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Will and Sal's Relationship Development

Before meeting Sal in London, Will's socioeconomic standing was low, and his prospect for upward mobility was unpromising. In contrast, Sal came from a much less impoverished family—she did not question whether she would have food and did not have to work at a young age. Therefore, from the get-go, their relationship dynamic necessitated more power to Sal than in other conventional relationships at the time. Sal brought opportunity and more status.

This dynamic takes a start shift early into their residence in New South Wales—Sal's reputation no longer brought the family utility. This is where the dynamic shifts: since Sal no longer has familial superiority to Will, he treats her with less respect. Will is seemingly less controlled by the social pressures to respect the hierarchy. Will considers Sal's opinion to a lesser degree: he demands the family settle on land in New South Wales despite Sal's desperation to return to England. Even through Sal's repeated and relentless verbal disdain for their new life, Will demands they spend five years on their new land. However, through Will's growing realization that they will forever be outcasts in England, I predict that the family will never return to England. 

Furthermore, Will begins to treat others differently as well: he feels an innate superiority over the aboriginals, and he treats Dan and Ned as lesser—even though Will and Dan were childhood friends and Will, too, was once arrested and given off as a laborer. Nonetheless, Will positions himself as superior to them.

Comments

  1. Eloise DanielloJanuary 23, 2023 at 12:31 PM

    Hi Noah! I agree that Will has an odd relationship with power and tries to demand it in any chance he gets. However, I believe his relationship with Sal is less black and white than you make it out to be. I think Will realizes that in almost all aspects, Sal is better (in a sense that she comes from a well-respected family and isn't a convict) than he is and he has to respect her wishes at times. It also clear that he truly loves her and does take her opinions and perspectives into account when making decisions.

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  2. Gema Sanchez GamezJanuary 23, 2023 at 11:50 PM

    Hi Noah! I think that your observations about the power dynamic between Will and Sal really predict the future of their relationship. Since Will felt powerless at the beginning of their relationship, he feels that he has to make up for this in New South Wales, where he can be whoever he works hard enough to be. Will's pursuit of wealth is driven by the need to provide for his family, but in the process, he forgets what really matters to Sal. He is so fueled by his previous feelings of powerlessness and shame, that he forgets to value his family and the aboriginal people, whose land has given him the opportunity to redefine himself.

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