Remembering Babylon

Xenophobia The white settlers fear the Aboriginal Australians—whom they refer to and regard as “black” in comparison with their own whiteness—and view them as fundamentally different beings from themselves. However, those conceptions are challenged by the arrival of Gemmy, a white man who was raised by an Aboriginal community, speaks their language, and follows their customs. Although the settlers believe that white people are inherently separate from and superior to the Aboriginal peoples, Gemmy’s presence and the conduct of the white settlers suggests not only that the notion of racial superiority is foolish, but also that the hard distinction between “black” people and white people is similarly meaningless. Community and Insularity Because of the isolation of the settlers’ community in the Australian wilderness, each family is heavily dependent on its neighbors for protection and provision. However, when Jock finds that he morally disagrees with his neighbors and does things ...