Postcolonial literature reveals and challenges the ideals of a dominant culture in its attempt to marginalize and control a lesser group. No Sugar is a play set in a period of Australian history known as protectionism, where indigenous Australians were marginalized as primitive beings, incapable of self-sufficiency and therefore protected through forced assimilation. Through the experiences of the Millimurra family, the show effectively exposes the inhumane treatment of Aboriginal people imposed on them due to the ignorance and prejudice present among European Australians and government policies. The Eurocentric value of assimilation and paternalistic attitudes of white Australian society at the time are revealed through the way in which marginalized Aboriginal minority characters are represented as Other despite their forced attempts to acculturate, as well as the way in which characters Whites portray them as incompetent due to their own condescending treatment of Aboriginal people. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The value of assimilation present in white European society at the time the play is set is revealed and challenged by the way the character Billy Kimberley is marginalized and considered Other by both cultural groups. Throughout the 1930s, assimilation existed as an unofficial policy that required indigenous Australians to abandon their heritage and then adopt the customs and traditions of the general majority. This expectation was highly valued by the white and xenophobic Australian public (Red Apple Education Ltd, 2009). This value is exhibited within the play by the way Aboriginal characters are encouraged to acculturate with the promise of better treatment and better living conditions. Billy, who has lost nearly all sense of belonging due to the loss of his tribe, conforms to a Eurocentric lifestyle in hopes of escaping the oppression his people face due to their cultural differences. His attempt at assimilation benefits him to some extent, as he is rewarded with the possession of a whip, considered a symbol of white authority. However, the value of assimilation is challenged by Billy's character rather than promoted. In the white Australian society of the play, Billy is crudely represented as a "dog with a travesty of trousers and a feathered hat, walking on his hind legs" (Conrad, 1899, p. 36). Despite assuming a European appearance, he remains marginalized from the society itself in which he tries to integrate and continues to distinguish himself. This image is emphasized through the captions which describe Billy “dressed in a new but absurdly inadequate uniform” (p.96). Billy, who is no longer recognized by his own people, is unable to fully assimilate and thus earns the ridicule of both groups through his futile attempts. Not only does it fail to achieve equality in appearance, it also fails to achieve the dignified treatment that the idea of ​​assimilation seemed to incorporate. Instead of handing it directly to Billy, Mr. Neal “throws a stick of tobacco on the floor” (p. 73) as one would throw a treat to an ordinary pet. By accepting such undignified treatment, Billy loses the respect of his cultural group, but he has never been truly respected even by his assimilated society. Assimilation is revealed as a value of white Europeans within the play as it seems to benefit characters such as.