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Historically, this term referred to Aboriginal men and women who helped British colonists navigate and exploit Australia’s unfamiliar landscape. Black trackers would also often align themselves with the British, sometimes forming informal or official police forces, who primarily monitored and punished the behavior of local Aboriginal communities. Billy and Bluey are both black trackers. Although they are still in touch with their Aboriginal language, culture, and history, they are quick to side with their white employers and willing to carry out violence on the Millimurra-Munday family.
Black Tracker Quotes in No Sugar
The No Sugar quotes below are all either spoken by Black Tracker or refer to Black Tracker. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 2, Scene 4
Quotes
Mary: I don’t like the way [Mr. Neal] looks at me.
Joe: Well, you got me now, for what I’m worth.
Mary: He’s always hangin’ around where the girls are workin’; in the cookhouse, in the sewin’ room. And he’s always carryin’ that cat-o’-nine tails and he’ll use it, too.
Joe: Bastard, better not use it on you or any of my lot.
Mary: He reckoned he was gunna belt me once.
Joe: What for?
Mary: ‘Coz I said I wasn’t gunna go and work for guddeah on a farm.
Joe: Why not? Be better than this place.
Mary: No! Some of them guddeahs real bad. My friend went last Christmas and then she came back boodjarri. She reckons the boss’s sons used to belt her up and, you know, force her. Then they kicked her out. And when she had that baby them trackers choked it dead and buried it in the pine plantation.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Black Tracker Term Timeline in No Sugar
The timeline below shows where the term Black Tracker appears in No Sugar. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 2, Scene 1
...officer working for the Settlement. Gran comments that Billy isn’t a “politjman, you just a black tracker .”
(full context)
Act 2, Scene 4
...pregnant, having been beaten and raped during her service. When the girl had the baby, black trackers killed and buried it. Joe jokes that he doesn’t like Mary, and she pulls away....
(full context)
Act 2, Scene 7
...the “less they know the better.” Jimmy warns Joe to walk mostly on gravel, so black trackers cannot easily follow him.
(full context)
Act 4, Scene 7
...only wants to help, but Mary is convinced that if she gives up her child black trackers will take him and kill him. The Matron leaves, but first offers some cotton wool,...
(full context)
