Summary:
Walkabout is about two kids who get into this terrible plane crash, and land in the middle of the Australian Desert. These kids run into some trouble when they have no way of getting water or food, but luck came their way when they crossed paths with an Aborigine* boy who helps them survive in the wild. Mary & Peter (Main characters) lived a very different life than the aborigine. The way they lived to them was more "civilized" at first they did not understand they way of living of the aborigine, they lived in a time that racism did exist and because they were white they thought they were superior. In their long journey both Mary & Peter learn some valuable life lessons and also the ways of hunter-gatherers.
*Inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times; indigenous
*Inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times; indigenous
Advantage (Hunter-Gatherers):
" ... his people had lived and died, unchanged and unchanging...There lives were unbelievably simple. They had no homes, no crops,no clothes,no possessions. The few things they did had, they shared: food and wives; children and laughter; tears and hunger and thirst... Their lives were utterly uncomplicated because they were devoted to one purpose, dedicated in their entirety to the waging battle; the battle with death" (pg.26).
This is an advantage because these people don't have to worry about the things we worry about now in our day. They don't care about social media, they don't have to worry about the economy, their life is some what pain free, no worries about tomorrow no stress. Our world is over ruled by greed and selfishness. Everyone every where is unhappy, and unlike these people they live a peaceable life where they can be happy and enjoy each others company and share and be grateful for the life they live. People now days wish for a life like theirs.
Advantage (Agrarian Society):
" Again he was surprised; no powdered clay, nor red-ocher paste. He turned his attention to the white boys clothes"(pg.30).
This is an advantage because we are provided with clothes and proper dress wear and have all these nice things, and the aboriginals don't get to have things like we do. So we have a much higher advantage than they do.
Disadvantage (Hunter-Gatherers):
"How could the bush boy know that there was water there? Whoever heard of finding water on top of a pile of rock in the middle of the desert?"(pg.39).
"...next morning they woke up hungry - they had had no meat in the last thirty-six hours, nothing more solid than vegetables and nuts."(pg.98)
This is a disadvantage because they were never sure if they would be able to find their necessities for the day. They don't wake up knowing that if they go out and hunt they're for sure coming back with food. Sometimes they would go months with out meat because there wasn't any out there to find. Also living in the desert could be very dangerous because it would be very hard to find water, so you would always be prepare for the worst.
Disadvantage (Agrarian Society):
"Physically the Australian Aboriginal is tough. He can stand any amount of heat , exposure, or cold."(pg.67).
This is a disadvantage because if we try and go out on a cold winter day without a sweater there is a high possibility that we get sick, but the aborigines (hunter-gatherers) are immune to all the harsh weathers and it's harder for them to get sick like we do.
Advantage (Agrarian Society):
"It was obvious, next morning the bush boy had caught Peter's cold."(pg.80)
Of course none of us are perfect, so we won't be immune to anything not even the aborigines. This is a disadvantage because they could always get sick from all the disease out in the wild or eating food that wasn't cleansed properly. Also they don't have proper doctors out in the wild that can always be there to provide help, so their help can always be at risk.
" ... his people had lived and died, unchanged and unchanging...There lives were unbelievably simple. They had no homes, no crops,no clothes,no possessions. The few things they did had, they shared: food and wives; children and laughter; tears and hunger and thirst... Their lives were utterly uncomplicated because they were devoted to one purpose, dedicated in their entirety to the waging battle; the battle with death" (pg.26).
This is an advantage because these people don't have to worry about the things we worry about now in our day. They don't care about social media, they don't have to worry about the economy, their life is some what pain free, no worries about tomorrow no stress. Our world is over ruled by greed and selfishness. Everyone every where is unhappy, and unlike these people they live a peaceable life where they can be happy and enjoy each others company and share and be grateful for the life they live. People now days wish for a life like theirs.
Advantage (Agrarian Society):
" Again he was surprised; no powdered clay, nor red-ocher paste. He turned his attention to the white boys clothes"(pg.30).
This is an advantage because we are provided with clothes and proper dress wear and have all these nice things, and the aboriginals don't get to have things like we do. So we have a much higher advantage than they do.
Disadvantage (Hunter-Gatherers):
"How could the bush boy know that there was water there? Whoever heard of finding water on top of a pile of rock in the middle of the desert?"(pg.39).
"...next morning they woke up hungry - they had had no meat in the last thirty-six hours, nothing more solid than vegetables and nuts."(pg.98)
This is a disadvantage because they were never sure if they would be able to find their necessities for the day. They don't wake up knowing that if they go out and hunt they're for sure coming back with food. Sometimes they would go months with out meat because there wasn't any out there to find. Also living in the desert could be very dangerous because it would be very hard to find water, so you would always be prepare for the worst.
Disadvantage (Agrarian Society):
"Physically the Australian Aboriginal is tough. He can stand any amount of heat , exposure, or cold."(pg.67).
This is a disadvantage because if we try and go out on a cold winter day without a sweater there is a high possibility that we get sick, but the aborigines (hunter-gatherers) are immune to all the harsh weathers and it's harder for them to get sick like we do.
Advantage (Agrarian Society):
"It was obvious, next morning the bush boy had caught Peter's cold."(pg.80)
Of course none of us are perfect, so we won't be immune to anything not even the aborigines. This is a disadvantage because they could always get sick from all the disease out in the wild or eating food that wasn't cleansed properly. Also they don't have proper doctors out in the wild that can always be there to provide help, so their help can always be at risk.