THE ABORIGINES’ RESISTANCE TOWARDS THE DISCRIMINATION...

THE ABORIGINES’ RESISTANCE TOWARDS THE

DISCRIMINATION BY THE WHITE PEOPLE IN ALICE

NANNUP WITH LAUREN MARSH AND STEPHEN

KINNANE’S WHEN THE PELICAN LAUGHED

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By:

DIEN CHRISTA RANDA

Student Number: 104214069

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2015

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJIPLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ii





AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By:

DIEN CHRISTA RANDA

Student Number: 104214069

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2015


v

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been

previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that,

to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material

previously written by any other person except where due reference is made in the

text of the undergraduate thesis

Yogyakarta, August 31, 2015

Dien Christa Randa


vi

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH

UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma

Nama : Dien Christa Randa

Nomor Mahasiswa : 104214069

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan

Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul





beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan

kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan,

mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan

data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau

media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya

maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya

sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal 31 Agustus 2015

Yang menyatakan,

Dien Christa Randa


vii


viii


ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ, who was and

will always be there during my hardest time. I believe that this undergraduate

thesis would have not been completed without His help. All the glory to Him and

only, for He who has given me the ability to write my undergraduate thesis and

finish it well.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my thesis advisor

Dewi Widyastuti, S. Pd., M. Hum., who has been patient in guiding me

throughout the process of writing my undergraduate thesis. I would like to thank

her for the time that she spent in giving corrections as well as suggestions so that

this undergraduate thesis of mine would be better. I would also like to thank my

Co-advisor Dra. A. B. Sri Mulyani, M. A., Ph. D. for the suggestions in order to

help in improving the thesis to be better.

I would like to give thanks to my parents, who always support me and

encourage me with their prayers. I am really grateful to have great parents like

them. My special thanks also to my sister, who always support me in every way

she could.

Finally, I would like to thank all of my friends, who were my classmates,

for having been such good friends all these years. Also to all my friends who have

been there for me and brighten my days, I would like to thank them all sincerely.

Dien Christa Randa


x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………….…………

APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………….………..

ACCEPTANCE PAGE……………………………………………………….

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY………………………………….………

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH MOTTO PAGE………………………………………………………….…….

DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………………...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………….…….

TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………….…….

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………….…..

ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………….……..

ii

iii

iv

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………. 1

A. Background of the Study…………………………..…………………...

B. Problem Formulation ………………………………..………………....

C. Objectives of the Study………………………………………..………..

D. Definition of Terms…………………………………………….………

1

5

6

6

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………….

A. Review of Related Studies…………………………………….……….

B. Review of Related Theories…………………………………….……...

1. Theory of Character and Characterization…………………..………

2. Theory on the Relation between Literature and Society…………..

C. Review of Related Backgrounds……………………………………….

1. Review on the Background of the Aborigines‘ Society……………..

2. Review on the Racial Discrimination towards the Aborigines………

3. Review on the Resistance of the Aborigines……………………..….

D. Theoretical Framework…………………………………………….…...

9

9

11

11

13

14

14

18

20

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………

A. Object of the Study…………………………………………………..…

B. Approach of the Study……………………………………………….....

C. Method of the Study…………………………………………………....

25

25

26

28

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………….....

A. The Characterization of Alice Nannup……………………………... …

B. The Racial Discrimination Experienced by Alice Nannup…………….

C. Alice‘s Resistance towards the Discrimination by the White People….

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………………………………………………

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….....

APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………….

31

31

45

62

85

88

90


xi

ABSTRACT

RANDA, DIEN CHRISTA. The Aborigines’ Resistance towards the

Discrimination by the White People in Alice Nannup with Lauren Marsh and

Stephen Kinnane’s When the Pelican Laughed. Yogyakarta: Department of

English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2015.

This undergraduate thesis focused on analyzing the resistance of the

Aborigines that is represented through the character of Alice Nannup towards the

discrimination which is based on the autobiography When the Pelican Laughed

written by Alice Nannup with Lauren Marsh and Stephen Kinnane. The

autobiography describes the life of Alice Nannup about how she was

discriminated by the white people and how Alice Nannup reacted towards the

discrimination. The Aborigines‘ Resistance towards the Discrimination by the

White People in Alice Nannup with Lauren Marsh and Stephen Kinnane‘s When

the Pelican Laughed is chosen by the writer as the topic of the study because the

writer is interested in examining the reactions of Alice as the representation of the

Aborigines in resisting the discrimination.

There are three objectives which are presented in this thesis. The first

objective is to describe the characterization of Alice Nannup, the second objective

is to find out about the racial discrimination practices that were experienced by

the Aborigines which are represented through Alice Nannup‘s experiences, and

the last objective is to find out the resistance of Alice Nannup as part of the

Aborigines‘ society towards the discrimination.

In this study, the writer uses the postcolonialism approach because it helps

in revealing the issues of racism. The writer also uses several theories and reviews

of related backgrounds such as the theory of character and characterization,

review on racial discrimination towards the Aborigines, review on the resistance

of the Aborigines, and the review on the background of the Aborigine society in

analyzing all the problem formulation.

The first result of the analysis, Alice Nannup is described as a persistent,

stubborn, brave, independent, critical, hard-working, self-determined, responsible,

and straightforward person. The second result shows that Alice and the other

Aborigines experienced several practices of racial discrimination like how

they were by force separated from their family and were taken into the

concentration camp, restricted to enter certain areas, made as cheap labors,

called with improper names, punished cruelly, not given chance to be

educated, and also given poor public facilities. The last result discussed the

resistance of Alice who represents the Aborigines. Alice‘s efforts in resisting

the racial discrimination were shown in how she did not compromise with the

law or the tradition set up by the society that discriminated certain race.


xii

ABSTRAK

RANDA, DIEN CHRISTA. The Aborigines’ Resistance towards the


Stephen Kinnane’s When the Pelican Laughed. Yogyakarta: Program Studi

Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2015.

Skripsi ini difokuskan untuk menganalisis perlawanan orang Aborigin

yang diwakili melalui karakter Alice Nannup terhadap diskriminasi berdasarkan

autobiografi yang ditulis oleh Alice Nannup bersama Lauren Marsh dan Stephen

Kinnane. Autobiografi ini mendeskripsikan kehidupan Alice Nannup tentang

bagaimana dia didiskriminasi oleh orang-orang kulit putih dan bagaimana reaksi

Alice terhadap diskriminasi tersebut. The Aborigines’ Resistance towards the


Stephen Kinnane’s When the Pelican Laughed dipilih oleh penulis menjadi topik

pembahasan karena penulis tertarik untuk meneliti reaksi-reaksi yang ditunjukkan

oleh Alice sebagai representasi dari suku Aborigin yang melakukan perlawanan

terhadap diskriminasi.

Ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Rumusan

masalah yang pertama adalah untuk mendeskripsikan karakter Alice Nannup.

Rumusan masalah yang kedua adalah untuk menemukan berbagai macam praktek

diskriminasi yang dialami oleh suku Aborigin yang dapat dilihat melalui

pengalaman-pengalaman Alice Nannup, dan rumusan masalah yang terakhir

adalah untuk menemukan perlawanan yang ditunjukkan oleh Alice Nannup

sebagai bagian dari masyarakat Aborigin terhadap praktek diskriminasi.

Dalam penelitian ini penulis menggunakan pendekatan pascakolonialisme

karena pendekatan ini membantu dalam mengungkapkan isu-isu rasisme. Penulis

juga menggunakan beberapa teori dan ulasan latarbelakang seperti teori tokoh dan

penokohan, ulasan diskriminasi ras terhadap suku Aborigin, ulasan perlawanan

suku Aborigin, serta ulasan latar belakang suku Aborigin dalam menganalisa

seluruh rumusan masalah.

Hasil pertama dari analisis, Alice, dideskripsikan sebagai seseorang yang

gigih, keras kepala, berani, mandiri, kritis, pekerja keras, bertekad kuat,

bertanggungjawab, dan terang-terangan. Hasil kedua menunjukkan bahwa Alice

dan orang-orang Aborigin lainnya mengalami berbagai praktek diskriminasi ras

seperti dipisahkan dari keluarga dengan paksa dan dibawa masuk ke tempat

tawanan, dilarang masuk ke area-area tertentu, dijadikan buruh murah, dipanggil

dengan nama yang tidak pantas, dihukum secara brutal, tidak diberi kesempatan

untuk menerima pendidikan, dan juga diberikan fasilitas publik yang buruk.

Analisis terakhir membahas perlawanan Alice yang mewakili suku Aborigin.

Usaha-usaha Alice dalam melawan diskriminasi ras nampak pada saat dia

tidak berkompromi dengan hukum ataupun tradisi yang dibangun oleh

masyarakat dengan tujuan untuk mendiskriminasi ras tertentu.


1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

The discovery of Australia by the Europeans already began in sixteenth

century. This discovery of Australia by the Europeans later on became the starting

point of the Europeans settlement in Australia (Flood, 2006: 1). As time went on,

the land of Australia continued to be occupied by the outsiders came from Europe.

However, it was the landing of James Cook in 1770 that the east part of Australia

was claimed for the British. James Cook believed that Australia had no owners

and that is why without any negotiation with the settlers he claimed the land.

Since then, many of the British settlers continue to occupy the land of Australia

believing that the land was ‗terra nullius‘ which means that the land belong to

nobody (Cashmore, 2004: 1). The British settlers held on to their beliefs that no

one owns the land. Therefore, the Aborigines as the first settlers were not

considered as the owners of the land by the white people. As the result, the whites

felt free to use the land and they began to see the Aborigines as part of the inferior

race.

Throughout the nineteenth century, discrimination against the Aborigines

by the whites was also an issue in Australia. The white – Australians have the

belief that they were superior to the Aboriginal tribe as described in

(http://www.skwirk.com/). In this site, it is also stated that the Aboriginal people

cannot own a house or a land and were not allowed to participate in voting for any

elections.


http://www.skwirk.com/

2

John Tomlinson reveals that the Aboriginal people are more likely to die

younger and are more frequently sick because they do not have the access to clean

running water, to have good nutrition and an appropriate housing that is equipped

with proper healthy facilities also because the fruits and vegetables were at high

cost that the Aboriginal cannot afford to buy. Other than that, the percentage of

Aboriginal people who were imprisoned was higher than the Whites and many of

them died in prison. During that time it was okay for the police to kill the

Aborigines (https://www.greenleft.org.au).

Still on the same site, it is said that the Aboriginal people were also made

into labors and were paid with low wages. Not only that, their wages was put into

the accounts of their protectors or to the special Aboriginal Welfare account such

as in Queensland. Thus, the Aboriginal people, even though they worked hard and

paid, they do not have the right to get hold of their own payment

(https://www.greenleft.org.au).

In this site it is also said that in the 19th

century some areas in Queensland

were alienated. The people were taken by boat from their land and their houses

were burnt by the police. These areas were then used as places for mining. Also in

this site it is mentioned that the Aboriginal people who were in disputation were

considered as rebelling and Aboriginal people‘s superintendents were given the

rights to put them into jail. The white Australia also attempted to complete the

process of dispossession by taking away the indigenous children from their

communities and families (https://www.greenleft.org.au).


https://www.greenleft.org.au/

https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/17311

3

In another site by Jens Korff (http://www.creativespirits.info), it is said

that in 1918 the Aboriginal people are prohibited from drinking, possessing, or

supplying any alcoholic drinks. They are also were prohibited from having

firearms, marrying non - Aboriginal people without permission and also having

sex with people across their color line. All these treatments received by the

Aboriginal people from the whites because the white people think that they were

superior and so they have the right to oppress the Aboriginal people. So for years

the Aboriginal people were struggle in resisting the unequal treatments they

receive. The resistance as the Aborigine to fight back the discrimination has been

chosen by the writer as the topic that will be discussed in this study.

In this study, the writer uses the autobiography entitled When the Pelican

Laughed written by Alice Nannup with Lauren Marsh and Stephen Kinnane to

discuss the topic that is chosen. The character of Alice Nannup in the When the

Pelican Laughed described best how she as an Aborigine showed her resistance

towards the discrimination she experienced. Many events that took place in

Alice‘s life reveal how she was discriminated, enslaved, and treated unequally.

However, Alice did not remain quiet all the time. At certain point, when she could

not stand to see how she was being discriminated, Alice reacted against the

discrimination to show her resistance towards the discrimination she faced. Her

resistance towards the discrimination as shown in the autobiography has attracted

the writer‘s attention to analyze it into a deeper study.

However, the work of literature that the writer uses is an autobiography

book in which the main character Alice Nannnup is the writer herself. It is a story


http://www.creativespirits.info/%20aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal%20-%20history%20-%20timeline%20–%201970%20-%201999

4

of a life – experience about Alice herself. She used the first person point of

view ―I‖ to refer to herself. In this book, she described every event in detail and

not only what happened but also how she feels about the situation happening

around her and how she reacts towards it. Her reactions in the autobiography

which shows her resistance as an Aboriginal woman towards the discrimination

by the whites would be the main focus of this study.

The topic is necessary to be discussed to show Alice‘s resistance towards

the discrimination as an Aborigine in order to gain her rights back that were taken

away and how it was not easy to resist the discrimination.

Even though this is an autobiography which depicted the real life story and

not a fiction story unlike other novels, this autobiography could also be

considered as part of a literary work that could also be chosen as an object of the

study. The reason why this autobiography can be used as one of literary works is

because as Jonathan Culler in Literary Theory says: ―To describe ‗literature‘

would be to analyze a set of assumptions and interpretive operations readers may

bring to bear on such texts (Culler, 1997: 24).‖ It means that a text can be treated

as part of literary work if the readers are able to analyze a set of assumptions and

also apply some operations to interpret the text. In this study, the text of

autobiography When the Pelican Laughed written by Alice Nannup could as well

be analyzed and be interpreted by the readers. The readers could also apply some

operations on the autobiography text in order to understand and interpret it.

Culler also stated in the same book that ―‗literature‘ is an institutional label

that gives us reason to expect that the results of our reading efforts will be ‗worth


5

it‘ (Culler, 1997: 25).‖ It means that any text that is labeled as work of literature

would give the expectation to its readers that it is worth it to be read. The

autobiography When the Pelican Laughed also has the criteria of being ―worth it‖

for the readers to spend their efforts on reading this autobiography because by

reading this autobioraphy, it would give the readers new insight on the experience

of being an Aborigine that is being unequally treated by the white people.

Finally, Terry Eagleton in Literary Theory defines the text to be literature

as

A piece of writing may start off life as history or philosophy and then

come to be ranked as literature; or it may start off as literature and then

come to be valued for its archaeological significance. Some texts are born

literary, some achieve literariness, and some have literariness thrust upon

them (Eagleton, 1996: 7).

When the Pelican Laughed by Alice Nannup may first started as an ordinary

autobiographical work piece of writing, but then as Terry Eagleton theorizes that a

piece of writing may start off life as history or history and then be ranked as

literature so is the autobiographical When the Pelican Laughed. This

autobiography may not first born as literary work, or was written but was not

meant for literary purpose. However, it then, achieves its literariness because it

does contain literary values. For these reasons, the autobiography When the

Pelican Laughed can be chosen as the object of this study.

B. Problem Formulation

In this study there are three main problems formulated as follow

1. What are the characteristics of Alice Nannup in When the Pelican Laughed?


6

2. What are the racial discrimination practices experienced by Alice in When the

Pelican Laughed?

3. How does Alice resist the discrimination by the white people?

C. Objectives of the Study

The objective of this study is to identify the characteristics of Alice

Nannup as the main character of the book. Then after the characteristics of Alice

Nannup are revealed, the next objective is to find out the practices of racial

discrimination that Alice experienced. Finding out the practices of the racial

discrimination will lead to the last objective that is from the racial discrimination

experienced by Alice, the writer tries to see the resistance of Alice towards the

discrimination by the whites that she faced.

D. Definition of Terms

In this part the writer would give some definitions of terms that the writer

thinks it‘s necessary since the terms would be used in this study.

The first definition that would be explained is the term resistance.

