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Lina asked this question about A Town Like Alice:
Was Nevil Shute, author of 'A Town like Alice' a racist, or was he just recording the attitudes of the time? I did not enjoy reading this book because of the disrespectful attitude towards the aborigines. There was not one positive thing mentioned about them as far as I could see, but so much glorification of the heroine and her man. Not my cup of tea.
David Bryant Good point. I read it as a reflection of how a Brit of the immediate post-WWII period would write and think. And actually, I did not think too much ab…moreGood point. I read it as a reflection of how a Brit of the immediate post-WWII period would write and think. And actually, I did not think too much about it myself, simply because I grew up in that era and recall how people spoke of minorities and particularly of the Japanese.
I loved the book, as a story, and did not think the aborigines were portrayed as poorly treated. But the Japanese officers were mostly shown in a very negative light, with more sympathy for the enlisted men who were accompanying the women on their treks. The language used to refer to Japanese was troublesome to my modern sensibilities, but realistic for the time. I can well remember the view of my family towards Japanese in years after WWII. In addition, I have read enough stories of WWII to know that the Japanese were often quite inhumane to their captives, so the attitudes in the writing are understandable. (And actually, the writer seemed to portray the situation as a "normal" aspect of war, however unpleasant it was.)
So no, I doubt Shute was racist in the sense we think of racism today, but was a reflection of his times and situation. (less)
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A Town Like Alice
by Nevil Shute
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