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Chapter 28
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Deadly, Unna?, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Injustice, and Action
Courage and Masculinity
Duty and Sacrifice
Teamwork and Family
Summary
Analysis
Team-man wakes Blacky up early in the morning and tells him there’s been a shooting at the pub. Blacky first thinks it’s a joke, but then agrees to go to the pub to check out the situation. They find police cars, ambulances, and detectives all around. Everyone in town has gathered around to watch. Blacky is excited that at least something interesting has finally happened in the Port.
Blacky’s enduring naivety is shown by his initial excitement over the shooting in the pub. His coming realization of his personal connection to the shooting will challenge his innocence, thus allowing him to mature as a character and develop his moral and racial consciousness.
Themes
Blacky hears the people around him talking about how robbers had broken into the pub and Big Mac had shot three of them, killing two. They don’t know who the robbers are, except that they are “boongs.” One person says that the robbers got what they deserved and Big Mac made the right choice.
The town will maintain this racially motivated opinion throughout the novel. Blacky will later learn to challenge this status quo, where white members automatically side with white individuals, in order to honor his indigenous friend.
Themes
The ambulance officers carry a stretcher with a body on it covered in a sheet. Blacky pushes his way to the front of the crowd and asks the officers who’s on the stretcher. The officers cannot answer him. Then Blacky sees the body’s shoes, with red laces and red stars on the side. Blacky realizes those are Dumby’s shoes. Blacky runs away from the crowd and sits down on the anchor. He’s in shock, but he knows that this must mean Dumby is dead and Big Mac killed him. Blacky vomits.
Dumby’s death is the most pivotal moment for Blacky’s character development. Where Blacky used to care primarily about his dating life and football skills, he now has no choice but to confront the racism of his town, because he knows about Big Mac’s past racist acts and now Big Mac has taken his friend from him. Blacky’s personal relationship to Dumby will challenge him to take responsibility for confronting racism.
Themes
