Walkabout essays

Walkabout essays In the novel Walkabout, the writer, James Vance Marshall, wants us to understand accepting differences. He shows us this idea through the character of Mary. Throughout this book, Mary overcomes this idea and accepts the culture that is not familiar to her. At the beginning of the book Mary did not appreciate the Bush Boy for helping out Mary and Peter. Mary did whatever she can to avoid the Bush Boy and even tried to get her brother from getting near him. The girls first impulse was to grab Peter and run, but as her eyes swept over the stranger, her fear died away. Mary at first thought the Bush Boy was a threat to her, giving her fear and curiosity on whether she should trust the Bush Boy or not. She gradually became familiar with the Bush Boy and realized that he was not as bad as she thought he was. Still Mary could not become friendly with him like her brother is. The one thing that was blocking their friendship was the nakedness of the Bush Boy. Yet his nakedness still appalled her. She felt guilty every time she looked at him. She told herself that it wasnt his fault he was naked, that his nakedness was due, purely and simply, to his primitive way of life. But this didnt make it, for her, any more acceptable. Altho ugh she could not accept this feature of the Bush Boy, Mary still followed him and trusted in what he did for Peter and Mary. As they continued their voyage Mary still showed no sign of care for the Bush Boy. When Peter told Mary that the Bush Boy is going to die, Mary said that it was just a cold and that it would go away. I think hes sick, Mary. He looks O.K to me. Hes got a cold, Pete. Like you had. Nothing to bother about. Mary never really cared about the Bush Boy as much her brother, Peter did. Mary went on throughout the journey without really caring about the Bush Boys health. Later in the book, the Bu...