Resistance in the Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus is defined as ―the

act or an instance of resisting; refusal to comply,‖ which means that any actions

that shows the refusal to cooperate with, could be said as showing resistance

(McKean, 2003: 1283).

In this dictionary and thesaurus resistance also has the same meaning as

words like opposition, rebelliousness, stubbornness, refusal, and endurance. As to

say it in other words, any actions which show a person is trying to oppose, rebel,


7

refuse with something, this person could also be said to be in resistance against

something (McKean, 2003: 1283).

Eric Selbin also said in Revolution, Rebellion, Resistance that ―resistance

can also refer to a form of insurgency denoted by the refusal of people to

cooperate actively with, or express support for, the current regime or authority

figures (Selbin, 2010: 11).‖ It means that resistance is the act of people refusing to

cooperate with their current authorities figures.

The next term is discrimination that is defined as ―the behavioral

manifestation of racism (Moore, 2007: 76).‖ In other words, when an act is

performed to make differences that certain races are more superior to the other

races is discrimination.

Finally the last term is the ―White People‖ which also refers to the people

who are categorized into the white race, according to Johann Blumenbach‘s

classification that was published in 1795, as it is mentioned in the Encyclopedia of

Race and Ethnic Studies, are the people originated from Caucasus, the mountain

range in Eastern Europe. Blumenbach argued that these people are the most

handsome compare to the Mongolians and Ethiopians (Cashmore, 2004: 450). In

other words, according to Blumenbach, the Caucasians who are white are better

than any other race. They might be considered the most handsome by

Blumenbach compare to any other race because of the physical appearance that

perhaps in his opinion is better than any other race.

Therefore, people that belong to the Caucasian race are also known with

the term ―the whites‖ or ―white people‖. In this study, the term ―white people‖


8

refer to the white Australians because the setting of events in the autobiography

took place in Australia.


9

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

In this part, the writer would include some related studies that are

connected to the autobiography When the Pelican Laughed by Alice Nannup. The

first study is the undergraduate thesis written by Risang Baskara entitled The

Indigenous Struggle of Aborigines in Western Australia in the 19th

Century as

Reflected in Alice Nannup’s Life in When the Pelican Laughed. In his

undergraduate thesis, Baskara‘s focus was to see how the indigenous struggles in

Western Australia in 19th

Century are reflected through Alice Nannup, the major

of the character.

However, in this analysis, the writer will focus on the indigenous struggle

in Western Australia in 19th

century, the writer believes those struggles

existed in the Aborigine society and influence the author to write the novel

When the Pelican Laughed (Baskara, 2010: 69).

Baskara‘s thesis is mainly to reveal the indigenous struggle which is

reflected through the character of Alice Nannup. Baskara, in his thesis, presented

some problems that are faced by the Aborigines through Alice‘s experiences as

the representation of the indigenous struggle. Since his focus was on the

indigenous struggle, Baskara explained all the things that are related to the

indigenous struggle that are found in the autobiography through the major

character, Alice Nannup. What makes Baskara‘s thesis different from the writer‘s

is that the writer‘s focus is more in digging up on how Alice resists the

discrimination and does not focus on the general struggles of the indigenous. So


10

the writer‘s focus is only narrowed down to the discrimination issues and not the

general struggles such as identity, struggle to survive, and other kinds of struggles

outside the discrimination struggle issues. Other than that, Baskara‘s paper tries to

point out that the autobiography When the Pelican Laughed is part of the

postcolonial work by showing the indigenous struggle during the white

occupation through the representation of the major character‘s experiences.

Baskara described every struggle in detail and points out the struggles of the

indigenous people as a community. The writer, on the other hand, does not really

pay attention to other issues that can be found in the autobiography other than the

discrimination issues experienced by Alice and how she resist the disscrimination.

Another study is the undergraduate thesis that is written by Refrita

Indraswara entitled Racial Discrimination towards the Aborigines in Australia

Seen through the Conflict in Alice Nannup’s When the Pelican Laughed. In her

undergraduate thesis, Indraswara‘s main focus was on the racial discrimination

that can be seen through the conflicts found in the autobiography. Indraswara

described the conflicts in the autobiography and through the conflicts she revealed

the racial discrimination based on each conflict. She also categorized the racial

discrimination into two parts in her analysis as first the legal discrimination and

the second institutional discrimination.

The racial discrimination is revealed by looking at the external conflict

which the white people insist that cleaning is the Aborigine‘s job. Even

though that is just a simple thing, like wiping the water on the floor. The

white people think that it is an Aborigines job to do cleaning job, or any

job as a servant (Indraswara, 2013: 39).


11

As stated above in one part of her analysis, it can be seen that Indraswara‘s

analysis focused on the racial discrimination revealed through the conflicts in the

autobiography.

While Baskara‘s undergraduate thesis focuses on the indigenous struggle

revealed through the major character, the writer would focus on Alice reactions in

resisting the discrimination by the whites. The difference lies on how the writer is

more focused in describing every action of Alice whenever she faced the

discrimination rather than focus on other indigenous struggles that are found in

the autobiography as it had been explained by Baskara. As for Indraswara‘s

undergraduate thesis focuses on the racial discrimination as seen through the

conflicts in the autobiography, the writer‘s study is focused on how Alice,

through some discrimination conflicts, resist the discrimination acts she received

from the white people in order to withstand the situation and to survive in the

midst of the unequal treatments that she experienced.

B. Review of Related Theories

In this part the writer will refer to some theories that will be used in this study.

The theories that would be used are as follows:

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

The theory of character and characterization is used as to find out the

character of the major character Alice Nannup. As Mary Rohrberger and Samuel

Woods stated in Reading and Writing about Literature that, ―Characters have

particular personalities and physical attributes that distinguish


12

them from other characters. The process by which an author creates a character is

called characterization (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 20).‖ Based on the

definition, each character of a story is understood to have particular personality or

trait that is different from another character. Then, characterization is understood

as the process of creating the character by the author.

Another theory of character and characterization is stated by M. H.

Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms

Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work,

who are interpreted by the reader as possessing particular moral,

intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons

say and their distinctive ways of saying it - the dialogue — and from what

they do — the action (Abrams, 2012: 46).

From the definition above, a character in a story is said to be interpretable

possessing certain moral, intellectual, and emotional feelings through the

character‘s speech and action. Therefore, a character can be analyzed through the

dialogues with other characters or from what their actions are.

Holman and Harmon suggest that there are three ways in which a character

is presented by the author. First is through ―the explicit presentation by the author

of the character through direct exposition.‖ Secondly, it can be presented through

―the presentation of the character in action,‖ and thirdly is through ―the

representation from within the character (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81).‖

Therefore, a character in a work of literature can be analyzed through the

author‘s explanation, character‘s action in the story that is what the character, and

through the representation from within the character which could be what the

character has in mind.


13

M. J. Murphy in Understanding Unseens presents nine ways to help the

readers understand the character presented in a story. However, only several

would be used by the writer in analyzing the character for this study such as: (a)

Characters as seen by another. A character is described by the author through

what the others see and think about the character as. (b) Speech. A character of a

person is revealed through what he or she says. (c) Reactions. The character‘s

reactions towards situations and events could also reveal the character‘s traits. (d)

Thoughts. Through a person‘s thoughts, the person‘s character could also be

revealed. (e) Mannerisms. The person‘s manners, habits, temperaments, reveal the

person‘s character (Murphy, 1972: 161-173).

2. Theory on the Relation between Literature and Society

Literature in one way or another is closely related to the society in which

the work is produced. The fact that the author is part of the society has influenced

the author to produce the literary works which represent the society in which the

author lives and share the experience of the author‘s. Rene Wellek and Austin

Warren define the literature and society as

Literature ‗represents‘ ‗life‘ is, in large measure, a social reality, even though

the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also

been objects of literary ‗imitation‘ (Wellek and Warren, 1956: 94).

It means that through literature the reality of the social life is depicted. The

author shares his or her real life experience and the condition of the society in his

or her time and then expresses it through his or her work of literature. Therefore,

literary works that are produced are closely related to the social life of the time in

which the author lives as Wellek and Warren also stated that ―the writer has been


14

a citizen, has pronounced on questions of social and political importance, has

taken part in issues of his time (Wellek and Warren, 1956: 97).‖

C. Review of Related Backgrounds

1. Review on the Background of the Aborigines’ Society

When talking about the history of the Aborigines society in accordance to

the European settlement it would be indeed be a long story. To trace down the

background of the Aborigines society then it would also include how the word

Aborigine is used. The word Aborigine itself has its meaning which is according

Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies by Ellis Cashmore the word

‗Aboriginal‘ is derived from the Latin phrase ab origine which means from the

beginning (Cashmore, 2004: 1). In the same book, Claude Levi-Strauss noted that

the indigenous Australians evolved in Australia since 50,000 BCE (Cashmore,

2004: 1) which means that the Aborigines settlers in Australia had been occupying

the land long before there was any white contact.

Then in the year 1770 was when Lieutenant James Cook claimed the

eastern half of the Australian for the British. Cook did not consider the indigenous

people as being the land owners and thus, there were no any treaty or negotiation

made with the indigenous people when he claimed the land. Cook‘s incorrect

declaration that the land was terra nullius or waste was the beginning of the

colonialism in Australia (Cashmore, 2004: 1).

Since the European had the concept that the white settlers are always

superior to any other race, this overtaking land from the Aborigines made the

whites also feel right to start made the Aborigines to be put into labours and work


15

for them. This is supported as it is also noted in the Encyclopedia of Race and

Ethnic Studies that even though the land of Australia had been occupied by the

Aborigines before any of the white settler made any contact, the pastoral and

mining frontier that are found from southeast and coastal areas across Australia

brought the Aborigines into pressures (Cashmore, 2004: 1).

The history continues as there were some policies began to be made as in

the 1850s, the Australian colonies put the settlers to be in charge of Aboriginal

policy. This policy, under a name of ―protection‖ led to a restrictive and racist

controls where the Aborigines were put at disadvantage position. Those who were

born as mixed descent, were forced out from reserves which was the earlier form

of concentration camp, and the children were taken from their families and were

admitted to the orphanages, training homes, apprenticeships, and white foster

care. Whereas the people of full descent or in other words are purely of

Aborigines descendants were made into confinements under strict controls. Thus,

these people could be put into labors by the white employers. This Aboriginal

Acts had taken away the civil rights of the Aborigines that includes the freedom to

do whatever they want, the rights to own properties, freedom to marry anyone

belong to a different race, the power over their own family, and the right to put

their cultural activities into practice (Cashmore, 2004: 1-2).

Some of the policies which were made throughout the long history

between the Aborigines and the whites would be summarized from the site written

by Jenns Korff which the writer thinks are important to be paid attention to in this

study.


16

In 1901, there was a policy made which stated that the Commonwealth

could legislate for any race but Aborigines. Chief Protector is made the legal

guardian for every Aboriginal and half-descent child under 16 years old in the

Western Australia Aborigines Act policy in 1905. As in Northern territory, the

Aborigines Protection Board Act is passed in 1910 giving the authority to the

Board to have a ‗legal‘ control over Aboriginal people on stations and reserves

(http://www.creativespirits.info).

The policies were continued to be developed that in 1911 there is the

South Australian Aborigines Act in which every Aboriginal child and any child of

‗half-caste‘ who is under 21 years old would be under the control of a Chief

Protector as the legal guardian. Later in 1939 the Aborigines Protection Board

replaced the Chief Protector and only then in 1962 the guardianship power is

made invalid. Whereas in the Northern territory, the Northern Territory

Aboriginals Ordinance is passed which put every child below 18 years old belong

to the Aboriginal race and ‗half-caste‘ under the control of Chief Protector as the

legal guardian.

Anyone under the control of this kind of authority could be forced to go

for missions and children were also taken from family by force


During the beginning of World War I, in 1914 there were about 400 to 500

Aboriginal children were removed from their families. As in 1915, the Aborigines

Protection Board in New South Wales was permitted to remove any Aboriginal

children even without court hearing. However, in 1940 this power is invalid after


17

the rename of the Board into Aborigines Welfare Board


In 1918, according to the Northern Territory Aboriginal Ordinance Act, no

Aborigines were allowed to drink, possess, or supply any of the alcoholic drink.

They were also prohibited to equip themselves with firearms, get married to non-

Aboriginal people or any other race aside from their own race. In the 1920 is the

year when the Aboriginal is to be at its lowest population which is about 60,000 -

70,000 (http://www.creativespirits.info).

In 1927, the payments of the Aborigines were not given to them personally

but to the Aborigines Protection Board. Also at this time the Aborigines were not

given their allowance for maternity or even old age pension


The history goes on that in 1936 the Aborigines could even apply to stop

being and an Aborigine under the Aborigines Act. These policies were made and

put the whites into advantages whereas the Aborigines were at disadvantages


In 1938 the White Australia Policy even succeeds that the 99% of

the inhabitants in Australia were the whites. For any Aborigines who

wanted to have the same opportunity as the white people could apply for

the exemption certificate with the condition they should not get along with

those whoever that do not have this kind of certificate

(http://www.creativespirits.info). The hardship of the Aborigines went on as the

Aborigines continued to suffer from social marginalization even when the anti-


http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal

18

discrimination laws existed in the 19th

century. During all this time, the laws were

no help to the Aborigines since their position in politic was also at disadvantage

adding to their endless seem suffering (Cashmore, 2004: 2).

Moreover, the Aborigines, as in contrast to the other Australians, many of

them were unemployed which was five times higher than those of the other

Australians. The rate of Aborigine‘s imprisonment was also high that it reached

fifteen times higher than non-Aborigines (Cashmore, 2004: 2).

Only in the year 1975 is when Racial Discrimination Act is passed and is

this year as well the white Australian immigration policy came to an end


2. Review on the Racial Discrimination towards the Aborigines

The racial discrimination towards the Aborigines was practiced in many

ways. Since the Aborigines are considered as part of the inferior race by the

white people, the white people thought it was right just to oppress the Aborigines.

This is supported by how racial discrimination itself is described in The New

Encyclopedia Britannica as

The term racial discrimination denotes all forms of differential behavior

based on race. The most notable form of racial discrimination is, of course,

physical segregation by race, but there are many others, such as rules of

etiquette defining forms of address between racial ―superiors‖ and

―inferiors‖, or choice of friends or spouses (1983: 360).

As it is said that any behavior that tends to make a difference between any

races to make a race is superior than the other is said to be racial discrimination,

then it can be said that the act of being more superior than other particular group

of people itself can be said as part of racial discrimination. Since the Aborigines


http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal-history-timeline-1970-1999

19

were thought to be part of the inferior race by the white people, they are then

being exploited, enslaved, excommunicated from the community, or simply

looked down by the white people who thought their race as part of ―superiors‖.

The practices of racial discrimination were practices in certain ways like

the Aborigines were being excommunicated from the community or they were not

given same facilities as the white people had. The Aborigines had experienced

where they were being exploited, enslaved, and excommunicated from the

community by the white people. The racial discrimination experienced by the

Aborigines by the whites include the denial of housing, education, justice and

political participation as it is supported by what is written in

(http://www.skwirk.com/) that the Aboriginal people are thought to be inferior

than the whites that they have no right to own land, house, nor to participate to

vote in elections.

What is stated above about the experience of the Aborigines as they were

not able to have the same access to facilities as the white people is supported by

what is noted in the Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies that

The racial discrimination may range from the use of derogatory labels,

such as ―kike‖ or ―nigger, to the denial of access to such institutional

spheres as housing, education, justice, political participation, and so on.

The actions may be intentional, or unintentional (Cashmore, 2004: 345).

Other than that, racial discrimination is also defined in this same book as

to what

Also known as racialism, this is the active or behavioral expression of

racism and is aimed at denying members of certain groups equal access to

scarce and valued resources (Cashmore, 2004: 345).


