Little Books on Big Ideas - Germaine Greer On Rage - Toxic Rage Can Be Lethal

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy

A short essay by Germaine Greer frames rage as dangerous when untreated, warning that even low levels can shorten life. The opening cites her own reaction to violent words she hears on a car radio, delivered with rage. It then pivots to political accountability for environmental destruction attributed to prickly acacia, questioning responsibility for protecting native grasslands and condemning complacency toward ecological devastation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages108

Reading Time2 h 46 min

AccessFree to download

Little Books on Big Ideas

Germaine Greer on Rage

GermaineGreer 'Rage is toxic;untreated rage can be lethal.Even low levels of rage can shorten your life.' GERMAINE GREER Germaine Greer was born in Melbourneand educated in Australia and at CambridgeUniversity.Her book,The Female Eunuch(1969),remains one of the most influentialtexts of the feminist movement.Greer hashad a distinguished academic career inBritain and the United States.She makesregular appearances in print and other mediaas a broadcaster,journalist,columnist andreviewer.Since 2001 she has been involvedin rehabilitating sixty hectares of subtropicalrainforest in south-east Queensland;in 2011,she set up Friends of Gondwana Rainforest,a UK charity,to help in financing that andsimilar projects. # Little Books on Big Ideas Germaine Greer On RapeFleur Anderson On SleepDon Watson On IndignationKatharine Murphy On DisruptionSarah Ferguson On MotherNikki Gemmell On Quiet Blanche d’Alpuget On Lust GLongingLeigh Sales On DoubtBarrie Kosky On EcstasyDavid Malouf On ExperienceMalcolm Knox On ObsessionGay Bilson On DigestionAnne Summers On LuckRobert Dessaix On HumbugJulian Burnside On PrivilegeElisabeth Wynhausen On ResilienceSusan Johnson On Beauty GermaineGreer MELBOURNEUNIVERSITYPRESS MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY PRESS An imprint of Melbourne University Publishing LimitedLevel 1,715 Swanston Street,Carlton,Victoria 3053,Australiamup-contact@unimelb.edu.auwww.mup.com.au fy◎ Text OGermaine Greer,2008,2018This edition published 2018 Design and typography OMelbourne University Publishing Limited,2008,2018 This book is copyright.Apart from any use permitted under the CopyrightAct 1968 and subsequent amendments,no part may be reproduced,storedin a retrieval system or transmitted by any means or process whatsoeverwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. Every attempt has been made to locate the copyright holders for materialquoted in this book.Any person or organisation that may have beenoverlooked or misattributed may contact the publisher Text design by Alice GraphicsCover design by Nada Backovic Authorphotograph by Neil Spence PhotographyTypeset by TypeskillPrinted in Australia by McPherson's Printing Group A catalogue record for thisbook is available from theNational Library of Australia 9780522874327(paperback)9780522874334(ebook) In memoriam Mum Shirl n the afternoon of 13 February 2008,Itwiddled the knob on my car radio andwas startled to come across words spoken in avoice shredded with rage. The former minister mentioned woodyweeds.I happen to represent an elector-ate that is suffering from what has beendescribed as the greatest environmentalholocaust in Australian history,the acaciaprickly tree,which has now gobbled upsix million hectares,almost an area the 1 GERMAINE GREER size of Tasmania,in thirty years.All nativeflora and fauna have been destroyed byit.Who was the minister responsible forthis issue and for doing nothing about thedestruction of all this magnificent area,anarea which is described on an old map ofQueensland as being the richest naturalgrasslands in Australia?That pasture wasutterly destroyed by the prickly acacia tree.Whose job was it to protect those grass-lands and our native flora and fauna?Itwas this ex-minister.And he comes in hereand has the hide to point the finger at theLabor Party for doing nothing about woodyweeds!They have been here for ten min-utes!It absolutely amazes me that a partythat is trying to fight back into existencewould put this man up front.

FAQs

What does Germaine Greer say about untreated rage?

She argues that untreated rage is toxic and can be lethal, and that even low levels may shorten a person’s life.

Why does Greer start with something she heard on the radio?

She describes being startled by words spoken in a voice shredded with rage after turning the car radio knob.

What environmental issue does the text connect rage to?

It references woodyweeds and the prickly acacia tree, describing extensive loss of native flora and fauna and questioning who was responsible for protecting grasslands.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy