonged sleep-ins. The kettle rumbled as doors extended open like arms stretching wide, embracing the fresh breeze. A hum of the waves rolling onto the black volcanic sand resonated in the background of the radio buzzing through the walls. Summer crept, igniting the weeds and grasses that grew in the cracked pavement, that led up to the painted blue stairs to the deck where the motionless pool sat, anticipating the stillness to be broken. Behind the crystal clear pool rested the sauna like a dormant volcano. On the top deck looking out to the breathtaking views, the grandfather sat quietly. With a cup of tea in his hand, on a chipped wooden chair, he admired the lemon tree that was blooming with life below him as he heard the thunderous splash as someone impacted the surface of the pool. Pool toys emerged out of the sauna, ready for another action-filled day. From bomb contests in the pool to tanning on the busy beach to thick-shakes at the cafe, summer was great. But in the bitterness of winter, Muriwai isn’t the same.

On winter mornings, wretched cold temperatures bully the town into the heated homes. Lonely naked tree branches ache in the frigid breeze. The choir of birds seemed to have disappeared, though occasional squawk echoes in the distance as if the birds are running away. Rabbits hibernate, too scared to face the threatening bitter air. Brave surfers challenge the vicious ocean, floundering over the continuous wall-like waves, attempting to reach clam waters. A mist masks the ruff seashore like a cloak strangling the land. The beach house still stands strong fighting against the brutality of winter but wishes for the sweetness of summer to return. The swimming pool, empty. Lonely. It’s become a pit for the falling leaves and stray sticks, whereas the sauna erupts with life, heating the family like the sun that they desperately miss. Monstrous storms surround the town like a cage, trapping everything within. Tremendous claps of thunder intimate the prisoners. Gasping for air the sodden paddocks drown in the overflow of brutal rainfall. Hiding inside by the flaring fire-place the family compete in an intense game of monopoly, arguing about every move meanwhile the extreme high tides play tag with the sand dunes. But no matter the season, even in the ferocity of winter, Muriwai always provides an entertaining, thrilling time.

Text Title: My Father’s Hands

Author: Calvin Worthington

Text  Type: Short story

Data read: Term 1

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Brief plot overview 

Narrated by the son of the father, “My Father’s Hands” by Calvin Worthington, is a short story that regards a father who never learnt how to read or write. This challenge of illiteracy had a huge impact on the father as it caused a barrier on his life. The story follows the father from the son’s perspective, describing the struggle of this disadvantage of being illiterate affects the father’s life. 

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Characters you found interesting and why

The character that I found interesting in  ‘My Father’s Hands’ was the father. This is because even though he struggled with being illiterate, he was still a hard-working person who tried his best despite this handicap blocking him from having an easier and better life. For example, “From the farm to road building and later factory work, his hands served him well. His mind was keen, his will to work unsurpassed.” This showed that the father excelled in other things that didn’t require being literate. Also that he was strong minded, that nothing stopped him from achieving and suppling for his family. This made him more interesting to me, as I appreciate his willingness to not give up when things get hard and carry on to find another way around a problem. It is really great that society allows people who can’t do certain things that most people can do and find many different jobs that suit them  and their differences. Such as how the father found work that doesn’t require  literacy like “he was a pipe fitter in a shipyard and installed the complicated guts of mighty fighting ships.” I can personally relate to the fathers struggle with literacy as my brother has dyslexia and dyspraxia, it is not as severe as the father stuffers with but he still has a hard time with his literacy/schoolwork. This makes me feel for the father, also my brother, because it would be hard  especially through school and society when the majority of people don’t have their struggles. 

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

The message I took away from this short story is that you can get through life even if you’re not academically smart. In society, various people excel in many different things and have diverse strengths and weaknesses, in different aspects of their lives. For instance being a tradesman who builds and creates for others, without having to be academically smart like a doctor or a teacher would. This relates to the father, as being illiterate is his weakness but being creative and hardworking was a strength of his, as it shows in the line  “He could draw and saw a square with quick accuracy.” This is showing that you don’t have to be smart to be able to be literate to succeed in life. I believe that the father is a perfect role model for people who might struggle with this handicap and need an influencer who shows that you can succeed in life even if you can’t do what most people can. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

During the text, the father had to face the major challenges of being illiterate.  This formed a barrier in his life, and with what he can and can’t do. This challenge ended up being life threatening, as he passed away because of not being able to open his medication bottle as he couldn’t read the imprinted words “Child Proof Cap – Push Down and Twist to Unlock.” I found this really hard because I thought it was unfair for the Father to die because of a new technical feature with his medication as he has worked so hard in life to not let being illiterate affect him and his family. Another challenge that the father had to deal with was finding jobs that don’t require being literate. “When the mill shut down, he went out each morning looking for work-only to return night after night and say to Mother as she fixed dinner, “They just don’t want anybody who can’t take their tests.”” I feel for the father as I realize all he wants to do is supply for his family and be a good husband/father. Nowadays in society finding jobs are difficult because of how COVID-19 affected employees as financial issues have increased. This is a completely different situation to the fathers but he still couldn’t get employed just because of his handicap. I believe that the Father had many other qualities that made him equal or even better than others being employed like how he never gives up, it is stated that he “stole from his sleeping hours the time required to run the farm” which shows that he is very dedicated and a hardworking man. 

