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Ian Gunn, "Re/Generation: Family, Ethnic Identity and Cultural 'Progress' in the Dramatic Trilogies of Janis Balodis and Tes Lyssiotis" The literary concept of trilogy suggests some sort of progression or development--structural at least, usually temporal and thematic as well. This paper will examine the dramatic trilogies of two Australian-born playwrights--Janis Balodis (The Ghosts' Trilogy) and Tes Lyssiotis (A White Sports Coat Trilogy)--whose work draws thematic impetus from the experiences of their migrant parents. This paper will argue that the notion of an ethnic identity emerges as the key issue of the trilogies, as these second generation playwrights seek to reconcile their own "Australianness" with the insistent sense of being anchored to the "old" culture of their parents, which both facilitates and impedes identity formation. This paper will also argue that form (both trilogic and dramatic) is integral to the presentation of the dramatists' position between cultures, as issues of physical relationship, locale and cultural "progress" are explored and enacted, and familial/generational structures are interrogated. Biography: Ian Gunn is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, where he is writing a thesis on the portrayal of the family in contemporary Australian drama. His previous work at Honours and Masters level focussed on the themes of reconciliation and marginalisation in the works of Randolph Stow and Louis Nowra. |
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