The Novel It is no Secret by Donna Meehan is a story about her own life experiences. Donna was part of the stolen generation and writes about her experience growing up black in the white town of Newcastle. In this segment of the book she writes about the connection she felt as she stood under the tree her biological Aboriginal family used to live near. 

Meehan uses adjectives to show the changes the tree has undergone while she has been away. By first saying “the scrawny little tree I used to climb” and then “I stood alone now beside the majestic gum tree” 

This shows how much has changed since she was taken away. The use of adjectives not only shows how much the tree has changed but also how Donna’s life has changed. Before she was taken away she remembers.

In this part of the text, Meehan is remembering her struggle of going to her mothers funeral. She describes how uncomfortable she felt as because it was her first Aboriginal funeral. At the time she felt out of place and unsuitably dressed. 

A technique that Meehan has used throughout the text is imagery: “I stood at the front of the little church that was surrounded with very dark aboriginal people, all wearing black and white. I felt stupid standing there, as I felt unsuitably dressed, in my light lemon dress and stockings. All the other women wore black dresses and black stockings. I stood out: I wished I was invisible.”

This example shows the reader how out of place Donna feels. The use of imagery creates an image of her standing out and not fitting in with the Aboriginal community. This shows how Donna is struggling with where she belongs. She feels out of place in the Aboriginal community and doesn’t know if she really does belong with ‘her people’.

The use of rhyme in the text makes the poem flow nicely. It also highlights important parts of the poem such as the fact that no matter how much she wants to find her Aboriginality doubts of others make it hard to fit in. This links to culture and identity because she is struggling with being accepted as an aboriginal despite culture and identity being her legal right.

By using assonance Kendell has helped give a rhythm to the poem. The use of assonance also highlights key words and make them more memorable. Kendall uses this technique to help emphasis that she doesn’t want to be judged by what she looks like. She wants to feel accepted within the Aboriginal community without people questioning her because she is white.

Instead I should have answered with a quote from the article more like this: 

If I had answered like this I could have gotten a much better mark.