Keiran Austin, Yr 11 English, Mrs Ferguson :: English Literature

Keiran Austin, Yr 11 English, Mrs FergusonTHE DIVINE WINDThe description of the situation in Broome depicted in The DivineWind is a complete accurate account of the events that occurred during1938- 1946. Practically everything in the novel was particular includingthe description of Broome, the Japanese internees, the dates andthings as expand as street names. It is quite obvious that GarryDisher had studied the town in depth before writing the novel.The fact that Broome is described as a pearling town with a tropicalexistence is true. As quoted in The Divine Wind Broome was astraggling mile of wood and corrugated- iron shops and dwellings (pg1and). This quote is a precise vision of what Broome would havelooked like judging by descriptions from various sources ofinformation and photos from that period in time. Even though thecharacters are made fiction the study events are real and the authorhas gone to such detail by using exact dates. For example the pinnacleof Broomes direct i nvolvement in the state of war occurred on 3rd March, 1942when Japanese Zeros Bombed Roebuck bay. As quoted in the Divine WindI was burning. Some of the scars I have now are from that fire, theburning pissing of Roebuck bay on 3rd March, 1942 (pg 144). Anotherexample of the accuracy of dates in the novel is the 8th December,1941 were Authorities began interning Japanese residents. As quoted inthe novel The politics acted swiftly on 8th December, right aroundthe country. In Broome a hundred Japanese were arrested and taken tojail (pg 105).Other important facts that have been accurately recorded in The DivineWind are how the residents of Broome were faced with rounding up andinterning friends and employees simply because they were Japanese.This is an excellent description of what the Anglo Saxons were facedwith doing regarding the Japanese. Other facts state that many of theJapanese who were born and raised in Australia and had no Japaneseties were interned. As quoted in The Divine Wind They interned singlewomen, old men, children. They interned European and Aboriginal wivesof Japanese born men, mixed race children, Australian- born Japanese.Many had never been to Japan (pg 113). This is an example of theaccuracy of the people who were interned. An area in this subject thatperhaps wasnt so accurate was the treatment of the Japanesecommunity. Reality shows that in Broome the residents tried to makelife as easy as possible for the Japanese bringing food and presentstoo the camp and allowing regular visits to town to go shopping.