How does the composer distinctively illustrate aspects of society? The impact the environment has on the individual, and isolation are aspects of society that can be examined by popular representation. Physical isolation and the hardships of living in the Australian bush have been effectively explored in Henry Lawson’s short stories “The Drovers Wife”, and “In a Dry Season” and John Currons film, “Tracks”. These concepts are shown through the creation of distinctively visual imagery which allows the audience to feel the challenges and negative effects of the harsh environment by being encapsulated in the personas world through the images created. Physical and social isolation is an aspect of society which can arise from living in an uninhabited …show more content…
environment. In “The Drovers Wife” and “The Loaded Dog”, Henry Lawson creates distinctively visual images to convey the character’s experience of isolation as a result of living in the Australian outback.
Lawson creates a vivid image of the desolation and isolation that the drover’s wife experiences in the bush in “bush all round – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance…nothing to relive the eye save the darker green of a few she-oaks which are sighing…”. The desolate nature of the picture that the reader created in their mind is enhanced by the repetition of the word “bush” and “no”, which helps the responder to imagine the monotony of the landscape and the physical solation of the drover’s wife. The personified trees help us to convey a sense of weariness, adding to the overall image of desolation and allowing us to clearly imagine the harsh environment and the …show more content…
loneliness it creates for the drover’s wife. Similarly, in “In a dry season” Lawson instantly addressed the audience by opening with a verb and using descriptive language in “Draw a wire fence and a few ragged gums, and add some scattered sheep running away from the train...” The descriptive style of the outback allows the responder to visualise the dull the lonely environment and provides evidence that the Australian outback is a place of isolation. Lawson effectively explores aspects of society in the Australian bush by employing distinctively visual techniques that enable the responder to feel the hardships of others such as isolation and loneliness. An individual can experience physical and social isolation as a result of their environmental surroundings. In “Tracks”, John Curron uses distinctively visual techniques to explore elements of isolation and depression in the Australian environment. Curron uses a long shot of Robyn Davidson in the open dessert, surrounded by no trees or water to create a scene of loneliness and isolation. Similar to “A Drover’s Wife”, the image is emphasised by what is not there, rather than what it. This allows the responder to clearly experience the harshness and monotony of the Australian outback. The use of motifs of the graphics of the map, aerial shots and extreme long shots of Davidson with her camels in the outback create distinctively visual effect of highlighting her loneliness and isolation in the outback. Similar to Lawson’s short stories, the creation of distinctively visual images allows the responder can understand that an individual surroundings can cause physical isolation. An individual can be shaped and physically impacted by the landscape and environment they inhabitant. In “The Drovers Wife” and “In a Dry Season”, Lawson depicts the harshness of the Australian outback and the tough, desolate life of living in the bush. The extended imagery that portrays the wife and her children as “ragged dried up looking children…gaunt sun brown” highlights the physical effects of the harsh conditions they live in reflects the appearance of the persona and her children – a product of the environment and their experiences. This also visually reinforces the harsh, hostile, monotonous and bleak environment they live in. The negative diction in “Draw a wire fence and a few ragged gums, and add some scattered sheep running away from the train…” highlights the feeling of monotony and desolation and makes the responder aware of the harsh reality of the outback life. The establishment of images through the use of distinctively visual language, allows the responder to connect with both the personas and their environment. Through the creation of distinctively visually images, the responder can understand that an individual can be physically affected by the environment in which they are surrounded by. The environment surrounding an individual can have negative effects to their mental and physical wellbeing.
In “Tracks”, Curron explores the harshness of the Australian desert and the impact it has on the personas welfare. Similar to Lawson stories, Curron uses long shots of the landscape portray similar features such as barrenness, desolation, bleakness stunted trees and no water to be seen. This distinctively visual scene provides the responder with evidence that the Australian environment is a harsh and dry place to live in. The close up of Davidsons face demonstrates the physical effects that the Australian desert has on her, as the audience can evidently see her face and lips are sunburnt and peeling, which is a physical impact from the environment. The slow motion scene of Davidson walking through the desert emphasises the impact the environment has on her mental welfare. As a result of the hot and inhabitable environment, she is shown to be delirious, fragile and in a weakened mental state. Australian environment on an individual’s physical and mental
health.
