Setting by VLT

2024-11-01 00:49:23 UTC

The bush is both a place of danger and a place of comfort and refuge. The bush is a place of danger because of the chance of dehydration, starvation, infection, disease, poisoning or being killed by an animal. The bush is a place of comfort and refuge because it is away from modern society, it is away from the corrupt justice system, it is a place to start a new life when there is nothing left for them anywhere else, it allows those who’ve been wrongly accused to continue to live their life.

Ricky’s attitude towards the bush changes from the opening scenes. In the opening scene Ricky did not want to live near the bush when he first arrived, he went back into the car not wanting to be there. After living with Hec and Bella for a while he got more used to living near the bush and enjoyed living there ‘But I live here now. It’s my home.’ Ricky faced with the alternative of juvie now lives in the bush ‘I hate the bush’. After he got basic survival skills and after getting a better relationship with Hec he enjoys living in the bush with sees it as a place of comfort and his home.

Hec and Ricky are both ‘released’ by the bush. Hec is being released by the bush because everyone thinks that he kidnapped Ricky and is a pervert ‘you’re going to jail you pervert.’ Being in the bush lets him be free from the accusations and jail. I think being in the bush also makes him feel less sad about Bella’s death. Ricky is released by the bush because otherwise he would be in juvie. Everyone just sees Ricky as a ‘real piece of work’ but Hec doesn’t see him as that anymore and in the bush he is able to be seen as something other than a troubled boy.

Ricky and Hec are both ‘caged’ by urban environments. Ricky is caged by urban environments because of the child welfare people and the justice system seeing him as a ‘real bad egg’ and he has always gone from home to home but now the only place he would go is juvie. Hec is being falsely accused as being a kidnapper, pervert and having mental health issues so if he was to go there, he would go to prison. Hec is also illiterate and wouldn’t fit well into modern society, he wouldn’t be able to get a normal job or do anything that requires the basic adult standard for literacy.

2024-11-07 02:44:04 UTC

In what ways is the bush both a danger and a place of comfort and refuge?
The bush supplies Ricky and Hec with security, safety and refuge while also depriving them of food, water and good hygiene. The risk of dying due to the bush is high, but it's still better then prison.
How does Ricky’s attitude to the bush change from the opening scenes?
At the start, Ricky wanted to be anywhere other than the bush, by chapter six though, he's thriving in it. He's now willingly living in it, rather than trying to run from it.
What characters are ‘released’ by the bush and how?
By being in the bush, neither Ricky, nor Hec have to death with the authorities. They'd find it freeing to be able to do whatever, whenever they pleased. In the bush, Ricky doesn't have the looming threat of juvey on his mind. He's finally able to relax, at least for the most part haha. In the bush, there are less reminders of Bella. I think this helps Hec process her death. He's able to grieve slowly, in his own way without seeing constant reminders of her.
How do we see characters ‘caged’ by urban environments?
Rickys unable to enjoy himself in an urban environment. He's always looked down on for being a troubled kid. He can't make friends, or really any meaningful connections with people his age. In the bush, he's free to do, and be whatever he wants to. Hec's 'caged' because to others he seems like a creep. People assume he's a pervert. He's also kind of illiterate, which, unfortunately is very looked down upon in modern society. He's outcasted from everyone because of these things.

2024-11-14 03:21:38 UTC

The bush is both a place of comfort, refuge, and danger for both Ricky & Hec in many different ways. The bush provides refuge as it's a place where Ricky & Hec, (both of whom have had the experience of having their movements limited, and being controlled by people) can roam around and be free, reconnect with the wonders of nature, and not have to worry about being controlled and mistreated. At the same time however, the bush is also a place of danger, as the risk of being injured, or even killed by things such as the elements, starvation, and animals, is of course always very high.

Ricky's attitude towards the bush at the beginning of the movie is initially very negative. Around the start of the movie, Ricky can be heard saying things such as 'I can't wait to get out of here.' and 'I hate the bush.' He can also be observed complaining loudly as he is being led through a river by Hec. As the movie progresses however, Ricky's attitude towards the bush starts to change. After he is faced with the prospect of going to juvenile detention, Ricky agrees to flee with Hec into the bush, where his attitude towards it slowly starts to change as he gets used to the 'bush life.' Ricky also starts to see the bush as a place of refuge and comfort, which is keeping him safe from the foster care system, and at the same time providing a home for him.

The bush also helps 'release' Ricky from the toxic environment of the foster care system. In the past, while living in the foster care system, Ricky was seen as a 'real bad egg' who is troubled and causes mischief and mayhem wherever he goes and as a result, he often faces discrimination for that very idea. In the bush however, Ricky is free from the discrimination and prejudice that he would often face on what I presume would be a daily basis. And that's not all. The main characters in 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' can also be observed as being 'caged' by the urban environment in many different ways. In the case of Ricky, the foster care system, and the assumption that he is a 'real bad egg' has lead people to believe that Ricky has no hope at functioning properly in society, and that he is a 'spanner in the works' These beliefs, have kept him trapped within this unhealthy, discriminatory urban environment.

This is also true for Hec as well. The fact that he has been to prison in the past, has lead people to assume that he is a dangerous man who you shouldn't go near, and that he is a threat to society. Then there's the fact that he also can't read. In a modern society, it's usually expected that all people, adults especially, either can read, or will learn how to. So the fact that Hec is illiterate, means that a lot of people will assume that he is unintelligent, and uneducated. Hec would be unable to get a job, or do many other basic things, as all of those things would require the ability to read, which Hec cannot do. The fact that Hec is illiterate, combined with the fact that he also went to jail once, would lead many people to believe that he is a dangerous, unintelligent psychopath who like Ricky, cannot function in a modern society. This leads to discrimination, prejudice, and rejection, all of which, contributes to the feeling of being 'caged' by the urban environment.