20

As the racial discrimination act is to deny the existence of any members of

certain groups like what is stated above, the Aborigines had gone through this

kind of treatment. They were denied to be part of the society by the white people

that should also have the same rights as other any human race. This is proven as

many of the Aborigines remained unemployed or even if they were employed,

they were paid with low wages or were not paid at all. It was done intentionally

by the whites so that the Aboriginal people would remain impoverished and

under-developed. It is also revealed that when the Aborigines got jobs away from

the reserve, they still had to pay some fixed sum of money to the bank accounts

held by the protector (https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/17311). This kind of act

is definitely to deny the existence of the Aborigine society by the white people.

3. Review on the Resistance of the Aborigines

Resistance theory by Selwyn Cudjoe and Barbara Harlow is summarized

by Stephen Slemon in Unsettling the Empire Resistance Theory for the Second

World in the book The Post-colonial Studies Readers by Bill Ashcroft and friends

―as an act to rid people of its oppressors, and it is so thoroughly infuses the

experience of living under oppression that it becomes an almost aesthetic

principle (1995: 107).‖

People who show any reactions that help them getting rid of their

oppressors are said to show their resistance towards their oppressors. By getting

rid of their oppressors could mean that the people who are oppressed are

struggling to get their freedom.


21

In another book, it is stated that ―resistance can also refer to a form of

insurgency denoted by the refusal of people to cooperate actively with, or express

support for, the current regime or authority figures (Selbin, 2010: 11).‖ Meaning

that when people started to refuse in cooperating actively with the current

authorities it shows that they are showing their resistance towards the authorities.

Authorities here could refer to the people who have power to take control of the

society. As in this context of the autobiography that the writer uses for this study,

the authority belongs to the white settlers in Australia in the 19th

century.

In relation to the explanation of the resistance above, there were historical

events that involved the Aborigines who had shown their resistance towards the

white colonization. The actions that were taken by some of the Aborigines to get

rid of their oppressors were direct and violent. Pemulwuy who speared Phillip‘s

gamekeeper, John McEntire, and Phillip, led the Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars

along with his son, Tedbury, in 1790. Another figure is Yagan who led the

Nyoongar resistance in 1831 in Western Australia for three years


Then the resistance still continued in early 19th

century when a man named

Jimmy Governor who was a part-Aboriginal killed 10 people in a rampage in

1900. However, on 18th

January 1901, Jimmy Governor was captured and hanged

at Darlinghurst Gaol, New South Wales (http://www.creativespirits.info). So to

resist the dominant power over the Aboriginal people by the white people, many

of the Aborigines took brave moves and even if it means that their lives were at

risks.


22

However, the resistance that the Aborigines showed not only in a violent

form, but also in a form of protest as in 26 January 1938, which is declared as a

Day of Mourning, the Aboriginal conference was held in Sydney. In this

conference, many of the Aborigines protested against the inequality, injustice,

dispossession of land and protectionist policies. Then a monthly newspaper was

published in Sydney with the name Australian Abo Call. This newspaper demands

the equality of treatment as well as equal opportunities for the Aborigines

(http://www.creativespirits.info). These reactions proved that the Aborigines were

aware of all the unequal treatments and decided to protest against it and demand

their rights back.

Another reaction shown by the Aborigines as an act of resistance was a

mass strike called the Cummeragunja Walk-off on 4th

February 1939. In this

strike, there were 150 Aborigines who left Cummeragunja Aboriginal Station as a

protest for the cruel treatment and exploitation that the residents received from the

management. These Aborigines walked off 66 kilometers and crossed over the

border from New South Wales into Victoria which was against the rules of the

New South Wales Protection Board (http://www.creativespirits.info). All these

kinds of resistance efforts made by the Aborigines were done to gain their rights

back and that they would also have the same opportunities as other people should

have. Even though the forms of resistance may be different, but it all aims for

freedom.

The examples above, most of them showed that the resistance reactions

were performed in mass which is also known as the collective resistance.


23

However, there is also the individual form of resistance as Amal Ibrahim Madibbo

Madibbo said that resistance can be performed in either individual or collective

ways (Madibbo, 2006: 5).

Jefferson Mack suggested the concept of the invisible individual

resistance. According to Jefferson, every person that is acknowledged as freedom-

loving would take their roles in fighting against the tyranny (Mack, 2002: 5).

Furthermore Mack defined the acts of invisible resistance as

Acts of invisible resistance to both tyranny and terrorism occur when

individuals-acting without direction or guidance from any leader-resist,

obstruct, frustrate, expose, and interfere with tyrants and terrorists and

those who actively support or execute the orders of tyrants and terrorists

(Mack, 2002: 5).

Therefore, besides the resistance reactions that were done collectively,

there were also individual resistance reactions shown in the Aborigine society. As

Mack defined to expose the tyrants is one of the forms of the invisible individual

resistance, then the autobiography by Alice Nannup is one of the examples. It is

an individual resistance, since Alice Nannup is exposing all the unequal

treatments that she and her people received as she says ―You won‘t find anything

about the hell we went through I history books, but it happened, every little bit of

it is true (Nannup, 1992: 218).‖ This means that most of the struggles that the

Aborigines had to go through as an individual struggle are not found in the history

book. However, Alice Nannup succeeds in writing down her autobiography When

the Pelican Laughed to picture the struggle as an individual. Through her writing

she is not only exposing, but also telling the struggle as an individual who tried to

resist the white dominion power.


24

D. Theoretical Framework

In this study, the writer‘s focus is on analyzing the character of Alice

Nannup, the practices of racial discrimination towards Alice as the representation

of the Aborigines, and how Alice Nannup showed her resistance against the racial

discrimination. To answer all of the questions in the problem formulation the

writer uses the theories gathered from both printed and online sources.

The theory of character and characterization is needed to analyze the

character of Alice briefly. The theory on the relation between literature and

society and the review on the background of the Aborigines‘ society help the

writer to relate the events in the When the Pelican Laughed, which are discussed

in this undergraduate thesis, with the society during the time the autobiography

was written. Review on racial discrimination towards the Aborigines would also

help in analyzing by showing the indications of racial discrimination acts in the

conflicts and the background of the Aborigines society is to help the writer

understand the life of the Aborigine back in the past, especially how they were

dealing with the white settlers. Then the review on the resistance of the

Aborigines is to help in analyzing how Alice Nannup as an Aborigine resisted the

racial discrimination acts she received from the white people.

All these theories would help the writer in answering in the problem

formulation.


25

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study that is used is the autobiography When the Pelican

Laughed. In this autobiography, the writer takes Alice‘s reactions towards the

whites as the object of the study to reveal her resistance towards the

discrimination she experienced from the whites. When the Pelican Laughed is an

autobiography work written by Alice Nannup herself together with Lauren Marsh

and Stephen Kinnane. When the Pelican Laughed was first published by the

Fremantle Arts Centre Press in 1992 in Western Australia. This autobiography

consists of four parts. The first part is the ―Wari, a young girl‖ which tells about

the life of Alice during her childhood. The second part is ―Alice Basset, a young

woman‖ that describes Alice‘s life as a young woman. The third part is ―Alice

Nannup, Ngangka‖ that describes Alice‘s life after her marriage and as a mother

of 10 children, and the last part is ―Nan, a great grandmother‖ that tells the life of

Alice as a grandmother even a great-grandmother, as well as the story in her old

life of how she finally found her way back home to her family and her people

after 42 years being taken away.


26

B. Approach of the Study

The approach that the writer thinks is appropriate for this study is the

Postcolonialism approach. In The Post-Colonial Studies Reader by Bill Ashcroft,

Garet Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin the post-colonial is described as

Post-colonial theory involves discussion about experience of various

kinds: migration, slavery, suppression, resistance, representation,

difference, race, gender, place, and responses to the influential master

discourses of imperial Europe such as history, philosophy and linguistics,

and the fundamental experiences of speaking and writing by which all

these come into being (Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin, 1995: 2).

It means that the post-colonial theory pays attention to the issues of

migration, slavery, suppression, resistance, representation, difference, race,

gender, and other issues that are related to the imperial Europe that has influenced

the life of people being colonized.

Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffins also argue that ―post-colonial studies are

based in the ‗historical fact‘ of European colonialism (Ashcroft, Griffiths, and

Tiffin, 1995: 2),‖ which means that the post-colonial studies deals with the

European colonialism and its impacts to its colonizers.

A part of postcolonial studies concerns on the struggle of the indigenous

people against the white occupations. Thus, the struggle of the indigenous people

is seen through the writings of the indigenous writers as Elleke Boehmer states in

Colonial & Postcolonial Literature that

Indigenous writers rightly remain wary of other implications of the

postcolonial. For they see themselves as still-colonized, always invaded,

never free of a history of white occupation (Boehmer, 2005: 221).


27

Here, it can be seen that the struggle of the indigenous people is that they

still find themselves remain colonized and under the white occupation and it is all

expressed through their writings.

A postcolonial study according to the definition of post-colonial theory in

Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory also deals with any study that

concerns to examine the culture of former colonies of the European empires and

its relation to the rest of the world. It also deals with the issues of racism and

exploitation (Makaryk, 1993: 155).

Hans Bertens, in Literary Theory: The Basics stated the post-colonial

theorists focuses on the victims of the Eurocentric thought, racism, politics, and

exploitation (Bertens, 2008: 159). In other words, the post-colonial study deals

with the result of the European colonization or in one way or another in which the

people are victimized by the European thoughts in many ways also became the

victims of the racism as well as exploited. Bertens also stated that the post-

colonial theorists agree that their focus in on the colonial, oppression, resistance to

colonization, and other themes that what becomes the central of these interests are

issues of race, indigeneity, ethnicity, language, gender, identity, class, and power

(Bertens, 2008: 162).

In short, postcolonialism focuses on the effects of the colonization to its

colonized. The effects as the results of the colonization have raised the issues of

resistance, suppression, oppression, race, gender, class, etc. Postcolonialism as an

approach, thus examines these issues revealed in the literary works. As in this


28

study postcolonialism is chosen as the approach to reveal the struggle of Alice to

resist the discrimination by the whites.

This approach is the most appropriate in this study because the main focus

of this study is to reveal Alice‘s resistance. Furthermore, the autobiography that is

used by the writer contains events that contain the issues of racism, exploitation,

and other discrimination acts based on race. By using this approach the writer

expects to reveal the struggle of the character in resisting the discrimination that

the character went through.

C. Method of the Study

The writer used library research as the method for this study. As the writer

used the library research for this study, the writer had collected data from the

literary books, books that contained literary approaches and theories and other

books which contained all the information needed for this study. Some

information were also obtained from the online sources.

The primary source of this study is of course taken from the text of the

autobiography When the Pelican Laughed by Alice Nannup itself. Whereas, the

secondary sources that the writer used are the books about literary criticisms.

Some books used by the writer as the secondary sources are Reading and Writing

about Literature, Theory of Literature, Literary Theory, A Handbook to

Literature, and other books which support the completion of the study.

To answer the problem formulation of the study, there were some steps

taken by the writer. The first step was the writer applied the close reading by


29

reading the autobiography over and over again in order to understand the contain

of the autobiography.

The second step was that after the writer formulated the problem

formulation, the writer conducted library research to collect the data, such as

theories and approach needed to answer the problem formulation. Other than

collecting data from the text sources, the writer also collected several data from

the online sources. The theories used by the writers are the theory of character and

characterization, theory on relation between the literature and the society, the

review on the background of the Aborigines society, review on the racial

discrimination towards the Aborigines, and review on the resistance of the

Aborigines. The next step was the analyzing part. When analyzing the literary

work, the writer paid close attention on every detail of the work to identify the

character of Alice as the object of this study.

The theory on character by Mary Rohrberger and Samuel Woods in

Reading and Writing about Literature, M. H Abrams in A Glossary of Literary

Terms and characterization in Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature,

and from M. J Murphy in Understanding Unseens, helped the writer analyzed the

character of Alice Nannup. The theory on the relation between Literature and the

Society by Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in Theory of Literature helped the

writer to see the relation between the autobiography and the society at the time the

autobiography was written. Then the review on the racial discrimination towards

the Aborigines from The New Encyclopedia Britanica, and by Ellis Cashmore in

Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies helped the writer to identify the


30

practices of the racial discrimination acts that the Aborigines received from the

whites, as in this case towards Alice as an Aborigine. Then the review on the

resistance of the Aborigines taken from Unsettling the Empire Resistance Theory

for the Second World by Selwyn Cudjoe and Barbara Harlow in The Post-

Colonial Studies Readers by Bill Ashcroft and friends, Eric Selbin in Revolution,

Rebellion, Resistance, Amal Ibrahim Madibbo in Minority within Minority, and

Invisible Resistance to Tyranny by Jefferson Mack, was used by the writer in

analyzing how Alice Nannup resisted the racial discrimination. The review on the

background of the Aborigines Society was used in helping the writer to

understand more about the situation in the past during the white colonization and

how it has impacted the lives of the Aborigines as it is also revealed in Alice

Nannup‘s When the Pelican Laughed. After the writer understood the

autobiography well, then the writer decided the problem formulation which is the

focus of this study.

After all of the questions in problem formulation is answered, the writer

drew conclusions based on the analysis.


31

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

In this chapter the three questions stated in the problem formulation in the

first chapter are answered. As there are three questions in the problem

formulation, this chapter would be divided into three parts. The first part discusses

the characterization of Alice Nannup as shown in the autobiography. Then the

second part would discuss the practices of the racial discrimination towards the

Aborigines. As for the last part of this chapter, it would show how Alice resisted

the racial discrimination acts she received from the whites.

A. The Characterization of Alice Nannup

This study focuses on the characterization of Alice Nannup who is also the

main character in the autobiography When the Pelican Laughed. As the character

should possess certain personalities and physical attributes (Rohrberger and

Woods 1971: 20), Alice Nannup certainly possesses personalities as well as

physical attributes that make her different from any other characters. Furthermore,

when a person in a narrative work could be identified by its readers to have

certain moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities, then the person is the character

of that work (Abrams, 2012: 46). Alice is also a character that is represented in

her own writings in the form of narrative work.


32

In this section the character of Alice Nannup is described. To identify the

characterization of Alice Nannup in details the theory of characterization is

applied. As Holman and Harmon suggested that there are three ways to present a

character which are: (1) through the author‘s explicit explanation, (2) through the

character‘s action, (3) and through the character‘s inner thoughts which are the

character‘s representation from within (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81), the

characteristics of Alice Nannup then also is described through the author‘s

explicit description, her actions, and her thoughts in her mind. Another theory of

characterization that would be applied is the theory by M. J. Murphy. Out of nine

ways that Murphy suggested on how to understand how a character is presented in

a story, five of it would be used to analyze the character of Alice Nannup, they

are: (a) Characters seen by another, (b) Speech, (c) Reactions, (d) Thoughts, and

(e)Mannerisms (Murphy, 1972: 161- 173). With the help of the theory of

character and characterization the writer is able to identify and analyze the

characteristics of Alice Nannup.

1. Persistent

Alice Nannup is a persistent person. Her persistence could be seen in her

strong personality that she does not simply follow other‘s will. If she believes that

she is on the right position then she would firmly hangs on to her belief that she is

right. When Alice was working for Mrs. Larsen, Miss Ryan who is Mrs. Larsen‘s

niece spilt the water on the floor after Alice had cleaned the floor. Miss Ryan told

Alice to clean it up but Alice refused. Believing that she has done nothing wrong,

Alice went to Mrs. Larsen and complained about Miss Ryan.


33

I was that annoyed, I went into Mrs Larsen and told her what had just

happened. Mrs Larsen called out, ‗Kathleen,‘ and Miss Ryan came in. Mrs

Larsen said to her that if she‘d spilt the water on the floor then it was for

her to wipe it up.

‗No,‘ she said, ‗she‘s the servant, she‘s got to do it.‘

‗Well, I‘m not doing it,‘ I told her (pp. 102-103).

It can be seen through the quotation how Alice persistently refused Miss

Ryan‘s order to clean the floor. Miss Ryan as part of the white society wanted to

treat Alice in an improper way. The way she intentionally spilt the water on the

floor shows that she was looking for an opportunity to order Alice around. Even

by saying that Alice is the servant was another way of saying that Alice as the

servant should know her duty and how to serve her master. Knowing that Miss

Ryan was intentionally looking for an opportunity to order her around, Alice did

not give up to Miss Ryan, she persistently refused what she was told to do.

