Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Deadly, Unna?, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Injustice, and Action
Courage and Masculinity
Duty and Sacrifice
Teamwork and Family
Summary
Analysis
Back in the present, Blacky returns home from practicing with Arks to find his family in the kitchen. Blacky’s old man is absent, at the pub, as he always is. Mum is cooking. Blacky remarks on how much she knows about football, even though Arks won’t take her opinions seriously because she was never a football player and she’s a woman. Blacky expresses his doubts about Arks’s expectations of him, but Mum encourages him to just do his best, saying that Arks will be “happy as Larry.” Blacky wonders why his mother uses that phrase; he has no idea where it comes from.
This is the reader’s first introduction to Blacky’s father’s neglect of the family, which partially explains Blacky’s fear of taking on responsibility himself. The hypermasculine prejudice of local football is also on display here: Arks denies good advice because it comes from a woman. The phrase “happy as Larry” will reappear at the end of the novel to symbolize Blacky’s acceptance of his connection to his family, so it’s notable that at this point, he simply finds the phrase confusing.
Themes
Blacky greets his siblings, using advanced vocabulary words that he’s proud of but that his siblings ignore. He notices the table has been neatly set, probably by his sister, Sharon. But even though Sharon always does things neatly, none of the dishes or silverware in their home match. Blacky thinks how he never noticed how disorganized his house was until he stayed with a wealthy family for a football tournament.
The mismatched silverware represents not only the family’s poverty, but the chaotic and disconnected relationships of the family members themselves. But at the same time, Sharon’s dedication to keeping the home as nice as possible foreshadows how individual effort can foster group connections.
Themes
Blacky chats with his little brother, Kevin. Mum corrects Kevin’s grammar, even though their father speaks without proper grammar. As with most nights, the siblings argue about whether they will watch Gilligan’s Island or The Brady Bunch tonight. Blacky argues for Gilligan’s Island. He can’t believe his siblings could be so stupid as to prefer The Brady Bunch.
Mum’s devotion to her children is shown by her high expectations of them. Blacky’s preference of Gilligan’s Island over The Brady Bunch shows his character’s preference of independence and self-sufficiency over interconnectedness and family bonds—a preference that will change over the course of the novel.
Themes
As is custom in the family, the siblings vote on what to watch, with each person’s vote equaling the number of their age. The Brady Bunch wins. Mum serves them all dinner before sitting down on a stool to do a crossword. The siblings groan when they find out they will again be having bread and butter pudding for dessert.
Blacky’s mom literally does not have a place at the table, showing how much she sacrifices to take care of her family. This sacrifice explains in part why Blacky himself would fear taking on responsibility.
Themes
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After dinner, not wanting to watch The Brady Bunch, Blacky goes to his room. He unfortunately has to share the bedroom with his brothers, including one whom he calls Best Team-man, who has the smelliest feet in the world. Blacky doesn’t know how Best Team-man could be so unlucky as to inherit the stinky feet gene.
Blacky’s comments about Team-man’s smelly feet gene shows how Blacky interprets connections to family as placing an unfair burden upon the individual. The crowded conditions of the bedroom further emphasize the poverty and chaos of Blacky’s family.
Themes
Blacky lies down in their messy room and tries to focus on his opponent, Thumper. He can’t think of any real weaknesses of Thumper’s and he doesn’t want to even imagine his strengths. Blacky stares up at “the scar,” the crack in the ceiling where his father took the house apart and put it back together after moving it from a government auction to the Port.
“The scar” not only shows the poverty of the Black family’s living conditions but also represents the estrangement within Blacky’s family. It also suggests the larger division within Blacky’s society, between the Point and the Port.
Themes
Team-man comes in and discusses the upcoming game with Blacky. Team-man tells Blacky that he doesn’t stand a chance against Thumper. Blacky says if he’s doomed, then the whole team is doomed, since he’s the first ruck. Team-man agrees. Blacky mocks him for being a great “team-man.” Team-man leaves the bedroom.
Team-man fails to provide the emotional support one would expect from a family member or teammate, which is why his nickname (essentially meaning “team player”) is ironic. Blacky’s attitude here communicates that at the moment, he doesn’t feel lucky or grateful to be part of his team or his family; he just experiences them as burdens.
Themes
