Deadly Unna Essay

Deadly Unna

Phillip Gwyne’s novel, “Deadly Unna?” explores how the main character Gary Black, a white boy from a small town on York Peninsula also known as “Blacky” soon realises that racism is not right. Throughout the novel, Blacky experiences racial prejudice between the Aboriginal people (The Nungas) and the white community (The Goonyas). Blacky begins to develop a greater tolerance for aborigines and their culture, and then he further attempts to apply this knowledge to the prejudiced town in which he lives in.    

Blacky is a fourteen year old boy from the Peninsula in south Australia. He has a great sense of humour, he enjoys giving towns people nicknames. Blacky comes from a large family, likes to hanging out with friends especially pickles and he plays football for Wangaroo. But Blacky isn't confident with his football skills as he meets a teenage boy named Dumby Red. Throughout Winter they became friends but both have very different personalities. As for Blacky, he is not athletic as Dumby or as skilled at football, Dumby is a Nunga from Point where all the Nungas live and Blacky is from the Port. At first Blacky is jealous of Dumby's skill at football.

Throughout the book, Blacky learns many things about friendship. He begins to understand the aborigines  and their culture. In the Grand Final is when Blacky first noticed when racial prejudice really occurred in his town. He notices Dumby Red and all the other Nunga players and families gathered on the opposite side of the oval. The author, Phillip Gwynne further emphasises this divide by their physical locations The Port and the Point. The novel shows us what actions he takes to deal with his feelings about racism such as, attending Dumby's Funeral even though people didnt approve and he felt guilty, as a result he cleaned the graffiti on the shed at the Jetty.

Another Prominent theme in the novel is that Blacky experiences many difficulties of coming age. He realises that adults around him are not always trustworthy or fair. For instance, the butcher that is respectful and kind who has actually written the graffiti " Boongs Piss Off"  is racist and offensive to the Aboriginals.