8 – The Visit

Short Info:  Beth has saved enough money through not drinking to hire a car and to go and visit Boogie.  Whole family is happy and excited, even Jake.  Things turn sour when Jake stops at the pub and the parents both get drunk.  The visit to Boogie never happens.

Themes:  Parenting / Alcohol / Pride / Maori Culture

The chapter opens with Beth feeling proud of herself for not drinking and for saving money to see Boogie.  Duff builds a mood of happiness, emphasising both Jake and Beth’s pride in their rented car. The children in the back having fun too, except for Grace.  Beth wondering briefly what was wrong with Grace, “Kid’d been even quieter than normal lately. Beth couldn’t figure it out, other than putting it down to teenage stuff.” (P94).

Comments made about how life ‘opens up’ when you don’t spend all the money on booze and gambling.  The family have a ‘flash’ car, food in the boot, jovial atmosphere.  Husband and wife are joking to each other, for once, it doesn’t upset Jake’s pride.  The family cruise around the streets together, enjoying the looks they get, Jake calm for once.

They stop at a lake, Jake and Abe joke around, play fighting each other.  Beth wonders if he’s started smoking ‘dope’ because he is so happy.  Abe wonders if their ancestors used to row their waka on the lake and if they’d fought there, “Sure they did.  Your ancestors, boy, they were fighters,”

Jake turns sour as they drive through the white neighbourhood (Ainsbury Heights) and snaps at Beth. “So Beth not willing to push it, afraid she’d bring it right out his old hatred, resentment of anything that had white skin, had a job, owned a house, had a car.”(P98).  P99 – Beth thinks about how Maori are no good with money.

They drive past the exit to Beth’s old village and she thinks on her mother and father, how they never showed love either, ‘her father never showed his love to Mum because he was of that school of being gruff, tough, manly – MANLY – and happier when he was around his mates, drinking with them …” (P101)

Pages 102 and 103 consider the Maori slave past – in particular, Jake’s family – and maybe cause of Jake’s temper and quick pride.  “We weren’t allowed to play with many other families in our pa.  No way, not the Heke’s, man.  Don’t play with them, you’ll get the slave disease.” (P102).

Jake sees some mates and ends up going in to the pub for a drink.  Beth and the children are left waiting in the car.  Beth goes in to try and coax him out and ends up staying also, despite hating seeing the abandoned children running around in the car park.  They get drunk together and miss Boogie’s visit.

Beth gives the children money for food and a bus ride home.  Meantime, Jake and the fullas go out to the car where they promptly eat the feast prepared for the visit.  “She looked around her . . . at them, the feeding animals gorging on what felt like her very own body, such a violation did it feel.” (P111).

Chapter ends with Mark Heke (Boogie) “The housemaster on the evening shift coming up to him: Mark Heke, it appears your visitors are not coming.  And the kid saying, Yes they are. Yes they are. How kids get when they won’t face the truth.” (P113)

7 – The Night’s Last Act (Grace’s POV)

Short Info:  Grace watches the Tramberts as their daughter plays the piano and sees their ‘wonderful’ life.  She sees the horrific comparison between their life and her own and hates it. Foreshadowing of the event that will change her life in discussion of the stars, death, coffins, her changing body.

Themes:  Womanhood / Rape / Pakeha/Maori Cultures / Alcohol / Music

In the previous chapters, we have seen Grace run away from her mother dancing alone in the house.  She runs and runs – Duff trying to emphasise her youth here in order to make the upcoming act against her even more disgraceful.  In this chapter we learn that she dislikes her changing body and the act of sex, “Ee, yuk. I don’t ever want one a them inside me.” (P84).

Grace hears piano music, wonders at the stars, describes being ‘black’, how she hates it. “… I’m black, even for a Maori.  Hate it too. I hate it.” (p85).

Grace describes what it is like to live in Pine Block, describing the deaths that occur from violence and carelessness.  She  ruminates on her ancestry and the fact that Pine Block has no connections with their culture.  Talks about death again, more foreshadowing.

She watches the Pakeha family and compares them to her own. The house, the lawn, the mother are all well-groomed.  Grace realises that the mother is about the same age as Beth but she doesn’t look it, because she doesn’t look like she’s ever had a fist in her face.  The young girl playing the piano is Grace’s age.  “Grace astonished. Crushed. At the girl her ability. But mostly her confidence.” (p86). Grace watches as the mother and father hug the girl, seeing something that she will never have. “A girl felt more than crushed, she wanted to die.” (p87)

Grace is heard crying and the family call out ‘Who’s there?’. Grace runs away, back to her own family and we see the juxtaposition clearly between her life and the life of the Pakeha family.  The music is different in her house – it is loud, the house is full of people, aggressive noise.  Page 88 describes Grace’s awareness at the difference and the relationship between her father and herself.  She almost wants to tell him that she is bleeding because somebody hit her and longs to know whether Jake would defend her.  “(I just want to know I’m loved.)” (p88). We meet Uncle Bully here also – complimenting Grace.

