'Going Home' af Archie Weller, analyse

Going home is a story about the young mixed Aboriginal boy Billy Woodward also known as William Jacob Woodward who returns to his black Aboriginal family after a couple of years during his favorite hobby's which is painting and football. He escaped from his family in a young age because he was ashamed of their environment and their culture, so he decided to adapt himself into a better-organized white society (l. 7. P.110). He had tried to blend into the white society for a long time, which is being expressed by that he has been living in Perth for five years. As time has passed by he is been confronted a lot with different cultures, which has lead to his knowledge of the generalization and the prejudice that the aborigines are the subject of. That is also why he has created a secondary identity that he uses when he is with his white friends. His name is Billy when he is black, and William when he is ‘’white’’, and it clearly shows that he is embarrassed because of the fact that he is an aborigine and that he is afraid to be judged by the white society.

He decides to return home to his aboriginal family right after the purchase a new car and some new clothes possibly to show of his newly found success in life (l. 17 p. 108). He meets Darcy on his way home and decides to pick him up. This could indicate that he is nervous, and afraid of his family’s reaction and possibly needs a friend to talk with. On their way to the camp they decide to go to a bar to buy some beers to celebrate Billy’s 21-year birthday. But when they arrive, problems surface. The barman is very judgemental and brutal which is expressed as the barman confronts them with their origins and tells them that it is always them (aboriginals) who starts trouble (l.31 p.112) In that situation Billy realizes that he is black and nothing can ever change this fact (l.40 p.112). When they arrive at the camp Billy is faced with the fact that he comes from a really bad environment (p. 113 l. 37). It also starts to rain, which is a symbol of his disappointment of the environment and his old house. He meets all the family members except the dad. His mother is disappointed in him. First and foremost he did not return for his fathers funeral. He meets his brother Carlton who was just released from jail, and he gives him a brand new gold watch as a present. After spending some time with them he decides to go for a walk, but just as he slouches to the edge of the clearing, a police van appears and suddenly he is convinced about Billy has committed the robbery at a store yesterday, and the policeman is using some good arguments as Billy’s new watch - that it is stolen. That means that Carlton has been stolen it. The policeman was convinced, and therefore he had to take him to the police station. That shows obviously the racism in the city. At the end Billy is sitting in the police car, when in comes his brother. He says “Welcome ‘ome, brother”. This sentences could indicate that Billy never had been home and that he has no idea about how hard it is to be an Aboriginal and how other people treat them.