David Milroy's Windmill Baby

Summary

David Milroy’s play *Windmill Baby* is a one-person drama centered around Old Mayay, an elderly Aboriginal woman who recounts her experiences on a cattle station. The play explores themes of belonging, identity, and race through Old Mayay’s reflections on characters like the fragile station boss's wife, the outcast Onean, and Mayay’s own tragic relationship with her child. As Old Mayay portrays multiple characters, the play delves into the harsh realities of life in the Australian outback, offering a poignant commentary on displacement, love, and loss. Despite being a one-woman show, *Windmill Baby* powerfully addresses complex cultural and personal struggles.

Takeaways

• 😀 The play 'Windmill Baby' is a one-woman production featuring a single actress who portrays multiple characters, including Old Mayay, a 70s Aboriginal woman, and others like young Mayay, the station boss, and various Aboriginal figures.
• 😀 The play revolves around the theme of finding one's place in the world, particularly in harsh environments like the cattle station where Old Mayay spent part of her youth.
• 😀 The central character, Old Mayay, reflects on her past and the sense of displacement felt by several characters, including the station boss's wife who is not suited for the harsh environment.
• 😀 The boss's wife struggles with the tough conditions of the cattle station, and her inability to adapt to the environment represents a key example of 'being out of place.'
• 😀 Onean, a crippled Aboriginal man, is introduced as someone who was supported by the previous station boss but neglected by the new one, highlighting the theme of societal rejection.
• 😀 Onean’s relationship with the boss's wife becomes a critical point in the story, as it leads to complications and eventual tragedy due to their affair, exacerbated by racial and societal tensions.
• 😀 The play also explores the issue of identity and racial discrimination, with the affair between Onean and the boss's wife causing danger due to the mixed-race child they expect to have.
• 😀 The tragedy of Onean’s death and Mayay’s own heartbreaking choices—such as her decision to take her baby to the missionaries—explore themes of survival, loss, and moral dilemma.
• 😀 The baby’s death is ambiguously portrayed, leaving open the possibility of it being either an accident or a deliberate act tied to spiritual beliefs or a desperate attempt to protect the child from harm.
• 😀 The play ends with Mayay addressing the spirit of her dead daughter and symbolically offering the quilt she and the station boss's wife made for the baby, bringing the story full circle with a sense of loss, regret, and unresolved promise.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the play *Windmill Baby*?

The main theme of the play revolves around finding one's place in the world, particularly focusing on the struggles of identity, belonging, and the harsh realities of life in an Aboriginal cattle station in Australia.

How does the play handle the concept of being 'out of place'?

The play introduces the concept of being 'out of place' through various characters, such as the station boss's wife, who does not belong in the harsh environment of the cattle station, and Onean, an Aboriginal gardener who is out of place due to his disability and race.

What is the significance of the character Old Mayay?

Old Mayay is the central figure in the play, narrating the experiences of her youth on the cattle station. She reflects on the challenges faced by the Aboriginal people, her own struggles with identity, and her relationships with others on the station.

What does Mayay's relationship with the white station boss’s wife represent?

Mayay’s relationship with the white station boss’s wife underscores the theme of racial and cultural divides. The boss’s wife represents the fragility of white settlers in the harsh, unforgiving environment, while Mayay’s wisdom and resilience contrast this fragility.

What happens to Onean, and why is his story important in the play?

Onean is an Aboriginal man who, despite surviving a difficult birth and being crippled, excels as a gardener on the station. His story highlights themes of displacement, the harshness of life on the station, and the complicated relationships between Aboriginal workers and their white employers.

How does the play address the tragic story of Onean and the white station boss’s wife?

The affair between Onean and the station boss’s wife, which results in a forbidden pregnancy, highlights the racial tensions of the time. Onean’s eventual death in the garden symbolizes the emotional and physical toll of these forbidden relationships.

What role does the character of the doctor play in *Windmill Baby*?

The doctor serves as a morally ambiguous character who pressures Mayay to abandon her baby because of the child’s Aboriginal heritage. His role illustrates the discriminatory and dehumanizing attitudes of the time, pushing Mayay to make difficult, heartbreaking decisions.

What is the significance of the baby’s death in the river?

The baby’s death in the river represents a tragic yet possibly spiritual return to the ancestors or spirits, reflecting Aboriginal beliefs. The event symbolizes the inescapable harshness of life, particularly for Aboriginal people in a colonized land.

How does the pumpkin and potato story relate to the overall themes of the play?

The pumpkin and potato story, told by Onean, is a metaphor for survival and resilience. It contrasts the mocking, fragile pumpkin with the humble, enduring potato, symbolizing how perseverance and strength often outlast superficial appearances or social expectations.

What is the emotional impact of the play's ending, where Mayay addresses the spirit of her dead daughter?

The play’s ending is emotionally powerful, as Mayay reflects on the loss of her daughter and the sacrifices she made. It evokes themes of love, regret, and the passage of time, as Mayay acknowledges the impossibility of fulfilling promises in a world shaped by harsh realities.