Deadly Unna Character Analysis

In the novel Deadly Unna?, Phillip Gwynne uses the game of Australian Rules football (AFL) and his main character to explore the discourse of racism in a small South Australian coastal community. Through Gary Black (Blacky), the narrator, the reader becomes aware of the town's racist ideology, its marginalisation of the Nunga community and is positioned to reject the racist views of the town.

From the first, the narrator, Blacky informs the reader that there are two groups who play the game of AFL; the Nungas (Aborigines) who come from the Peninsula and the Goonyas (white people) are Port residents. The game of AFL is the only means through which two groups are brought together and highlights the marginalisation of the Nunga community who,
Gwynne positions the reader to see this marginalisation through Blacky's eyes, rather than through those of the Aborigines. In this way, criticism of the marginalisation of the Aborigines is stronger because it comes from a member of the Port's white community. It is Blacky who comments that no one at the Port has been to the Peninsula and also there were very few Nungas at the celebration after winning the Premiership. He states "Actually there weren't so many Nungas at the Do. Not when … half of the team was from the Point." (p. 119) Through Blacky, the reader is aware that it is Dumby rather than Blacky who is responsible for the team's victory. Yet the Aborigines do not get the recognition that they truly deserve. This is evident when Mark Arks (who is white) gets the Best On Ground Award, when in reality it is Dumby Red who deserves it. The racist element is foregrounded in the story, especially in the shooting of Dumby Red. Gwynne deliberately constructs Dumby as a cheerful, confident young man who is willing to give his cousin his moment of glory and help his mate Blacky from being beaten. Therefore the reader questions Big Mac, the Pub owner's version of events involving Dumby's death. The Aboriginal community too are marginalised because they are never given a chance to give their point of view; the community simply listens to Big Mac.
In a town where few people make friends with the Aborigines, Blacky is happy to look for an opportunity to call Dumby his mate. Later, when Blacky finds that Dumby didn't get the Best On Ground (B.O.G), he decides to quit AFL, this is another incident when he physically rejects racism. Through his friendship with Dumby, Blacky begins to see the marginalisation of the Aboringinal community. At the end, Blacky ignores Darcy's and Gwen's advice and decides to go to the funeral, rejecting his father's command to go fishing and Cathy's invitation to the barbie party. Furthermore, Aboriginal jokes that once he found funny are no longer so. He finds the "BOONGS PISS OFF" sign offensive and his determination to get rid of the sign signals his rejection to the town's racist views and reinforces the anti- racist