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

I believe ‘My father’s hands’ is an appropriate title for this short story. This is because it refers to the main character, which is the father, and informs the reader how the story is told from the child’s perspective of the father. This is because of the ‘my’ in the title. It is also appropriate because it connects well with the father’s hands and how throughout the text it is expanded that he is illiterate so “his hands never learned to write.” Also that the author has described the fathers hands during the entirety of the story making the title even more appropriate. For example, “his hands were rough and exceedingly strong.”  So, I think that the title connects well with the story and I wouldn’t change it if I had a chance.

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

I would recommend this story to people who  relate to the father and struggle with a handicap, like illiteracy. And for those people to realise, after reading this text, that they can achieve through life even if they can’t do what most others can. Also for those people to push through the hard times, like the Father did when he got rejected from most jobs as “They just don’t want anybody who can’t take their tests.” In society, some people don’t feel accepted into the world because they can’t do or lack something. People commonly are bullied for their weaknesses, which I believe is unacceptable and completely wrong. But after reading this short story they might look to the Father as a role model and realise that they aren’t as different and can still, with hard work and persistence, strive for success throughout their lives.

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Brief plot overview 

The Novel City of Ashes follows a 15-year old girl, named Clarissa Adele Fray. In the series first novel, City of bones, Clary appears to be a normal human or a “mundane” as they call it in the book. Throughout she learnt that everything she was taught to be imaginary; vampires, werewolves, fairies were actually real and everything she knew was a lie. And the only thing protecting the mundans from the demons were Shadowhunters, humanlike creatures with the blood of angels. With this, Clary learns that she is a shadowhunter. The focus of text in the first book which carries on throughout the second book, is that Clarys biological father, Valentine, who is a disgraced shadowhunter who seeks revenge on the world by eliminating the world of all domonic presents. Which includes vampires, werewolves, fairies and more; he seeks to do this by collecting a series of ‘mortal instruments’ which the heroes, the shadow hunters, fight to prevent him from acquiring. 

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Characters you found interesting and why

A character I found interesting in the text ‘City of Ashes’ was Jace. This is because I found myself hooked with how the author expressed him as a conserved character but with loads of depth and meaning to him.  I noticed he experienced the most drama, the most action as he is recognized as one of the best shadowhunter out of the main characters, and the most change out of anyone in the book. From the beginning, Jace is put in an uncomfortable position when he is basically banished from the Institute, forcing him to figure out who he wants to become and who he really is. From this he is presented in a way that he was still a developing character that is a bit broken, which made me more interested and got me hooked to find out how he would become further into the series. I think the author presented Jace in this mysterious way because as it did to me, it makes the readers question how he is and what he will do next. As Jace stands up for what he thinks is right, even though it is against the rules. “I don’t do what I’m told, but I might do what you want if you ask me nicely.”  So this makes the story more thrilling but also reflects on what kind of person Jace is. In society, people tend to act on what they believe is right, even if they are standing alone. For example some politicians. ‘Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.’’ This is a well known quote that I believe connects with the text and Jace personally because all throughout the story he takes action and drives to achieve something he trusts is the right thing to do. For example when he leaves the place that the inquisitor was imprisoned him in, to visit the seelie court to find help to take down the villain of the story; who is conveniently his father, which he just found out. Jace was a character that I really found interesting because of how the author expressed him, which was mysterious and with a charismatic aspect to him.  