She escapes from her father and his mates and goes to check on the younger children.  She undresses for bed, making sure to close the curtains (foreshadowing) and again wonders at the changing state of her body.  “A woman, eh? Won’t be long and I’ll be a woman.  Feeling scared at that thought: a sense of loss. And yes, sorrow. (I don’t wanna change. I don’t wanna grow old.) ”  (P89).

Grace is assaulted in the next part of the chapter.  Once it is over, she runs out in to the night again, the men of the party talking about her as she walks past them.  Grace goes to visit Toot, wanting to try the glue to block out the memory of what has happened to her.  It is sad that she searches for comfort from this boy who is in desperate need of his own comfort.

Duff tries to emphasise how futile this life is, how endless and repetitive the cycle of abuse is. “Same place, same time, next week.” (p92).

6 – Jake And The Broken Of Hearts And Spirits

Short Info:  After waking in the afternoon of Boogie’s appearance in court and the night after beating Beth, Jake goes with a mate to the pub.

Themes:  Maori Pride / Violence / Prejudice/Bigotry / Maori Culture / Gangs

Jake grinding his teeth and waking from violent dreams.  ‘Just as he woke, almost invariably, with a desire to punch someone, which grew quickly to vivid imaginings of wrongs done him, slights, looks, and so he feeling hurt and then – naturally enough, as he saw it – wanting to right things the only way he knew how: with his fists.’ (p50)

‘Jake’s world was physical; and he was aware it was physical.  He assumed damn near the whole world was seeing it the same.’ (p50). The way Jake sees the world is always with a potential for fighting – he doesn’t think there is anything wrong with this view – it’s the way all his drinking mates see the world.  His language is different to that of both Beth and Grace – more violent, more swear words.

‘… Even love.  Why not love?  Every man needs love: a woman’s love (her twat, more like it), his mates (very important), his kids (in a man’s own way, mind.  Don’t wanna be a fuckin sook about it.  Gotta get their respect or they’ll walk all over you.)  But it was violence that Jake Heke was most tuned to.’ (p51)

Jake’s ramble continues as he walks down the street, every second word the ‘f’ word and thinking about beating his wife.  She’d deserved it.  Thoughts go to Beth catching taxis, buses etc to do the shopping, thinks that he would buy her a car if he had the money because he didn’t want people thinking he didn’t take care of his family.  Mixed up sense of responsibility / love.  Thinks he’s a good man for giving his wife half the dole money so that she can buy the food and pay the bills.  Scorns the other men who don’t do the same.  Jake’s world is about respect and power.  Discusses going in to the bar and not even having to have money because people would shout him ‘And a man knows, they’re buying his favours, his promise he’ll leave em alone, or look after em if they get picked.  They’re buying Jake Heke the man – and so they should.  Not as if God or sumpthin handed a man his rep on a plate, said, Here, take it.  It’s for free Might be free beers sometimes in this world, but there ain’t free scrapping reps, not with Maoris.  You got to earn it . . . Us Maoris, man, we used to be warriors.’ (p53/54)

Jake and Dooly discussing giving their wives the dole money, Dooly giving his wife more than Jake to run the house on.  Jake saying that he’d kick the missus out if she couldn’t run the house on half the money.  Dooley responding ‘Aw c’mon, Jake.  But I like my missus.  Jake’s eyes flashing briefly wide as the sentence tried to cognite in his mind.  Then his face relaxing when he rejected the pronouncement as his friend meaning he liked his missus for what she had on live-in tap for his choice of taking – her sex.’ (p54)

Jake and Dooly cruising the neighbourhood, going past his own house and having a fleeting moment of what might be guilt / remorse, but not recognisable to us.  Yelling at some slum kids ‘Haven’t ya got mothers?’  The question jumping from Jake’s mouth without forethought nor afterthought.  And grinning all over’ (p55) not caring about their neglect.

Going through the white neighbourhood and Jake thinking about the Pakeha and their houses and cars – jealous, but without thinking of it as jealousy.  ‘Jake was getting to fume more and more over the car-loving-successful-appearing white maggot shits.’ (p56)

The chapter concentrates on Jake’s hatred, his bigotry.   Dooly trying to say that we’re all the same.  Jake disbelieving. Jealous, hating.  Seeing the Brown Fists and also hating them.  Seeing old Maori men outside the pub and having no respect for them.

