Inheritance by Hannie Rayson

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Rayson’s drama revolves around the ambiguous Inheritance of the family farm “Allendale”. This unresolved issue presents itself as the patriarchal Farley loses his mental faculties, exacerbating family divisions and bringing past grievances to the surface. The divisive repercussions of Inheritance are best illustrated through Rayson’s carefully crafted use of binary opposites. Moreover, the rural city divide, prejudice on the basis of age, gender, sexual preference, and race, also feature significantly as the unresolved issue of Inheritance escalates. Fuelled by self-interest, fear, and ignorance, the divisiveness of the family results in the Hamiltons losing Allendale to Maureen Delaney who ironically funds her election campaign on the proceeds of the sale of the property. The impact of division is felt most profoundly in the final scene as the successful candidate for the seat of Murray legitimises the sacrifice of the farm as one that has as its basis “saving the country”.