Romulus My Father Character Analysis

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AUSTRALIAN ASSIMILATION IN THE EYES OF RAIMOND GAITA Australians in the immediate post war years expected all ethnic immigrant groups to assimilate to the Australian way of life. In the biographical account, Romulus my Father, the characters discuss their adaptation to Australian life. During the years between 1950 and 1960 there was a significant emigration from war-torn countries such as: Italy, Yugoslavia and Romania. A mass number from each country arrived to America, Canada or Australia. Those who migrated to Australia were known as `New Australians'; along with these `New Australians' was Romulus Gaita. Romulus had migrated from Germany, despite being originally of Yugoslavian-Romanian origin, with his wife Christine Anna Dörr and…show more content…
At the age of eighteen, after being forced from his uncle's home, my grandfather lived with friends, most of which were Italian, or in various rooming house throughout Ferntree Gully. During his young adult years my grandfather spent his free time carrying out favors for people. It was mostly for people from whom my grandfather could receive something in return. This is how my grandfather was renowned as a formidable opponent in the Fruit and Vegetable Markets of Footscray. Whilst working in Footscray he, like Romulus, learnt of the laziness and incompetence of Australian workers. My grandfather did not adapt to Australian culture as he had anticipated. As much as he spent his childhood with Australian children, as many times as he would greet everyday people, he was still discriminated for his dark complexion and his struggle to pronounce fundamental words. However these complications did not alter his plans for assimilation in Australia. In 1959 my grandfather had completed his duty for acceptance in Australia, he had been made an official Australian citizen. And with an Australian wife and two children my grandfather had been accepted by

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