Another proof that shows Alice persistence characteristic was when she

refused to apologize first to Miss Ryan.

‗Will you apologise to Miss Ryan?‘ she said.

‗You make her apologise first. I didn‘t start the trouble.‘

Miss Ryan was crying and she came over to me and said sorry, I

apologized back to her, and I apologized to Mrs Larsen.

Lady Dugdale said, ‗There‘s nothing I can do, because I can see Alice is in

the right.‘ (p. 103).

Alice persistently refused to apologize first to Miss Ryan because she

believes that it was Miss Ryan who did wrong to her at first-hand. Furthermore,

seeing how Miss Ryan reported to Lady Dugdale, she was indeed looking for

justification that it was alright to order Alice around. So even though Alice has a

persistent characteristic, she has no power to protect herself like what Miss Ryan

did. On the other side, even if it was the white person who did wrong, they still


34

had the advantage to look for protection because they had power in the society. So

finally, Alice still had to apologize after Miss Ryan apologized first to Alice.

Through Alice‘s reaction to the situation and what she said, it can be seen that

Alice is a persistent person. If she believes that she is right then she persistently

holds on to her belief.

2. Stubborn

Alice has a stubborn personality. Since she was a little girl, Alice had

shown her stubbornness. When she saw the Aborigines were treated cruelly by the

white people, Alice insisted on seeing this sad event because she felt sorry for

them even though her mother forbade her.

When I saw them I used to run back up to my mother and say in language

that I felt sorry for them and that. She‘d say to me, ‗You shouldn‘t look,

you shouldn‘t look. Don‘t go back down there.‘ But I couldn‘t help it. I‘d

know exactly when they‘d be coming and I‘d have to go and see them.

There was a big rock that I used to sit behind to watch (p. 24).

Alice could not bear seeing her people being punished cruelly which was

much severe than the mistakes they made. She felt sorry for them. Even when her

mother told her not to go and look at that scene, Alice stubbornly kept coming

back to the place where she used to go and watch it from there. Alice was being

stubborn because she noticed that something was not right. She noticed that it was

only her people, the Aborigines, who were treated that way. There was no white

man in every scene that she witnessed being punished cruelly. That is why she

was being stubborn to obey her mother because she wanted to share the pain with

her people by feeling sorry.


35

Another proof that shows Alice has a stubborn trait is when she was

working for Mrs. Campbell. When Mrs. Campbell had forbidden Alice and her

father to meet, Alice who used to obey Mrs. Campbell‘s orders showed her

stubborn side.

Mrs. Campbell would have to talk to me two or three times before I‘d do

what she wanted, I was really rebelling. She could see that I wasn‘t happy

because I used to be willing to do whatever I was told to do, nothing was

ever too much for me (p. 57).

Alice was being stubborn when she was not permitted to meet her father.

She made Mrs. Campbell to repeat the order several times until she did what she

was ordered to do. Even though she was being stubborn, she finally had to go

Mrs. Campbell‘s way because she had no choice. As an Aborigine, Alice had the

disadvantage to go against the white people‘s order because she had no power in

the society.

3. Brave

Being brave is one of Alice characteristics. Alice was a brave person since

she was a little girl. There were several events that revealed Alice‘s brave trait.

When Alice was just a girl, there was an old man who forced her to marry him by

the Aborigine‘s tradition law. He bothered Alice by asking her to feed him.

However, Alice bravely confronted him. ―He‘d be saying to me, ‗You my woman,

you feed me.‘ I said to him, ‗Mirda, nyinda buga,‘ That means, no! You buga, you

stink (p. 35).‖ Alice‘s reaction shows that even though she was just a girl, she had

no fear. She bravely said what she needed to say even to an old man.


36

Alice was also brave even to a person who is bigger than her physically.

When she was staying in the dormitory, there was a girl who accused Alice. The

girl accused Alice that Alice had been talking about her. Alice who had no idea

told her to get out of her way but she got hit from the girl. However, Alice was not

afraid and went hit the girl back who was bigger than her physically.

But she wouldn‘t tell me, so I told her to get out of my way, and she hit

me. So I up and hit her back, I gave her the works. She was a bigger

person than me, too, but I just lost my block (p. 72).

Alice was brave not only to a person who was bigger than her, but also to

a person who even has higher position than her even to people that has authority.

As an instance, when Alice had a fight with Miss Ryan and Miss Ryan had called

the police woman to come over, Alice was not at all afraid. She even bravely had

a confrontation with Lady Dugdale, the police officer.

I was really frightened then, and angry too. I said to her, ‗Lady, you better

not, you better not Miss, because if I get that whip off of you, you‘ll get it

too. You touch me and I‘ll get Mr Larsen. You better talk to Mr Larsen

first.‘ (p. 103).

Alice, who was not afraid of Lady Dugdale, spoke to her bravely in an

angry manner that Lady Dugdale should not even dare try to touch her. This

shows that Alice has a brave trait even to people with power.

Alice is also a kind of person is brave to point out what is wrong even if it

risks her job. It is seen when she told Margaret, Mrs. Cashmore‘s daughter, who

treated Roma in an improper manner to treat Roma as a guest.


37

Then Margaret had a nice little girl from another farm come to have a

holiday with her. She got a bit cheeky with her little friend and I told her

‗This is your guest. You ought to treat her as a guest.‘

As I was saying it Mrs Cashmore just happened to walk in the door.

‗What‘s going in here?‘ she said.

I‘m just telling Margaret, as she‘s picking on Roma, that if you have a

guest you have to treat her as a guest.‘

Well, Mrs Cashmore flew at me for telling her daughter off. I flew back at

her and ended up shouting, ‗Well, if that‘s the way you feel – you can

keep your job. I‘m off.‘ (p. 131).

Mrs. Cashmore who happened to have caught Alice telling off her

daughter got angry. However, Alice bravely told Mrs. Cashmore that it was okay

for her job to be taken away if Mrs. Cashmore cannot accept what Alice did to her

daughter. What Alice did, needs courage to correct what is wrong. Alice‘s

reaction proved that she is a brave person.

Another proof that shows Alice was a brave woman was that she does not

remain quiet when she was accused falsely. Instead, she bravely gave her reasons

to prove that she has done nothing wrong. This happened when Alice was accused

for having squandered her money. With her bravery, Alice proved her innocence

even when others were trying to blame her.

‗Who said that, I‘ll skin that person,‘ I said. ‗They should mind their own

business. You want to see something?‘ and I put my hand under the pram

and pulled this COD parcel out. ‗This is where my money goes. I don‘t

know whoever told you I was squandering my money, but in here are

articles I‘ve got for my kids. This belongs to the kids, and I spend it on the

kids (p. 188).‘

Alice reactions towards many situations that she was encountered have

shown that she was indeed a brave person. However, because of her identity as

part of the Aborigines society, the white people still had power over many aspects

in the society which made Alice could not win over the white people by herself as

part of the colonized society.


38

4. Independent

Another trait of Alice is that she is an independent person since she was a

little girl. Alice who was taken away from her family since she was a little girl

had to learn to adjust in every circumstances which had made her grew up as an

independent person. ―I had to learn through experience and picking up little bits

here and there on my own (p. 69).‖ In her experiences, Alice learned everything

on her own independently in order to survive. Alice also learnt to stand up for

herself. It proves that she was an independent person since she had no one to rely

on. However, Alice‘s independence through years even surprised others who met

her. ―I had to learn to stand up for myself well and truly over the years, and it

always took people by surprise when I did (p. 189).‖ Through the author‘s explicit

explanation who was Alice herself, it is clear that Alice was an independent

person.

5. Critical

Alice is also a critical person in a way that whenever the situations around

her, she thought was not right, she started to criticize whether it was only inside

her mind or directly confronted against it.

There was a time when Alice used to have a flashback and think to herself

what really happened to her. Whenever she looked back, she started to think

critically to figure out what actually happened that others might not have even

thinking about.


39

I often think back to this time and I think everything was arranged before

we ever left the North. It was a cunning way to get me, to trick my mother

by telling her I was going off to be educated, then brought back to be with

them when I turned eighteen (p. 45).

Here, it can be seen that Alice knew that something was not right when

she was taken away from her family. Alice critically pointed out how the whites

cunningly deceived her mother that Alice was taken to be educated when she was

not. Even though Alice was only thinking to herself, it was critical of her to have

such thought that she could put the odds together which made sense to her.

Another proof which shows how Alice was being critical is when the

white people did not like how Alice carries her father‘s family name which was

Basset. The white people seemed to hate the fact that Alice‘s father was a white

man who might have come from a big family. They wanted to deny the fact that

Alice was half white, yet they always wanted Alice to live according to the white

people‘s ways.

I think this is the one main thing I‘m bitter about today, depriving me of

my father. It just makes no sense. They wanted me to have white people‘s

ways, yet they denied me my father. How does that make any sense? (p.

51).

Alice was criticizing the white people‘s behavior that did not like her to

carry her father‘s name because her father was a white person. She criticized how

the white people always wanted her to go their ways but denied the fact that

Alice‘s father was also a white man. She even thought to herself that there is a

possibility that they hate the fact that Alice‘s father came from a big family. ―See,

they probably didn‘t like me having my father‘s name because he came from such

a big family up there (p. 62).‖ The fact that Alice bears her father‘s family name


40

was disliked by the white people. Alice was being critical to see through why the

white people did not like her carrying her father‘s name because she was an

Aborigine.

Even in the camp where Alice was put into, Alice was criticizing the way

they had fed her and the other Aborigines although she did not complain about it

directly. Alice thought that the way they fed the Aborigines by giving them

inappropriate food which she could not eat is one way of how the white people

degrading the Aborigine‘s level as human being.

I couldn‘t eat the soup before I worked there, but when I saw this I

definitely couldn‘t eat it. See, I wasn‘t brought up like that. My mother

was a beautiful cook and we ate lovely meals back home. I think they did

things like this to deliberately lower us; well, degrade us really

(p. 64).

Alice also had a critical thought about how the inheritance of the

Aborigines never passed down to the person who had the right to have the

inheritance. Instead, the inheritance was taken by the Aborigines department. Just

like how her father‘s inheritance never got into Alice‘s hands.

[…] I‘ve since found out that when this happened, if Aboriginal people

received an inheritance, any money left to them became the property of the

Aborigines department. I don‘t understand that, we are all human beings,

we should have been entitled to it. I could have really used that money my

father left me, and it would have made the world of difference to my

family (p. 179).

Seeing this, Alice thought that the Aborigines were not treated like human

beings by the white people. Alice‘s ways of thinking which are shown through the

author‘s explicit explanation, who was Alice herself, proved that she was a critical

person.


41

6. Hard-Working

Being taken away from her family and was made servant here and there

did not make Alice give up. She became a hard-working woman, even after she

became a mother. Alice worked hard in order to survive and to raise her kids. She

did not only work hard for people whom she worked for but also at home. As a

mother, Alice gave her best efforts for her children even if it means that much of

her energy would always been depleted from overworked every day.

In the end I was working five days a week at this, as well as doing all my

own work at home. I used to be flat out, because the kids school clothes

always needed washing, and I‘d be up late at night ironing them with a

coal iron so they‘d be ready for the next day. We never had any electric

lights at the reserve so I had to do all of this at night with a hurricane lamp.

It was a lot of work, but having the extra money was too great a help for

my family to pass it up (p. 183).

Alice who worked five days a week did not only stop working when she

came back home. At home, she would be continuing to work by washing and

ironing her children‘s clothes. Alice who often stayed up till late night used to be

exhausted. She even would take any extra work in order to get extra money to

help her family survive. Looking at how Alice was giving her best even until she

used to get exhausted from being over worked, proved that Alice was a hard-

working person who would give her best to raise her children and take care of her

family as best as she could.

7. Self-determined

Alice is also a self-determined person. Once she made up her mind to gain

what she wanted then she would give her best efforts in order to get what she

wanted. It can be seen when she was first brought to take care of Mrs. Larsen who


42

was ill, and that not wanting to go back to the camp, Alice said that she would try

her best, ―I piped up then and said, ‗Look, Mrs. Larsen. I‘m here now and if

you‘re willing to give me a chance, I‘ll do my best‘ (p. 90).‖ Based on what Alice

said to Mrs. Larsen that she would try her best, it can be seen that Alice is very

determined not to go back to the camp and that she would do anything so that they

would not send her back to the camp. Her determination is what makes Alice

always try her best.

[…] I was humble because I didn‘t want to get thrown out and sent back to

Moore River, that would be the last straw. I was just glad to get out and I

was determined not to go back (p. 91).

Alice knew that if she does anything wrong then there is a chance for her

to be sent back to the camp in the Moore River. Saying that she was determined

not wanting to go back to that place, made Alice would want to do anything so

that she could remain staying at Mrs. Larsen‘s place. Without self-determination,

Alice, who had no experience before of taking care of people on a wheeled-chair

like Mrs. Larsen, would have given up from the beginning when she saw Mrs.

Larsen‘s condition.

It was also at Mrs. Larsen‘s place, where Alice learnt to write. She had the

determination to be able to write. With her strong determination to be able to

write, Alice practiced at nights in the kitchen. Even if it took her hours to write a

page, Alice did not give up because she was determined that she must be able to

write.

On the nights the Larsens played bridge, I‘d sit in the kitchen and practice

my handwriting. Doris and I were writing letters to each other but it used

to take me hours to write one page… I wanted to keep writing to her so I‘d

take every opportunity to try and get my hand going (p. 92).


43

Alice even learnt to write from the jam tins which would have some words

written on it. Because of that, Alice said that she got her education from the jam

tins.

[…] I‘d get jam tins and milk tins and copy all the words out. Some people

say to me today, ‗Where did you get your education?‘ And I always say, ‗I

learnt it off jam tins.‘ They laugh at me but that‘s the truth. I‘d get the

golden syrup and write, G O L D E N S Y R U P. I‘d wear one page out

writing Alice Isobel Basset, Alice Isobel Basset, to get it right. And it was

only through doing that I learnt to write (p. 122).

Alice‘s efforts were not in vain, because at the end she could write.This

proved that Alice‘s strong self-determination made her achieve her goal which

was to be able to write.

8. Responsible

Alice is a responsible person that she would always do her chores which

were scheduled for her. She never neglected her responsibility even if it is

scheduled right one after the other.

After I‘d finished up in the store in the mornings I‘d go straight down to

the sewing room. Then at around five o‘clock I‘d be finished there, and I‘d

go up to the office to trim the lamps. I used to do the lamps for the girls‘

dormitory – they had to be trimmed every night and put in each wing

before tea (p. 71).

Alice‘s chores started in the mornings which mean Alice had to wake up

early in the morning to get to work. Right after she finished another work, then

she would start with the other right after. Her tight schedule right from morning

till night hardly put Alice at rest. However, Alice always finished all the works

she was given. Based on what she did, it can be seen that Alice was a responsible

person that would always do her duty. Even Mr. Larsen whom Alice worked for

praised Alice for having done a good job, ―[…] Later on Mr Larsen said to me,


44

‗You did a good job, Alice. You‘re doing all right (p. 97).‖ If Alice was not a

responsible person then she might not have done a good job that her master would

even praise her for.

9. Straightforward

Alice also has a straightforward characteristic. Whenever she felt like

saying something and that she could not hold back, Alice would always speak up

everything inside her mind straightforwardly. It can be seen when Alice felt

herself getting cross with Mrs. Neville. Alice who was working for the Nevilles,

felt upset about what Mrs. Neville did to her. Alice felt like Mrs. Neville was

always watching her which makes her feel uncomfortable.

Even though Mrs. Neville was the one who has the authority over Alice,

Alice was not afraid of telling Mrs. Neville that she does not like being watched.

Her straightforwardness characteristic is seen on how Alice argues with Mrs.

Neville that Alice was always doing her work and there was no need to watch her

every single step.

