Fiction and Australian Identity - 1035 Words

‘Winton’s Cloudstreet continues to engage readers through its narrative treatment of hardship and optimism.’ In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Cloudstreet? In your response, make detailed reference to the novel. The novel Cloudstreet, by Tim Winton resonates the idea of engaging readers through its focus on optimism despite hardship throughout the narrative. The text has the ability to be appreciated and understood through its textual integrity and realism, making it an inspirationally driven text for those engaged readers. A cultural perspective of the novel highlights how the characters in the novel overcome hardships and gain that sense of optimism, which is a true†¦show more content†¦The narrative allows for the idea of segregation to act as an aspect of the hardship faced by the characters. It distinguishes the differences between those who are separated, identifying their different lifestyles and values as factors, which has caused this disconnection. The segregation and major personality differences between the two families are highlighted in the quote, â€Å"Sometimes they squared off at one another like opposing platoons.† The metaphor of comparing the two sets of c hildren to â€Å"platoon†, a word commonly used in war, parallels the separation caused by the war. This emphasizes a key aspect of the contextual features of the storyline, as the war has a major impact on the lives of the characters. This also exaggerates the level of separation between the two families, suggesting they have a war-like standing against each other, caused by different views and opinions. The notion of segregation between the families is an obvious cause of hardship, as the two families share so much, whilst being completely different. There is strong symbolism throughout Cloud Street that parallels this idea of segregation. The end of the novel signifies the overcoming of these symbols, in order to unite. The divided backyard is achieved through old signs patched together, symbolizing the patching together of lives after the previous hardships faced. The families of Cloudstreet are very different, one whoShow MoreRelatedRichard Frankland s Digger J. Jones1650 Words   |  7 PagesRichard Frankland’s Digger J. Jones (2007) is a novel which bridges the gap between children’s literature and literature for young adults. Frankland’s novel makes mention of the challenges faced by Indigenous Australians specifically during the 1967 Referendum and to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War. The passage, situated in the first few pages of the novel, immediately after the implied readers discover the origin of the name Digger, but prior to the first mention of Aboriginal people not beingRead MoreDiscuss The A rticle ‘Reinforcing The Myth: Constructing1546 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the article ‘Reinforcing the myth: Constructing Australian identity in â€Å"reality TV† ’. The main contention in Price Erma’s article ‘ Reinforcing the myth: Constructing Australian identity in â€Å"reality TV† ’ which published online on May 2010, is to portray the myth of Australian identity shows in TV that there is a balance to measure how much is true, how much is false. Erma leads the reader to understand that the myth is against ‘reality TV’ because there always has tension between ideasRead MoreAustralia s Film And Television Industry1635 Words   |  7 Pagescentury and the beginning of the 20th. 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Not only is Australian free to air TV being dominated by American producedRead MoreCharacter Analysis : The Twyborn Affair 1570 Words   |  7 Pages 2 The Twyborn Affair 2.1 Identity The protagonist plays three different roles in the story, which is divided into three distinct but essentially unrelated sections. In a small town in Mediterranean France, the protagonist appears as a woman named Eudoxia Vatatzes, who is the lover of an elderly Greek man, Angelos. Then in Australia, the protagonist becomes a man, Eddie Twyborn. Later in London, his identity shifts to Eaddie Trist, the doyenne of a house of prostitution. At the outsetRead MoreRequiem for a Beast (Theme and Techniques)1210 Words   |  5 Pagesor taking control over their culture. This action is practically taking away their identity and forcibly changing their values. The importance of culture lies in the fact that it is a link between people and their value systems. 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In his memoir A Long Way Home, Saroo Brierley uses the literary devices of pacing, imagery,Read MoreAboriginal People s Perception Of Aboriginal Peoples1527 Words   |  7 Pages‘Aboriginalism’ is a term that could hold many different meanings to a variety of people, simply because there is a uneducated understanding, disregard and ignorance in the way that Contemporary Australians know and recognize Indigenous Australia. Having previously understood Aboriginalism to be an identity aboriginals themselves identify to, and being further educated upon the term, ‘aboriginalism’ is now clarified to be a theory of Edward Said’s, in which it describes non-aboriginal people’s perception