Sophie Hassell

Professor Katsanos
LBST 2102
30 April 2016
That Deadman Dance: Questions
1.
The Noongar people have lived in Australia long before the Europeans, also known as the
Horizon men, arrived. Being hunters and gatherers meant the Aboriginal group were constantly
moving around for food. The colonists were different. Instead of being mobile, they establish a
settlement. Here, they begin a farm and bring domesticated animals so they had food year round.
Throughout the novel, there are many differences between the Noongar people and the colonists.
The Noongar do not have many of the same concepts the colonists have, such as walking into
their huts without notice. There were many examples of such in the novel, and in the beginning it
was not as big of an issue. This only became a prominent cause when problems increased
between the indigenous and settlers. The settlers claim the Noongar do not understand the
concept of property and ownership because they think everything is theirs. On the other hand, the
Noongar can not comprehend the settlers ways of property and ownership. They are used to
everything being shared and allowed for everyones use. Another great example of the
differences between the Noongar and colonists is how they bury their deceased. When
Wunyeran dies, Menak folds his body into itself, like the fetal position. While this is a custom of
the Noongar people, when the whites find the body is laid out like such, they change its position.
Bobby describes them stretching out the body into the European way. By the time this is
discovered, Wunyeran can not be moved back to the proper position, his spirit never leaving
correctly and the natives angry that this happened. Social class is another difference in the novel.
There are constant references made by the white settlers of the Noongar not being as good as
them. Bobby continuously tries to iterate the idea that blacks and whites are the same at King
George Town, but this only causes issues. Many of the white settlers think the natives are getting
out of hand by thinking they are equal. In the beginning, settlers, such as Dr. Cross and Mr.
Chaine, treat the natives fairly. But, as more conflict continues, the natives are turned against.
Gender is another unique difference in the novel. Women are seen as wives to the Europeans, just
there to keep them company and to do little work. On the other hand, women are respected by

the Noongar. One of the most important members of the Nonngar is Manit, an elder woman who
posses much power. Jak Tar calls her Queen Manit because of the power and respect she holds.
Love and marriage, while different in many ways, also possesses similarities between the two
groups. Both the settlers and the Noongar promise or arrange their women to marry someone.
The Noongar people tend to marry their matured women with younger men or older men with
younger women. Because of the sicknesses the Europeans brought, many die leaving those who
were promised to them without a spouse. The majority of the white settlers also do not think it
appropriate for blacks and whites to mix. The only to notably do such is Jak Tar when he marries
Binyan. Many of these differences lead the natives and the white settlers to conflict. Neither are
used to the others way of life, thus clashing on how different situations are handled. This novel
is greatly about globalization. It discusses how life is when the Europeans first arrive and the
steady changes made throughout the years following. The novel highlights how white settlement
expands while the food supply the natives live on basically disappears. This results in the
Noongar stealing from the settlers and the settlers no longer needing the Noongar to assist them.
2.
The vivid descriptions of the scenery are my favorite parts of the novel. Kim Scott uses
such descriptive language when depicting the setting the characters are in. The Noongar see the
scenery different than the European settlers do. Bobby feels alive when he is away from the
settlement and in nature. Also, the natives also talk to the nature and perceive it with human like
qualities. The settlers see the land as a place to house their whaling community. They build huts
throughout it and create a farm to sustain their growing population. By the end of the novel, the
scenery is described as being full of fences and huts that it is hard to walk straight through. While
reading I marked some of my favorite descriptions of the scenery. On page 42, Scott writes The
mountain stood like a stage prop in a vast, grey-green plain a blue cutout against the horizon.
Another example is The Governor politely spoke of the trees, the grassy bank, this quaint
pathThe path maintained, he heard whispered, by many bare feet before us (Scott 153). Scott
also writes on page 163, The moon lifted its large and yellow self from the dark silk sea. My
favorite description of the setting is, The trees were women leaning to the water to wash their
hair (Scott 181). Having these elaborate descriptions adds to the novel. As we discussed in
class, nature is a huge component of indigenous life. The Noongar know how to navigate through

