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Chapter 33
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Yield, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Colonialism and Exploitation
The Power of Language and Cultural History
Family, Identity, and Belonging
Collective Trauma, Memory, and Guilt
Human Spirituality and the Natural World
Summary
Analysis
Albert tells the story of Biyaami, the Aboriginal Australians’ creator god. Biyaami made the earth beautiful and lived in harmony with Mother Earth, who created birds to eat the insects sent by the evil spirit Marmoo. Biyaami’s son, Gurra-gala-gali, died for him, but Albert’s ancestors insisted he was not like Jesus. The Aboriginal people don’t worship Biyaami but his creation. After Jedda’s disappearance, Albert and Elsie both wandered their land looking for her, filled with bunba-y-marra-nha (“longing”). What Jimmy did to Jedda has complicated Albert’s feelings about guwany (“blood”), causing a rift in the family.
As Aboriginal spirituality might suggest, Biyaami lives in tandem with the natural world he created, keeping all things in balance. Albert’s ancestors deny their god’s connection with Christianity, eschewing the idea that both faiths are talking about the same thing. Albert and Elsie both sense that Jedda is still present on their land, suggesting her spirit has returned to nature. Jimmy’s betrayal has shaken Albert’s belief that family always looks out for one another.
Active
Themes
Once, the ancestors took Albert on a walk in the mountains where they feasted on buugang—bogong moths. When the whirly-whirly finally left Prosperous, they returned to deliver one last message to Albert: Jedda had become a burral-gang, a brolga. With this, they left Albert for good since he’d now learned all he needed to know. Albert remembers the first word his mother spoke to him—dhudhu, meaning “breast.” He is entrusting his book (garrandarang) to his daughter, Nicki, who will take it to the council. Albert’s last entry here describes the ancestors’ practice of burning grass (bimbayi) to nourish the soil and encourage growth.
Active
Themes
