Overview
Theme and Quotations
'Sticks and Stones and Such-like' explores the themes of belonging and identity through the main character, Sunil. In the short story, Sunil is confronted with difficulties of belonging to society and is frustrated because he doesn't know his identity in Australia. Growing up as an Indian in Australia was difficult for Sunil because he was tormented by society for being 'black'.
In the beginning of the story, Sunil finds it difficult for him to belong to society. He would often be called names such-like curry-muncher, towel-head and darkie. He didn't want to be considered a 'darkie', he just wanted to fit in to society, 'Naturally, growing up, I didn't want to be a nigger, a coon, a darkie. I didn't feel 'black' anything. I just wanted to fit in' (Page 10). Since Sunil was an Indian and 'black', he felt that he could not fit in to society. For him to fit in, he believed that he needed to change his name to Neil, a Western name, 'If I couldn't be less black, surely I could get a name that made me feel less black? If Sumant was Monty, why couldn't I be - well, Neil?' (Page 12)
In the related text, Sunil struggles to find his "character" and loses touch with his inner self and culture, 'It's just that - I - um, I hate it. Sunil. It's too hard to say. It's too - it's too Indian!' (Page 13). After hearing his mother's point of view of him becoming a Neil and how he hates being called Sunil, he soon regains his notion of identity at the near end of the story, 'And, although I hated to admit it then, my mother was right: I was proud.' (Page 14).
In the beginning of the story, Sunil finds it difficult for him to belong to society. He would often be called names such-like curry-muncher, towel-head and darkie. He didn't want to be considered a 'darkie', he just wanted to fit in to society, 'Naturally, growing up, I didn't want to be a nigger, a coon, a darkie. I didn't feel 'black' anything. I just wanted to fit in' (Page 10). Since Sunil was an Indian and 'black', he felt that he could not fit in to society. For him to fit in, he believed that he needed to change his name to Neil, a Western name, 'If I couldn't be less black, surely I could get a name that made me feel less black? If Sumant was Monty, why couldn't I be - well, Neil?' (Page 12)
In the related text, Sunil struggles to find his "character" and loses touch with his inner self and culture, 'It's just that - I - um, I hate it. Sunil. It's too hard to say. It's too - it's too Indian!' (Page 13). After hearing his mother's point of view of him becoming a Neil and how he hates being called Sunil, he soon regains his notion of identity at the near end of the story, 'And, although I hated to admit it then, my mother was right: I was proud.' (Page 14).
Text Deconstruction
Link to the concept
'Sticks and Stones and Such-like' composed by Sunil Badami reviews his experiences and struggles as a 'black' Indian child in Australia. It is a story that explains how an innocent Indian child doesn't fit into society with such an UN-Australian name. Sunil Badami's story conveys a variety of effective techniques to portray meaning in his text. He does this by successfully using rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions have successfully been used to show that Sunil questions his sense of belonging in society, 'If I couldn't be less black, surely I could get a name that made me feel less black? If Sumant was Monty, why couldn't I be - well, Neil?' (Page 12). A clever technique Sunil Badami has provided in his story is historical allusion, 'Neil. I liked it: it sounded like an astronaut's name.' (Page 12). It is a reference to the astronaut Neil Armstrong, a white individual. The concept of belonging is shown in this quote because Sunil wishes to be called Neil. He'd feel as if he belonged to society because his name made him feel less black. An additional dominant technique utilised in Sunil's story is visual imagery, 'Scrubbing my right arm with the floor brush till tiny spots of blood started weeping into the sink, discovering nothing but angry blooming red underneath.' (Page 10).
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