Born a crime
What did Noah think about the treatment he got as a child?
(He was aware that he was getting preferential treatment, but did not want to change his grandparents’ perspective, as that would result in him being beaten too. He did not connect this special treatment to his status as mixed race, but simply because “Trevor is Trevor”.
How does Ricky initially react to his new home during his first 24 hours there?
He says almost nothing, seems unimpressed, and tries to run away.
Everyone was bummed.
Everyone was disappointed.
What motivated him to use phonetic spelling, i.e. spell everything as it is pronounced, in his poems?
A wish to rebel against the English language.
How did Noah's grandparents treat him when he was a child?
They did not physically punish him, although they did beat their other black grandchildren. They treated him like he was white and his grandfather even called him “mastah”.
What does Paula from child protective services say about Ricky when she presents him to Bella?
That he is a "real bad egg", and she lists all of his transgressions (kicking, spitting, graffiti, hitting, burning things, etc.).
Unfortunately, the team couldn’t replicate the results.
Unfortunately, the team could not replicate the results.
Where has Johnson lived most of his life?
Brixton, South London
When and how did Noah first realise that there was racial segregation in his country?
When he was eleven years old and changed to a government school. Here the majority of the students were black, and yet the “smart classes” were almost exclusively white. During breaks, there was little or no mixing between blacks and whites, despite all being in the same general area; “groups moved in color patterns”.
What technique has Ricky learnt to express his feelings?
He creates Haiku poems, often with quite dark content, in order to express his feelings.
We asked the students to fill out the questionnaire.
The students were asked to fill out the questionnaire.
After the first chorus he specifies that two things need to come to an end. What are they?
Unemployment and overtime need to come to an end.
What did he decide to do when he met the kids in the B class? Why?
He decided to leave the A class with the supposedly smartest kids, and rather be with what he saw as “my people”. He states “I decided I’d rather be held back with people I liked than move ahead with people I didn’t know.”
The hot-water bottle takes on a symbolic meaning. What does it represent?
The hot water bottle comes to represent comfort, closeness, and love. Before he hugs anyone else, he is able to hug it. When Bella dies, it comes to represent her for him.
It was something the protestors could endure.
It was something the protestors could put up with.
What four improvements does he start by demanding?
He demands a shorter working day and week, longer holiday, and decent pay.
How did Noah feel when he had picked a side?
He felt that the black kids embraced him and states that “with the black kids, I wasn’t constantly trying to be. With the black kids, I just was.” So he feels that he can be himself and is accepted.
What does the name “Wilderpeople” signify?
The name is derived from a book they come across on their travels, where Ricky reads about the Wilderbeests, who migrate thousands of miles. Ricky immediately feels a connection to this animal. Also, the title signifies that they are wild or misfits who do not fit into society, or that they are drawn to life in the wild.
They needed help while recovering from the effects of the hurricane.
They needed assistance while recovering from the outcomes of the hurricane.
Who does he want these improvements for?
He wants these improvements for everybody, and for husband, wife, children and friends.