Act III

Stage Directions pg 83

It is early morning on Christmas Day. There is a sense, through the 'gentle warmth' and emptiness (pg83) that this is the calm after the storm. This is the first time that the audience has seen the stage empty. There is no music and no laughter, merely the rubbish, thrown from the unfriendly neighbours. This mirrors the hatred of the night before. When Poppa enters and tries to play the harmonica, he is stopped by the rubbish that is thrown on him. He proceeds to grind the harmonica into the ground with his heel. The Harmonica represents the life of Poppa. It is the music with which he expresses himself and that has been the source for much comic banter between him and Momma.

84-85 A Sombre mood

The mood of Momma and Poppa in the early part of Act III is the orientation for the remainder of the play. They are at once sombre and weary and prone to outbursts of anger. Momma has her most vehement outburst of the play as she loses control, shouting in Italian over fence right. The mood of the characters is strange and unpredictable. On the one hand they are grieving for the loss of Gino, they are, at the same time, angry about his death, worried about Maria and also excited at the prospect of a new baby.

85-90 Leila and Donny

Leila has been up 'alla night to sit up with Maria' (pg85) despite her own troubles. She is definitely a caring friend. When Donny arrives, to try and make amends with Leila, he tells Poppa that he does not remember calling him offensive names. Poppa replies, sarcastically, mirroring the way in which Clarry pulled down the blind over the Christmas tree, 'You don't remember, it don't happen, uh?' (pg 86)

Poppa is nevertheless patient with Donny, perhaps out of respect for Leila. The audience is introduced to Leila and Donny's relationship. It is not running very well. It is implied through the way in which they talk that Leila is the stronger of the two.

Note that on page 90, Momma goes into some detail about Maria's feelings stating that she does not want to 'share him [the baby] with nobody who treats him like they treat my brother.' As with so many insightful comments in this play, this train of thought is cut short by the action as Maria screams from upstairs.

91-92 Clarry and Poppa

Before the entrance of Lukie, a conflict between Clarry and Poppa is introduced. This conflict remains underlying until it reaches a head towards the end of the play. It is apparent that Clarry has run away on the previous night. Poppa tells him that ''S fine thing you do.....' (pg91). Clarry does not want to talk about it and Poppa, seeing Clarry's bloodied fist realises that Clarry will not deal with it this morning.

The audience can see Clarry has been hurt by Maria's accusations and he feels as though 'she put me back right where I was.' (pg92). Clarry's frustration at this is expressed through his punching of the fence right - a particularly symbolic gesture considering that this is the fence that represents prejudice and racism. It is the prejudice of others that make it so difficult for Clarry to defend the Bianchis.

93-97 Lukie

Lukie and Clarry

The first interactions between Lukie and Clarry, involve Clarry lashing out at Lukie. He tells him that 'I don't like anything about you.' (pg93). Throughout Lukie's visit to the Bianchi household, Clarry remains a cynical commentator. On the inquest he remarks 'what the hell difference will it make?' (pg95), in regards to Momma's outburst he tells Lukie that he 'must be feeling on top of the world.' (pg96) and after the revelation that Lukie has arrested some people for the beating of Gino, Clarry asks him if he was 'after promotion?' (pg97).

Lukie and Momma

Momma's inability to understand Lukie reveals the stress she is under. She has outbursts at Lukie, explaining that the rules applying to 'New Australians' should not apply to Gino, 'because for him here's home.' (pg95). She then reveals that she is ready to hate mainstream Australians. (pg96).

Lukie and Poppa

Poppa sees the problem with the system. Shaking his head 'at the utter uselessness of it' Poppa wonders, 'They punish us. We punish them....' (pg 97). It seems to Poppa that punishment is not the answer. The problem runs much deeper than the actions of the previous night. Certainly, Gino's death was a result of his struggle for acceptance in general rather than one night at a dance hall.

98-100 Leila's advice

Clarry and Leila talk. Leila is concerned that Clarry is 'making it tough' (pg 99) and that if he does not back off he runs the risk of feeling superior to Maria. What is significant about Leila's advice, is that it is advice that she gives from experience of 'those high heels' (pg100). This demonstrates that the problems that Clarry is facing are not so much a matter of race as a matter of human interaction and respect. This is significant for the theme of the play as Beynon expresses very human victims of racial prejudice.

101-105 Poppa speaks his mind

The tension between Poppa and Clarry reaches its climax. Neither Poppa nor Momma is in the mood for being patient. Poppa demonstrates to the audience that he is aware of what is going on around him. He understands that Clarry will not express his emotions freely, and this is a problem. Poppa tells Clarry that he wants to make him cry on page 102. Poppa explains, forcefully that 'it's someone else pain that counts' (pg103), in other words, that Clarry needs to be empathetic towards the Bianchis.

Poppa explains, clearly, that it 'takes only one to start; one to accept. 'Cos if you do then pretty soon your friend accept, then his friend, then.....'(pg103). The contrast to this is if Clarry does not accept, for this reason, Gino is dead. Poppa explains to Clarry that 'it don't always need a boot to kick.'(pg103).

106 -108 a new beginning

The tensions are soon forgotten as the Bianchis, Clarry and Leila are all taken in by the moment of childbirth. This concludes the play with a sense of hope. It is Christmas morning and the new baby has arrived. The characters have been honest with Clarry and he has begun to understand the pain that the Bianchis feel and his responsibility as part of the family to accept and to share with them. Maria has asked for Clarry's forgiveness and the new child will be called Gino, in honour both of Gino and the commitment that Clarry has made to the family.