'Deadly Unna?' by Phillip Gwynne

Gary Black, a fourteen year old ‘Goonya’ or white teenager from a small country town in South Australia who forms an unlikely but nonetheless powerful friendship with an “incredibly skilful” player on his local football team (Gwynne 1998 p.5). Dummy Red is a ‘Nunga’ or aboriginal who Gary admires and respects and their ‘inter-ethnic’ friendship acts as a catalyst for change as Garry forms an acute awareness to the ‘small town racism’ which is blatantly prevalent.

 Dummy Red and the Aboriginal population  live on a reserve, separate from the main town. They remain segregated in the town pub, and they’re football achievements go un-acknowledged. Their culture is foreign to the dominant Anglo-Celtic population, and hence racism is rife and the local aboriginal community marginalized.

Phillip Gwynne’s juxtaposes Gary’s and the town butcher Slogsy’s judgment of Dummy Red and his friends to illustrate the opposing attitudes which exist within the town’s community.

Gary: “This Dummy Red was trendy, he was talented, he was up himself, he wore Jezza’s number 25, and he had that smile” (Deadly Unna? 1998 p.25). *Jezza is Gary’s favourite football star.

Slogsy: “Good for nuthin’ punks, bunch of stinkin’ boongs” (Deadly Unna? 1998 p.26)

Gary’s determination to attend Dumby’s funeral after his tragic death is a turning point. Even though Gary is aware that his actions will put an end to his blossoming friendship with summer love Cathy and enrage his abusive father he attends the funeral on the aboriginal reserve. The experience gives him the courage to make a further stand. It is clear when he and his siblings paint over the ‘BOONGS PISS OFF’ graffiti (Gwynne 1998 p.270), how much he has matured. He is standing up for something important. As Gary confronts his own prejudices and the racism of the town he finds himself faced with many hard choices and from each the reader learns more about the strong moral footing he possesses.