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

The message that I took from the text was how family doesn’t always have to be the ones who you are related to. From the start of the text, it is obvious that family is a big concept that has a huge meaning and importance for most of the characters. This is shown with the Lightwoods and Jace, Clary and Luke. All these characters, who are not related, express strong family bonds with each other throughout the whole novel, even when everything is going wrong for them. This message could reflect that the author may be adding a concept of her own life and incorporated what she has experienced into her story which could be why the families in the story aren’t connected by blood but by unconditional love and that “they are the ones who stand by each other and would do anything for another.”  Throughout the novel Clary struggles with the knowledge that Valentine is her biological father, as he commits unspeakable atrocities and seeks to use his own children for his own gain. But because she grew up with Luke not Valentine, she sees Luke as her father. This is shown in this line  “Family is more than blood. Valentine isn’t my father. Luke is.” I think this message gives an awareness into society because it shows that the people who stand beside you are family and it doesn’t alway have to be with relatives.  I felt as if this message would connect really well with people who have struggles with their own relatives but have strong connections with friends and their families. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

During the text, all the characters had to face an accumulation of challenges and had to find ways to get through these challenges. Throughout the text Clary had to deal with the new knowledge of being a Shadowhunter, she struggles with this especially as the one person who would help her through it was trapped in a coma for the duration of the book, her mother. This struggle is understandable because if my mother was stuck somewhere and is the one person who would help and explain everything that is going on, it would be very hard on myself. Clary also has to deal with the fact that the portrayed villain in the text is her father. And that he is determined to raise a congregation of demons and start a full-scale war.  Which it is all up to Jace and Clary, his own children, to stop him. On top of all this Clary and Jace are dealing with romantic feelings for each other. But it makes it very complicated as they have just found out that they are siblings. “Something inside Clary cracked and broke, and words came pouring out. ‘What do you want me to tell you? The truth? The truth is that I love Simon like I should love you, and I wish he was my brother and you weren’t, but I can’t do anything about that and neither can you!” The reason that Jace and Clary can’t get together is because of society and the pressure that it is known that siblings do not have romantic relationships. But it is hard for them as they didn’t grow up together so they don’t see each other as siblings, and according to some research siblings that are raised in close contact for the critical first few years will not be attracted to one another. So in Jace and Clarys’ case they weren’t raised together and only met in their late teenage years. I felt every captivated with this concept of the book and am excited to find how their relationship evolves. And also how the author resolves the challenges that Clary and others face throughout the series. 

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

My response to the title of the text “City of Ashes” is that it refers to a chapter of the book when the Silent City and the silent brothers are destroyed. Although the term ‘City of Ashes’ was never used in the book, I can only assume that it is what the Bone City will become without its gardiens. In ‘City of Ashes’ I also found that the Silent City there was a new purpose for the city and that was to be a prison. Jace was keeped there for the main reason of being Valentines son, but I personally thought that was unfair because Jace isn’t his father and has the right not to be punished for his father’s crimes. The title of this text is definitely appropriate and if I were to change it I wouldn’t, it fits with the text and the series as it shows that the author is creating a pattern with the books and their titles. For example, ‘City of Bones’ ‘City of Glass’ ‘City of Lost Souls’. So a pattern is shown with the repetition of ‘City of…’ I think the repetition creates an effective pull on the readers and entices them to read on. 

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

I would recommend this story to teenagers. I believe that this style of writing and story line would hook in teens. From the mythical characters to the demon fighting warriors to normal struggles of being a teenager is perfect action, romance, mystery novel for teens to get captivated in. Usually in society teenagers are classified under young adult fiction when looking for books to read, the mortal instrument series including “City of Ashes” would fit under this category perfectly. So for teenagers, I reckon that this book would be perfect for teens who love a action pack book with lots of different genres expressed throughout the whole novel.   

Text Title: “Big Brother, Little Sister”

Author:  Witi Ihimaiere

Text  Type:  Short Story

Data read:  26/2/2020

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Brief plot overview 

The text ‘Big brother, Little sister’ is a short story by Witi Ihimaiere. The story follows two siblings who are influenced by the environment at home to run away. They are exposed to domestic violence and the selfishness of their mother, which was the cause to them wanting to and acting on running away. 

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Characters you found interesting and why

A character that I found interesting  in ‘Big Brother, Little Sister’ was Hema. This is because he was still compassionate towards his mother, even though she treated him terribly. I found this interesting as it shows that Hema is very mature for his age, which creates a strength in Hema that is sophisticated. Also how it shows that Hema understands what his mother is going through and is empathetic with Janey because she’s too young to understand what’s happening. This is shown when the mother repeats “look after your sister Hema”, with this Hema respects her and takes good care of Janey, which shows he is a mature older brother. Hema, I found interesting also because he was brave, strong and mature throughout the text. I feel connected to Hema as I have a younger sister who, even though our mum is the complete opposite to the mother described in the text, we get on really well and I feel protective over her.  It also shows throughout the text that Hema and Janey become closer together, as it is shown in this line “Mum had changed, withdrawing herself from Hema and Janey, and they grew closer to each other.” Also “Those were the moments, when their mother’s motives were so transparent, that the children grew especially close because they were almost outcasts together.” People tend to do this as a result of being both neglected and it shows with Hema and Janey. I believe Ihimaiera was successful with portraying Hema as an interesting character because he still stayed strong and caring even though he was neglected by his mother.  

