Characters

The most important characters in the short story “Flight” by Katharine Susannah Prichard are John O’Shea, Nancy O’Shea, and the three half-Aboriginal girls. Other characters mentioned in the story such as the three white men or the O’Shea children are episodic and important for the social setti…

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John O’Shea

John O’Shea is one of the main characters in the story. His outer characterisation tells us that he is a constable, a policeman in Lorgans in Australia, and that he is married to a woman named Nancy with whom he has four children. We also find out that he is young and attractive: “A good-looking, kindly young man, he prided himself on carrying out his duties conscientiously but without harshness.” (p. 165, ll. 35-37)

Inner characterisation

John O’Shea’s inner characterisation is conveyed through his actions and by following his perspective on the events that he experiences.

John is defined by an inner conflict between his duties and responsibilities as a law enforcement officer and their questionable morality. As a law enforcement officer he is required to take half-caste children from their parents and make sure that they go to state institutions. The story follows him during one such forced removal of three half-Aboriginal children.

Throughout the story there are multiple instances when John is described as “angry” (p. 161, l.1) because he has to perform this duty:

Constable O’Shea resented having to pick up half-caste girls and send them down to government institutions at the request of the Aborigines Department. He considered it is no job for a man who had to maintain the prestige of the force and uphold law and order… (p. 161, ll. 24-28)

The above citation suggests that John believes removing chi…

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Nancy O’Shea

Nancy O’Shea is a secondary character in the story. She only appears as an active character in the second part of the narrative. Her characterisation is conveyed through her husband’s perspective, her actions, and her attitude.

Nancy’s outer characterisation informs us that she is Constable O’Shea’s wife and a mother of four children. Her physical portrait is conveyed from her husband’s perspective: “A big, fair-haired, youngish woman, she was, Mrs O’Shea, full-bosomed and sonsy.” (p. 167, ll. 15-16). The fact that she and her children are fair-haired and well-fed places them in stark contrast with th…

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The three half-Aboriginal girls

The three half-caste girls, named Mynie, Nanja, and Coorin are important for conveying the perspective of children who were victims of the state policy that required half-caste children to be removed from their families and raised in state institutions.

Their outer characterisation tells us that they are half-Aboriginal, aged 7, 8, and 9 years old. Their physical portrait is conveyed through Nancy’s perspective: “Such skinny little things, they were, with great, brown eyes and curling lashes, blackish-brown tousled hair, and gina-ginas, no more tha…