Cloudstreet Essay -- English Literature

Cloudstreet Besides providing an interesting story line, texts may portray attitudes and values connected with many aspects of the society in which they were written or represent. This is the case in the novel, Cloudstreet, in which values and attitudes of Australian life are presented in the story of two families sharing one house. The author, Tim Winton, may have directed these attitudes and values at the Australian society to provide the people involved within, an understanding of themselves and their culture, and also make an attempt at pushing his own interpretation of them. In Cloudstreet, Winton has effectively used the role of the woman and the man to express more modern attitudes and values of Australian life. Lester and Oriel Lamb are prime examples of this. Being the man of the house (or half of the house), it is usually expected that Lester go out and work hard for his money, to come home to a wife who supports him and looks after the house and kids. But this is not the role he plays in Cloudstreet, in fact the complete opposite. Lester is portrayed as a sensitive man who cooks and cleans regularly, helping out with many of the household chores. He never seems to have a quarrel with Oriel, his wife, having most of the control of the family. Essay 2 Textual integrity requires a composer to be constantly aware of all the elements of a work, especially the writer’s values. Discuss the relationship, textual integrity and values in your understanding and interpretation of Cloudstreet. Textual integrity is important in the construction of a novel. It makes the readers more aware of the author, Tim Wintons intentions. A personal interpretation of Cloudstreet includes the characters values, the... ...ld relive her life in Geraldton as that gave her an identity and thus a sense of place. Throughout the novel all characters embark on a journey to reveal their sense of place. This journey gives the readers a greater insight into Winton’s characters. Winton portrays a sense of place as having a range of different qualities to each character in the novel Cloudstreet. A sense of place can give a character an identity, which alters the way in which other characters perceive and relate to them. Some characters find that their sense of place is an escape and comfit to them. A lot of characters in Cloudstreet search for this sense of place in order to feel comfort and recognition. In the case of Quick Lamb, he tends to find comfit in being outdoors. Quick decides to move out of Cloudstreet and move to the outback where he believes he will have a sense of place.