Characters and Relationships
Who is Jacky, and why does he run away from the homestead?
The protagonist and a 'Native'. He is an Indigenous Australian and a teenager. He runs away as he is searching for home.
Where does Jacky go after escaping from the homestead?
Into the bush then back to the mission.
What does Jacky want more than anything after escaping?
To find home and his identity
What aesthetic feature is used when the novel describes Jacky repeatedly running at the beginning of the story?
Repetition — the repeated idea of Jacky running creates urgency and emphasises his desperation to escape.
What does the title Terra Nullius mean?
It is Latin for "nobody's land" or "empty land."
Who is Johnny Star, and why has he turned against the Settlers?
Johnny Star is an alien. He turns against the Settlers during his time as a Trooper because he cannot align with the violence and racism he sees from the other Settlers.
Why does Jacky return to the mission school?
To learn who his family was and where he'd find them.
How does the novel present the difference between freedom and bondage?
Bondage means being controlled, exploited and denied the ability to make your own choices. Freedom means having self-determination and control over your own life.
What aesthetic feature is used when Coleman presents the Settlers as an alien species invading Australia?
Allegory — the alien invasion represents and reflects the historical colonisation of Australia.
Why is it significant that the Settlers believe humans are inferior?
Their belief allows them to justify controlling, exploiting and oppressing humans. It mirrors the racist ideas historically used to justify the colonisation and treatment of Indigenous Australians.
Why does Jacky trust Johnny Star despite Johnny being a Settler?
He sees the vulnerability in his eyes as he is dying. Also the other humans seem to trust him. A part of Jacky hopes there is humanity in the Settlers.
What information does Jacky discover when he eventually reaches Jerramungup?
His family and community have died. His parents died fighting.
Why is home important to Jacky and Sergeant Rohan?
Both characters have a strong desire to return to where they belong. For Jacky, home is connected to family, ancestry, and identity. For Rohan, home is his original planet. The novel shows that the desire for home is shared across cultures and species.
What aesthetic feature is used when Esperance's name means "hope"?
Symbolism — her name reinforces her role as a symbol of hope for humanity.
What does Father Grark discover about humans that challenges Settler beliefs?
His investigation reveals that humans are far more complex than the Settlers' assumptions suggest. They possess intelligence, social structures, culture and the ability to survive and adapt to the Australian environment.
How does Esperance's role within the refugee group change as the novel progresses?
Esperence turns form a passive member of the group to a leader, encouraging them to fight for freedom instead of running.
What happens when Sergeant Rohan discovers the refugee camp?
He orders Jacky and Johnny Star to surrender and then he won't harm the camp.
How does the novel challenge the idea that one group can claim another group's land?
The Settlers invade Australia and claim authority over people who already live there. This parallels European colonisation of Australia and challenges the idea that land can be treated as empty simply because its existing inhabitants are ignored.
What aesthetic feature is used when the Settlers describe humans as "savage" or inferior while their own behaviour is violent and oppressive?
Irony — there is a contradiction between the Settlers' beliefs about civilisation and their actual behaviour.
The Settlers claim they are "educating" or "civilising" humans. Why is this hypocritical?
Hypocritical: saying you have certain moral beliefs, values, or standards, but behaving in a way that contradicts them
They use the idea of civilisation to justify domination and violence. Their supposedly "civilising" behaviour actually involves oppression, exploitation and the destruction of human freedom.
Compare Jacky, Johnny Star and Esperance. How does each character demonstrate the desire for freedom and self-determination?
Jacky escapes enslavement and becomes a symbol of resistance. Johnny Star rejects his role as a Settler soldier and helps humans. Esperance risks her safety and continues searching for freedom. All three reject being controlled by others.
How does Jacky's decision to resist Sergeant Rohan influence the broader struggle against the Settlers?
Jacky's resistance and escape become a symbol of hope. Stories about him spread among the mission children and encourage others to resist the Settlers and attempt to escape.
The novel suggests freedom is the birthright of all sentient beings. How is this developed through humans and Settlers?
Humans and Settlers are both intelligent, social and capable of language and technology. The novel suggests that these shared qualities give both groups a right to freedom. Characters such as Jacky, Esperance and Johnny Star demonstrate the importance of self-determination.
What aesthetic feature is used when Coleman withholds important information about the true nature of the Settlers and gradually reveals it?
Delayed revelation — information is deliberately withheld to create suspense and encourage the reader to reconsider earlier events.
The final section says Settlers are "not inhuman so much as nonhuman." What does this mean and what warning does it give about human history?
The Settlers are not monsters completely unlike humans. Their behaviour—colonisation, racism, violence and exploitation—resembles things humans have done throughout history. The novel warns that these patterns of oppression can be repeated if people fail to learn from history.