The New Boy

In the heart of the Australian outback during the 1940s, a nameless nine-year-old orphan boy, who is of Aboriginal descent but has some fair hair, becomes embroiled in a dramatic turn of events when he strangles a white horseman. His actions quickly draw the attention of another horseman, who retaliates by felling the boy with a boomerang. This leads to the boy being taken in by a remote monastery, which serves as a refuge for Aboriginal boys. Curiously, the monastery is presided over by a male priest, who is, unbeknownst to the boys, long deceased; in fact, it’s been a year since he passed away. The head nun, Sister Eileen, cleverly maintains the façade of the priest’s existence, even going so far as to forge letters to convince outsiders of his continued presence.

Supporting her in this deception are two figures: a fellow nun affectionately known as Sister Mum and an Aboriginal man named George. Despite their good intentions, the nuns fail to impart any knowledge of Aboriginal culture, values, or language to the boys, leaving them ill-equipped for the realities of the world outside the monastery. Their future is largely dictated by the necessity to leave at a young age to work as farmhands, a fate that weighs heavily on their spirits. It’s suggested that Sister Mum’s conversion to Christianity stemmed from the deep pain of losing her two children, while George finds solace in the stability offered by the monastery life.

The orphan boy, often referred to as the New Boy, initially faces enormous challenges in adapting to his new environment. He struggles to communicate, lacking any proficiency in English, and shows little inclination towards adopting Western customs, such as clothing or shoes. After enduring a period of bullying from his peers, the New Boy begins to assert himself both physically and emotionally, ultimately finding acceptance among the other boys. Throughout his journey, the New Boy demonstrates remarkable supernatural abilities, enabling him to conjure small orbs of light and even heal sick animals and humans around him.

This fragile equilibrium is disrupted with the arrival of a large crucifix statue of Jesus for the monastery’s church. The New Boy finds himself inexplicably drawn to this statue, envisioning it alive, which ignites both fascination and fear among those around him. He begins offering live snakes to the statue, a practice met with horror by the other boys. Compounding his mystique, he starts experiencing stigmata in his hands, further blurring the lines of his supernatural gifts.

One pivotal moment occurs when the New Boy revives a dead snake, inadvertently causing a lightning strike that ignites a fire in the fields. This situation forces George and the boys into action to extinguish the flames. During this chaotic time, the New Boy, in front of the statue, pierces his hands to mimic the crucified Jesus, an act that initially shocks Sister Eileen. However, she interprets this as a sign of his acceptance of Christianity. When George and the other boys return to the monastery, they find that the eldest boy, Michael, has suffered injuries while battling the fire. The New Boy uses his powers to heal Michael, an event that leaves George and Eileen in awe.

As the New Boy’s strange and unorthodox attachment to Jesus continues to unsettle the adults and challenges the traditions they’ve cultivated, he occasionally reverts to his original, more playful state. In one instance, he secretly removes the statue to “play” with it, attempting to mend its crucifixion wounds and dress it up, until it’s discovered by Sister Eileen and put back in its designated place by George. Concerned that the New Boy has yet to fully relinquish his Indigenous ways, George makes the difficult decision to separate him from the other boys.

After grappling with her own beliefs, Sister Eileen comes to see the New Boy as a messenger from Christ, leading her to baptise him in an attempt to cleanse him of what she perceives as “sins.” Despite his limited comprehension of Christianity, the New Boy graciously accepts the baptism, but soon realizes it comes at a cost: he loses his previously held supernatural abilities. Embracing his new life, he begins to adopt Western clothing and footwear.

As the significant day, marked as V-day, approaches, the New Boy tentatively embarks on this new journey, experiencing a tentative sense of belonging from his peers. Yet, the resolution of his story leaves him at a crossroads, caught between two vastly different worlds and facing an uncertain future.

Last Updated: May 21, 2025 at 07:31