To understand the defining factors in the process of Blacky’s change of identity, we must first understand identity itself. What is identity? Is it defined by ethnic origin, faith or rather a place within oneself. The individuals we surround ourselves with weather they are involuntarily forced upon us or associated by choice or with great reluctance, these individuals have the power to alter the way in which we view the world and it’s people. In Phillip Gwynne’s novel "Deadly Unna?” The main protagonist Blacky is observant and pessimistic, he perseveres in his school work, according to Blacky displaying dissimilar behaviour to the other boys in his year. Blacky possesses aspirations far beyond the bounds of the port, although he has these aspirations he has obtained a loss of faith, lack of direction and extensive amounts of self doubt realising the limitations the port bears, preventing him to act on his aspirations. Although he may view himself contrastingly in comparison to the rest of the port, he still remains nescient and neglectful towards the prejudice and divide between the white and indigenous australians, disregarding the issue as a “Fact of life” and continually denominating people without a second thought. It wasn’t until Dumby Red’s indirect influence triggered a change in Blacky that he realised the immorality of his actions towards racial division whilst not exactly derogatory was not assisting the problem. Although Dumby Red initiated the change in Blacky, he wasn’t the only contributor to blacky’s change. As we come of age, we begin to perceive things that were once ignorantly obscure to our former youthful selves; and in coming of age, he realises his father isn’t worth living in fear from, and the blunt, critically vehement denominations that come from his mouth mean nothing because in the end he is ultimately the failiure, and in discovering this revelation blacky was finally…
