Guilt and The End

Guilt is a poor motivator. It produces impulses that often accrue more impulses and bad decisions. Using that as a prime operator, Danny constantly assumes the weight of his own guilt. He presumes himself guilty. He operates under the context that he himself is guilty for simply being, a phenomenon unknown to the whites of the western world, where, assumedly, innocence is presumed. 


The guilt complex ushers in an anxiety not present within the other characters featured in the story. In fact, most of the characters contribute to Danny’s sense of dread, push him further into doubt and away from any truth. The catalysts in the novel are stoking Danny’s guilt and contribute to his feelings of otherness throughout the novel. His alienation from all of Australia’s civil services and legal systems portray an illegal person or an “ill-legal” lost in systemic dysfunction.


  Governed by his emotions and inability to receive a proper education about the legality of his situation, his impulsive decisions constantly pushed him further into an unsavory situation. I believe; therefore, his deportation was fitting or at least, in some ways, expected. I would also submit that the outcome was not unavoidable. Who is to say that his tipoff could not have remained anonymous or that required a confession of his immigration status? Perhaps the irremovable guilt Danny carried with him throughout the novel served as his greatest enemy, and maybe his deportation, taken from a more positive light was cathartic.




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