Jack Davis No Sugar And Matt Ottley's Requiem For A Beast

Power refers to the ability to influence or control the behaviour of others, either through force, coercion, or persuasion. Jack Davis's No Sugar and Matt Ottley's Requiem for a Beast are two significant works of literature that explore the theme of power imbalances in society. Published in 1986, No Sugar is set in Western Australia during the 1920s and highlights the oppression and discrimination faced by Aboriginal people at the hands of white Australians. Through the use of symbolism, characterisation, and imagery, Davis paints a vivid picture of the devastating effects of colonialism on Indigenous communities. Requiem for a Beast, published in 2007, is a powerful graphic novel that depicts the power imbalance in gender and race between

Throughout the play, Davis characterises the Millimurra family as being subjected to the hardships of forced removal from their land and placement in government settlements. For instance, Gran, the matriarch of the family, complains, "We bin here longa time now. We bin work hard. All this land belongs us. What for the government want to take away from us?" (Davis 10). Through this quote, Davis highlights the injustices that Aboriginal people faced, including the forced removal of their land by the government. Furthermore, Davis also employs symbolism to represent the restrictions and limitations imposed upon Aboriginal people by the white Australian government. The recurring motif of the "fence" represents the confinement and oppression of Aboriginal people by the government. When the fence is erected around the settlement, Jimmy Munday exclaims, "That fence, that bloody fence. It's the white man's way of keeping us in" (Davis 32). Through this quote, Davis emphasises the restrictive and oppressive nature of the fence, which serves as a symbol of the power imbalance between Aboriginals and white

The farmer, Bill, is portrayed as having control over the female protagonist, Annie. When Annie finds a cow giving birth, Bill tells her to wait for him, and she complies, even though she knows the cow needs help. This quote highlights the power dynamic between the two characters, with Bill dictating what Annie can and cannot do, and also reveals the lack of regard for the cow's welfare. Despite Annie's concerns for the cow's wellbeing, Bill decides that the animal is not worth the vet's bill if she can't have the calf on her own, displaying the utilitarian view of animals held by many in society. Furthermore, the text also sheds light on the power imbalance between white Australians and Indigenous Australians. The narrator describes how the Indigenous Australians in the area were forced to leave their land, saying, "The black people are gone, and so are the dingoes" (Ottley, 2007, p. 5). This quote highlights the displacement of Indigenous Australians by white settlers, as well as the impact of their absence on the environment. Moreover, the artwork in the text portrays the Indigenous Australians as dark and shadowy, emphasizing their marginalization and exclusion from mainstream society. Together, these examples demonstrate how power imbalances are present not only between humans, but also between humans and animals, and between different racial groups. The text serves as a commentary on the