Deadly Unna?, written by Phillip Gwynne is a award winning children’s novel, with vivid characters that depict the racial discourse in a fictitious, coastal town of South Australia. The novel portrays a typical coastal town of the 1970’s, through the eyes of a fourteen years old Gary Black, known as Blacky. Deadly Unna? highlights the conservative attitudes of the white society and explores the institutionalised marginalisation and discrimination of the Nunga (the Indigenous population) who live at the town of Point by the Gooynas (the white) who live at the town of Port. Through the characterisation of Dumby Red, Big Mac, Cathy, and Gwen, Phillip Gwynne positions the reader to recognise the extent of marginalisation, criminal injustice, and
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Big Mac is the president of the footy club and a pub owner. He represents the cultural authority due to his position at the centre of the Port’s social life. Through his racist remarks ostracising Boongs from the “black bar” and his racist jokes, Gwynne positions the reader to dislike him and contradict with his values, attitudes, and beliefs. For instance, Big Mac ignores the order “from the other side of the bar…or the black bar as everyone called it” (p.156), by saying “I’m busy ere”, discriminating and marginalising boongs. The fact that there are two separate bars illustrates the marginalisation of Nungas and the clear racial segregation as there is a distinct separation between the white and the black, which is socially institutionalised. Another example, of the foreground of the institutionalised discrimination and marginalisation is when Big Mac, openly says the racist joke “about the Boongs and the priest… And they all laughed”(p. 161). The fact that ‘they all laughed’ illustrates the extent in which racism is accepted in the community. Positioning the readers to empathies with Nungas and disregard the values, attitude and beliefs of Big Mac and the community. In addition, through his discriminatory actions of shooting Dumby Red for robbing his pub and the acceptance of this tragedy reinforces the institutionalised discrimination within the town as well as the criminal injustice. There were “no charges…laid” (p.203), foregrounding the criminal injustice within the legal system. This is due to the existence of a community wide prejudice “ it serves em’ right I recon. Big Mac did … right” (P.194). This helps to contribute to the institutionalised idea of the county of what happened was a ‘just’, penalty that was served to those who were killed. Indicating a skewed sense of justice for community members. This also foregrounds the
Big Mac is the president of the footy club and a pub owner. He represents the cultural authority due to his position at the centre of the Port’s social life. Through his racist remarks ostracising Boongs from the “black bar” and his racist jokes, Gwynne positions the reader to dislike him and contradict with his values, attitudes, and beliefs. For instance, Big Mac ignores the order “from the other side of the bar…or the black bar as everyone called it” (p.156), by saying “I’m busy ere”, discriminating and marginalising boongs. The fact that there are two separate bars illustrates the marginalisation of Nungas and the clear racial segregation as there is a distinct separation between the white and the black, which is socially institutionalised. Another example, of the foreground of the institutionalised discrimination and marginalisation is when Big Mac, openly says the racist joke “about the Boongs and the priest… And they all laughed”(p. 161). The fact that ‘they all laughed’ illustrates the extent in which racism is accepted in the community. Positioning the readers to empathies with Nungas and disregard the values, attitude and beliefs of Big Mac and the community. In addition, through his discriminatory actions of shooting Dumby Red for robbing his pub and the acceptance of this tragedy reinforces the institutionalised discrimination within the town as well as the criminal injustice. There were “no charges…laid” (p.203), foregrounding the criminal injustice within the legal system. This is due to the existence of a community wide prejudice “ it serves em’ right I recon. Big Mac did … right” (P.194). This helps to contribute to the institutionalised idea of the county of what happened was a ‘just’, penalty that was served to those who were killed. Indicating a skewed sense of justice for community members. This also foregrounds the