This is the answer to rap point 2 from one of our groups.
The short stories of Henry Lawson still engage the reader of today. Especially those of us who live in the country.
This is shown in 'The Drover's Wife.' Although we don't actually get a physical description of the wife as such, we can work out what she is like
from Lawson's descriptions of other things. We work out that she is both, physically and mentally very tough. As her husband is away droving so much
she has to do all the work on her own at these times. People in the bush can still relate to this very well, because more often than not the whole family goes out working on the property. The colloquial dialogue also makes it engaging. The dialogue Lawson uses is the type of dialogue that many people now-a-days still use - typical Australian slang. The character of Alligator
plays such an important role in her life, he is their main source of protection for the family. If you live in the country its like an unwritten
law that every man owns a dog. They are a crucial part of any bushmans life.
In 'Joe Wilson's Courtship', Joe can also be related easily as a typical bushman. He is the laid back easy going type of man, which is still so typical of Aussie bushman these days. In the short story 'In A Dry Season', Lawson describes a trip he took through central Nsw South Wales. He talks about people being characterized by the type of they are wearing. Such as sundowners and swagmen who wear old, torn, dirty clothes, as compared to those who come from the city
wearing more sophisticated clothes. This is still common in present times, especially amoungst teenagers. People are judged on first impressions, and the type of clothes they are wearing are a major factor in the way they are judged. Which Lawson depicts very well when describing swagmen and
sundowners, by talking about their stereotypical types.
'The Loaded Dog' short story is yet another example of characters in Henry Lawson's narratives still engaging the readers today. Lawson uses a
typically Aussie laconic sense of humour. This is only fully understood by Aussie's and especially bushmen. Lawson concentrates on describing the dogs
in this story a lot, as he knows just how important they are to bushmen - how much easier they make their lives. Describing the dogs in so much detail
also gives a very graphical image in our minds of that particular dog and what it is doing throughout the story.
In conclusion the characters in Henry Lawson's short storys still engage the reader today
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