I felt myself getting cross – she always was one step behind me. She

started to say something to me and I said, ‗Well if you don‘t like it, you

know what you can do about it.‘

‗Oh,‘ she said, ‗you don‘t need to get upset about it.‘

‗No,‘ I said, ‗I‘m doing my work and there‘s no need to walk behind me.

That pot doesn‘t stand out there all day, and it‘s not the first time I‘ve put

it out there.‘ (p. 136).

Another proof to show how Alice is being straightforward is when Alice

knew that Jess was talking about her behind her back. Alice did not remain silent

about the situation but straightforwardly talked to Jess that if she had anything to

say about Alice then she must say it to Alice, not behind her back.


45

I walked into the kitchen and I said to Jess, ‗If you want to talk about me,

talk to me.‘

She jumped. ‗I wasn‘t talking about you,‘ she said.

‗I‘ve got ears girl,‘ I told her. (p. 139).

Alice wanted Jess to talk directly to Alice if there is anything that makes

Jess unhappy so that everything could be straightened out. Looking at how Alice‘s

reaction towards Jess and what she said to Jess, it is implied that Alice is a very

straightforward person. Alice does not holding back her words inside her mind,

she would rather say it straightforwardly than to just keep it for herself.

Another incident that shows Alice‘s straightforwardness is when Alice

was not satisfied about the boarding house and how she was treated at the

boarding house, Alice also straightforwardly said to Mrs. Ingram that she was

unhappy living there.

The next day I went and met up with Mrs Ingram and she asked me if I

was happy staying at the boarding house.

‗No,‘ I said, ‗they don‘t talk to me, unless they want me to do something

for them.‘ I told her now my board was being paid but I had to do work for

them (p. 154).

Seeing how Alice‘s straightforward respond to Mrs. Ingram‘s question,

definitely proves that Alice is a straightforward person who will always speak her

mind bluntly.

B. The Racial Discrimination Experienced by Alice Nannup

In the previous part of the analysis, the characteristics of Alice Nannup

have been discussed. These characteristics of Alice Nannup are important in this

part as well as the next part of analysis because it helps in understanding more

about Alice Nannup‘s reactions throughout the analysis.


46

In this section, the racial discrimination experienced by Alice Nannup

would be described. In When the Pelican Laughed, Alice Nannup through her

writings described how she had been discriminated in many ways by white

people. Since what Alice had written in her autobiography is her own experiences,

it shows the condition of the society she lived in during a certain time that she

described in her autobiography. As Wellek and Warren stated that the literature

itself could show its relation with the society in reality (Wellek aand Warren,

1956: 94), the autobiography When the Pelican Laughed also represents the social

reality during the period in which Alice Nannup lived in.

The white people through their actions had shown their superiority

towards the Aborigines just as they did towards Alice Nannup. Here, as it is stated

in the The New Encyclopedia Britannica that the racial discrimination happened

when a certain race considered to be superior to the others (1983: 360), the white

people in Australia during the time Alice Nannup was living in, considered that

they were superior more than the Aborigines. The thought of being superior more

than any other races besides being part of white race, has made the white people

think that it was alright to treat the Aborigines as they like. It is also shown clearly

in the Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies that how the white people in

Australia at that time made certain obligations which put the Aborigine people at

disadvantage such as the idea of the concentration camp under the name of

―protection‖. The concentration camp or the protection board as they call it, is

where the Aborigines as well as half-Aborigine descendants were sent and turned

into laborers (Cashmore 2004: 1-2).


47

When Alice Nannup was taken away from her family by the white people,

she was mistreated since then. According to the Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic,

the separation of the Aborigine children from their family, had been done since

the 1850s. The children were taken away from their family to the orphanages,

training homes, apprenticeships, and white foster care (Cashmore, 2004:1-2). This

practice had been practiced till Alice‘s time and thus, she had to experience how it

feels to be taken away from her family. From beginning of her life journey,

separated from her family and lived with the white people, Alice started to

experience such as called racial discrimination. The Campbells, who took Alice

from her family, did not treat Alice like her own child as promised. As Alice

described on her own in the When the Pelican Laughed,

The Campbells never once came to see how we were, or see if we wanted

anything like biscuit or something. We were just little nobodies. The only

time we saw them was at night. If it wasn‘t for Tommy, I don‘t think we

would have survived it. He used to go and buy fruit for us and sit with us

whenever he could (p. 47).

Alice as a critical girl back then started to realize that she was treated

differently by the Campbells. Alice realized that the way she was treated was not

right. To Alice, the Campbells have almost nothing good in the way they treat

Alice and the other Aborigine kids who were with her. Even if there was a good

thing that Alice could describe about the Campbells was, ―One good thing the

Campbells did was give us a rug, and we‘d sit outside with it around us (p. 47).‖

Alice together with the other Aborigines kids had to experience improper

treatments by the white people since they were at a very young age. Looking how

Alice described that they were given rug which was not a very pleasant thing


48

shows that it was what the white people think the Aborigines deserve.

Furthermore, Alice was forbidden to meet her biological father who was a white

man.

Mrs. Campbell said to me, ‗Your father rang this morning. He wanted to

take you children out but I had to say to him that he isn‘t allowed to.‘

‗But why?‘ I said.

‗Because Mr. Neville forbids you to see him again.‘ (p. 50).

Alice doubted about the reason why she was not allowed to meet

her father again. Later, Alice found out that Mr. Neville who was the Chief

Protector of Aborigines who has power to take control of Alice‘s life (p.

51). If it is related to the background of the Aborigines society, it is true

that in the 1910, the Aborigines Protection Board Act gave the authority to

the board to have a ‗legal‘ control over Aboriginal people

(http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal - history -

timeline – 1970 - 1999). This shows how the white people with power has taken

control over Alice Nannup‘s life which has made Alice not only separated from

her family but also was not allowed to meet her father even when her father

wanted to visit her. It was just same as in the background of the Aborigine Society

recorded in the Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies that the Aboriginal Acts

had taken away the civil rights of the Aborigines which include the freedom to do

what they want and control over their own family (Cashmore, 2004: 1-2).

Alice Nannup was sent to the protection board since she was a little girl.

There, along with the other Aborigines, she was being prepared to be made as the

servant who would be sent to work for the white people. Before Alice and other

girls were sent to the white people, they were gathered in the concentration camp


49

or training camp as if they were being trained and prepared to be sent for work

later. There, they were made to work for hours and they had no choice to do the

work that they like. The saddest fact is that even when they work hard for hours,

they were not paid for the works they had done.

All the girls who were taken out of school and sent down to the sewing

room, were started off on the button holing and things like that. We had no

choice about working there and we were never paid for it. We‘d work a

full week, then we‘d go down every Saturday morning to clean the

machines, brush them up ready for Monday. Then they‘d come along with

a little block of chocolate for us and that was our pay (p. 70).

For the white people, the Aborigines were meant to do the works for them.

They did not care much about the quality of life that that the Aborigines should

have received. The Aborigines worked hard, yet their pay was really less that even

Alice Nannup said in the passage above, that their pay was just a little block of

chocolate.

What Alice had experienced was just like any other Aborigines had

been experienced in her time. As it is also written in the site

(http://www.creativespirits.info) that in 1927 it is included as one of the

policies which is the Aborigines‘ payment would not be given to them

personally but through the Aborigines Protection Board.

It seems that treating the Aborigines in an improper way was not enough.

The idea that the Aborigines were just part of an inferior race made as if the

Aborigines deserve to also be punished harshly for simple mistakes they did. As

Alice Nannup mentioned and described what she saw about how her fellow

Aborigines got punished.


http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal-history-timeline-1970-1999

50

―So for those that got punished, the punishment was harsh. If girls ran

away they‘d send the trackers after them and they‘d be brought back and

their hair would be cut off, then they‘d do time in the boob (p. 74).‖

From what Alice explained, it can be noticed that the Aborigines who were trying

to escape from their superintendents received harsh punishments. If the girls‘ hair

were cut off, then they must be really humiliated. This would not ever happen to

white people. Then it means that the punishments were meant for the Aborigines

who had been labeled as having lower status in terms of race. The worse thing is

that the punishment was held in public as if it was for the public to watch that the

Aborigines deserve that kind of punishment or it is to warn the Aborigines that

they would be punished if they disobeyed the law made by the white people.

They made her kneel, then they cut all her hair off. It was falling down in

big long tresses and we were made to stand and watch. We watch it fall

onto the ground around her, and we all stood quietly crying for her (p. 75).

Being punished in front of the public may be seem intended to humiliate

the Aborigine people more, so that the one who was being punished learned her

lesson and would not make the same mistake again.

Moreover, the Aborigines who were brought to the protection board were

not able to leave as they wish including Alice. They were brought there to serve

the white people. Alice critically pointed out that the only time they could leave

that place is when they are not needed anymore.

[…] See, I couldn‘t leave; it was Mr Neville‘s strict orders that you‘re not

allowed to leave. When you are there, you are there for good. The only

time you could leave was when they didn‘t want you any more (p. 101).

When Alice was sent out to work for white people, she was just made as

the servant and that the white people think that Alice should obey whatever she

was told to do by her master. This shows how the Aborigines were being


51

exploited and were meant for slavery by the white people in Australia. Alice, as

an Aborigine, was being exploited and made as slave by the whites as if she had

no choice to refuse. In her writing, it can be seen how Alice had that critical

thought of how the white people wanted to push her around.

I think Miss Ryan thought that me being the servant made me just a bit of

dirt she could push around. But I wasn‘t one of those kinds, I rebelled – I

had to because I was keyed up all the time. I thought to myself that if I was

humble all the time then it would be worse for me in the long run (p. 104).

It was when Alice was sent to work for Mrs. Larsen when Miss Ryan,

Mrs. Larsen‘s niece, made a fuss with Alice. Miss Ryan spilt the water on the

floor and called out to Alice to clean the floor. Alice who just finished cleaning

the floor, bravely refused Miss Ryan‘s order. However, Alice‘s bravery made her

had a fight with Miss Ryan.

‗Anyway, Miss Ryan wanted to wash her hair. She carted this water

through the house and spilt it on the floor. Just after I had finished

polishing it mind you. I heard her sing out to me, ‗Alice, bring a cloth and

wipe up this water.‘

‗What water?‘ I asked.

‗In the passage.‘

‗But,‘ I said, ‗I‘ve just finished polishing in there.‘

‗Look, there‘s water there – wipe it up!‘

‗Well, how did it get there?‘

‗Oh,‘ she said, ‗it just spilt. I want to wash my hair.‘

‗You wipe it up,‘ I said to her.

‗No, that‘s your job. You wipe it up.‘ (p. 102).

Alice, who did not like how she was treated by Miss Ryan, went to Mrs.

Larsen and complained about what had happened. Mrs. Larsen told Miss Ryan,

that if it was Miss Ryan who spilled the water, then it is her duty to clean it up.

However, Miss Ryan pointed out that it was Alice‘s duty as the servant to clean it

up.


52

Mrs. Larsen called out, ‗Kathleen,‘ and Miss Ryan came in. Mrs. Larsen

said to her that if she‘d spilt the water on the floor then it was for her to

wipe it up.

‗No,‘ she said, ‗she‘s the servant, she‘s got to do it.‘

‗Well, I‘m not doing it,‘ I told her (pp. 102-103).

Based on the passage above, it can be seen that how Miss Ryan told Alice

Nannup to clean the floor with the reason that it was Alice‘s job as the servant,

shows Miss Ryan‘s superiority towards Alice. Alice, being an Aborigine, was

made a servant for the white people and her status as an Aborigine servant had

given the opportunity for the white people to treat her as they like for the white

people believe that they are more superior compare to the Aborigines.

When Alice refused to clean the floor, Miss Ryan did not stop until there.

Not admitting that she was at fault, Miss Ryan reported Alice to Lady Dugdale, a

police officer. As Miss Ryan and Alice were getting crossed with each other, they

both were involved in a light physical fight. Miss Ryan hit Alice with a brush and

Alice smacked her back. However, Lady Dugdale only blamed Alice as if it was

Alice‘s fault.

Mrs Larsen called me into her room and we all had a discussion. I‘d

smacked Miss Ryan in the face and she had a little bit of a bruise there.

Lady Dugdale told me, ‗You mustn‘t ever do this to your mistress.‘

I was really upset. I said to her, ‗What about me, look at me. She broke

Mrs Larsen‘s brush on me.‘

You know, you people, you let your temper run away with you,‘ she said.

Yeah, well I work hard here. I‘ve got more jobs to do than one. I‘ve got a

right to get cross,‘ I told her.

‗Yes, well, look, I‘ll take Alice out there and I‘ll give her a good trashing,‘

she said. (p. 103).

Lady Dugdale put all the blame on Alice and wanted to take Alice out of

the room and speak separately. She wanted to give Alice a good trashing. By

taking sides in this case Lady Dugdale was on Miss Ryan‘s side, her behavior


53

proved that she was in agreement with Miss Ryan that it was alright to treat the

Aborigine servant as they like because they think that they belong to a superior

race. By treating Miss Ryan favorably because she was a white person, proves

that Lady Dugdale practiced racial discrimination towards Alice. So, it is clear

that the white people discriminated Alice in a way that they showed their

superiority in how they treated Alice.

Another part in the When the Pelican Laughed that shows how the white

people show their superiority towards Alice is when Alice arrived at

Wyalkatchem and ran into a new Australian guy. Since, this place was a very

prejudice place, the new Australian man told Alice to get lost from there and

threatened to kill Alice if Alice refused to.

There was a gang of workmen nearby and they had just knocked off. They

came along and one of the blokes saw me there in the waiting room. He

was a new Australian, and he said to me in broken English, ‗What you

doing here?‘

I was a bit scared of him and I said, ‗I‘ve just come back from Perth. My

boss was supposed to meet me but he went without me.‘

‗Who your boss?‘ he said.

‗Mr Cashmore.‘

‗Well,‘ he said. ‗You no stop here. You get from here, cos if you

don‘t…I‘ll kill you!‘

When this bloke threatened me I got the shakes, I was really frightened. I

just looked up at him and I said, ‗But where am I going to go?‘ He got a

bit closer to me and he said, ‗That your problem, just get, go on, get out of

here!‘ (p. 126).

Alice, who did not know where to go, was afraid of the threat from the

new Australian man. The threat from the new Australian man, who of course

could tell that Alice was definitely an Aborigine, shows how the man did not like

to see any of the Aborigines in that area. This kind of reaction from the new

Australian man can be done by people who feel that they belong to a superior


54

race. This man bravely told Alice to get lost just because Alice was an Aborigine.

It means that this man is definitely not an Aborigine and mostly seems to belong

to the white race. His action towards Alice is showing that he is part of the

superior race so that he has the right to treat Alice like he wanted to. As for Alice,

she realized that she has no power because she was an Aborigine, became afraid

of the man.

Another proof of how Alice had been discriminated by the white in a way

that the white people with their superiority determined the payment of Alice and

the other Aborigines. Alice was very critical about the situation around her. She

could see that she and the other Aborigines were really cheap labors for the white

people. It is clear that the Aborigines, according to their payment, they were social

marginalized by the whites. The Aborigines were paid really low simply because

they are ―Aborigines‖ and not ―white‖. It also could be seen from the fact that it

was not only the rich white people who could hire them but also the white people

who were not very rich. It shows that even the white people who were not very

rich could have the right to order Alice and the Aborigines around. The reason is

simply that because the white people think that by being white people had given

them the opportunity to have power and to have control over the Aborigines.

Although they were pretty well off, it wasn‘t only rich people that had us

working for them. See, we were cheap labour, you know – well, that‘s my

impression. It‘s just like with the squatters of yesteryear, that‘s how they

made their money – a stick of tobacco and a bag of flour to pay the

Aborigine that did all the work for them (p. 137).


55

These treatments that Alice had received from the white people show how

the white people wanted to make themselves clear to Alice that the white people

are more superior to any other race.

