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Chapter 21
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Crow Country, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Prejudice and Discrimination
Heritage and Land
Justice and Restitution
Violence and Integrity
Summary
Analysis
As a way of covering up the real reason they want to speak to Auntie Lily, Walter tells David that he and Sadie are doing an oral history school project. David and Ellie drop off the kids at Auntie Lily’s house. At the house, Sadie follows Walter to Auntie Lily’s room. She is an ancient old woman, who is half blind. Sadie listens as Walter tells Auntie Lily about the stone circle and the crows, and about what the crow said to him and Sadie in Sadie’s backyard: that there had been a clever man, and that something was stolen from him that needed to be returned. Auntie Lily’s expression changes. She tells Walter that her uncle was a clever man, who was killed by someone, and that his body was never found. She also says her uncle appeared to her aunt in a dream to tell her what had really happened.
Auntie Lily’s confirmation that she was related to a man who was killed, and whose body was never recovered, seems to illuminate more of the puzzle that Sadie and now Walter are attempting to solve. It is quite possible that the “clever man” Lily refers to is Jimmy Raven. Furthermore, Lily’s assertion that her uncle had been a “clever man” suggests that he had some special status within the culture, as a guardian of the Aboriginal heritage and its sacred traditions. He was not just an ordinary man, but one who perhaps had special, secret knowledge considered to be deeply valuable.
Themes
As she listens to Auntie Lily, Sadie realizes that the “clever man” Lily refers to is Jimmy Raven. When Sadie mentions this out loud, Auntie Lily suddenly turns on Sadie. She seems to be offended and commands Sadie to go stand outside. Sadie leaves the room; she feels ashamed at having offended Auntie Lily, and yet she thinks that the crows came to her without her asking. As she stands outside, Sadie puts together the pieces based on what she has just heard from Auntie Lily. She is sure Auntie Lily’s uncle was Jimmy, and that after his murder, something was taken from his body.
Lily’s admonishment of Sadie by sending her out of the room suggests that Lily doesn’t quite trust Sadie. After all, Sadie is white, and as an Aboriginal woman, Lily’s experience with white people has most likely taught her not to trust them. Thus her action of sending Sadie away points to the distrust that Aboriginals feel towards whites. The revelation that Jimmy is connected to someone in the present day also shows how the repercussions of injustice can persist through generations.
Themes
Walter finds Sadie and tells her to come back into the room. Inside, Auntie Lily asks her whether it’s true, as Walter says, that the crows talk to her. Sadie says yes. She again names Auntie Lily’s uncle as Jimmy Raven, and tells her that his wife’s name was Netta. Auntie Lily nods, and asks Sadie if she has some “blackfella” blood in her. Sadie says she isn’t sure—she doesn’t know much about her father’s side of the family.
In asking Sadie whether she has some “blackfella,” or Aboriginal blood in her, Lily indicates that Sadie’s access to the realm of the Aboriginal spirits—through the crows—must indicate some blood connection to Aboriginals. This suggests that there may be more to Sadie’s heritage than she realizes. She may not be completely white, and as such her family history and background may be more mixed than she had assumed. As such, Auntie Lily’s comments imply that often, there is in fact more to one’s heritage than meets the eye.
Themes
Auntie Lily then says that her uncle Jimmy had special, sacred things, which no one was allowed to see or touch. Her uncle’s things were stolen, perhaps used by someone who wasn’t supposed to use them. Auntie Lily tells Walter and Sadie to find Jimmy’s special things, as well as his body, and to give him a proper burial. She tells them that when they find his things, they should bring them to her immediately—she will know who to give them to.
Because of her age, and her special knowledge about Jimmy’s story and about Aboriginal culture, Lily proves to be an important mentor and guide figure both for Sadie and Walter. She is depicted as a guardian and protector of the Aboriginal heritage. Like the crows who speak to Sadie, Lily emphasizes the importance of attaining justice and restitution for her uncle Jimmy. She realizes that her uncle, like so many Aboriginals, suffered and lost his life because of prejudice—as an Aboriginal man, his life was perceived to be less valuable than that of a white person.
Themes
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Outside, Sadie tells Walter she must go back to 1933, to the night of the murder, to find out what happened to Jimmy’s special things. Walter guesses the Mortlocks have them, which is why that family has been visited by bad luck: Gerald Mortlock died, they’ve lost a lot of their money, and their dam dried up. Sadie suddenly remembers that Craig Mortlock mentioned the other day that he had “some Aboriginal bits and pieces lying around.” Walter says they must break into their house to find the things.
Walter’s plan to break into the Mortlocks’ house is daring, but also necessary. In actively participating in helping Sadie on her quest, Walter proves himself to be a valuable support, and an ally. The alliance between Walter and Sadie spans the racial and cultural divide, in that both characters—an Aboriginal person and a white person—unite in seeking justice for a terrible wrong done to Jimmy, who suffered prejudice as well as violence because of his Aboriginal identity.
Themes