Inside the pub

–        noise – lots of sound.  Violent sound to reflect Jake’s world, the world of the drunken Maori.  ‘Shrieking explosions of laughter, exclamation, SOUND! . . . layers and layers of em, of babbling, jabbering, moaning, cursing, swearing, beer-pouring humanity’ (p60)

Concentrates on fighting – on who is the bigger man. Jake feeling pride that his table was emptied for him, describing the accolades of the people waiting for him:  “People greeted at every step, near. Laughin’ their crawlin’ laughs, patting him, shakin his mit, even the left one’d do in their eagerness to be withim; asking him who he was gonna sort out tonight. Shet.  Lodging their greetings with him so he’d not forget, falling at his feet damn near; brushing, touching, squeezing a man’s rock-hard muscularity just like I’m a fuckin god. Shet. (P62).

Builds the mood/atmosphere:  so people going, all over the joint they were going.  Out of their minds, that is.  Heads rolling, eyes too, things coming out jumbled, rubbishy, and aggression growing; spit-drops on every spat out word, sentence, a gibberish, mixed-up, fuck-up gibberish from a person supposed to be human. Man.  Did a fulla get as bad as that?  Jake always found it hard to believe of himself whenever he did happen to come in sober.

Talk about singing – then Dame Kiri and how she is an international star.  Jake has heard over the years people say “I cried that day to see a Maori – a Maori – singing for royalty in front of the whole world.  Cried.  Only thing, didn’t like that damn dress she wore, made her look like she’d bought it from the Sally Op Shop, eh. “

“when Mavis sang she gave you no choice she bowled you with her talent, almost frightened you with the scope of herself, the tones and shades and hues and sheer range of her notes. Except you didn’t understand what was happening to you, escpeially not if you were Jake Heke, yet you could hear – hear – and so you had this thing happening inside of you but you did not know what.”  (P64)

“Oh kia ora! Jake being greeted in Maori, the language of his physical appearance, his actual ethnic existence, and yet they could be speaking Chink-language for what it mattered . . . made him uncomfortable if they spoke it to him …” (P64)

“Then – Huh? (Boogie.) Boogie? It just popped up in his mind.  O shit, a  man forgot Boog had to go to court and I was sposed to be there.  Jake stopping in his tracks a moment . . . (Sorry Boog.) Ah, fuckit. Wasn’t me got him in trouble with the courts … he’s a wimp anyway. Ya wouldn’t think he’s a son of mine”. (P65)

Jake gets to the bar, says it must have taken 8 minutes “he felt like a chief, a Maori warrior chief – no, not a Maori chief, I can’t speak the language and people’ll know I can’t and it’ll spoil it …” (p65)

… so he stood there swelled with pride and vanity and this sense of feeling kingly and inside a voice was going: Look at me. Look at me, ya fuckers.  I’m Jake Heke. Jake the Muss Heke. LOOK AT ME (and feel humble, you dogs). (p66)

Jake stands off against the Brown Fists and describes the feeling of rage that builds inside of him.  “And Jake at the front there’d built to his HATE state: a steady, mad burning inside of hatred – hatred – HATRED! and this funny, deep-down hurt.” (p76) The Brown Fist gets close to Jake and pleads with him not to punch him “Y’ can’t do this, man.  I got my boys watching … I lose my, uh, my pride here, man …” (p77).

The chapter is intersected at this point by following Grace as she watches her drunken mother and gazes at the stars above, wondering about the Pakeha and their lifestyle.  Foreshadows her death as she watches a shooting star “Ah, so sad really: just a brief moment in time and then gone forever.” (p79)

The bar closes and the narrator gives (his) impression of the Chinese people, how different again they are to the Maori (and the Pakeha, too).  There is clear hatred for them on Jake’s part, he wants their goods and services, but he doesn’t like them. “And the Slit-eyes waiting hungrily forem to arrive, hiding their contempt behind sugary Oriental smiles … and snatched your money, man.” Jake’s contempt stems from envy, from tunnel vision – the Chinese people have a strong work ethic enabling them to do well in life, to have the money they need to be comfortable.  Jake dislikes this because he does not have a work ethic and he will never make anything of himself, even if he doesn’t recognise that this is the reason for his anger.

5 – Tennessee Waltz (Beth’s POV)

Themes: Parenting / Alcohol / Music / Hopelessness / Maori Lifestyle / Womanhood / Dreams

Short Info:  Beth waking up broken and beaten and wanting to drink, reflections on her children, dreams

Beth wakes up the same morning of the court appearance, feeling her bruises and the swelling on her face.  ‘ooo, that bastard.  One day I’ll kill you.  It hurt all over.’ (p38). Beth realises that she has slept until late in the afternoon and that she has missed Boogie’s court appearance.  Wrestling with her guilt she makes herself feel better by justifying it with her physical appearance, couldn’t go there like that.  Beth moves around her kid’s bedrooms, thinking about them, feeling guilty.

