Values present in Crow Country

Understanding, Tolerating and Including

Kate Constable’s Crow Country explores issues involving Aboriginal culture. The Australian value, understanding, toleration and inclusion of all cultures, is shown at its best and worst. Sadie and her family accept diversity, exhibiting the best of Australian behaviours, whereas the Mortlocks and general public of Boort display the worst.

Sadie’s family shows Australians at their best in Crow Country through understanding, tolerance and inclusion. Clarry “had fought a whole council” to include Jimmy’s name on the war memorial and his family use the “best china to serve a black stockman,” tea. They are brave enough to include Jimmy in society and treat him as equal despite peer pressure and the cultural differences. As Sadie connects with the stories associated with the land, she starts to own the task set by Crow. Past Sadie proves her comprehension when she restrains her curiosity, not looking at the Jimmy’s special things and burying them where Crow indicated, protected by the “Blue Crane cigarette tin”. Not only tolerating Aboriginal culture, but embracing its values Sadie, in defiance of the law, breaks into the Mortlock’s house, as she understands the importance of Jimmy’s special things,. The Hazards’, through their understanding, tolerance and inclusion of Aboriginal people and culture, portray Australians at their best.

The Mortlocks and citizens of Boort do not display understanding, tolerance or inclusion. Diners “stopped talking. They stared” at Ellie and David (p.72)who walked into the pub. The citizens of Boort were highly intolerant of interracial relationships. In the time slip it is delineated that few “ in the town, in the whole district,” would serve tea to an Aborigine (p.53) with their best china, and including Jimmy in the war memorial was abhorrent to the non-aboriginal community. Townfolk were actively exclusive, mimicking behaviour of the Mortlocks, who use disrespectful words and even “beat David up” (p.82). The first time Sadie went to the pub she was invited to play pool whereas when Walter accompanied her she was told to “piss off” (p.76). Whenever confronted with Aboriginal culture, the Mortlocks acted aggressively and rarely demonstrated empathy. When Jimmy “came right up to” Gerald’s “breathing in” his “face” (p.140) Gerald breaks his trench made promise to look after Jimmy and mortally wounds him. Whether this was truly an accident or not, Gerald makes no attempt to help Jimmy. Once Craig discovered that there was no financial value in the stone circle he vandalized it, “a ring of beer cans littered” the area where “the swooping bikes” rode (p.156). The Mortlocks and the Boort public exhibited ignorance, Intolerance and exclusion, portraying Australians at their worst.

Australians in Kate Constable’s novel Crow Country are shown at their best and worst through issues involving Aboriginal culture. The values of understanding, toleration and inclusion of all cultures is present throughout the book. Constable has shown how Sadie and her family embrace multiculturalism whereas the Mortlocks and townsfolk reject it.

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