Gino wants to be Australian, but with all this discrimination going on, it prevents him from being accepted. If the prejudice could be measured using a thermometer, it would've burst when Gino is bashed at the dance and when detective Sergent Lukie makes his racist remarks e.g.: .
I was under the impression that all da Italians carried knives. Thought it was a national trait. .
Unbelievable isn't it? Would one ever think that a policeman, a civil servant upholding justice and supposedly unbiased, could say such comment? .
However, Lukie's comments further highlight Clarry's own prejudice. Clarry is trying to love the family whilst being ashamed of them. Consequently this causes conflict especially with Maria. Also being the typical, carefree Australian bloke, he displays his emotions only through aggressiveness and tries to steer away from problems and responsibilities such as introducing Gino as his wife's brother rather than brother-in-law and not accepting him as a full partner in his business like he promised to because he then has to rename his business to "Fowler and Bianchi": .
That's not good for business, is it? Foreigners, Momma, Out! Gotta keep it local. .
His stubbornness in not recognizing his prejudice just makes an already overemotional Maria more frustrated. Becoming even more hysterical after Gino's death, she blames Clarry for not protecting him. We sense that the only thing that keeps their marriage together is the fact that Maria is pregnant for the third time, after two miscarriages- another instance of not wanting her child to grow up in a prejudiced community: .
But something inside me just wouldn't let me hold onto them. .
Apart from Clarry and Maria, the play also reveals the marriages of Poppa and Momma, and Leila and Donny. Momma and Poppa have expressed their love subconsciously. Their characters lighten this serious play by adding comical events e.g. when Poppa plays with Momma by trying to lift her up: .