The Penguin Henry Lawson Short Stories “The Drover’s Wife”: Setting

“The Drover’s Wife”: Setting The setting of a narrative is very important. It creates the scene for the responder and can influence the mood and atmosphere. There are several settings in the text, including: The bush; The front yard; The kitchen; The dam. The setting we will examine in this period is the bush and the way it sets the scene for the entire story.

The bush The bush is a significant part of the Short Stories we will be examining as a class. It is the basis of Lawson’s writing. How is the bush described in this text? Why is it distinctive? What are some key words that are used in creating this image?

The bush From the very beginning of the text, there is a detailed description of the bush. Bush all round – bush with no horizons, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance. The bush consists of stunted, rotten native apple trees. No undergrowth. Nothing to relieve the eye save the darker green of a few sheoaks which are sighing above the narrow, almost waterless creek. Nineteen miles to the nearest sign of civilisation – a shanty on the main road.

The bush What impression do we gain of the bush in this paragraph? Bush all round – bush with no horizons, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance. The bush consists of stunted, rotten native apple trees. No undergrowth. Nothing to relieve the eye save the darker green of a few sheoaks which are sighing above the narrow, almost waterless creek. Nineteen miles to the nearest sign of civilisation – a shanty on the main road. What impression do we gain of the bush in this paragraph? How would you describe the bush in ten words or less? Why do you think this is important to the story?

The bush Draw up the following table and complete it based on the second paragraph of the text. Technique Example Effect Pause “Bush all round – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat.” The composer sets the scene, and elaborates on the imagery in order to reinforce the image of the vast bush. Short sentence Imagery (colour) Descriptive language Emotive language Truncated (shortened) sentences