Thought out the first half of the novel, Jimmie comes under the influence of five main figures that abuse this assumed authority. Initially Mr Healy, an Irish farmer, who was
“Constantly delivering Jimmie with ultermations and stepping up close”
To him. Keneally cleverly employing the effects of juxtrapositioning by creating a contrast through imagery and language in close proximity to highlight the characters differences to depict a deception of authority. In this case superior body language.
Confrontational body language portrayed by Mr Healy represented attitudes of superiority over Jimmie. Healy is also depicted as the have the
“Air of a balask”,
A fabulous serpent that had the look of death. Keneally has expressed to the reader the position of dominance Healy held over Jimmie. With dominance comes authority and in Healy’s case abuse.
“Healy should take the finished fence as an insult and insist on short changing him”
Healy is so captivated with false authority that he feels gives him the right to short change Jimmie due to
“12 posts 3 inches out”
According to Healy’s
“Tape that counts”.
Jimmie’s next encounter is with a Scottish farmer Mr Lewis. Mr Lewis again denies Jimmie his right of wages for simular reasons as Mr Healy. Kenealy employing perceptions of abuse of power, to emphasise Jimmies mistreatment. Jimmies then comes into the hands of an officer of the law, constable Farrell, whose abuse of power is so corrupt that Jimmie as well as his culture is degraded.
“Hearing unwilling sounds of Harry’s misuse”
The paragraphs leading up to this quote present the reader with a vivid description of Harry, a sentenced aboriginal man, being raped by constable Farrell. This is a horrific example of the injustice of white authority over the aboriginal culture. The strongest throughout the novel.
“She gave him 200 ….he gave Jimmie 2 10s”
Constable Farrell again abused his authority in a way that degrades Jimmie.
These four encounters and that of the Newbey family thoroughly explore the mistreatment of Jimmie Blacksmith and the injustice of white authority over aboriginal people, Jimmies longed for attempts to be considered a respectable part of white Australia were degraded. Hate crimes inequality and predigest sent Jimmie on his murderous rampage across new south whales. If this was how Jimmie a half cast, the most respected class of aboriginal, was treated then imagine how the rest of the culture suffered.