Apart from the novel's thematic development, McCarthy's setting and his detailed description of the ornate beauty of the desert southwest is deserving of praise. A lyrical quality and refined beauty are apparent in the novel's description. McCarthy's extended accounts of the pristine beauty of the desert can be seen as an artistic and visually appealing piece work apart from the plot of the novel. Such memorable accounts seem to be a lone highlight in a shockingly disturbing book (Moran 37).
‘The Drover’s Wife’ opens with a vivid visual image of the house which becomes a character in itself, the lexical word chain “round timber, slabs, and stringy bark, and floored with split slabs” shows us the poor, rough materials used to build only what is necessary to survive. Thus, we can visualise the simplistic nature of the lives the drover’s wife and her children live in their environment. Strong visual imagery is employed to depict the landscape; “Bush all round – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance… No undergrowth”. The repetition of “no” emphasises the lack of distinguishing features, the land is monotonous and contains “nothing to relieve the eye”. The environment is isolated; they are alone “There is nothing to see, however, and not a soul to meet”. This helps the audience to develop an understanding of the isolation and loneliness of Australians living in the bush during the Colonial
‘In a Dry Season’ by Henry Lawson paints an image of the typical harsh and unforgiving Australian outback as well as it’s monotony. He attempts to illustrates its true nature and not romanticise about the sparse landscape or the difficulty of growing crops. He demonstrates the integrity of the bush characters which is heightened compared to lesser individuals. “The least horrible spot in the bush, in a dry season is where the bush isn't - where it has been cleared away and a green crop is trying to grow.” The word “horrible” reinforces that fact that the bush isn’t a hospitable place.
The repetition of the word, 'bush' in, " Bush all round - bush with no horizon.." creates a vivid visual image of the bush setting and emphasises the loneliness experienced by the drover's wife and her family. The family's loneliness is reinforced in, "...The everlasting, maddening sameness ...longs a man to break away and travel as far a way as trains can go...". This juxtaposes the traditional perception of the bush,which is that of beauty and pleasure, and depicts a tedious environment incapable of nurturing curious thought,an another hardship on the family. This is ironic as this iconic story symbolises Australia, it does this by portraying the country side in a negative light. Therefore, the harsh environment highlights the determination of Australians in the face of
Distinct visuals have been created in the minds of the responders through ‘Henry Lawson’s’ two well known short stories, ‘The Drover’s Wife’ and ‘In A Dry Season’; these visuals of isolation, stoicism and the struggle to survive in the harsh rural Australian outback through Lawson’s use of sibilance, misjudgement, symbolism, third person narration and also complex word choice. In contrast John Constable of the visual The ‘Flatford Mill’ has used bright colours, brushstrokes, positioning and also symbolism to create the distinct visuals of tranquillity, serenity and freedom in this text.
Isolation can be a somber subject. Whether it be self-inflicted or from the hands of others, isolation can be the make or break for anyone. In simpler terms, isolation could range anywhere from not fitting into being a complete outcast due to personal, physical, or environmental factors. It is not only introverted personalities or depression that can bring upon isolation. Extroverts and active individuals can develop it, but they tend to hide it around crowds of other people. In “Richard Cory,” “Miniver Cheevy,” The Minister’s Black Veil,” and “Not Waving but Drowning,” E.A. Robinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Stevie Smith illustrate the diverse themes of isolation.