She sees Polly’s doll, thinking it looked like a corpse.  She sees the boxer posters in Nig’s room and compares them to Jake ‘But still looking at the Negro boxer and comparing to her husband, the build, the meanness of face, the eyes . . . the eyes, searching for something she could see but not put her finger on; as if the fighter’s eyes were giving away something of the exact same look in her husband’s eyes, almost a hurt.  Yes, a wounded hurt.  As if he’s saying, I’m gonna punish you, not because I’m bad but because you hurt me.’ (p40)

Beth’s reverie is interrupted with thoughts of the Tramberts all the time.

Beth changes, using clothes she has secreted about the house and proceeds to sit down and drink a beer.  She thinks back to girlhood, when she’d been ‘spunky’.  Drinking more and more beer ‘Have another glass.  Mmm-uh.  Thank you.  Downing it greedily, like medicine. Or love.  Or maybe they’re both.’ (p42)

Beth wanting to listen to music, saying that the Maori are a musical race.  Thoughts turning to how Europeans are like strangers – might as well be from another country for all the contact the two races have.  ‘Oh, but I can’t blame em half the time when you see all the crime, or too damn much of it, is committed by us.’ (p43) Beth goes on to say that Maori’s are basically a good people, they look out for each other, give each other the shirt of their backs, etc. Beth says Maori’s have passion and humour “but we ain’t got material things.”  The Maori have their love of food, they are a laid back race, “cept when we’re drunk”.   ‘Half our trouble: beer and fists and having passion.  They don’t mix.’ (p43) Goes on to say Maori are musical, good dancers, natural born entertainers, but shy.

Kids come home and comment on her face.  She is half-drunk by this point and goes back to sense of hopelessness.  Grace comes home, crying.  Grace and Beth hug each other but it feels strange.  They may as well be strangers.  Beth makes false promises to go and see Boogie in the home.  Grace implores her mother ‘why can’t we leave here?’ Again, Beth gives her false promises that they will one day.

‘A smoke.  Coldish beer.  And music.  Wanting no more, for the moment, than that.’ (p46).

Beth continues to get drunk alone and shouts at the ceiling ‘We used to be a race of warriors, O audience out there.  You know that?  And our men used to have full tattoos all over their ferocious faces, and it was chiselled in and they were not to utter a sound.  Not one sound. The women, too, they had tats on their chins and lips were black with tattooing . . . I spose they thought us women are weak anyway, though we aren’t.’ (P47)

‘And we used to war all the time, us Maoris.  Against each other.  Ture.  It’s true, honest to God, audience.  Hated each other.  Tribe against Tribe.  Savages.  We were savages.  But warriors, eh.  It’s very important to remember that.  Warriors.  Because, you see, it was what we lost when you, the white audience out there, defeated us.  Conquered us.  Took our land, our mana, left us with nothing.  But the warriors thing got handed down, see.  Well, sort of handed down; in a mixed-up sense it did.  It was more toughness that got handed down from generation to generation.  Toughness, eh. . . .But we – or our men, anyway – are clinging on to this toughness thing, like its all we got, while the rest of the world is leaving us behind.’ (p48)

During her half-drunk ranting she sees the lights go on at the Trambert’s place again.  Imagining what they’d be doing at this time of night.  Sporadically she sends the kids next door to buy beers.  Beth dances to the Tennessee Waltz by herself.   Grace watches from the outside ‘This grotesque face with its wounds fresh and swollen sliding – sliiiding – across a girl’s vision like out of a dream sequence on that backdrop of yellow/white squares illumiating a woman, a mother, a beaten wife, a member of a troubled race, her condition for this side of the world to see.’ (p49)

4 – … And Those With Another (Grace’s POV)

Themes: Maori History / Opposite Worlds of Maori and Pakeha / Warriorhood

Short Info:  The opposite world to Pakeha, Boogie taken away

After the declaration, Grace goes back through the double doors to the other world, sees the fat people and smells the dirt on them.  ‘Grace could smell the violence too, she could almost see it, it was like shimmers from a sun-beaten road.’ (p36)

Boogie crying as they come out and the others waiting (Maori) giving him grief ‘whassa madda bubs?’ and ‘’Oh, we got our little sister to hold our hand have we?’ The world of the Maori is not supportive or encouraging.  Grace and Boogie get 10 minutes to spend together before Boogie is taken away and all he can do is sob.  Grace thinking ‘Poor Boog.  Poor, soft, failed Mark Heke. . . A wimp thrown in a den of warriors.’ (p37)