the land with ease as well as control fires to not destroy everything. The descriptions of the
setting are juxtapositions of the undisturbed landscape the Noongar inhabit with the structured
towns the European settlers establish. Animals are also seen very different between the settlers
and the Natives. The Europeans bring domesticated animals, like sheep and horses, to the land.
The Noongar are used to the wild animals to hunt, not having them penned up for whenever they
want. While the Europeans kill animals, the Noongar see them as spiritual creatures. Multiple
times throughout the novel, examples of the natives releasing animal spirits can be found. Also,
during the whaling seasons, Bobby mentions he cannot be around when the whales are being cut
apart. This demonstrates Bobbys connection with animals and disproval of them being mutilated
like such. The settlers also hunt animals outside of their domesticated ones. This resulted in
many kangaroo and other meat sources dwindling so that the Noongar do not have anything to
hunt. This relates to the notions of personhood we discussed in class. The idea of what defines a
person and what rights they get are embodied in the novel. The white settlers took over the
natives home and try to make them European. Bobby, and other natives, are taught how to speak
English and are given clothing to dress the part. Those who do not follow such are see as
primitive. The settlers also do not see the issue of taking the Noongars food source and not
sharing any of their supplies with them. Eventually, at the end of the novel, the Noongar can not
even enter the town without being clothed nor holding any of their weapons. The Europeans see
themselves as better and more advanced than the Noongar; they constantly remind the natives of
such. This can be seen when Mr. Chaine turns of Menak and Bobby when they stand up to the
injustice.
3.
Throughout the novel, the perspective is changed between the many characters. No only
is the point of view from the native Noongar people, but it also includes that of the Europeans.
Having so many perspectives opens the novel up to a greater understanding. By seeing how
different events are perceived by both sides, helps to present a unique overview of the story.
While reading the novel from a single view point would probably present similar ideas, it is the
diversity of characters that brings the story line to life. Bobby connects the settlers to the natives,
learning information from both sides. But, he is unable to fully comprehend the European view
point. Having characters like Skelly, Dr. Cross and Mr. Chaine present their own perspectives,

helps readers form their own opinions on them. From the British characters, we learn about their
opinions of the natives. They perceive the natives as specimen, determining what they are
capable of and studying their actions. We also learn about may of their back stories. An example
of this is hearing about how Dr. Cross had not seen his family in a few years because of his work.
It was very saddening to read how he never got to see his family again before he died. The
Noongar perspective brings an understanding of their culture and traditions that if there were
only a European point of view, would never have been known. Without the Noongar perspective,
the novel would not have highlighted the tragedy of many of their people dying from disease and
the lack of food the Europeans left for them. Also, many of the customs would have been
forgotten because the settlers, besides Jak Tar, did not care to learn them. That Deadman Dance
is different from the Columbus accounts we discussed in class because it presents a variety of
perspectives. The accounts we read tended to be from one perspective, either the settlers or the
natives. While this does present interesting accounts, it leaves a biased story about the actual
events. By comprising a novel with both sides sharing their stories, a more accurate understand
of the events is told. Both sides are heard and the consequences of eithers actions are presented.
4.
Bobby is known for his singing and dancing nature. Throughout the novel, Bobby adds
different elements to the Deadman Dance, making it his own interpretation. One of the
movements Bobby adds is being on the ship. He starts to move like he is walking on the
European settlers ship, going from the ship to the shore and pretending to drink from a bottle.
When Bobby adds this to the dance, the other dancers follow his moves. Bobby continues to add
different elements to the Deadman Dance as he experiences more. At the end of the novel, Bobby
completes one last Deadman Dance, incorporating all his additions to the dance. He dances of
guns, the coughing that killed his people, the sea and the creatures within. Bobby also dances
people from the settlement, including the Killam, Skelly, Dr. Cross, Chaine and the Governor,
embodying their different attributes. The Deadman Dance is like a narrative of all the new
experiences and struggles experienced by the Noongar with the arrival of the settlers. The
significance of the dance is to present the emotions and share the stories the natives have from
the settlers. The dance is called Deadman because the European settlers do not posses any
spirt. Even though they are not dead, they settlers do not seem to be full of life like the Noongar

are. They go about their business, drinking and creating laws, instead of being lively people.
Bobby, being able to add aspects to the Deadman Dance, goes along with the idea of indigenous
people changing rituals when new experiences come about. When Bobby first starts doing the
Deadman Dance, he interrupts one of the ritual dances occurring. This demonstrates how
prevalent the events of the settlers coming is to the way of life of the natives. The Noongar have
to learn to adapt to the settlers coming in, altering their own traditions as a result. The Deadman
Dance reminds me of the Ghost Dance the Native Americans practiced. The Native Americans
who participated in the Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, were massacred.
Although the ending of That Deadman Dance did not explicitly state there was any killing, gun
shots did go off. This leads me to believe many of the Noongar were killed or a war was about
to break out between the settlers and natives. Bobby brings about a lot of change between the
Noongar and Europeans. He acts like a bridge between the two cultures, living within each. He
tries to bring compromise and help keep the peace between his people and the white people.
Bobby is also like a trickster in many ways. Towards the end of the novel, Bobby tricks Killam
into thinking he is about to find the thieves of his sheep, but instead is robbed by Bobby for
many of his supplies. Bobby does this multiple times, leading his people to take what they
believe belongs to them. Although Bobby lives with the Europeans for a while, he still
sympathizes with his Noongar people more, choosing to assist the over the settlers on many
occasions.