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“The notion of extinction is explored in many different ways in Hannie Rayson’s
play.” Discuss.
“We’re all just passing through,” says zoologist Piper Ross. A sadly philosophical statement,
Piper’s reference to mortality reminds viewers that all life is greeted by death. When the word
‘extinction’ comes to mind, it evokes this sentiment of death, whether of individuals or, as its
traditional definition holds, the termination of an entire species. Award–winning playwright
Hannie Rayson’s Extinction approaches this macabre concept on both fronts, weaving a
tragically meaningful tale out of the lives of flawed, yet understandably human, individuals as
they struggle with extinction and what it means to be alive. The endangered tiger quoll, believed
to be “functionally extinct”, forms the groundwork of the play’s drama, before Rayson branches
off to explore the deaths of the characters, and the fear of ‘non-being’ which perpetually
motivates their actions. Coupled with the “out of control[led]” destruction of the environment,
Rayson’s play accentuates the fragility of mortal life—and the edge of extinction which draws
ever closer for all of us.
It is the extinction of the tiger quoll which gains foremost precedence in the play. On a stormy
night, mining CEO Harry Jewell runs over the first tiger quoll seen in the Otways for over a
decade. Despite the tentative uncertainty of the species’ endangered status, the injured quoll is
“humanely euthanized” by Andy, bringing to light the prospect of its extinction. Guilty, and
distraught over the disaster of his personal life, Harry seeks to fund a conservation project
aimed at the revival of the struggling species. The project represents the battle against
extinction—a clearly one-sided contest as “there is only so much funding to go around,” not to
mention the large-scale damage done by “businessm[e]n polluting the Earth.” Although the play
is centred on the tiger quoll’s plight, its situation is a reiterated metaphor for the ravaged
environment, which, on a larger scale, is facing its own extinction under the conquest of
industrialization. Arguably one of the play’s most central concerns, Rayson predisposes viewers
to environmental extinction by evaluating upon the friction between Harry and Andy, which
parallels the conflict between economy and environment. Piper and Dixon-Brown’s betrayal of
Andy for Harry’s principles implies that in the aforementioned struggle, there is only one winner,
thus reinforcing the severity of environmental degradation. The loss of agricultural land, coupled
with carbon emissions from coal combustion and the enhanced greenhouse effect—are all
contributive to the total extinction of life on Earth. Paradoxically, in preventing the demise of one
species, they are also inadvertently endorsing the extinction of many more.
Extinction is also explored in the context of individual characters. Most prominent of this notion
is Andy himself, who throughout the play, is forced to confront the inevitability of his death. Like
the quoll, Andy is a symbol of looming extinction. His genetically inherited condition will
eventually claim his life, just as it claimed his grandfather’s. When Andy is seen euthanizing the
quoll, a seemingly heartless act, it is in reflection of his embittered attitude toward death. In
addition to Andy’s predicament, other tragedies in the play are revealed. Viewers are told of the
death of Piper’s father and the suicide of Axel, the son of Piper’s mother’s friend.
Complementary to Andy’s illness is the condition of Piper’s dog, Beast, who has just been
diagnosed with a “tumour on the lung.” A visibly shaken Piper displays her vulnerability in the
face of death. Her sentiment may seem childish and disproportional to the situation, but Piper’s
commitment to life and compassion is heart-warmingly real—and perhaps redemptive of her
earlier betrayal. “If you loved someone and they were dying, you would do everything you could
to help them.” The words are a subtle nod to Andy’s terminal illness, and Piper remains true to
them in the concluding scene, where she refuses to abandon him to his fate. Evidently,
Rayson’s portrayal of Andy as an innocent victim of circumstance strengthens his connection to
the quolls, and hence draws the viewer’s sympathy. Juxtaposing his ordeal with the death of the
play’s unseen characters lends thematic significance to the extinction of individuals rather than
a collective species.
The fear of non-being and social or professional disappearance is a less common perception of
the term extinction, but nonetheless one that applies in the context of the play. In Extinction,
both Dixon-Brown and Harry are characters who demonstrate this fear. In a conversation
involving Beast, Harry claims that it is “the dying” that worries Piper, and as he is subtly critical
of her actions, he alleges that he tries not to “think about [death].” Yet perhaps more so than any
other character, Harry does not want to be forgotten; his professional ambitions are indicative of
this ontological fear, which Rayson capitalises on through his dialogue. “I’ve built highways and
bridges and roads,” he boasts to Piper. Harry’s desire to “stand for something” betrays his fear
of not leaving an impression on the world, which he responds to by creating permanent
reminders of his existence, such as the tiger quoll project. To a lesser extent, Dixon-Brown and
Piper’s willingness to agree to Harry’s proposition may also be viewed as an expression of this
hidden anxiety. By saving an endangered species, they are comforting themselves in their
ability to preserve life, which coincides with the natural inclination to shun death. Also notable is
Dixon-Brown’s pragmatism and “use my head, not my heart” approach, which she uses to only
save statistically viable species. Projects with a smaller chance of success would degrade her in
the eyes of the university, possibly leading to her own professional extinctionIn many ways,
Rayson’s Extinction suggests it is the ontological extinction of oneself which is most threatening.
Ultimately, Hannie Rayson’s play explores the notion of extinction from several perspectives,
evaluating upon the death of the tiger quoll species, the environment as a whole, and individual
characters in the universal struggle for survival. Extinction highlights the interdependence on all
living creatures. The survival of the tiger quoll is contingent on the main characters’—Harry
Jewell in particular—initiative to launch the conservation project. As mentioned before, it may be
observed as the fear of non-being that motivates their actions, but the endurance of some is
often intrinsically linked to the survival of others. Conversely, the play reverses this dynamic in
the context of the environment, which is nearing extinction as the economy thrives. Rayson also
suggests that death can reveal the better selves of certain people, such as when Piper chooses
to remain with Andy despite his terminal illness. As Rayson’s play touches on many aspects
extinction, it once again reiterates the fragility of life, prompting viewers not to take our survival,
either as individuals or as a species, for granted.
