Comparative Study of Texts

The module comparative study of texts should remain in the dialog box of Studies syllabus as it can provide a powerful insight into the human condition and social values of an era. The wanton Away by Michael Gow and poems publish in Sometimes Gladness written by Bruce Dawe ar both texts which reflect similar conditions that the typical person living in suburban Australia amidst the 1950s and 1960s experienced. There were many significant events that took place during these two decades such as the aftermath of the abundant Depression and the countrys phalanx involvement in the Vietnam War.These incidents led to an surfacebreak in excessive consumerism and rising conflict amongst the Australian population on the subject of conscription. Through the analysis of the preceding(prenominal) mentioned texts, comparisons can be established. The 1950s and 1960s saw the beginning of a very consumerist Australian society where by treasured values were replaced with superficiality. In th e play Away, Gwens obsessive longing for all told things materialistic began to take over her animateness and affect the relationships she had with her family.The diminishing ideals of the pre-boomer generation atomic number 18 the resultant of the Great Depression which occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Many Australians were left unemployed which gave them the inability to support themselves with a home or even a decent meal. On the left hand side, you can see two men walking hatful the streets with signs hung around their neck on the lookout for a job so they are able to efficiently provide for their family. In Gwens confrontation with daughter Meg whilst being accused of purposely going Jims cardboard carton behind containing Christmas presents, she explains how she has SacrificedGone without. Gone through hardship so what happened to us will neer happen to you. So youll never know what we saw never, never, never. The short sentences followed by the repetition o f the word never give emphasis to Gwens devastating situation as she recalls the difficult stand for in her life that unless you were in the same circumstances, will never be able to understand. On the right hand side of the slide shows a family unit formed by Australian currency. This represents both Gwen and Jims desire to live the Australian Dream of home ownership.Gwens money-oriented nature often causes her to look down on others who she believes are not entitled to the privileges she is as they have not worked for it. While in discussion with Meg about Toms family and their approaching holiday she says They both work dont they? In a factory, isnt it? Im sure thats what I heard. A lean-to. They shouldnt be going on a holiday if they cant afford one. Gwen generalizes their family in contrast to the hardships she financially struggled with in her adolescence that she persisted through to earn what she has today.These agone experiences have made her appreciate the value of mon ey to which she vows to never have to live so miserably ever again. Likewise, similar concepts regarding increased consumerism in this peculiar(a) time period can be seen in Dawes Enter Without So Much as Knocking. This poem follows stages of a man whose life since birth is built on consumerism. The 1950s were a time where social values regarding consumerism were substantially changing, especially as a result of the new advances in technology.The television, being one of the major developments only started to become mainstream in Australia a few years before this poem was published. The poem opens with a new natural baby being introduced into a hectic fast city paced lifestyle. The first words heard when carried into the front door were Bobby Dazzler on Channel 7, Hello, hello, hello all you lucky people. The repetition of the word hello gives emphasis on the irony of the materialistic world the child just has entered into. Although Bobby Dazzler refers to the viewers as lucky, t he immoral morals and lack of human emotion that the child is exposed to would suggest otherwise.The photo on the left shows a person who is surrounded by materialistic objects along with the word consume to show how the persona in the plays whole life revolves around consumerism. Consumerist attitudes are also seen later in to the poem, when the family are defined as a Well-equipped smoothly-run household, using labels that would typically be given to commercial products when advertising. The hyphenated words create an extended listing effect that would come out of the closet when reading product descriptions before considering buying.This dehumanizes the family as if they have been purchased as objects and have not been described based on personal characteristics thus demonstrating how consumerism has completely undone our lives. This idea is represented in the deceptive picture on the right, with the phrase Consumerism is killing us all, however with few letters blurred out le aves the words Consumerism is in us all. The Vietnam War was another prime concern which had a massive impact on both the veterans and their loved ones during the 1960s. Specifically, the base of conscription laws within Australia were very ontroversial as the public felt that they should not be forcefully sent overseas, but instead used for home defending team only. In Away, it is learnt that Roy and red coral have lost their son at war after he was randomly selected through the conscription method of recruiting troops. twain coral and Roy have different approaches to coping with the loss of their son which begins to threaten their relationship. Roy sees his sons involvement in the war as a component to a country with one of the highest living standards on earth. leaving his wife Coral who is still clearly distraught from the outcome, without any emotional support.After the school play, Coral awaits her husband alone outside where through monologue, is able to address her ex act thoughts out loud to the audience. Coral has been moved by A Midsummer shadows Dream, in particular Toms role who she cannot help but think of her young and innocent son who was taken remote far too early. She makes a direct reference to her son Is it better for them to die like that? Through the soliloquy it is evident that Coral is incapable of dealing with the pain and despair the world has to offer, leaving her in an unstable state.The image on the left is of a young Australian veteran who was called up in the first intake of national servicemen under the conscription scheme, who would have been placed in the exact situation as Roy and Corals son. Later on in the play, Roy confronts Coral about her inability to control her low-spirited behaviour around people when she is at school functions and that Roy is also still suffering but doesnt look included in the mourning of their son. Roy attempts to reassure Coral that there are other families out there who have been victi mised by the repercussions of the war with the lines But.But. We are not the only ones. The uses of short sentences are far more powerful in meaning as they are straight to the point in his efforts to solace Coral from the tragedy. Coral is only one of a few mothers who were outraged due to conscription. On the right, you can see an anti-conscription protest by a grouping of women called Save Our Sons who formed to counter conscription and in general the war. Identical themes with regards to the nations involvement in the Vietnam War and the negative response from the Australian public can be seen in Bruce Dawes Homecoming.The poem is about the process of bringing home deceased bodies from the war who were originally conscripted to excite on behalf of their country. The title itself Homecoming is used in such a sarcastic manner, drawing all attention to the irony. The concept of a homecoming would broadly speaking call for a celebration and overall give us a warm sensation, howe ver that is not the case for the return of the dead soldiers stripped of their dignity. In the first opening lines of the poem, the procedure of how the bodies are collected for their arrival home are described using graphic terms.Through the use of visual imagery, the mistreatment of the corpses is shown in lines theyre zipping them up in green plastic bags which dehumanize the veterans by their absence of individuality. On the left shows luggage on the tarmac at Vung Tau, a few days before the Vietnam veterans returned home. The enormity of the war is represented towards the end of the poem through the metaphorical the roamer grief swings in his bitter geometry. Dawe refers to a spiders web to portray the widespread affect the war had on the family and friends within the community who are still grieving.The image on the right shows a soldier being greeted by his young children, who was fortunate enough to arrive home unscathed, unlike many of his fellow war mates. As you can see , exploring think themes of consumerism and conscription in Bruce Dawes poems Enter Without So Much as Knocking and Homecoming along with Michael Gows play Away allow us to gain an insight into the human condition and social values of an era that we would otherwise not be able to understand on such outmatch through a study of one of them individually. In saying so, the Board of Studies should reconsider removing the module from the syllabus.