The Bone People

Alcohol, such as beer or whiskey, is usually seen as a Western import, one of the most destructive aspects of colonization, alongside various diseases. In the novel, drinking is presented as an ambivalent action. It serves as either an escape or an outward sign of emancipation and social rule-breaking.

To escape his unhappy and meaningless adult life, Joe chooses to drink too much. In a way, alcohol can partially explain Joe’s inability to hold his temper with Simon, leading to physical violence. Kerewin is also shown to imbibe significant amounts of alcohol. However, in her case, drinking takes on a slightly different meaning: It marks her rejection of the female ideal. Proper, upper-class white women are not supposed to drink, especially by themselves in public places, and should never show themselves intoxicated. Her drinking, both alone and at pubs, then, signifies her independence and nonconformity.

Island cultures often feel a deep connection to both land and water, as they are precariously balanced between the two. Consequently, canoes and boats are important symbols for the Maori. Tribal identity is based on which canoe a person’s ancestors sailed to New Zealand, or Aotearoa. Additionally, the canoe is central to eking out a livelihood from the sea, as well as engaging in warfare, or riri.