Deadly Unna Review
The novel Deadly Unna, by Phillip Gwynne, is about a young man called Gary Black from the Port. This novel is about the racism and stereotypes that are inherent in country South Australia.
Deadly Unna was published in 1998 by Penguin Books. Phillip Gwynne is a sibling to eight and was raised in South Australia. He has a degree in marine biology and has travelled the world. He now lives in Coogee, New South Wales and has released two books, Deadly Unna? And Nuukkin ya.
Fourteen-year-old Gary “Blacky” Black's life in Australia centres around his large family and footy, until he becomes friends with an Aborigine boy and realizes how horrible prejudice can be.
Gary Black has a family of three sisters and
three brothers a hard, heavy drinking, father and kind, patient but exhausted mother. Gary has a friend from the Point, Dumby
Red, Dumby is the best player in the team but this is not recognised. Pickles is a friend from town who also on the football team, he is very unhygienic.
On day a horrible accident happen to Dumby Red. Gary realises how important his friendship was with him and does anything to get to his funeral.
Deadly Unna had two main themes to the novel, friendship and racism.
Friendship trough out the novel was mostly between Gary and Dumby, it was a difficult friendship because of there background.
Racism was serious in the novel. At the start Gary went along with it
with his friends, Mate of yours now, is he?" "No way. Not him. I hate his guts." After Blacky had made this comment, he spat on the ground to prove to all of his friends that he meant it. Later in the novel he realizes that racism is wrong.
My opinion of the novel that’s its well written and thought of the themes fit
well with the novel and other people and classes will enjoy reading it.
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