By force or choice, people are isolated from a certain community due to malevolence in the nature of the particular society to eventually lead their life independently. Moorhouse approaches the idea of isolation by using symbolic features which segregate certain
Describing a course in history when isolation was highly adopted, Deresiewicz writes, “The mob, the human mass, presses in… The soul is forced back into itself—hence the development of a more austere and embattled form of self-validation…where the essential relationship is only with oneself” (par.8). Deresiewicz describes the time of urbanization, when country folks began flooding into cities. With so many people moving into the city, there was not any room to breathe because there was not any privacy or space—all the voices and thoughts were forced into one sector of society. This forced some people to advance past the crowd and focus on oneself, on the soul. When submerged by a sea of people, the best shelter is inside the body and mind, where one can reflect the internal self and external world in a serene environment. Extending on the importance of temporary isolation, Deresiewicz adds, “Solitude becomes, more than ever, the arena of heroic self-discovery, a voyage through interior realms” (par. 8). When engaged in the physical world, people don’t focus on themselves because there is too much stimulation occurring around them. But when alone in solitude, when there is no around except oneself—no noises, sounds, distractions—then a person is able to reflect on his or her character. It is important to immerse in introspection because mental health is as vital as bodily health. And by delving deeper into the psyche, individuals discover new information about themselves that wouldn’t have been uncovered with others because the only person that truly understands him or her is that
Perceptions of the natural world have fluctuated throughout humanity’s short time on this earth, going in and out of style as societies and technologies have grown and died. As is the the very nature of literature itself, literature and its authors have managed to capture these shifting views, expressed and illustrated by the art of written word. Naturally, the literature chosen for us to read based on this fluid theme of nature encompasses an array of perspectives. One of these views is that nature is sublime and above all else, a reflection of all that which is perfection. Another is that nature is cold, uncaring, and indifferent to the vanities of humanity.
People need interaction with other people because it is such a significant part of how they understand the reasons for living. Human beings are naturally curious. Therefore, by drastically reducing the amount of normal social interaction, exposure to the natural world, or experience of different relationships, isolation is emotionally, physically, and psychologically destructive. Works Cited Faulkner, William. The.
Isolation is being separated or separating your self from others. Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein and Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, both show the two types of isolation. Loneliness, unfriendly, and separation for ones peace can also mean the same as isolation. No matter what way you look at it, they all mean the same thing. Great examples of these are in Frankenstein and A Christmas Carol; the characters show it very well, which sets the tone and mood of the stories. In A Christmas Carol and Frankenstein, Victor choses to be isolated and separates himself from society to work on the unknown, which is to recreate life. Victor’s teacher was the reason he was isolated, “he took [him] into his laboratory and explained to [him] the uses of his
The valley is described as a “desolate” place where “ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills into grotesque gardens”. (21) Ashes that dominate the area take the shape of natural greenery. The term “grotesque gardens” uses alliteration, with juxtaposition; to highlight the odd pairing of ashes and greenery. Ashes are associated with death while ridges and “gardens” represent the potential to flourish and grow in the promise and ideal of equality as in “the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams.” (143) The trees that once stood here were able to speak to man’s dreams, which allude to America, the land able to speak to man’s dreams and capacity for wonder. All this is replaced by grey ash that suffocates the inhabitants, restricting them to their social class. This presents a bleak image of hopelessness that surrounds the valley.
He describes how the sun “bakes” the earth, the grasshoppers “consume the parched grass,” and how the prairies are full of “endless desolation.” The word “bakes” exhibits nature’s hostility to its surrounding lands. The grasshoppers eating the “parched grass” convey how on top of the grass slowly starving and dying, it has to deal with the grasshoppers devouring it as well; which emphasizes nature’s unforgivable attitude towards the land. The words “endless desolation” reveal that the land is nothing but despair, and that it is full of endless agony and suffering. This bleak description expresses a miserable tone that deduces the reader’s mind to believe the landscape is barren and
Do you ever feel trapped when you are in a place that you have never been before? Isolation criticizes society since it does not let everyone be equal or have the same rights. Isolation can completely change a person, and it is usually for the worst. Society “acts” like they try to prevent isolation, but in reality they isolate people for certain reasons, then those people get judged for being “different.” Upon closer inspection it is human nature to deny equal rights because people that do not act, dress, or look the same are labeled as strange, and unfortunately, many times are not accepted by the majority of society. This gives authors a way to shine a light on society’s flaws.
In Ellen Goodman article, “Friendless in North America” the author writes about the multiple effects of social isolation. She explained that studies done from 1885 to 2004 turned up some overwhelming news. The studies done were face to face and there were about 1,467 adults. Goodman writes that one-fourth of the people have nobody to talk to about important matters and another reported articulates people are one person less from nobody. From then to now the number of people who have nobody to talk to has doubled. The study is to show how people social isolation effects. Three effects of social isolation are eroding friendships, loneliness, and depression that can cause to death.