As the result of the white people‘s superiority towards the Aborigines, the

Aborigines at that time were segregated in certain ways. The white people made

some clear social marginalization towards the Aborigines where the Aborigines

experienced the denial of housing, education, justice, and political participation

(http://www.skwirk.com). These restrictions were set up by the white people and

were meant for the Aborigines to know the boundaries that they were not allowed

to cross. These boundaries in the community life include the poor facilities,

treatments, also limited access to public places.

Furthermore, as it is written in the Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic

Studies that

The racial discrimination may range from the use of derogatory labels,

such as ―kike‖ or ―nigger‖, to the denial of access to such institutional

spheres as housing, education, justice, political participation, and so on.

The actions may be intentional, or unintentional (Cashmore, 2004: 345)

Also in the same book it is explained that racial discrimination is also

known as racialism, which is the act that is meant to deny certain groups to have

equal access as what the other group may have (Cashmore, 2004:345).

This theory of racial discrimination on the in the community life would be

used further to analyze the experiences of Alice in more details. How it was real

that Alice was really experiencing the horrible experiences.


56

Alice Nannup in When the Pelican Laughed told her story well on how she

was being discriminated in a way that the white people did not give her the

appropriate facilities and treatments she deserved as part of human being. Being

part of an Aborigine descendant was not easy for Alice. She had to face the fact

that she was being discriminated in a way that she had no proper facilities and was

not treated appropriately.

Since Alice was taken away from her family, she was made to work for

the white people. Even though when she was taken away she was just a girl, the

white people still made her to do a lot of works. Despite all the works she did, she

was not repaid back in the same way. Instead, Alice had to face the fact that she

was not treated as a child, but more like a servant, even though she was said to be

part of the family who took her away from her parents.

We both had to work while we were there – washing dishes, sweeping the

verandahs, scrubbing out the bathroom and toilet, things like that. They

used to say to us, ‗You‘re our children now,‘ but they didn‘t treat us like

that. Doris and I shared a room in the house, but we ate on the verandah

where we washed up and not with them (p. 39).

Alice explained that even though she was told by the white family that she

was like their child, the way they treat her did not show she was their child. She

had to do a lot of works along with Doris, the other Aborigine girl. Even when

they were on the boat, they had to stay on the deck and had their meal there. They

were not allowed to join the family in the dining room. This is part of the

segregation in the community life that Alice lived in. From beginning of the

journey living with the whites, Alice was showed what it means to be an

Aborigine that was considered as the inferior race by the whites. The poor


57

facilities and bad treatments she received made it clear that the white people had

indeed practiced the racial discrimination towards Alice.

The whole time we were on that boat they never took us into the dining

room once. We had to sit on the deck outside the kitchen door and they‘d

bring us a round bowl with food in it (p. 46).

When Alice stayed at the protection board, she also described how she and

the other Aborigines were treated. For an instance, the food that they had to eat

was described by Alice as terrible food. On the other side, the superintendent and

the white staff had nice food, much better than the food which was given to Alice

and the other Aborigines.

The food was terrible; that‘s the food we ate, not what the superintendent

and white staff had. They had beautiful food; roasts, lovely stews, curries

with rice, food like that. I know because I ended up working at the Big

House, and they certainly didn‘t have to eat like we did (p. 63).

Another part of the When the Pelican Laughed that has proven how Alice

was discriminated by receiving poor facilities and treatments from the white

people is when Alice had her meal in a restaurant. Even at the restaurant, if

someone was an Aborigine, then it was necessary to eat separately from the white

people. The restaurant that Alice went to had put up a curtain for the Aborigines

in order to make them unseen by the white people. To Alice, the curtain was put

up so that the white people would not notice the Aborigines who went to eat there

as well. Had any of the Aborigines been noticed by the white people dining at the

same restaurant, then the white people prefer not to come and it there as well,

―[…] but I think the curtain was put up because white people wouldn‘t come in

and eat if they saw us in there. That‘s just how it was […] (p. 119).‖


58

The Aborigines during Alice‘s times were meant to work for the white

people. Education was not really necessary for the Aborigines. The white people

would somehow avoid the Aborigines from getting the education they need. Alice

Nannup explained of what she had heard from the conversation between Mr.

Neville and the sewing mistress.

One time when Mr Neville came we were all in the sewing room, and he

was standing talking to the sewing mistress. They were talking about

education and other things, and I heard him say, ‗Ohh, it‘s all right, as long

as they can write their name and count money…that‘s all the education

they need.‘ Well, I think that tells you all he thought of us

(p. 71).

Based on the conversation between Mr. Neville and the sewing mistress

about the education, it implied that the white people think that education was not

necessary for the Aborigines. The Aborigines‘ right to acquire education was

taken away from the Aborigines is also supported in (http://www.skwirk.com)

which confirmed the Aborigines‘ right of acquiring education was denied by the

white people.

In terms of payment, Alice also had little payment compare to the white

people who also were hired. Since the Aborigines belong to cheap labors

category, their pay was very cheap. Alice, who had experienced in working

together with a white woman, definitely knew how they were paid differently just

because Alice was an Aborigine. Alice realized that she was paid much less than

the white woman. By saying ―a white woman‖ in her writing in the passage

below, it means that Alice knew that the payment was also considered based on

their race and not the works they did. Alice critical thinking could see how she

was discriminated because of her race.


59

[…] There was a white woman working there too. She was a cap‘n‘apron

woman, and I think she was earning close to twenty-five shillings a week.

White servants were paid a lot more than us […] (pp. 137-138).

Alice had many experiences already on how she was treated in a different

way because of her race. She not only observed how her fellow Aborigines were

treated poorly by the white people but also experienced it herself. It was not only

one time but several times she did mention in her book how the white people kept

themselves separated from the Aborigines in the society life. Even when Alice

was a boarder at the same place with some of the white people and that she should

have received the same treatments as the other boarders, she should face the fact

that still she was discriminated by the white people.

Well I was a boarder there, the boss was paying for my board, but I wasn‘t

treated like a paying boarder. I had a little room and I just sat in there all

day with nothing to do, and no one to talk to. At meal times I ate in the

kitchen while all the other boarders were served in the dining room. It

wasn‘t that I wanted to eat with them, because they were all men, but I

should have had the same treatment as the other boarders. I thought Annie

and Mrs Williams would sit and eat with me, but as soon as the men were

finished they‘d go and have their meal in the dining room, and never invite

me (pp. 153-154).

Alice was not welcomed by the other white boarders even when her board

was being paid just like the others. She not only got small room for her but also

had to eat by herself in the kitchen. Based on the passage above, it could also be

seen that the other boarders do not seem to have the interest to be having any

interaction with Alice.

Alice, as an Aborigine was also at disadvantage even when it came to look

for a place to live with her family. It is because that as an Aborigine she was

faced with the denial of housing, the restriction set up by the white people


60

(http://www.skwirk.com). When Alice already had four children with her, she

needed a place to stay and so she wanted to rent a place. However, it was not easy

for her. The white people were always given the opportunity to have the first

option. As on the other side, the Aborigines, even when they had enough money

to pay for the rent, they should have someone to recommend them for a place to

rent because that was the rules.

[…] I felt terrible, but I wasn‘t living there because I wanted to – we had

four kids, and steady work wasn‘t easy to get. Even if you had the money

you couldn‘t just go and find a place to rent – white people had first option

there. If you were an Aboriginal family you had to get someone to

recommend you for a place to rent (p. 167).

Another way of how Alice was being discriminated by the white people is

in the way the white people set up some strict premises for the Aborigines.

Meaning, the Aborigines would not access certain public places freely because the

white people had forbidden them to. Alice experienced it herself. When Alice was

giving birth to her child and was admitted in a hospital, she was kept separately in

such a small room. The way Alice described it, shows how inconvenient it was to

be there. However, there is no choice since she would not be allowed to be in the

main ward where the white women would be there.

[…] We weren‘t allowed in the main ward where all the other women

would be, we had to be kept separate in a little place that was just like a

meat-house. It was very small and hot […] (p. 155).

The passage above shows that Alice was being discriminated by the white

people. Alice as an Aborigine did not have the right to freely access certain places

at that time. She realized that the way she was treated was unfair. When Alice said

―we‖, she refers to herself and the other Aborigines women. She knew that only


61

her and her fellow Aborigines that should be kept separated because they should

not be around the white people were.

At one time, Alice who was sitting outside the hall, where the white

people were dancing, quietly watched and enjoyed the dancing until after the MC

of the dance came to her. The MC wanted Alice to leave that place. The reason

was that the dance was only meant for the white people and no Aborigines should

be seen around where the white people held the dance. This is clearly shows how

Alice as an Aborigine has no right to freely be at any place she wanted to be.

There were some strict premises set up by the white people that forbade the

Aborigines to be at certain places.

Because this was a dance for white people only I wasn‘t allowed into the

hall, so I just stayed out on the ramp and looked in. I stood there watching

everyone dancing around enjoying themselves and my feet were just

itching to get on that floor (p. 160).

The last evidence taken from the When the Pelican Laughed that proves

how Alice was being segregated in the community life was when Alice was

standing with her children under the verandah of a hotel. But then, the proprietor

of the hotel came and told them that they were not allowed to be there under

certain premises.

Suddenly he turned to me and said, ‗Excuse me, madam, but you know

you‘re not allowed under these premises.‘

I looked at him to see if he was serious. ‗Who said?‘ I really couldn‘t

believe what I was hearing.

‗I‘m asking you to move because you‘re not allowed under these premises

(p. 181).‘

It is implied from the passage that the proprietor of the hotel, bravely told

Alice to move from there because he knew clearly that there were premises that


62

the Aborigines could not freely be at the places which were only meant for the

white people. This act shows how the Alice as an Aborigine was denied equal

access to certain places as the white people would be allowed into. So those are

the ways in which Alice was discriminated based on her race. It can be seen

clearly through her experiences depicted in the When the Pelican Laughed that the

racial discrimination practices had made Alice struggled hard to face it.

C. Alice’s Resistance towards the Discrimination by the White People

In the first part of the analysis, the characteristics of Alice Nannup have

been discussed. Knowing Alice‘s characteristics would help in having a better

understanding about the personality of Alice because her personality influences

her reactions. Then, in the second part of the analysis, the racial discrimination

experienced by Alice has been discussed. The racial discrimination experienced

by Alice helps in giving information about how Alice was discriminated. Both the

first part and the second part of the analysis are important in this third part of the

analysis because there is a relation between Alice‘s characteristics which

influences her reactions towards the racial discrimination she had been

experiencing.

Here, in this section of the analysis, the writer would discuss how Alice

reacted towards the discrimination that she faced. When Alice was discriminated

by white people, she often reacted to show that she did not like how she was

treated. Alice had the thought that she also deserved to be treated like other

human beings. In this part of the analysis, the theory of the relation between


63

literature and the society, review on the resistance of the Aborigines, and the

review on the background of the Aborigine Society would be applied altogether.

Since Alice was taken away and lived among white people, she was

often mistreated by white people. It is because Alice was taken by the

whites for the means of slavery. She was meant to be a slave for the whites so

she has to serve them. The exploitation of the Aborigines had made Alice

suffered. It is supported by the fact that in 1905 and 1910 both in

Western and Northern Australia, the white people who held the authority

were given power to take control over the Aborigine people, under

the name of chief protector in the Western territory and Aborigines

Protection Board in the Northern territory, whether or not they were born

half-descent or full-descent of the Aborigine race


Thus, Alice who was born as half-descent should face the bitter fact that

she should be taken control by the white people. As Wellek and Warren said that

―literature represents life‖ (Wellek and Warren, 1956: 94) so does the book When

the Pelican Laughed which was the reflection of the reality of Alice‘s life during

the period of time in which she lived in.

Alice had so many experiences living with white people that she described

in the When the Pelican Laughed. She did not only describe how she was treated

but also how she reacted. Alice‘s reactions towards the discrimination acts were

showing how she resisted to be discriminated. The way Alice reacted against her

oppressors is supported by Selwyn Cudjoe and Barbara Harlow in Stephen


64

Slemon‘s Unsettling the Empire Resistance Theory for the Second World and was

compiled by Bill Ashcroft and friends in The Post-Colonial Studies Readers that

resistance could be seen through any actions shown by the people in order to get

rid of their oppressors (1995: 107). Hence, the reactions of Alice whenever she

was against the whites, who were her oppressors, show that Alice was trying to

resist the discrimination act.

Alice‘s resistance was an individual resistance because Alice was not told

or directed by anyone that she should resist whenever she was discriminated, as

Amal Ibrahim Madibbo also suggested that the act of resistance be performed

either collectively or individually (Madibbo, 2006: 5).

Before Alice showed her resistance through her reactions, she had to go

through a lot of process in her life that finally led to her resistance. At first, when

Alice was just a young girl, she only realized that she was treated differently by

the whites and she could do nothing about it. At that time, Alice was not a grown

up yet, so she might not really know how to react towards the situation. Alice at

that time could only accept the bitter reality that she was treated differently.

However, it was her realization of being treated differently that made her aware of

the situation she was in. The situation in which if she remains silent all the time

then nothing would change. Therefore, the awareness of Alice about how the

whites treated her and the other Aborigines differently is the first step that would

lead Alice to her resistance later on.

The awareness of Alice that the Aborigines were discriminated by the

whites is seen in several events. Since the day that Alice and other Aborigine kids


65

who were taken away, Alice was really aware about the fact that they were treated

differently.

It was when Alice was just around twelve years old and Doris, the other

girl who was taken away with Alice, was just about nine or ten (p. 45) when they

started experiencing living with the whites. At the Campbells, Alice and Doris,

both of them had to work already for the Campbells. There was when Alice

started to see that things were not right. Meaning, she could already begin to

figure out that she and Doris were not treated the way they were supposed to be

treated.

[…] We both had to work while we were there – washing dishes, sweeping

the verandahs, scrubbing out the bathroom and toilet, things like that. They

used to say to us, ‗You‘re our children now,‘ but they didn‘t treat us like



Looking at the way she was treated, Alice, as a twelve year old girl, began

to see that the whites made some boundaries that have to be kept between the

whites and the Aborigines. Alice, who was a young girl back then, was able to see

how the whites made strict boundaries towards the Aborigines. She criticized the

whites‘ who told her that she was part of the family but treated her like nobody.

However, Alice could not do anything at that time. She did not show any

resistance yet, and could only follow the whites‘ ways.

Whenever Alice sees that she was treated unjustly, all she could do was

complaining in her mind. She was not really able to complain directly at that time.

She knew it was not right, but at that time she could only keep it to herself. She

knew that to the whites, she was a ‗nobody‘. Even though Alice did not like the


66

way she was treated, as a girl who was very young, Alice remained silent. She

was aware that she was discriminated but she held in.

As Alice was far away from home, she had to go through a lot of hard time

by herself. However, she was able to survive as a young girl. Alice knew that she

was not raised as part of the family by the whites; instead she was treated like a

slave. It is because she was never treated like part of the family and was always

made to work hard by the whites. Alice and the other kids were also provided with

poor facilities and were paid with really low amount of payment compare to all

the hard work they did as kids. This was really a hard time for Alice as a young

girl. Even when she realized that she was treated unequally, Alice remains silent

and did not rebel even though she had all the thoughts that keep on going inside

her mind.

Later on when Alice was moved to Moore River and stayed at the camp

which was meant for the Aborigines, she began to experience worse things there.

The camp that Alice was sent to was part of the whites‘ program in which the

Aborigines were concentrated there to be exploited and sent out as slaves who

work for the white people. Alice described that at the camp, the food was really

terrible and that she could not eat. Alice criticized how the whites had nice food

but the Aborigines had really terrible food.



with rice, food like that. I know because I ended up working at the Big

House, and they certainly didn‘t have to eat like we did (p. 63).

Alice‘s awareness led her to see things around her closer which made her

understood more and more about the treatments of the whites. She sees everything


67

happened with a critical mind and she understood well that the whites had

discriminated her and her people in many ways.

Even at the point where the whites used certain nickname that refers to

Alice as an Aborigine, Alice did not complain directly but she simply let it slide

with bitterness. It hurts Alice, if she was called with nickname which was made

by the whites to make a difference between the whites and the Aborigines as it is

seen when Mrs. Larsen, whom Alice was working for called her ―little black girl‖.

