No Sugar

No Sugar is a play written by Jack Davis which was intended to expose Australian racism. It is a story set during the Great Depression, which looks into the life of an aboriginal Australian family and their attempts at subsistence.

No Sugar raises issues that stem mainly from a total disregard for the cultural values of the Aboriginal people by the dominant white society. These issues are concerned with the religion, living conditions and the basic way of life of the Aboriginal people. However it is fair to say that the raised issues stem not only from a disregard of culture but also from a deep racist motivation to eradicate the Aboriginal people entirely. This motivation was glossed over to look like attempts were being made to include the Aboriginal people into the dominant white society.

A perfect example of this effort to fit the Aborigines into the mold of the white people was portrayed in the forcing of the Christian faith upon the Aboriginal people. In No Sugar the Aborigines living at the Long Pool Camp were forced to go to Sunday school or church, depending on their age. When David chooses not to go to Sunday school he is whipped by Billy and Sister Eileen says " in one way it's your own fault…If you'd been at Sunday school that wouldn't have happened." The religious values of the Aboriginal people were totally disregarded by the white people and their reluctance to attend Sunday school was blamed on them.

This disrespect was also evident in the Aborigines own religious gatherings. The corroborees of the Aborigines are held in the middle of the bush away from the whites and when a noise is heard the Aborigines decide that they are going to be "getting out of here", probably in fear of the possible presence of the white people. Both the Sunday school and the corroboree incident are prime illustrations of the white people's attitude towards the values of the Aboriginal culture; total disrespect.

Disrespect was also evident in the appalling living conditions imposed on the Aboriginal people by the white people. The Aboriginal people are forced to live in camps, in a separate part of town to the white people. Their food was rationed out and was considered to be "three-course bloody pig swill", by Jimmy and this was certainly the opinion of a majority of the Aborigines. The Aboriginal people were neglected in sanitary needs as Sergeant proclaimed that "soap is no longer included as a ration item."

Neglect was also present due to the Aboriginal people being herded around to different locations like cattle and forced to leave their home. The Aborigines had no choice, if they refused they would "just go along for resisting arrest and escaping legal custody." This attitude taken by the white people towards the Aborigines proves that they didn't care about the living conditions or the values of the Aboriginal people.

The Aborigines way of life was probably the least respected aspect of the values of the Aboriginal cultures by the white people in No Sugar. The Aborigines always had more severe punishments placed upon them by the justice system simply because of the colour of their skin. Not only was this totally unjust and unequal but it also showed that the white people had no place or respect for the Aborigines old tribal law.

Another tradition of the Aborigines way of life was hunting. The white people hindered this by shooting the Aborigines dogs, which were necessary to catch any animals. So to sustain themselves, the Aborigines had to degrade themselves by collecting rations from the local Police Station. The total disrespect of the Aborigines traditional way of life was evident due to this action.

The Aborigines were forced to live with European clothes, European food and to live under a European system of life. This proves that the white people believed that the Aboriginal way of life was inferior and unfit to even be respected. This was outright racism and it was masked by the fake, diplomatic attempts to blend some small areas of Aboriginal culture into the dominant white system of society. A shining example of this was portrayed at the very beginning of the play when Sam finds the idea of "Nyoongahs corroboreein' to a wetjala's brass band", laughable. The actions of the white people were obvious to the Millimurra's and they are portrayed obviously throughout the play.

The statement posed in the essay question claims that the issues raised in No Sugar are mainly due to the total disregard for the values of the Aboriginal culture by the dominant white society. It is fair to say that the disregard goes deeper than the values of the Aboriginal culture. The disregard is not of the culture but of the Aboriginal people themselves. The image portrayed of them is one of savageness. Neal sees them as almost sub-human. This is evident in his sexual harassment of young Aboriginal girls.

The disregard for the Aboriginal people gets to the point that the white people see the Aborigines as inferior beings. Inferior in their beliefs, in their culture and in their way of life. As a result the white people feel that the Aborigines need to be eradicated and it is this view of the white people that the issues raised in No Sugar stem mainly from.