The Aboriginal Experience
The key theme of Weller's stories is the Aboriginal experience, be it good, bad or indifferent; it is at the heart of each of the stories. The experience is particularly negative in the story Herbie; the story shows the bullying of Aboriginal children and the escalation of this bullying; it shows white kids standing by whilst their Aboriginal classmate is murdered, and it also shows the way in which indigenous peoples are considered in some way to have less value than their first generation Australian counterparts.
In the title story, the way in which Aboriginal people are forced to live is put under the microscope, as the camp they call home is shown to be almost unfit for human habitation and lacking in basic facilities. The lack of opportunities for Aboriginal people is also shown.
Ethnic Identity
This is another theme to which the author returns frequently. It is best showcased in the title story, Going Home, as the protagonist of the story, who identifies socially as a white person, rediscovers his pride in his black Aboriginal heritage. There is also confusion; he enjoys his life, and likes his lifestyle. He has achieved much, and is admired by both black and white friends, but he also knows that in some way he is living a lie; however, when he returns to his home and his roots, he feels almost like fish out of water there as well. This throws up a conflict within him as he is proud of his ancestry but does not really strongly identify with it.
Racism
This is the third side of the thematic triangle that the author presents us with in his stories, and is in some ways the most potent as it shows the way in which indigenous people were treated more harshly by authorities, and also on the flip side, minimized when they are the victims of a crime. This theme stems from Weller's own life story and his feeling that he was wrongly imprisoned; the large chip on his shoulder relating to his incarceration is the catalyst for the title story. There is also racism amongst his characters when Herbie, the Aboriginal child, is killed, and the crime is seen as in some ways less criminal because the victim was indigenous.
