How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Lily thought [Pop] was a bit of a racist, too, or at least the sort of reactionary old person who thought a decent Aussie was the best kind of person in the world. (1.16)
"Reactionary" is an interesting word choice here—it seems to show that at his core, Pop still believes that his generation of Australians was the best. They were hard working, humble, and proud of their heritage, and if you're going to say anything against that, you'd best move out of the way. Is it possible that Pop's seeming hatred for other races is really just intimidation because they are different than what he's always known?
Quote #2
[Stan] stood on the corner for a full ten minutes, and in all that time, apart from a couple of school kids, he saw only one Australian face. Saris and veils passed him by, men in funny caps, even a tiny old lady in black pajamas and a big straw hat, the exact replica of a picture in Stan's Grade Two Reader: Our Oriental Friends. (21.3)
Just the title of Stan's textbook is enough to reveal that he grew up in a different time—"Oriental" is not only an outdated term, but one that's considered totally not cool and racist to use today. While his background doesn't excuse his standoffish attitude toward Chinese Australians, it provides a telling glimpse of the worldview he was taught as a child.
Quote #3
Stan was in the sulks. Anyone would think he'd caught the Qantas flight to Singapore instead o the 7:30 down to Central! "What did we fight the bloody war for?" he muttered. (21.4)
Stan may not specifically say which "bloody war" he's referring to, but we can do the math and figure it out. Assuming that the story takes place around the book's year of publication (2006) and Stan is turning eighty, he was born sometime in the mid-1920s. This would make him the age of enlistment in the military around the end of World War II or the beginning of the Korean War. Since both wars involved engagement with enemies from Asian nations (Japan and Korea), it's possible that he could be referring to either one.