No Sugar
No Sugar
No Sugar (1986), a play exploring the treatment of Aboriginal people in the 1930’s, was written by Jack Davis, an Aboriginal Western Australian who grew up in Yarloop and the Moore River Settlement. No Sugar is told from the point of view of an Aboriginal family who are coerced into living at an Aboriginal reserve because the white people in their community didn’t like them living close to them. The authority at the settlement are very abusive creating conflict between the Millimurra family and the authorities. The main focus during this play is racism, which Davis has outlined as an upsetting theme that should be erased from society. Davis uses sub-topics to convey this message; such as the inequality of the ways Aboriginal people are treated, the authority abusing their power and the Aboriginal family bonds and relationships. These themes all contribute in conveying Davis’ underlying message that racism is unjust and hurtful and Davis’ reinforcement that the audience reflects their own behaviours towards Aboriginal people.
Davis sends an anti-bigotry message in the play No Sugar by developing family bonds and relationships between the Millimurra family that are hurt because of the racist views held by some people. Racism is the biggest issue dealt with during this play, and the audience acknowledging that this is a wrong concept is largely due to the ways the Millimurra family act, making this an important sub-theme. Davis develops these bonds by showing the Millimurra’s regular attitudes towards each other in their everyday lives. Davis doesn’t make the Aboriginal people seem inexplicably perfect, he makes them act human; something the audience can pertain to.
“MILLY: Where’s the shirt?
DAVID: [tapping his chest] ‘Ere
MILLY: Take it off
DAVID: But it’s clean on this side.
MILLY: Come ‘ere [she tugs it of him and swaps it for a clean one]”1
A mother fussing over her son wearing a clean shirt is something most people are familiar with, making
No Sugar (1986), a play exploring the treatment of Aboriginal people in the 1930’s, was written by Jack Davis, an Aboriginal Western Australian who grew up in Yarloop and the Moore River Settlement. No Sugar is told from the point of view of an Aboriginal family who are coerced into living at an Aboriginal reserve because the white people in their community didn’t like them living close to them. The authority at the settlement are very abusive creating conflict between the Millimurra family and the authorities. The main focus during this play is racism, which Davis has outlined as an upsetting theme that should be erased from society. Davis uses sub-topics to convey this message; such as the inequality of the ways Aboriginal people are treated, the authority abusing their power and the Aboriginal family bonds and relationships. These themes all contribute in conveying Davis’ underlying message that racism is unjust and hurtful and Davis’ reinforcement that the audience reflects their own behaviours towards Aboriginal people.
Davis sends an anti-bigotry message in the play No Sugar by developing family bonds and relationships between the Millimurra family that are hurt because of the racist views held by some people. Racism is the biggest issue dealt with during this play, and the audience acknowledging that this is a wrong concept is largely due to the ways the Millimurra family act, making this an important sub-theme. Davis develops these bonds by showing the Millimurra’s regular attitudes towards each other in their everyday lives. Davis doesn’t make the Aboriginal people seem inexplicably perfect, he makes them act human; something the audience can pertain to.
“MILLY: Where’s the shirt?
DAVID: [tapping his chest] ‘Ere
MILLY: Take it off
DAVID: But it’s clean on this side.
MILLY: Come ‘ere [she tugs it of him and swaps it for a clean one]”1
A mother fussing over her son wearing a clean shirt is something most people are familiar with, making