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).
English Pages . . . 