In one of the cold nights in Australia, Norm, an Australian native, stops Ahmed, a student from Pakistan and asks him for a cigarette lighting. The two start talking on different matters. Initially, Norm pretends to be a nice man, but as the conversation progresses, he changes his tone. At the end of the conversation, Norm turns cruel and punches Ahmed. Ahmed looks intimidated. His nervousness and anxiety during the conversation can be attributed to the fact that he is in a foreign country. Alienation, prejudice, and racism are issues covered in the drama.
During the conversation, Norm feels unsettled to reveal that he is a storeman. He feels challenged by a young man from a foreign country. Ahmed articulates ideas well to the chagrin of Norm. Norm believes that it is wrong for an Asian to get educated in Australia. Therefore, his anger and emotions charges as he talks with Ahmed. Norm dislikes non-whites. His distaste for non-whites is exposed when he tells Ahmed that he is not dark enough to be called Mr. Midnight. Such a statement shows that he is a racist.
The meeting between the two men lay bare Australia’s questionable values. Norm pretends to be a good person, but in the end, he exposes his true colors. He lacks integrity and has no respect for foreigners. He perceives himself superior and tries level best to dominate the conversation. At one point, he shows his disliking for Chinese in his country. Norm tells Ahmed that he is better than chows in Dixon Street, referring to Chinese. All this conversation between Norm and Ahmed shows racism exercised by whites against non-whites.
