The short story I read was The Yellow Brick Road, by Witi Ihimaera. It is about a family driving on the road to go Wellington, which is a big city. They are travelling from Waituhi to Wellington to get a new life. The story is written from the voice of Matiu, a young boy, who is excited to get to the city, more excited than the rest of the family, who feel a little unsure and negative.  They have been travelling for two days in a car which is loaded with all of their ‘junk’ on the top. The car has conked out once and they have run out of petrol.

The main character Matiu and I have a few things in common. We both move to a new place where we don’t know (we’ve never been). For Matiu, he moves from his home town to Wellington and for me, from Japan to New Zealand. It’s like an adventure to move to a new place and I know why he is so excited while he is moving and when he arrived.

The writer often used slang words in the story. In the first page, he wrote as “No dents and honk honk goes the horn”. Also he used “conked out” instead of using out of petrol. Those a bit childish words show that the writer is still young.

There was an express of racism in the story when the white driver almost run over Matiu, and shouted at his father. The white man was right first shouting for letting kid run out on the road but after that he said “You Maoris are all the same. Dumb bloody horis”. He insults Maori people. Muti’s father didn’t talk back.  It was because he was angry but also he felt sorry for throwing Matiu’s books away and let him put in danger.

Plot…What is significant?

1. book – The Wizard of Oz
2. near miss Pakeha guys yelling at Dad
3. Matiu starting to question how he feels (road signs)