“This is not what’s good for you.” The characters in the play are all equally greedy and selfish. Do you agree.
The levels of greed and selfishness among an individual has a great influence on their ability to make rational decisions. Relationships are ruined due to the blindness these aspects create. In all cases, a just decision should be made by considering what’s right rather than “what’s good for you”. Hannie Rayson’s play, Inheritance, displays the relationship between these two traits and how they vary within people. Three protagonists display both these qualities, William, Dibs and Lyle.
William’s selfishness and greed are evident from the moment of his father’s death. His exclusion of the Delaney’s and Nugget is strong as he feels threatened by them when the subject of inheriting land is at stake. The reference he makes that the Delaney’s “are parasites” and that “It’s [his] family’s farm” illustrates his hunger for the ownership of land. In the process of his hunt for the land, he selfishly rules Nugget, his brother, out by searching for his father’s will that is eventually torn up. His aspiration is to work on a vineyard with his husband Kevin which is in need of some funds that Allandale would successfully supply. Furthermore, his egotistic personality becomes noticeable when he expresses that “Kevin is [his] family”. His acknowledgement of his biological family is only apparent. The tension between them inclines dramatically as a result of such behaviour.
Similarly to William, his mother Dibs is also driven by selfishness and greed. In the early stages of the play, she appears to show some care towards Nugget however, by the end, he is harshly disposed by Dibs. Nugget’s dispossession from the family is also accompanied with dispossession of land. Rayson’s illustration of the fictional character of Aboriginal descent is juxtaposed by history itself, as Aborigines were once dispossessed of land from white Australians. A transformation from “Nugget will be a farmer without a farm” to “You’re not family” shows the decline in her sympathy towards her son when there is an opportunity to call the land her own. In addition, she demonstrates a great deal of selfishness when she confesses that “she doesn’t really like [William] that much” possibly because of his sexual relationship. In this case, as a mother, she should be obligated to loving her son unconditionally even if she feels “it’s not good for [her]”, she should be considering those around her, particularly her son.
Another character in the text, Lyle Delaney, struggles with his financial problems which ultimately cause his unwanted traits to blossom. An inconsiderate decision on his behalf to use his house as collateral in order to take out a loan at a time he is up to his “eyeballs in debt” shows his carelessness for others. He and his family are eventually left homeless because of his choice to be his “own boss”, independently ruining his relationship with them. It should be made clear that Lyle’s individual approach to life may have resulted because of the dispute with Nugget about purchasing the seeder. His desire of becoming a successful farmer may possibly have triggered his selfish ways and in the end, it drove him to an early escape from life.
Ultimately, Inheritance displays more than just a story about inheriting land, it shows how inherited qualities impact on relationships between people particularly addressing the differences in generations. William, Dibs and Lyle are glaring examples of characters influenced by varying degrees of selfishness and greed.
Thank you in advance
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