Plan

Introduction

‘Cloudstreet’ (1991) by Tim Winton is an Australian domestic epic that thematizes division and reconciliation, as well as connection to place and community, as an integral part of Australia’s growing identity in the post-colonial period. The novel is a nostalgic allegory of the fraught desire for belonging, wholeness and a unified identity, a fundamental part of the human condition, as well as the now lost importance of affective social bonds.

Paragraph 1: CYCLICAL STRUCTURE

Winton utilises a cyclical structure, beginning and ending the novel with a utopian vision of wholeness and community. Fish’s experiences at the river frame the text, indicative of the novel’s exploration of the spiritual world as intrinsically embedded within the natural, whilst also foreshadowing the adversities the two families overcome on their twenty year journey. The cyclical structure is also symbolic of life as an eternal cycle of renewal.

Paragraph 2: LACK OF PUNCTUATION

Winton explores the dynamic nature of life, through his unorthodox style of writing which creates a flowing effect on language. The text’s lack of punctuation coupled with Winton’s lyrical tone is representative of the ‘ebb and flow’ of life, as the unbroken language is reminiscent of “the rhythm of a hymn, almost. The rhythm of the river”, which is a central motif in the characters’ journeys, as explained by Jennifer Byrne. This fluidity is necessary in a story about the gradual redefining of place and character.

Paragraph 3: EPISODIC, TANGENTIAL, MEANDERING STRUCTURE

The episodic and tangential writing style also allows the development of an intimate characterisation of different narrators, contributing to textual integrity. Deceivingly arbitrary subplots drive the narrative function, such as the story of the Nedlands Monster. The dramatic irony created through actual events allows the reader to understand how the “end of an age of relative innocence is signalled by the inexplicable banality of the Nedlands Monster”, as stated by Michael McGirr. By including historical events Winton successfully creates verisimilitude, grounding the concept of a developing city in reality.

Subsequently, the novel validates the working class view that an individual cannot always be in control, as the fluctuating non-linear story parallels the constant wavering between positive and negative events within Australian society during the post war era.

Furthermore, the transition between pronouns within the fractured narration indicates Fish’s reintegration with the part of himself he lost in the accident as he returns to the water: “soon, you’ll

be a man, Fish” is juxtaposed against the intricate first person voice “I feel my manhood, I recognise myself whole and human”. As a result, the arresting of Fish’s development produces the continual presence of a childlike character that permeates the text in spite of a twenty year span.

Paragraph 5: spiritual

Winton prosaically presents the interpenetration of the explicable and the inexplicable, by interweaving moments of unreality within the real world. ‘Cloudstreet’ is structured around the dichotomy of the real world and the spiritual, examined through Winton’s use of juxtaposing metalanguage such as “cloud” and “street” which effectively highlights the relationship of the ethereal permeating the material, producing true realism .

The simile “lit up like a sixty watt globe” and the allierated personification of fate as “Lady Luck”, “the Shifty Shadow” and the “creeping chill” further demonstrate the spiritual world as being innately connected to people’s lives, as enigmatic events force Quick to return home, reiterating the value of community. The otherworldly pervading the ordinary is also consolidated through the biblical allusion of the talking pig, a manifestation of the Pentecost event. Therefore, Winton’s message is that self-fulfilment is only possible when people are able to accept and learn from the spiritual mysteries that are part of the human experience.

Paragraph 6: CONNECTION TO PLACE AND COMMUNITY: PERSONIFICATION OF THE HOUSE

Winton highlights the significance of place and community and their effect on identity through the personification “the house sighed”, which is reflective of its hostile atmosphere and history as an Aboriginal mission home.

The personification of the house is also a catalyst for understanding the characters connectedness to each other and to place, as it responds to human emotions. For instance, when Dolly reveals her incestuous origins, the house ‘twisted it joints, hugging inward, sucking in air’, as a direct response to the overwhelmingly negative emotions of the women inside.

Moreover, “the great continent of a house” is a metaphor for the social landscape of Australia as well as the disengagement between the Pickles and the Lambs families. The library is “no-man’s land” and symbolises a malevolent sense of suffering. However, Winton uses visual imagery to symbolise new life and purification as the dark memories recede with the creation of a window: “a square of sunlight breaks into the room” and “...the house breathes its first painless” reflect the house’s nature as a living entity.

Through the unification of the families, Winton nostalgically emphasises the significance of affective community relationships, as the oxymoronic families come together in harmony.

Paragraph 7: AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY THROUGH LANGUAGE

Winton successfully demonstrates the resilience of the Aussie Battler through the use of colloquial language and jargon. Terms such as “Carn”, “Yairs” and “whaddyathink”, are typical of the Australian vernacular during the time, creating an authentic characterisation of the Lambs and Pickles families as contemporary, struggling Australians. Idiomatic language such as “she hits the sauce” highlight the social difference between characters who live within the walls of No 1 Cloudstreet and the population of urban Perth, authenticating the language used by the dividing class lines. This informal register is juxtaposed against the formal language in the narration, which notions that an array of formal, informal, spiritual and ordinary moments amalgamate throughout life, as the character’s experience perennial struggles common to all humanity.

Conclusion: