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Sal Thornhill
Smasher is one of the first men that Thornhill meets on the Hawkesbury River. He's a small, mean man who burns oysters to make lime and breeds dogs that he trains to attack only Aborigines. He views the natives as little more than animals to be exterminated, and hunts them for sport. He often takes body parts from the native people he kills and carries them around as trophies. Smasher despises Thornhill and Blackwood for attempting to coexist peacefully with the natives. He keeps a black woman chained up as a sex slave, and offers to let other men on the river use her as well. He loves telling stories of the trouble natives cause for white settlers, though he embellishes the stories to make them even more gruesome. Smasher is responsible for rallying the men to go to Blackwood's place and massacre a group of natives. In that battle, Whisker Harry spears Smasher, and Smasher dies as a result.
Smasher Quotes in The Secret River
The The Secret River quotes below are all either spoken by Smasher or refer to Smasher. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 5: Drawing a Line
Quotes
Thinking the thought, saying the words, would make him the same as Smasher, as if Smasher's mind had got into his when he saw the woman in the hut and felt that instant of temptation. He had done nothing to help her. Now the evil of it was part of him.
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Part 6: The Secret River
Quotes
"They got no rights to any of this place. No more than a sparrow." He heard the echo of Smasher's phrases in his own words. They sat there smiling and plausible.
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He was reminded of what he had not thought of for years, the yard at Newgate, the men rehearsing their stories so often that they took on the substance of fact.
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Smasher Quotes in The Secret River
The The Secret River quotes below are all either spoken by Smasher or refer to Smasher. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 5: Drawing a Line
Quotes
Thinking the thought, saying the words, would make him the same as Smasher, as if Smasher's mind had got into his when he saw the woman in the hut and felt that instant of temptation. He had done nothing to help her. Now the evil of it was part of him.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 6: The Secret River
Quotes
"They got no rights to any of this place. No more than a sparrow." He heard the echo of Smasher's phrases in his own words. They sat there smiling and plausible.
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
He was reminded of what he had not thought of for years, the yard at Newgate, the men rehearsing their stories so often that they took on the substance of fact.
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Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
