There is something to be said for the historical value of this story, but for the purposes of artistic analysis, for the book's literary merit, consider what the American point of view might represent in a broader sense, and in light of that, what might the different dances of the Aboriginal tribes represent to them. In a sense, certainly this book is about horror, which is implied by the title That Deadman Dance, but it can be analyzed more precisely—technically the novel seems to be about the horror of experiencing people whose culture is so different that it makes the Americans wonder about their own cultural assumptions.
This happens in a binary way. There is the open exchange of cultural ideas and celebrates, which includes the friendships between the two communities and the shared interests of both sides, but there is also another element to their relationship, which is represented in the disappearing Americans. Slowly, the opinion among the native people begins to change, and suddenly, the Americans find themselves in the plot of a horrifying story.
In the mix is Bobby. The reader sees Bobby's experience through time, which is our primary sense for the emotional effects of the plot, but Bobby is from the Noongar tribe. He is not an American. He knows something the Western reader might not know—that behind closed doors, the effects of group think and fear are having their effect, just as they are in the European camp, as the Europeans start to wonder whether the natives might become violent. In other words, this novel is about social paranoia about foreigners or outsiders. In a word, the communities become xenophobic and hostile.
