The Neighborhood
The neighborhood facing the mandatory selling of their homes symbolizes aboriginal Australia before the British arrived and it became Australia. The forced evacuation is symbolic of the displacement of native tribes by colonists.
The Kerrigan House
Darryl Kerrigan has made “improvements” to his home that include a chimney without a fireplace below and other various assorted additions that add “charm” and a sense of the Victorian in his mind. To at least one barrister opposing him, however, these additions have done little more than to turn the house into an “eyesore.” In this way, the Kerrigan house in particular stands out as a symbol of Australia where the “improvements” made since the colonists first arrive contain sensibilities that exists entirely in the eye of the beholder.
The Airport
The Kerrigan house is situated literally next door to the airport which has reached out to the government to wield its power to force owners to sell their house. Notably, the airport’s plans for expansion are specifically for increasing cargo flight business. This cements the idea that the airport symbolizes modern-day imperialist colonialism through the connection between cargo flights and 19th century colonial imperialism rising to prominence as a result of ships transporting the valuable cargo which enriched colonialist nations.
“The Price is Right”
The Kerrigan daughter gets called to “come on down” to take part in an episode of The Price is Right. In his narration, her brother informs us that “she almost won the lot if only she’d known the price of luggage.” That she fails in her game specifically as a result of not knowing how much luggage costs is pointedly ironic considering that the family lives right next to an airport. The symbolism is to be found in that disconnect between living next to an airport and never actually using it. This disconnect transforms Tracey’s near-miss on the game show into symbolism related to how economic inequality impacts education.
Elephant
The only symbolic entity in the film that is directly implicated as a symbol is the ceramic elephant which Tracey brings home from Thailand to give the Kerrigan brother who is serving time in prison. An elephant with a raised trunk is supposed to bring good luck. Considering that after receiving the elephant the family wins their court case and the subsequent appearance by the very same lawyer who represented them at the brother’s parole hearing earns him an immediate discharge, this elephant proves to be more than merely a symbol of luck.
