Setting (Junior Cert English): Revision Notes

Setting

Rural New Zealand

• Hunt for the Wilderpeople is set in the rugged and vast wilderness of New Zealand, where the natural environment plays a crucial role in the story.
  • The setting highlights the isolation and beauty of the New Zealand bush, where Ricky and Hec must survive and evade capture. The dense forests and wide-open landscapes reflect the freedom and challenges the characters face.
  • The wilderness also symbolises a place of escape and adventure for Ricky, who finds a sense of belonging and identity in the natural world.

Hec and Bella's Farm

• The farm where Ricky is placed at the start of the film is depicted as a small, simple home surrounded by nature. This setting contrasts with Ricky's experiences in urban foster homes, offering him peace and stability.
• Bella's connection to the land is evident as she teaches Ricky how to hunt and live off the land, introducing him to a more self-reliant lifestyle.
• The farm is also where Ricky first experiences a sense of family and belonging, disrupted by Bella's sudden death.

The Bush

• The New Zealand bush serves as both a literal and metaphorical wilderness for the characters. It is a place of survival where Ricky and Hec must rely on their wits and each other to endure.

• The setting of the bush underscores the themes of self-reliance and the bond between Ricky and Hec as they navigate the challenges of living in the wild.

  

• As they journey through the bush, the landscape becomes a backdrop for their evolving relationship, with each obstacle they face bringing them closer together.

Urban Environments

• The film contrasts the freedom of the wilderness with the oppressive nature of urban environments, such as the government offices and juvenile detention centres that represent Ricky's past.
• These settings are depicted as cold and impersonal, reinforcing the sense of confinement and lack of control Ricky feels in the foster care system.
• The urban environments symbolise the societal pressures and expectations that Ricky and Hec are trying to escape by fleeing into the wilderness.