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Messages you took from the text(s) and why 

The message I took from the text was how the author, Witi Ihimaiere, was trying to convey through the text that other peoples living situations can be different to your own and that not every family is the same. And also that you can’t assume that someone’s family situation is the same as your own. As Hema and Janey faced scary and awful family situations in this short story. Every family is different but what Hema and Janey were going through is actually sadly common in New Zealand’s society today. There is a great deal of parents who neglect their children because of reasons like drinking and partying. For example “Whenever Uncle Pera brought his mates to the house for a party, the children would clear up the debris when it had finished. They would sweep the floor, wash the glasses, stack all the flagons neatly in the kitchen and set the chairs in their places again. Sometimes, they would find their mother flaked out on a chair, her face haggard with beer.” The children also had to suffer through violence and abuse, “Uncle Pera had grabbed him and pulled him along the corridor to his room. He’d shut the door, grabbed a belt.” I don’t understand how parents or adults could violently harm or cause pain purposely to a child, it is an act of hideousness and there are many other non-violent ways to teach a child a lesson if they have done something wrong. As I don’t personally experience this situation that Hema and Janey do, I can’t relate to them because my family is the complete opposite. So with this Ihimaiere was creating awareness about harsh living situations that children of all ages suffer from, including domestic violence and neglect. I believe that Ihimairere was successful at getting this message across to the readers because it makes it more clear that this happens in our own society. So his message makes us more aware. This text has enabled understanding to others because it has made me aware about living situations and family situations other people may have that I do not. 

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Challenges that characters had to deal with and your response to these 

During the text, Hema and Janey were faced with an accumulation of challenges which majorly connected from the neglect of their mother. Their Mother is a selfish woman, who thinks she always needs a man to satisfy her. This affects her children in many ways including they have to self manage, Hema having to look after Janey as it is shown in these lines, “we’re having a party tonight, Hema. Look after your sister. Uncle Pera and I want to watch TV. Look after your sister. We want to be by ourselves. Look after your sister.” So because of all this neglect and selfishness it was the cause for them to run away. Throughout the text it also showed how their mother always had to have a man in her life, she was never satisfied without. “If she had been a stronger woman, she would have been able to make Uncle Pera understand that her children also meant much to her. But she was not a strong woman, nor was she independent. Her life began to revolve more around this new man, circling away from Hema and Janey. Uncle Pera seemed not to remember that this woman had children; he would tell her to come out with him and she would go.” This became a huge challenge to Hema and Janey to face as their mother wasn’t strong enough to refuse this man, so it was her children that had to suffer with the consequences of her actions. These challenges are widely known in New Zealand’s society today and many different children of families have to suffer with neglect and selfishness from parents. And could also feel like running away, and evidence shows that some do. I felt for Hema and Janey because to be going through what they are and at their ages is horrible, if I were to go through what they are experiencing I would be very unhappy. 

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Discussion about the title of the text(s) and why it was appropriate 

My response to the title of the text was that I could infer that it would be about siblings’ relationship because this title is “Big Brother, Little Sister”. Which it was but also about the struggles of not having loving neglectful parents, and the shocking events of domestic violence. The title also came across as it was going to be a short story about the connection and relationship between two siblings. Which after reading the text it did convey but also more about the developing relationship between Hema and Janey. Because they had each other to deal with the neglect and selfishness of their parents, there bond they shared became stronger so for example; Hema took Janey with him when he run away, they shared the same bedroom and “Hema’s friends became Janey’s friends too, for she was always following him round.” The title of this text is definitely appropriate and if I were to change it I wouldn’t, it fits with the text as it refers to the siblings. And also because the brother and sister are the main characters in the story.  I believe that Ihimairere was successful at allocating this title, it’s appropriate for the meaning and story line of the text. 

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Who would you recommend this/these stories to and why

If I were to recommend this story “Big Brother, Little Sister”, it would be to students. This is because they need to be aware that some students around them might go through tough situations at home and have difficult relationships with their parents. Also that if a student were to be going through what Hema and Janey experience, others would support them and be there if they need. Also not to judge. I would tell students about the text, how it is very confronting and shocking but that you definitely need to hear about how others live so you can reflect on it and become a more understanding person. I would also recommend parents to read this story, this is because I feel like all parents need to be aware of what happens in other families homes like domestic violence and neglect, then to reflect on how they are personally treating their children. And if they feel a similarity to the text, to think about and take action on what needs to be done to change that connection. I feel for anyone in society who goes through what Hema and Janey went through in the text, and would personally try to help them.

By Isla Henderson