Once, when she was working for Mrs. Larsen, she read a letter that was

written by Mrs. Larsen to her brother in Sydney. Alice was feeling offended when

she read that Mrs. Larsen wrote ―my little black girl‖ which refers to Alice. Alice

was really offended because she thought that it was just terrible to be called a little

black girl.

She was writing to her brother who lived in Sydney. She told him that

she‘d found a girl, but she had run off. She said to him, ‗My little black

girl has been with me for such a long time and she‘s worth a hundred of

those others that I can‘t trust, so I‘ve decided to keep her on for awhile.‘

You know, I think it‘s terrible that she called me that, her ‗little black girl‘

(p. 101).

The way Alice was offended makes a difference between Alice who was a

grown up and Alice who was just a young girl back then. When Alice was just a

young girl she might simply realized that she was treated differently but as a

young girl Alice could only felt hurt and accepted the reality. However, when she

grew up as a young woman, Alice started to see things differently. When she sees

that the Aborigines were called with names that were meant to degrade them,

Alice did not only feel offended but she criticized inside her mind that it was


68

terrible for someone to be called that way, yet Alice still held herself from doing

any action about it.

As Alice continued to experience the discrimination, it made her want to

resist more. As she become older and older, she started to have the courage to

complain whenever she was mistreated by the whites. At this rate, Alice was only

able to complain about things that disappointed her but there was no strong

reaction that shows her resistance. Alice‘s complaints about how she was treated

could also be seen as her act of resistance that shows how she was against the

discrimination even though it was not really as strong as her reaction later on.

Since Alice was a type of person who has a critical mind which made her

doubt the way the whites had treated her, Alice often spoke her mind without fear.

If she felt that she was treated unjustly, then she would always ask for the reason

why she was treated like that. It can be seen when Alice was simply standing

outside the dance hall and watching the white people dance from outside. She

knew that she was not allowed to enter the hall because the dance was only meant

for the whites and decided to stand and watch the dance from outside. However,

the MC of the dance suddenly approached Alice and said that Alice was not

supposed to be seen around the area where the dance party was held. What the

MC had said to Alice hurt her feelings.

Because this was a dance for white people only I wasn‘t allowed into the

hall, so I just stayed out on the ramp and looked in. I stood there watching

everyone dancing around enjoying themselves and my feet were just

itching to get on that floor.

After this particular dance was over the MC came out to me and

said, ‗Can I help you?‘

‗Oh no, I‘m just watching the dancing,‘ I said.


69

‗Well, now that it‘s finished,‘ he said, ‗I want you to leave, because

you‘re not allowed to be here you know.‘

I felt very hurt – I‘d been quiet so as not to disturb anyone.

‗But I‘m only just watching, I‘m not doing any harm,‘ I said.

‗Yes I know that, but still you‘re not allowed.‘ (p. 160).

The MC of the dance party wanted to make it clear to Alice that no

Aborigines were allowed to be seen around the place that was only meant for the

whites. It is clear that the whites had set up a very clear line that the Aborigines

should know where they should and should not be at. Being the oppressors, the

whites were very brave to tell the Aborigines to leave the places that they feel

uncomfortable for the Aborigines to be around along with the white people.

However, when Alice was told to leave, she did not simply follow the

order of the MC to leave the place. Before she left, she was still arguing with the

MC by saying that she was just watching and did not disturb the party. The way

Alice reacted shows her disappointment towards the MC of the dance party. Alice

knew that she was not allowed to the hall because the dance party was meant for

the whites only and that is why she decided to watch quietly so that she would not

disturb the party, but she was disappointed when she was told to leave by the MC.

Even though finally Alice left the area, she was not satisfied at what happened to

her. She complained that even though she was not doing any harm, yet she was

not allowed to be there. This reaction of Alice proved that she actually resisted the

act of discrimination by the MC of the dance party. It can be seen as a form of

resistance because when Alice was told to leave, she did not leave quietly but had

a bit of argument with the MC of the dance party. She argues that her being there

did not cause any harm. In other words, Alice wanted to tell the MC that her


70

existence there does not harm people so why she should not be seen there as if she

was going to harm people at the dance party.

If at that moment Alice left quietly without having an argument with the

MC, then it shows that Alice still accepted the fact that being discriminated as an

Aborigine was a given. In this case, Alice did not like the fact that she was told to

leave even when she did not cause any distraction. Nevertheless, Alice could only

complain and at that time Alice did not show any strong reaction other than

criticizing the way she was treated.

As Alice continued to experience more and more discrimination from the

white people, she became braver and braver to confront any of them who treated

her unequally. Alice as a brave woman, who had critical mind and was a

straightforward person took a step forward to not only confront people who

discriminated her but she also took actions that shows her resistance towards the

discrimination. At this point Alice did not only stop on criticizing the whites‘

action but she took a courage to show some strong reactions which portrays her

acts of resistance.

Alice‘s strong confrontation could be seen when she was reported by an

anonymous person about Alice spending her money improperly. This incident

caused the Aboriginal Affairs man came up to Alice and threatened Alice that

because of that her endowment could be taken away from her. Alice, in this case,

was brave enough to criticize the people even people with authority. Alice took

the courage to prove her innocence when she was being framed by white people


71

because sometimes the whites were looking for Alice‘s flaws so that with their

power over the Aborigines they could punish Alice as they wish.

One day I‘d just picked up my parcel and I was going along past the Town

Hall when this Aboriginal Affairs man came up to me and said, ‗Excuse

me, Mrs Nannup, I‘d like to speak to you.‘

‗All right,‘ I said. ‗What‘s the matter?‘

I‘ve had a report about you not spending your money properly,‘ he

said.

Well, I just stopped dead in my tracks. ‗Where‘d you get that

from!‘ I said.

‗We just got it, and if you don‘t spend your money properly, we‘ll

have to take your endowment away from you.‘

‗Who said that, I‘ll skin that person,‘ I said. ‗They should mind

their own business. You want to see something?‘ and I put my hand under

the pram and pulled this COD parcel out. ‗This is where my money goes. I

don‘t know whoever told you I was squandering my money, but in here

are articles I‘ve got for my kids. This belongs to the kids, and I spend it on

the kids (p. 188).‘

The Aboriginal affairs man was of course given the power to take control

over the Aborigine according to the policy that existed at that time. Therefore, the

man bravely approached Alice to threaten her that if she did not spend her money

properly then her endowment would be taken away from her. This is of course

was not fair to Alice as an Aborigine because even to the point of spending money

she is still under control unlike the whites. Here, it is shown that the white people

had authority even over the financial matters of the Aborigines. The Aborigines

could not even spend their money freely as if the economy was still under the

control of the whites‘ power. The Aborigines had almost no choice but to follow

the whites‘ rules in spending their money. Their every move was always being

watched by their so called protectors who were in charge to take control of the

Aborigines.


72

The fact that although Alice was a responsible person and she always put

her best efforts into her works did not make her free from being framed by white

people. The white people tried to frame her at every chance they got just to make

Alice get her punishment. The above passage shows that Alice was being framed

by someone who reported that Alice had been spending her money in an improper

way. This made Alice very angry because it was a false report by an unknown

person. When the Aboriginal Affairs man came to tell Alice about this matter,

Alice was not afraid. Instead, she bravely confronted the man by saying that the

person who reported her should mind their own business. She even proved her

innocence by showing the evidence to where she had spent her money and that

she had been spending her money on her kids.

The way Alice was bravely arguing with the Aboriginal Affairs man, who

had power in the society, could mean that Alice was against the authority figures

who unfairly gave her a hard time. As Eric Selbin noted that ―resistance can also

refer to a form of insurgency denoted by the refusal of people to cooperate

actively with, or express support for, the current regime or authority figures

(Selbin, 2010:11),‖ so is Alice who bravely proved her innocence without fear to

someone who had power in the society at that time. At this rate, Alice was a step

forward that she did not only confronted the Aboriginal Affairs man but also gave

her reasoning that she did nothing wrong.

This reaction of Alice is an act of resistance because even towards the

Aboriginal Affairs man who might have power to control Alice, Alice was brave

enough to confront the man and she even bravely threatened to give a hard time to


73

the person who accused her by saying ―I‘ll skin that person‖. This reaction of

Alice would have of certainly surprised the Aboriginal Affairs man because as an

Aborigine, Alice did not simply keep herself losing even to the authority.

As Alice began to learn how she should handle the discrimination she

faced through a lot of experiences. Alice became a braver person especially in

making decisions that could be seen in her reactions that strongly opposed the

discrimination acts. Alice did not only confront people but firmly stick to her

decisions she made. All the decisions she made up in her mind were revealed

through her reactions. This is when Alice became a persistent person who stick to

her principle if she thinks what she does is the right thing to do.

Alice shows strong reactions in several cases like towards the proprietor of

the hotel and also the new minister. In these cases, Alice was not letting herself

losing to her opponents as though she wanted to keep her pride as human being

who should be treated like human being. Here, Alice‘s resistance can be seen

more obviously since Alice would not obey what she was told by the whites who

were her oppressors as it is seen in the way she refused to do what the proprietor

of the hotel told her to.

When one day, Alice was looking for a shade to cool her kids‘ feet

because the road was burning because of the heat, Alice decided to take her kids

to cool off their feet under the verandah of a hotel. Not long after, the proprietor

of the hotel came out and told Alice to move from there because Alice and her

kids were not allowed to be there under certain premises.

Suddenly he turned to me and said, ‗Excuse me, madam, but you

know you‘re not allowed under these premises.‘


74

I looked at him to see if he was serious. ‗Who said?‘ I really

couldn‘t believe what I was hearing.

‗I‘m asking you to move because you‘re not allowed under these

premises.‘

‗Who said?‘ I asked him again.

‗Look, if you don‘t move I‘ll get somebody to move you.‘

‗You get whoever you like to move me. I want to know the reason

why. And if you think I want any of your rotten beer, well, you know what

you can do with that.‘ I was that mad with him. I knew what he was on

about. Aborigines weren‘t allowed in the hotel, it was against the law. If

an Aboriginal person was caught drinking alcohol they‘d get six month

gaol sentence. I wasn‘t interested in his beer, I just needed a place for my

kids to stand in the shade.

‗I‘ll stay until you push me off here,‘ I said. The kids were a bit

worried and they were going, ‗No mum, Mum don‘t row.‘ But I said to

them, ‗Just don‘t take any notice of him.‘ Then I said to him, ‗You

wouldn‘t deprive your kids of shade when their feet were burning on a hot

bitumen road like this.‘

‗That‘s none of my business,‘ he said.

‗No,‘ I said, ‗but it‘s mine,‘ and I went on standing there (p. 181).

Alice was involved in an argument with the proprietor of the hotel when

she was asked to move from there. Unlike the incident at the dance party that

Alice finally left the place, here, Alice insisted to stay because of her children.

Alice knew the law that Aborigines were not allowed inside the hotel and that is

why she was only standing under the verandah of the hotel with her kids. She also

knew the law that Aborigines were not allowed to consume any of the alcoholic

drink. Alice sensed that the proprietor of the hotel thought that Alice might

beinterested in consuming the beer there. As a matter of fact that in 1918

there was a law which prohibited the Aborigines to drink, possess, and also to

supply any of the alcoholic drink (http://www.creativespirits.info). Alice was very

aware about the law, but chose to straightforwardly confront the man and made it

clear, that she did not want his beer and she was only standing there with her kids

to cool off their feet.


http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginal%20culture/history/aboriginal-history-timeline-1970-1999

75

Alice was showing her resistance when she refused to move from the

verandah of the hotel. It is an act of resistance because Alice refused to be treated

that way. Alice was very brave that she did not leave even though she was

threatened by the proprietor of the hotel about having somebody to move Alice.

She also asked for the reason why she should not be there even it was only at the

verandah and not inside of the hotel. This reaction of Alice was indeed very brave

for an Aborigine to confront the white man. Knowing about the law that the

Aborigines were not allowed in the hotel, but still bravely confronted the white

man shows how Alice was actually being resistant to the law that was really strict

for the Aborigines.

Another time, Alice also confronted the minister of the church at which

Alice was attending. The reason was that the new minister did not allow Alice‘s

kids to participate at the Sunday school picnic.

Well the week before the picnic, the minister said to Gloria and the others,

‗You can‘t come to Sunday school next week.‘ Gloria came to me very

upset, wanting to know why she couldn‘t go. I wanted to know why too,

so I went around and saw the minister. His answer to me was he didn‘t

want any responsibility for looking after our children, so our kids couldn‘t

go. The previous minister wouldn‘t have dreamt of not taking them, and I

was that upset. I said to him, ‗Well, if this is Christianity, it‘s not for me,‘

and I left (p. 184).

This incident shows that even to the point of religious matters, the

discrimination act was practiced. Alice‘s daughter, Gloria, was told that she and

the others, who were Aborigines of course, were not allowed to join the Sunday

school picnic by the new minister because he did not want to take any extra

responsibility to take care of the Aborigine children. This issue had nothing to do

with the law. However, it was just that the society at that time already built their


76

dividing walls between the white people and the Aborigines. The society just

knew that the Aborigines should not get along with the white people, especially

during events that were held in which the white people had the first priority. Thus,

what the new minister did to Alice‘s kids and the other Aborigines was to show

that the Aborigines did not really mean anything even in the church community.

Alice did not remain quiet at this situation. She dealt with it bravely by

straightforwardly demanded an answer from the new minister to why her kids

were not allowed to join the Sunday school picnic. When Alice heard the

minister‘s answer, she was very upset and it turned out that Alice bravely told the

new minister‘s decision that she refused to be part of Christian if this is the way

that she and her kids are treated. When Alice said that she refused to be a

Christian if that is how she was treated, she was actually showing her resistance to

the new minister who discriminated her and her kids. Alice was not simply

threatening the new minister but she actually proved what she said. After that

incident, Alice did not show up at that church again since then.

[…] Although I‘d been with the Church of England for many, many years,

I never set foot in his church again. I started to send the kids to Sunday

school at another church because I didn‘t want them to miss out, but I

decided I‘d find something else for myself […] (p. 184).

It is clear from the passage above that Alice really meant it when she left

the church. She did not want to become part of the church that still discriminate

people. Alice even sent her kids to another church not wanting her kids to be

experience discrimination from that new minister again. What Alice did here is a

form of resistance because she refused her kids to be discriminated by the new

minister. Her decision to leave the church and send her kids to another church is


77

an obvious resistance which she wanted to show to the new minister that Alice

was taking discrimination matters seriously.

How Alice persistently kept standing under the verandah of the hotel and

how she bravely chose to leave the church at which she was attending shows that

Alice did not want to be controlled by the whites over and over again. Remained

standing under the verandah of the hotel and left the church was a form of

rebellion that Alice had shown to the whites. By rebelling, Alice was showing to

the whites that she was not an easy person that the white people could treat her as

they wish. Also by rebelling and not obeying what she was told to by the whites

proves the resistance of Alice towards the act of discrimination. When Alice

chose to rebel in order to resist the discrimination act, that is what kept her survive

in the midst of her hard time. Alice chose to rebel so that she can survive.

As Alice‘s rebellion grows stronger, Alice was often involved in fights

with the whites, even when it had to include physical fights. To Alice, it was

necessary to show her being rebelling. That way, she could be treated properly as

it is reflected through her thought, when she had a fight with Ms. Ryan, Mrs.

Larsen‘s niece.

I think Miss Ryan thought that me being the servant made me just a bit of

dirt she could push around. But I wasn‘t one of those kinds, I rebelled – I

had to because I was keyed up all the time. I thought to myself that if I was

humble all the time then it would be worse for me in the long run (p. 104).

Alice‘s way of thinking, thus, affected her reactions as well as her words

towards the unequal treatments she received. It can be seen when she had a fight

with Ms. Ryan, Mrs. Larsen‘s niece, Alice did not remain silent and accepted

what Ms. Ryan did to her, even though Ms. Ryan was her master‘s niece. When


78

Ms. Ryan hit Alice with the hair brush, Alice hit her back. Her reaction would

have definitely made Ms. Ryan taken aback who may have not think that Alice

was brave enough to hit her back since Alice was an Aborigine and moreover a

servant of the house.

