The proprietor insists Alice to leave or he will get someone to make her move from where she stands. Alice tells the proprietor that he can get
anyone, but she will not move because her children‟s feet are burning on the
hot road. In the end the proprietor goes away and observes Alice from a distance.
7. Conflict between Alice and an Aboriginal Affairs man, Mr. Hawke.
When Alice moves to Wells Street, one day, she gets a conflict with Mr. Hawke. Mr. Hawke is an Aboriginal Affairs man in town:
One day I‟d just picked up my parcel and I was going along past the Town Hall when this Aboriginal Affairs man came up to
me and said, „Excuse me, Mrs. Nannup, I‟d just like to speak to you.
‟ „Alright,‟ I said. „What‟s the matter?‟
„I‟ve had a report about you not spending your money properly,‟ he said.
Well, I just stopped dead in my tracks. „Where‟d you get that from‟ I said.
„We just got it, and if you don‟t spend you money properly, we‟ll have to take your endowment away from you.‟
„Who said that, I‟ll skin that person,‟ I said. „They should mind their own business. You want to see something?‟ and I put
my hand down under the pram and pulled this COD parcel out. „This is where my money goes. I don‟t know whoever told you I
was squandering my money, but in here are articles I‟ve got for my kids. This money belongs to the kids, and I spend it on the
kids.‟p.188. Mr. Hawke, an Aboriginal Affairs man
tries to find Alice‟s fault. He stops Alice when she passes the Town Hall from picking up her parcel. He
accuses Alice for not properly spending the money. Alice disagrees and denies by showing the COD Cash on Delivery: an Australian Post service
for buyers and seller parcel and tells that the money goes to the parcel that
is addressed to her children. Because of that Alice explains to Mr. Hawke that her money belongs to her children and goes for her children too.
8. Conflict between Alice and some boys.
The last conflict happens in the street. There are three little brothers sitting in the car waiting for their parent which go shopping. The oldest
white boy tells his little brothers to take a look at the „niggers‟. At this point,
the „niggers‟ that are being pointed are Alice and her two children who just walk across the street. Alice approaches the car and tells the children that
she does not feel ashamed of herself as Aborigines. p.192. The two opposing force are Alice and the boys. The boys called
Alice and her children „nigger‟, an appropriate name for the Aborigines. Meanwhile Alice tells to the boys that being and Aborigines is not
something to be ashamed.
9. Conflict between Aboriginal girls and white boys.
The conflict happens when they are walking together. They are Carrie and Bertha, who are very touchy, and there is Jessie who is very
strict: One time we were walking back from government gardens
and there was a bunch of louts coming up the street on the opposite side. These fellas were walking down the street, and
they always slung off at our color you see. This one bloke, he looked over and said, „Pfoo, look at all the
dark clouds. It sure is going to rain.‟ Bertha and Carrie were across the street and into those fellas,
and I tell you what – they bolted, off they fled. Then Jessie
shouted, „Look you girls, pull yourselves together. You know if the police come we‟ll be in big trouble. They‟ll get away with it,
and we‟ll be the one in hot water – all for the likes of them.‟
