In this essay I will prove that in the story “White Fantasy-Black Fact” by Jack Davis, people continually judge each other without necessarily meaning to. Often times people like to believe that we live in a world where everyone is equal, but that is not always the case. Even though we have come a long way from the way things were in the past with racism and discrimination, it still exists in the time of this story and it still exists today.

In the beginning of the story, a bus driver is driving around thinking about his family, and his new baby, Peggy Sue, it mentions that he dislikes violence, and cruelty to animals. He sends money overseas every year to help the less fortunate. He is happy to live in the country that he does. As it says on page 430 “He was glad he lived in a country that was white, where there was plenty for all, where nobody starved and where everyone was equal.” He seems like a good man, if not a little racist. However, when he approaches an aboriginal family, he doesn’t let them on his bus because he thinks they are disease ridden and dirty. He doesn’t want to bring home their germs to his wife and daughter. He knows nothing about this family but he judges them based on their looks alone, maybe because they aren’t white, because he prides himself on living in a “white” country.

The aboriginal family of eight is then left on the side of the road with a problem; they have to get to Perth for the baby’s doctor’s appointment. The mother, Molly, blames the father, Peter, for the bus driver not letting them on the bus because of his constant drinking, but it really had nothing to do with it. Before long, the two year old, Tandy started whining because she wanted water. Molly sends Katey, the oldest, down to the stream to fetch some water. She is eager to help in any way she can, no one anticipates the deadly snake