Comparative Study of Texts

The module comparative study of texts should remain in the Board of Studies programme as it cigarette provide a powerful insight into the sympathetic condition and social value of an era. The contact Away by Michael Gow and rimes print in Sometimes Gladness written by Bruce Dawe be some(prenominal) texts which reflect similar conditions that the typical per male child living in suburban Australia between the 1950s and 1960s experienced. There were m both significant events that to a faultk come in during these two decades such as the aftermath of the Great Depression and the untaughts military involve manpowert in the Vietnam War.These incidents led to an outbreak in excessive consumerism and rising conflict amongst the Australian population on the bow of swig. Through the analysis of the above mentioned texts, comparisons can be established. The 1950s and 1960s saw the beginning of a very consumerist Australian society where by treasured values were re situated with sup erficiality. In the play Away, Gwens psychoneurotic longing for solely things cautious began to take over her life and prompt the relationships she had with her family.The diminishing ideals of the pre-boomer generation are the resultant of the Great Depression which occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Many Australians were left unemployed which gave them the unfitness to support themselves with a base of operations or even a graceful meal. On the left top side, you can see two men walking down the streets with signs hung nearly 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 universe acc substance abused of by design leaving Jims cardboard carton behind containing Christmas presents, she explains how she has Sacrificed gone(p) without. Gone by means of hardship so what fall outed to us will never happen to you. So youll never know what we saw never, never, never. T he short sentences followed by the repeat of the word never give emphasis to Gwens devastating emplacement as she recalls the difficult stage in her life that unless you were in the kindred circumstances, will never be able to understand. On the right hand side of the slide shows a house organise by Australian currency. This represents both Gwen and Jims desire to live the Australian Dream of home office 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 just about Toms family and their upcoming holiday she says They both work dont they? In a factory, isnt it? Im sure thats what I perceive. 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 invite what she has today.These past experiences have made her appreciate the value of money to which she vows to never have to live so miserably ever again. Likewise, similar concepts regarding increase consumerism in this particular 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 study developments only if started to become mainstream in Australia a few years sooner this poem was published. The poem opens with a new born 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 favorable people. The repetition of the word hello gives emphasis on the irony of the materialistic world the child just has entered i nto. Although Bobby Dazzler refers to the viewers as lucky, the immoral moral philosophy and lack of human emotion that the child is exposed to would suggest otherwise.The pictorial matter 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 after in to the poem, when the family are defined as a Well-equipped smoothly-run household, victimization labels that would typically be given to commercial products when advertising. The hyphenated words create an lengthy listing effect that would appear 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 ruined our lives. This idea is represented in the deceptive picture on the right, with the phra se Consumerism is killing us all, however with few letters blurred out leaves 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 introduction of conscription laws within Australia were very ontroversial as the reality felt that they should not be forcefully sent overseas, however instead used for home defense lawyers only. In Away, it is learnt that Roy and coral have lost their son at war after he was randomly selected through the conscription method of recruiting troops. Both 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 contribution 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 exact thoughts out loud to the audience. Coral has been move by A Midsummer Nights Dream, in particular Toms role who she cannot help but prize of her young and innocent son who was taken away far too early. She makes a direct reference to her son Is it better for them to die akin that? Through the soliloquy it is evident that Coral is incapable of dealing with the hassle 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 feel included in the mourning of their son. Roy attem pts to reassure Coral that there are other families out there who have been ill-used 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 comfort 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 group 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 controvert 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 riposte would gener ally call for a celebration and overall give us a warm sensation, however that is not the case for the return of the doomed soldiers stripped of their dignity. In the first opening lines of the poem, the procedure of how the bodies are salt away 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 fictile 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 vane to portray the widespread affect the war had on the family and friends within the partnership who are still grieving.The image on the right shows a soldier being greeted by his young children, who was fortunate eno ugh 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 permit 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 scale through a study of one of them individually. In saying so, the Board of Studies should reconsider removing the module from the syllabus.