A Black Grandmother: Summary and Theme: Class 12 Major/Optional English

A Black Grandmother by Sally Morgan: Summary, Characters, and Theme | Class 12 Optional English

Characters in A Black Grandmother by Sally Morgan

• Sally: The narrator and central character

• Jill: Sally’s sister

• Mum: Sally’s mother

• Nan: Sally’s grandmother

• Aunt Judy: Mum’s friend

Summary of A Black Grandmother

A Black Grandmother is an autobiographical essay by Australian writer Sally Morgan. It is an excerpt from her autobiography My Place, where she explores her Aboriginal heritage and the discovery of her true identity. The narrative is written in the first person, making it deeply personal and reflective.

The story reflects Sally’s life at the age of fifteen, when she was a schoolgirl with dreams of becoming an artist. She struggled academically and failed all subjects except Arts and English in her second-term exams. Her mother scolded her for not taking studies seriously and invited her friend Judy to convince Sally to prioritize education over art. This made Sally feel unhappy and misunderstood.

During this period, Sally recalls her interactions with her mother, grandmother, and sister Jill. Her mother opposed her artistic ambitions, believing that an artist could not have a secure future. Sally had always accepted her mother’s claim that their family was white and belonged to the white community.

The truth about her Aboriginal heritage is revealed by her grandmother, leaving Sally shocked. Her mother had hidden their Aboriginal identity to survive within a white-dominated society, causing a loss of cultural roots and personal identity. Determined to make her mother proud, Sally began to study seriously and excelled in her exams, achieving distinction in all subjects.

Theme of A Black Grandmother

The essay explores several important themes:

1. Loss of Culture and Identity:
   Sally Morgan highlights the cultural loss experienced by Aboriginal people. Her family hides their Aboriginal heritage to integrate into white society, leading to an identity crisis. The essay emphasizes the importance of understanding and reclaiming one’s cultural roots.

2. Double Marginalization of Aboriginal Culture:
   Aboriginal people face social and cultural marginalization. Their literature, heritage, and identity are often suppressed or undervalued. Sally’s narrative reflects the struggle of maintaining equality and preserving cultural identity in a society that privileges the white majority.

3. Personal Growth and Self-Discovery:
   The essay also reflects Sally’s journey of self-discovery, where she learns about her origins, confronts social prejudices, and grows academically and personally.

Conclusion:
A Black Grandmother by Sally Morgan is a powerful narrative about identity, heritage, and the struggle to reconcile one’s roots with societal expectations. It is an important essay for Class 12 Optional English, offering insights into Aboriginal culture, discrimination, and self-realization.

Summary and Theme of the Essay A Black Grandmother by Sally Morgan: Class 12 Optional English Note

A Black Grandmother is an essay by Sally Morgan, Australian writer. The writer uses a first person narrative to describe her Aboriginal origins. This essay is taken from her autobiography ‘My Place’. It brings her discovery of her origin.

This autobiography is related with the time when she was fifteen. She was school going girl at that time.  She wanted to be an artist at that time. She didn’t want to continue her study and school. She failed all subjects except arts and English in the second term exam. Her mother scolded her for not being serious and giving importance to art. She invites her friend, Judy, to convince her daughter about the importance of study than art. Sally became unhappy by her mother’s behaviour.

She recollects that time memory to conclude this autobiography. When she was in fifteen, she was with her mother, grandmother and sister, Jill. Her mother was against her will of being an artist. She thought that an artist didn’t have better future. Sally believed what her mother told her about their origin. Her mother told her that they were white people.

They belong to the white society. Infact, it was a lie. They had Aboriginal origin. She came to know about her origin when her grandmother told her everything about their identity and origin. She was shocked to hear it. Sally tried to know more about her identity but her mother didn’t tell her anything. She started to read books when her exam approached. She wanted to make her mother happy by studying hard. She did well. She passed all her subjects scoring distinction number.

Theme of The Essay: A Black Grandmother by Sally Morgan: Class 12 Optional English Note

The essay presents the theme of loss of culture and identity. The writer Sally Morgan is concerned about the cultural loss. She loses her Aboriginal identity and culture.  She belongs to an Aboriginal writer and community but she is living as a white. Her mother hides her real identity to survive in the white community. As a result, they lose their identity. She is not happy with the loss. She wants to continue her Aboriginal lineage.

In the same way, the essay also presents the theme of double marginalization of the Aboriginal culture and literature. It is very hard to maintain equality in society for Aborgins. In the same way, the culture suffers from identity crisis.