Book_Review_Cloudstreet

Book Review Assignment Title: Cloudstreet Author: Tim Winton In Cloudstreet, Tim Winton talked about two Australian families forced to live together in the same house. Cloudstreet was set between World War II to the mid 1960's, the families shown by Winton is a representation of the behavioral culture of families during the period. This book revolves around the theme- family. It illustrates how families in Australia dealt with the adversities in life. This book appeals to me in an emotional way as the author explored the two most valuable intangible objects: kinship and strong family ties. To me, these two emotions and links with my family are the most valuable on earth. This book also deepened my understanding of the complexities and brevity of the Australian culture. Through this book, I have come to appreciate the unique Australian culture better. Nuclear family structure is one of the most common household structures in Australia. Male supremacy and female servitude is clearly evident in nuclear families.[i] The Pickles as depicted by Winston is a good example of a nuclear family structure. Sam pickles - the head of the household is the sole economic support for the family. With three children to support, Sam had to secure a job to make ends meet even after he lost one of his hands. This was a representative of how the Man of the household made most of the decisions in the family unit. The wife is usually in-charge of domestic labour and childcare. The character Dolly- Sam’s wife did not fulfill her duties and responsibilities as a mother. She had numerous affairs with different men and often left the house for pub drinking. She was a symbolic example of how women in Australia can break through stereotypes or transcend boundaries set by the society. The central concept of nuclear family is the process of raising children. The mother is often the source of emotional support for the children. Dolly’s irresponsible actions caused her to be detached from the family and even resulted in psychological harm to the children. One of the characters that I sympathize with the most is Rose. Historically, female inferiority was present in most of the families. Likewise, in Cloudstreet, female inferiority can be seen in the Pickles family. Rose being the eldest daughter takes on the matriarchal role in the house under forced circumstances. Dolly favours her son over Rose and upsets Rose. I inferred from this example that gender bias is rooted in Australian families in the past and that gender inequality still persists in Australian society. If Rose did not have to drop out of school to help settle Pickle’s financial problems, she could have finished her education and heightened her social status. Thus, she could have lead a more satisfying life. The female inferiority that persists in families hindered the social progress of women in Australia and resulted in daughters whom face neglect from their parents. From the book, Rose constantly referred to her mother as “old girl” or “old woman”. We can clearly see that Dolly did not garner a single respect from her child. The absence of motherly love and parental guidance caused psychological and emotional damage to her children. [ii]Rose in this case would be a good example. In Page 175, Rose blurted to Dolly, “I’ve gotten to like it. Hating you is the best part of being alive!” In my view, I think the word ‘hate’ is strong and hurtful. Winton used this word to emphasize on the broken relationship between these two characters. The mother-child attachment is pivotal in establishing unity in the family. When this attachment is lost, the family ties will further weaken. Quoting from Rose (Page 347), “I replaced her, you know. I did her work. My childhood was taken from me. Dad. She hurt me all her life.’’ Certainly, the breakdown of the mother-child relationship can crumble the family. This might not be true reflections of all the families in Australia, but I think Winton is trying to prove the point that, behind every family, there is a set of problems they do not wish to face. Families can only unify if relationship amongst members are mended. In Australia, especially in times of war, families depend on their neighbours for support as well. The Lambs are the tenants of Cloudstreet. The Pickles are dependent on them for financial support. In times of need, neighbouring households will help each other out. In the book, the Lambs helped Sam Pickles to escape from his debtors. This can illustrate how close-knitted the Australian families are where help is rendered to each other relentlessly. People always say that families are building blocks of the society. These Australian families braved through war times and many other crises together, such that long lasting friendships and bonds were forged. In my opinion, these networks of families can converge and contribute to a stable Australian society. To conclude, Cloudstreet has offered a satisfying peek into Australian culture by providing a brief but rather clear understanding of the sort of family unit in Australia. Cloudstreet also provided depth to the storyline by emphasizing the relationship amongst a family unit and interactions amongst different family units showing how family ties strengthen and weaken through the war times till the mid-1960s. (873 words) ----------------------- [i] John Fiske and Bob Hodge, Myths of Oz: Reading Australian Popular Culture, (St. Leonards: Allen & Unwin, 1988), pp. 26-52. [ii] Dallos, Rudi and Roger Sapsford (1997) ‘Pattern of Diversity and Lived Realities.’ in Muncie, John et al. Understanding the Family. London: SAGE Publications Ltd,125-170.