Essay Questions

How does the author develop the theme of cultural conflict?

The book ‘That Deadman Dance’ by Kim Scott is set in the 18th century in Australia. The predominant community is the Aboriginal tribe, which embraces its cultural practices. Later, the white Americans start visiting Albany. The new visitors are welcomed by Bobby, who is friendly to everyone. However, the local community later realizes that there is an influx of American settlers in the area, and they start forcing the locals into accepting their culture. The Aboriginal tribe is not happy with the new cultural rules imposed on them by the white settlers. The local elders start mobilizing the tribe to protect its culture, and if Bobby takes sides with Americans, he must be expelled from the society. Therefore, the main conflict between the locals and the white settlers is the cultural clash between them.

Why do the local communities believe that the Americans and Europeans are abusing their trust?

At first, the local community is welcoming because they receive the white settlers with two hands. The Aboriginal people are ready to accept the white colonists to avoid any trouble because they want them to feel like part of the local community. However, when the white settlers realize that their numbers have swollen, they decide to do things that the local communities consider evil. For instance, they start westernizing the local community by force. As a result, the locals feel that their trust has been misused, and they now want to kick the white settles out.

What do the Whales embody in the book 'That Deadman Dance’?

The author uses the whales to epitomize the Aboriginal culture. According to the Aboriginal community, whale hunting is a cultural activity, and it should only be viewed as a source of food. However, The Europeans are hunting whales basically to make a profit and nothing else. The Europeans are hunting whales on a large scale to profit, which angers the local community because that contradicts the primary cultural goal of whale hunting for food.