Reader's Circle Discussion - 'Jali Boy'
In Reader's Circle yesterday with Mrs Fardell, we discussed about the ups and downs of our book "Jali boy" and how it shows the pain and suffering and mental, personal problems that Jali has to bear for many different reasons. Some reasons for his distressing being his father leaving, so Jali' psychology is that he has to 'be a man' and take up his father's role and be a rolemodel and a father figure to his younger brother, Kain, to teach him the Indigenous Australian Aboriginal ways of life and traditions. How Jali has to somehow find his way through severe peer pressure from the mission boys as they force him to do bad things.
"He found himself standing in front of the brick wall of the principal's office at Brownhill Primary School with a spray-paint can in his hand. But still, he was unsure.
"Cummon Jali. Dun be a chicken. Neva thought ya'd be a wuss!" jeered the boys." page 17
How he had on many occassions had to fight off the White boys at school when they bullied him for the way he spoke or how he looked. And his mother Marlikka becoming more and more sick each week.
We made some connections on how this relates to our Religion unit 'Why Me?' in the sense that these are like big, heavy crosses (burdens) Jali has to carry and overcome. Due to all this pressure, Jali was becoming a bad boy with all the naughty things he did, he was sent off to St Stephens Boarding School in Sydney, a long way away from home and anyone who he knew and loved. How could he find a place to belong?
We talked about how 'black people vs white people' dicrimination has occured in other places around the world too, like in Africa and with the African Americans. They even had seperate toilets and entrances due to their skin colour and/or race!
The book Jali boy is a very meaningful book that has a very deeper meaning than you may see in the surface meaning and really teaches some good life lessons/morals like how life is hard and has many challenges we have to bear and overcome each day, bearing our cross.
"He found himself standing in front of the brick wall of the principal's office at Brownhill Primary School with a spray-paint can in his hand. But still, he was unsure.
"Cummon Jali. Dun be a chicken. Neva thought ya'd be a wuss!" jeered the boys." page 17
How he had on many occassions had to fight off the White boys at school when they bullied him for the way he spoke or how he looked. And his mother Marlikka becoming more and more sick each week.
We made some connections on how this relates to our Religion unit 'Why Me?' in the sense that these are like big, heavy crosses (burdens) Jali has to carry and overcome. Due to all this pressure, Jali was becoming a bad boy with all the naughty things he did, he was sent off to St Stephens Boarding School in Sydney, a long way away from home and anyone who he knew and loved. How could he find a place to belong?
We talked about how 'black people vs white people' dicrimination has occured in other places around the world too, like in Africa and with the African Americans. They even had seperate toilets and entrances due to their skin colour and/or race!
The book Jali boy is a very meaningful book that has a very deeper meaning than you may see in the surface meaning and really teaches some good life lessons/morals like how life is hard and has many challenges we have to bear and overcome each day, bearing our cross.
Daniel you have written a very detailed response that shows a deep understanding of the themes within your book. I enjoyed reading about the connections you made to our excursion and to the crosses people around the world face everyday. It helps me realise how lucky we are in Australia.
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