Cloudstreet Prologue

The prologue of Tim Wintons Cloudstreet transcends single familys tragic loss into the realms of the metaphysical, commenting on his views of life history and end. Readers can contrast these views to our much modern ideologies. Through the use of poetic language Winton adds a ghostlike dimension to the lives of people existing in a secular society. Through imagery he in like manner offers a construction of Australian ethnical identity. Using techniques like point of view, repetition, juxtaposition, symbolism, as well as tapping into Australian vernacular and language that appeals to the senses, he manages to convey these ideas to readers.I think that the change of point of view is wizard of the more effective techniques Winton uses in this extract. From the beginning where he clearly uses an inclusive pronoun to describe the gathering, Will you odor at us to the ending where the pronoun has switched to exclusive, And you cant help but worry for them This technique draws ci rcumspection to the exclusion both of lean, the reason this event as wellk place, and of the reader. We are forced to the sidelines, watching the physical description of the families evaporate into a spiritual description of life and death.This extract proposes ideas about living and dying that are kinda opposite to our modern ideologies. Winton suggests that the piece of the living is a closed, narrow one, material and foetid. This contrasts to his views on death which is portray as a dimension of freedom and broad vaults and spaces that you can see it all from. He makes this unornamented through emotive language that appeal to the senses. The olfactory** word foetid immediately gives the idea of living a negative connotation where silver-skinned river is presented with such a positive, beautiful image that even the suggestion of death feels beautiful.In fact, Winton discusses water, not only in this extract, but throughout the whole novel in highly symbolicalal terms. I rea d, in the prologue, the silver-skinned river to be a portal between the world of the physical and metaphysical. As Fish peers into it he sees all the wonders inside it. I believe Winton is conveying the idea that spirituality is a prerequisite aspect of life. Also the metaphor the sound of it (the water) has been in his ears all his life intensifies the description of Fishs desire for the metaphysical.The quote One of the here is leaving can be seen as very symbolic in the fact that it describes literally Fishs leaving the group and, in the end, leaving this life. alone it also could be read to mean how figuratively Fish is transcending from the material world to the physical one through means of the river. Certain phrases are used to enhance this metaphysical portrayal of the world. Images like mortal vision juxtapose to highlight the idea behind the image, togetherness of the two families. Burst of consciousness is another spiritual, figurative phrase which contributes to the sense of Fishs mind right before death.Referencing time and space, of course, immediately places the images into the world of the metaphysical. I think swapping so easily from materialistic images to spiritual is a clever way of expressing the themes and principal(prenominal) ideas of Cloudstreet. As well as a spiritual schooling, I see Winton making efforts to allude to a representation of Australian cultural identity. First, the use of Australian vernacular such as chiacking and skylarking sets the place for readers allowing us to see Wintons view of this country. Throughout the novel, and even in this extract, there is a tone of lust for an Australia of the past.An Australia that was never really existant, historically. The entirety of the reserve is a construction of Australian life, a representation of the cultural identity. The cumulating of picnic foods leads to an image of celebration in Australian summer. An image that continues throughout the episodic narrative of the lodge of the book. Australia can be seen as presented through an idealistic lens. For example in a good worlds in the midst of our living conveys an ideal Australia of community that anyone who has lived here for more than a day knows is not forever an accurate perception.Winton wanted to express this view so much that he emphasized it through poetic the language technique of repetition to draw attention to the one day, one clear, clean, sweet day. The syntax is move in parts as well as abrupt and sharp in others to bring idiom to ideas and images. For example where readers gain some insight into Fishs mind the sentences become far more simple and short. All. He sits. etc in order to express the simplicity of Fishs thoughts. Repetition too portray the thoughts of a more simply minded person. Teeth teeth teeth are the commission of Fishs mind therefore this will be the focus of Wintons description. In reading Tim Wintons flowing, emotive language I found myself understanding this view of life and death more clearly. This extract allows readers to open their minds to ideas that are quite contrary to our ideologies today. The construction of Australian culture is one infused with a sense of longing and love, something those who also love Australia today can identify with. For that reason, I believe this book has a strong essence of cultural identity despite the fact that its not inevitably a correct representation.