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Analysis Of No Sugar By Jack Davis

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No Sugar by Jack Davis depicts how the Indigenous characters of the play suffer at the behest of racism, inequality, abuse and assimilation forced upon them by the white authority. The pain and suffering also stems from their lack of personal freedom and is shown by Davis throughout the play. Davis portrays the displacement and inequality forced upon the Indigenous characters. The white audience is exposed to the hypocrisy that Mr Neal and Sergeant Carrol can drink but Sam and Jimmy are not allowed and are thrown in ‘the lock up’ for doing so. Consequently, this shows how the Indigenous characters are treated unequally compared to other white characters. A way in which Davis depicts the displacement of the Aboriginal family is when the …show more content…

Davis intends the character of Gran to be emblematic of those who are torn between the loyalties to the old world and to the new. Gran is depicted as resourceful through the ways in which she uses traditional lore to care and nurture her family. She uses ‘tjeerung meear’ for Mary’s welts after she is whipped to ‘make [her] better’ and ‘fix [her] up quick’. Moreover, the decision to use ashes instead of baby powder reinforces the fact that traditional lore is still present. Also, the bilingual nature of the Indigenous characters, predominantly the older individuals, shows the fluency of their speech and depicts the connection to their heritage and the ways in which they too are torn between the new world and the old and most importantly, their heritage. Moreover, Davis presents character types of those who accept white authority wanting to lead a peaceful life and those who rage against it. Billy with loyalties to both the new and the old worlds shows why he is so accepting. This is to lessen the extent of the suffering that was caused at the hand of the ‘wetjalas’ when they ‘finished’ his ‘mob’. He remains loyal to ‘Mitjer Neal’ by obeying his orders to pursue Mary and Joe despite the fact that he is treated unequally of which is shown when Mr Neal ‘throws a stick of tobacco on the floor’ and Billy picks it up. Contrary to Billy is Jimmy. Jimmy rages

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