Going Home

based on their culture and skin colour. There is a big difference between the two cultures and therefore it is almost impossible to become a part of both cultures without giving up on one of them. The excluded group is often suppressed – which is why people among the excluded might feel forced to abandon their family to gain success by joining the “other” group.

This is the case for Billy in the short story “Going Home” by Archie Weller. Billy tries to build an identity so he fits in with the white world. Along the way, he forgets his roots and his family becomes more and more distant to him.

It is a third person narrator who tells Going Home. The narrator tells us the story seen partly from Billy’s point of view and partly from the third person’s limited omniscient perspective but later fully omniscient. This gives us an insight to his life and why he acts the way, he does. In Going Home, there is little dialogue and it is mostly about Billy’s thoughts and feelings about going home to his hometown.

In Archie Weller’s short story, going home the main character is Billy Woodward; his real name is William Jacob Woodward. He uses the name Billy when he is around his family at the camp. Billy is a torn young man. He is a very complex character going through a change in the story. The writer has made him a round character.

He has created a new white life for himself, where he tries to forget his ancestors and background. He tries to be white. He drives expensive cars, go to clubs and paints.

He is not very proud of his background, and wants to escape from it, but he can’t escape. This is clearly indicated when he does not want to shake hands with the aboriginal man, more than limply. Billy is a respectful and polite young man even when a barman harasses him and Darcy.Billy is often reminded of his roots. However, it all clashes at a soccer match, where he gets eye contact with a young part-aboriginal boy. He looks at Billy with scornful eyes. This is when Billy...