We were all in Mrs Larsen‘s bedroom and Miss Ryan grabbed the hair

brush from the dressing table and started hitting me with it. Well, I lifted

her, I dragged the brush off of her and flogged her. She went flying out of

the door and disappeared (p. 103).

Alice knew that she would have shocked Ms. Ryan by her reaction. Alice

assumed that Ms. Ryan would have had the thought about Alice as a servant that

she could push around. However, it is surprising that what Alice did was the

opposite. She chose to rebel. To Alice, if she always keeps herself losing to the

white people then in future she would have a harder time. The way Alice reacted

towards Ms. Ryan shows that Alice resisted to be controlled by the dominion of

white people. Alice did not want herself to be pushed around by the whites even if

she was just a servant. She resisted the point of view about being a servant means

that it is okay for people to push her around. That is why Alice chose to rebel, that

way the whites around her would see her as a person who is not easily to be

mistreated.

Another time that Alice was involved in a fight that includes her physical

strength was when she was watching a boxing show. At this boxing show, a white

woman who was standing in front of Alice got Alice on her nerves as she was

eating peanuts and was shouting out things that were unpleasant to be heard by the

Aborigines. Alice who could not bear to watch the boxing show anymore because

she could not stand seeing the skinny Aboriginal kid got beaten up, as well as


79

hearing to this white woman who spoke out everything she liked to say, Alice just

gave her shock by lifting up the woman when she still had her mouth full of

peanuts.

I was standing behind this woman and I was that mad with her and the

things she was shouting out. Just after she‘d taken a big mouthful of

peanuts I lifted her. I gave her such a surprise she started choking on these

peanuts and making funny noises.

Will saw what happened and he just got me and pushed me outside

and said, ‗I‘m never bringing you here again!‘

‗That‘s all right,‘ I shouted. ‗I never want to come back here again.‘ I‘d

shocked that woman, and I‘d shocked myself. But I just couldn‘t stand it, I

couldn‘t bear seeing little kids getting knocked around (p. 202).

Even though what Alice did was not supported by her husband, Alice did

not care because she was really mad at the white woman and wanted to give her a

shock made her choking from eating her peanuts. Alice was really brave looking

how she could gave the white woman a shock. This is how Alice shows that as an

Aborigine she was able to defend herself and her people. What Alice did to this

white woman is a form of resistance which included her physical act. The things

that Alice did to this woman shows that Alice did not want to hear bad words

come out from this woman‘s mouth, which were really unpleasant to be heard by

the Aborigines. Alice‘s refusal towards the things that the white woman did is an

act of resistance. Her resistance in this matter is revealed through her action in

giving the white woman a shock.

As Alice continued to show her resistance towards the discrimination and

fight in her own way, Alice was often involved in many other fights with the other

white kids‘ parents in order to defend her own kids. ‗[…] I got in to quite a few

battles with other kids‘ parents when they were growing up, just defending my


80

kids‘ rights (p. 191).‘ In defending her kids‘ rights, Alice was involved in several

fights with the other kids‘ parents. This form of resistance is seen in how Alice

never kept quiet when seeing her kids were discriminated. She was always ready

to fight with the other parents just to defend her kids‘ rights. Alice also taught her

children what it means to stand up for themselves and fight to resist the

discrimination. That way, the whites would not take the Aborigines as their easy

prey but started to see that the Aborigines could also stand for their rights. Alice

knew that as human beings, everyone has the right to be treated like human

beings. That is why she always fights to gain her children‘s rights as human

beings.

As a mother to her kids, Alice was really protecting her children from

being treated unfairly by anyone. At one time, when Alice was with one of her

daughters, they ran into the Italian mother with her older son and her daughter.

When Alice saw that, her daughter was scared of them because they were looking

over at her, Alice went and told them to leave her daughter alone. Alice knew that

her daughter had been treated badly by the Italian girl. By being brave to tell the

Italian mother and her kids to leave her daughter alone, Alice is showing her

resistance that she does not want to see her daughter to be mistreated anymore.

She wanted to show that she could do anything to protect her daughter. The point

which shows her resistance here is when Alice refused that her daughter kept

experiencing bad treatments from the Italian girl which made Alice bravely told

the Italian and her kids not to give her daughter a hard time anymore.

The next day I was in town with my daughter when across the road I saw

the mother of this Italian girl and her older brother. They were looking


81

over at us, and my daughter was really scared – she thought they were

coming after her. I had a friend with me, and she said to keep away from

them because they were very good with the knives. But I stood my ground

and I told them to leave my girl alone. I thought to myself, my daughter

has been taking nonsense from that girl for long enough. I taught my kids

to stand up for themselves, and not let other people treat them like dirt on

account of being Aboriginal, and I always stuck by them over it […] (p.

191).

Alice did not only stopped at the point where she only knew how to defend

herself, but another way of showing her resistance is through which she taught her

own children how to defend themselves. Alice taught her children to resist by

first, being an example to her children how she resisted the discrimination so that

the whites would not treat her as they wish anymore. Alice wanted to teach her

children that they should not let anyone treat them like dirt. They should be brave

to fight against anyone who treat them unjustly especially because of race issue.

Alice was always ready to stand with her kids in this matter.

Alice was also very brave at scolding other kids in order to correct their

behavior. By scolding the misbehaved kids Alice wanted to straighten things out

just like when she confronted other kids who were inside of a car and called Alice

‗nigger‘. Alice heard them and did not simply ignore what just happened; instead

she approached them and asked them what they just said. When the father of the

kids saw from afar and came over to see what happened, Alice told the father that

the kids should be taught to respect other people. Alice knew that the behavior

which was shown by the kids was also part of the parents‘ responsibility. That is

why she told their father that the kids should be taught to learn how to respect

other people.


82

[…] Their mother and father were off at the shops, and the biggest of the

kids said, ‗Quick, quick, come and have a look. There‘s a nigger coming

up the street.‘

Well, I was very close and I heard them perfectly. I went over to

the car and I said, ‗Excuse me, but what did you just say?‘ But he

wouldn‘t answer me. ‗Well, I know what you said, and I‘ll tell you what,

I‘m proud of what I am but I‘m ashamed of your mother and father.‘

From across the road their father spotted me and he came rushing

over saying, ‗What‘s going on here?‘

The three little kids looked at him, and I said, ‗It‘s a disgrace to

drag children up. You should bring them up to respect other people (p.

192).

Alice wanted to give the kids who called her ―nigger‖ and their parents a

lesson that they should treat people in more proper manner. Looking at the kids‘

behavior, Alice knew that it was part of the kids‘ parents‘ responsibility in

brought them up to respect others. The resistance of Alice here is seen when she

did not ignore what the kids did to her and she bravely scolded them for their

misbehaviors. Also to kids‘ parents, Alice wanted them to teach their kids how to

respect other people no matter what race the other people belong to. When Alice

refused to be called ―nigger‖ and scolded both the kids and the parents at the same

time that is when she showed her resistance to be discriminated.

Alice was the kind of person who could not stand seeing herself, her kids,

even any other Aborigines being treated unfairly. Whenever she was faced with

that kind of situation, Alice often got angry and spoke up her mind. Her reactions

were showing how she was really against the discrimination and that she was

strongly resisted to be discriminated. Alice learnt to stand her ground from time to

time. She also taught her children to stand up for themselves if ever they were

discriminated.


83

Alice demanded that the way the Aborigines were discriminated should

just end at her generation and that the Aborigines should as well started to be

treated like human beings. Alice even took the chance to speak bravely at the

radio theater saying that she wanted everyone to be treated equal. This reaction of

Alice is a brave form of resistance, seeing how she took the chance to speak in

front of the public which might put her into danger. However, Alice chose to seize

the chance and speak before the public demanding everyone should be treated

equally. This is how Alice‘s fought to resist the discrimination act representing

not only herself and her family but also her people.

‗You know,‘ I said, ‗it‘s not fair. We‘re all the same, we‘re all human

beings; we walk, we talk, we eat the same kind of food, we are all just

made the same. Colour is skin deep and I think we should all be treated as

human beings (p. 15).‘

What Alice did at the radio theater was very brave of her. This reaction of

Alice is a form of what Mack Jefferson stated as invisible resistance. As Jefferson

Mack said that any person without being directed by anyone tries to resist then it

is the form of invisible resistance (Mack, 2002: 5), Alice took the courage to

speak in front of the people about her thought.

For someone who has no power in the society like Alice, who was also an

Aborigine at that time, to speak her mind like that, need a lot of courage.

However, Alice wanted to stand for herself and her children even her people to

fight the discrimination.

They didn‘t seem to realize that I didn‘t just get up there and say those

things because I felt like it. I said those things because I had too. I‘d just

had enough, I‘d reached my limit. I‘ve heard Aboriginal people called

things all my life and I didn‘t want my kids to be treated like that. I wanted

it all to stop and for us to be treated like human beings (p. 191).


84

Alice knew that she had to say those things to make people realize that

every human deserve to be treated equally. What Alice had been through was just

hard enough for her that is why she did not want her children to also go through

the dark times that she already went through. Thus, Alice‘s resistance towards the

racial discrimination could be seen through all of Alice‘s reactions and the

decisions she made.


85

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

In this section, the writer drew a conclusion based on the analysis in the

previous chapter. As a whole, the writer concluded that Alice as the representation

of the Aborigines resisted to be discriminated in many ways she could. She

refused to be oppressed by the white people over and over. That is why she

demanded for equality towards the Aborigines and any race who is still under

oppression by the race who felt superior.

As all the three questions in the problem formulation have been answered,

the writer drew conclusions based on the results. The first result of the analysis, it

is concluded that Alice was a persistent, stubborn, brave, independent, critical,

hard-working, self-determined, responsible, and a straightforward person. Even

though all of her characteristics show that she could be able to fight against her

oppressors, it was not easy for her because the Aborigines had no power in the

society at that time. Therefore, Alice was still at disadvantage to fight against the

white people because the white people had power to take control over the society

in Australia at that time.

The result of the second problem formulation discussed the practices of

the discrimination which was experienced by Alice. Based on the result, the racial

discrimination was practiced in many ways. Such as the Aborigine children were

separated from their family by force. This is also experienced by Alice who was

deceived that she would be taken to be educated. The Aborigines were also


86

restricted to have access to certain places like what happened to Alice. Here, the

writer concluded that Alice as part of the Aborigine society was discriminated in a

way that she was forbidden to enter certain places that were only meant for the

whites. It is seen in several cases, where Alice was told to leave the place because

she was not supposed to be seen around the place where the whites were.

The last result of the problem formulation described the resistance of Alice

towards the discrimination she experienced. Based on the result of the analysis,

the writer concluded that Alice‘s efforts in resisting the racial discrimination were

shown in how she did not compromise with the law or the tradition set up by the

society that discriminated certain race. Alice had to go through a lot of process to

resist the dominion of the white people. At first, Alice as a child only realized that

she was treated differently by the whites. As she grew older, Alice was aware

about the fact that she was discriminated but then she remained silent. Finally,

when Alice could not stand anymore she then showed her resistance which were

revealed through her reactions whenever she was discriminated. She complained,

confronted, scolded, and even was involved in physical fights in order to

resist the discrimination. She even showed some reactions to show her rebellion

against the flaw of the society. For example, when she refused to leave the

verandah of the hotel when she is forced to and also chose to leave the church

because the new minister mistreated the Aborigines. Alice also spoke in front

of the public that this discrimination should be stopped and not be passed down to

the next generation. She also taught her children how to stand up for themselves

against the discrimination. Therefore, the writer concluded that through these


87

actions that Alice had taken; show her resistance towards the discrimination she

experienced.


88

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APPENDIX

Summary of the Alice Nannup with Lauren Marsh and Stephen Kinnane’s

When the Pelican Laughed:

When the Pelican Laughed is an autobiography written by Alice Nannup

with Lauren Marsh and Stephen Kinnane that tells about the life journey of Alice

Nannup.

Alice Nannup was born as a mixed descent. However, she is more to be an

Aborigine because she was raised in an Aboriginal society so she is accustomed to

the traditions of the Aborigines. To Alice, being white is just a part of her just like

being an Indian, ―I‘m Aboriginal, English and Indian – a real international person.

You hear people run down the English but I never do, because that‘s a part of me,

just like having Indian blood (p. 20).‖ For that reason, Alice thinks of herself

more as an Aborigine rather than an English or Indian person.

The story of Alice bitter experiences all started when she was separated

from her family. It happened when the Aboriginal Affairs man came and deceived

Alice‘s mother by telling that Alice would be taken to the South to be educated.

Since it sounded like a very good idea to Alice and her mother, they agreed and

did not even think that there were other plans made for Alice. ―[…] they told them

they were going to take us down South to educate us, then bring us back home to

our family. I was really excited about going, it sounded like a real adventure (p.

39).‖ So as soon as things were settled, Alice was taken away from her mother

and started living with the Campbells.


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Living with the Campbells is when Alice started to realize that things were

not as she expected. The Campbells always said to her and Doris, the other girl

who was taken away with Alice, that they are now the Campbells‘ children.

However, Alice could see that the way the Campbells treated them did not show

like what they said. Alice and Doris had to work for them and they also were only

allowed to eat on the verandah,

We both had to work while we were there – washing dishes, sweeping the

verandahs, scrubbing out the bathroom and toilet, things like that. They

used to say to us ‗You‘re our children now,‘ but they didn‘t treat us like



By looking at the way the Campbells had treated her, that is how Alice

started to realize that she was not treated well by the whites. However, it was just

the beginning of Alice‘s journey to face more of the bitter experiences.

As Alice became an older person and think back about how they were

treated, Alice then figured out what her presence really meant for the whites,

―Looking back, they didn‘t have us there as kids, they had us as slaves. We had a

little room, not much bigger than a laundry, and all three of us slept in it (p.52).‖

Even though the whites never explicitly told Alice that they had her as slave, the

way they treated Alice made Alice understood well that they actually had her as

slave.

The story goes on when Alice was taken and put into the Moore River

Native Settlement where all the Aborigines were prepared and trained for what so

called mission. The mission later on is revealed that they would be sent to work

for the whites. At this settlement, Alice‘s awareness grew stronger about the gap


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between the whites and the Aborigines. She looked at every single situation and

figured out that the whites really aimed to degrade the Aborigines by giving them

terrible food which no one would not even wants to eat it.



with rice, food like that (p. 63).

Looking at how the whites had treated the Aborigines, Alice had the

thought that it was done deliberately, ―I think they did things like this to

deliberately lower us; well, degrade us really (p. 64).‖

Later on, Alice was sent out to work for the whites. She had many

experiences about being discriminated when working for the whites before she got

married. Her experiences from time to time made Alice became a person with

strong character to go against the discrimination. It is seen when she bravely hit

back Ms. Ryan who was her master‘s niece to show that she was not afraid if she

did nothing wrong. As when she got married and had children, Alice became a

very protective mother to her children whenever her children were being

discriminated by the whites. For instance, when her daughter was not allowed to

join the picnic by the new minister, Alice went straight to the new minister and

asked for the reason. She finally chose to leave the church that she was attending

for years just because of that incident. Also when she was standing under the

verandah to get some shade for her children whose feet were burning, Alice

strongly refused to leave when she was told to leave by the proprietor of the hotel.

Moreover, Alice would not remain quiet if anyone bothers her children; she would

directly go to that person and tells not to bother her children.


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Alice has a very strong principle that demands for every human being to

be treated equally. This strong principle of her is what brought her to go against

the discrimination and show her resistance bluntly. Her strong principle also is

passed down to her children by always teaching them to be brave enough to go

against the discrimination because if not, then they would always be treated like

dirt.

[..] I‘d just had enough, I‘d reached my limit. I‘ve heard Aboriginal people

called things all my life and I didn‘t want my kids to be treated like that. I

wanted it all to stop and for us to be treated like human beings (p. 191).


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