Discussing Deadly Unna
by Philip Gwynne
The Characters
The Town
Town Attitudes
• “Sports one thing, this is another. It’s best not
to get the two of them mixed up” Mr
Robertson—meanwhile still expecting that
he’ll be able to get Aboriginal players back to
field a team.
• “The old man reckoned he got what he
deserved” Pickles
• “It’s their business not ours”
The Town
• Racist-- Even later
when Dumby decided
he likes him—he
pretends otherwise
Why? “because it was
easier to stay like that”
• A man’s world --Once
you’ve been labeled a
“gutless wonder the
label sticks” p8
Arks
Arks—the litmus test character
• --is useful as a character
because- he is the
window—on the town—it is
through him that we see
what the town’s people and
attitudes are like.
• Character symbols- stale
polly waffle, old ute
Arks
Hero to zero
• He is the owner of the local
deli, a simple guy whose
missus shot through and he
was left on his own to bring
up the kids. He is a plodder
who symbolically has never
won a grand final.
• Brylcream—does things the
old fashioned way-has old
fashioned values,
Blacky
• BLACKY –main
character—
representative of the
reader—we see
through his eyes. We
identify with his view
points—it is his story,
his journey.
• We step into his eyes
and observe the town—
he introduces
Blacky
• Smart—
• not much of a footballer
(Jam Jar Black)
• You’re gonna get
murdered
• A faker
• A coward/ anxious
• Bucky beaver
Blacky’s transformation
• At the start-Racist—
thinks of Dumby as a
dumb
• Thinks he’s superior—
• Anxious/ tows the line
• Blacky--By the end- has
changed . . . is more
confident, confronts, his
old man, no longer on
the fringes, gets
involved with rewriting
the graffiti, goes to the
funeral, puts others first
• “I got angrier. I could
feel it growing inside
me ” p133
Blacky end
• Climax of the story—is that
it’s not about righting the
actual death of Dumby-- but
about Blacky’s own journey to
self determination.
• This is shown at the end by his
actions---when he paints over
the graffiti—break into his
father’s shed and steal paint—
confronts his father—Team
Man saves him by knocking
him with the car—then they
all paint over the racist graffiti.
Dumby
• “All look the same to
me brudda” p21
• tells us he’s confident,
not self-conscious,
doesn’t discriminate.
• Honourable
Mr Black
• a passionate fisherman—a
survivor,
• Violent--“Remember that time
he bashed that bloke up
outside the pub”. Pickles
• Blacky and his father—very
different——personality clash.
Team man tells Blacky “It’s
only when you start tangling
lines that he gets shitty” p65—
• “Christ, you’re a worrier
aren’t you”
• “You’re trying to kill us aren’t
you? You hate us.”p75—total
misunderstanding
Mrs Black
• The heart and soul of
the house, the family,
first time we meet her
she is stirring the pot on
the stove—symbolic of
who she is as a
character—a nurturer, a
builder
• Her philosophy—“try
to be happy” and “do
your best”,
Mrs Black
• tragic figure, has no
teeth, works hard, little
reward
• Unfulfilled- Mills and
Boon
• Cigs and black coffee
• Disrespected.
Clarence
• Clarence- strong sense
of humour, human,
likeable, has dignity
Pickles
• Doesn’t care about
anyone—have any
principals.
• Slack uneducated dirty
• “Had me finger down
that Kerl
Darcy
• Darcy—symbol of the town
• —the old folk, they’re values
and where the town comes
from—a human
representation----wears a
walking tackle shop—wears
army gear—talks about the
second world war--- and all
the fears and suspicions that
were around during that time.
• is the living embodiment of
the depression in Australia—
tough as old boots, is a
survivor—grows own food,
fishes—self sufficient—honest
Arks