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Act 1, Scene 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in No Sugar, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism, Discrimination, and Colonial Violence
Government, Civilization, and Religion
White Australians vs. the Aboriginal Family Unit
Language and Culture
Summary
Analysis
At their office in Perth, Miss Dunn types as Neville dictates to her. Neville lists the members of the Millimurra-Munday family. As he talks, he is interrupted by a knock. The Sergeant has taken a train from Northam to visit him. The Sergeant sits, and Neville announces that a doctor examined the Aboriginal community at Government Well and found them to be “rotten with scabies.” Because of this, they will all be transferred to the Moore River Native Settlement.
Neville claims that the Millimurra-Munday family, as well as the rest of the Aboriginal community, has scabies, a highly contagious skin infection. This will prove to be untrue, and was merely a falsehood invented to reclaim the Government Well Reservation for the white residents of Northam.
Themes
Neville has arranged for a train to transport the Aboriginal families. He’s calculated the exact cost of each person, and exactly how much he is willing to spend on food. The families will not be allowed to leave the train, and will only be allowed to bring limited luggage with them. The Sergeant proposes that dogs and horses be allowed to come too, and suggests a road party with animals and additional luggage. Neville relents to this idea, but insists that all dogs must be left behind.
The government is constantly placing restrictions on what Aboriginal people can and can’t do. Now, as they are forced to relocate, they are also forced to leave behind items potentially precious to them. Once again, dogs, which are often important parts of the family, are seen as unimportant possessions to be left behind as well.
Themes
The meeting now over, the Sergeant leaves. He plans to pick up presents for his wife and children while he’s in Perth. He wishes Merry Christmas to Neville and Miss Dunn.
Ironically, the Sergeant is buying more possessions for his white family on a trip that will disenfranchise the Aboriginals under his power and cause them to lose many of their personal goods.
Themes
