Summary

The first-person narrator in the story “Growing Up” by Anthony Hill, an Aboriginal, tells his child/children a story from when he was a child and befriended a white boy, named Evan Davis.

The narrator meets Evan around the age of twelve. They share the same desk at the back of the class because they are both tall. Evan and the narrator become friends. They bond over being punished for throwing small bits of inked paper at a girl in their class. While Evan is good at maths, the narrator is good at sports, and the two of them help each other.

The narrator beats another Aboriginal boy for picking on Evan. At one point, Evan’s mother buys the boys ice cream and suggests that the narrator might come and visit Evan’s home, a large property outside the town. The narrator is well-aware of the differences between himself and Evan. While the white boy...