Rain
On the night when Willie was supposed to meet Rosie at the pictures, he gets out of the house and rushes to go to the theater. As he gets there, it suddenly starts to rain and so the people getting ready to see the movie have to give up their plans and find shelter. Willie arrives just in time to see Rosie being ushered out by Lester and being affectionate to her. The rain is used here as a symbol, to suggest the obstacles Willie has to face as he tries to win Rosie. Just as the rain prevents them from meeting, there are other obstacles Willie has to face as he tries to get closer to Rosie.
Pray and everything will be alright
One of the common motifs in the play is the way in which prayer is presented. Many characters value prayer and consider it as an answer to every problem as person may have. Willie is urged both by his mother and by Father Benedictus to pray for power and wisdom every time when he raises a problem. This becomes a common motif in the play.
Sexuality as a sin
Another common motif found in the play is the idea that sexual desires are a sin. Every time Willie thinks about Rosie in a sexual way, he thinks about her as being surrounded by fire, a way in which the devil is sometimes portrayed. This idea that sexuality is a sin becomes a common motif in the play and is present until the end.
Coping mechanism
One of the common motifs in the play is the presence of drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism, especially when it comes to aboriginal people. The aboriginal people in the play, especially the old ones, are always portrayed as drinking. Their drinking habit is something they feel the need to maintain since it is the only way through which they can feel happy.
Chocolate
Chocolate appears in the play both as a motif and as a symbol. Chocolate is something everything wants to have but something possessed only by the white people in the play. The children in the boarding school for example are ready to risk being punished just to eat chocolate and Uncle Tadpole’s friends tell Father Benedictus where they went after they are offered chocolate. The sweet treat is also used as a symbol to an extent, symbolizing the type of belonging the aboriginals wanted to have but could not get because of their origins.
