Michael Gow Journey
Journeys.
Today the meaning of journey has been lost in many forms of literature. Every single author creates some sort of journey in the stories that they write, no matter what form or medium it is in, there is always a journey being taken. There are three different types of journey; they are inner, physical and imaginative. By categorising different forms of literature into these three options, the meaning of journey can be easily derived and the techniques in which they are constructed can be more fully understood and appreciated. The drama “Away”, by Michael Gow has been very intricately written, Gow has used physical journey to portray the inner journey taking place in each of his characters lives. The picture book by Colin Thompson, …show more content…
Gow has set up a simple story set in the late 1960’s about three different families with their own sets of issues taking a holiday at the end of the school year. Although this particular journey may seem to be a physical journey, it’s simply a metaphor for the inner journey that each character from each family takes to reach a stage of restoration and hope. From the very beginning of the play Gow incorporates “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” into his own work by beginning his own drama with the ending of Shakespeare’s play with the character Tom playing “Puck”. This is extremely significant as Gow uses his play as a comparison or rather an appropriation of Shakespeare’s drama using Tom as the centre of activity and the character that initiates action. This interweaves beautifully with the character Puck as he is the fairy that directs the other fairies in Shakespeare’s drama. Gow has shown his audience who the main character is and by placing Tom in the role of “Puck” he tells viewers that it is Tom who is going to be the centre of the journeys taking place in the …show more content…
There are many different styles of picture books and “The Red Tree” by Shaun Tan, is a strange book that represents all three journeys, physical, inner and imaginative. This text is also a picture book but extremely different to “The Violin Man”. Rather than using a specific character the main character in this book is not anybody in particular but rather a reflection of whoever is reading the book, taking each reader on their own journey. This character is already an example of symbolism in the book.
On the first page the small girl is pictured in her bedroom and small black leaves are scattered around her room. The use of symbolism in this book is outstanding, already on the first page the physical journey begins with a new day symbolising the beginning of a journey. The black leaves represent troubles, doubts and worries that the little girl feels introducing the imaginative and inner journey that she is about to make. “Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to”.
Today the meaning of journey has been lost in many forms of literature. Every single author creates some sort of journey in the stories that they write, no matter what form or medium it is in, there is always a journey being taken. There are three different types of journey; they are inner, physical and imaginative. By categorising different forms of literature into these three options, the meaning of journey can be easily derived and the techniques in which they are constructed can be more fully understood and appreciated. The drama “Away”, by Michael Gow has been very intricately written, Gow has used physical journey to portray the inner journey taking place in each of his characters lives. The picture book by Colin Thompson, …show more content…
Gow has set up a simple story set in the late 1960’s about three different families with their own sets of issues taking a holiday at the end of the school year. Although this particular journey may seem to be a physical journey, it’s simply a metaphor for the inner journey that each character from each family takes to reach a stage of restoration and hope. From the very beginning of the play Gow incorporates “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” into his own work by beginning his own drama with the ending of Shakespeare’s play with the character Tom playing “Puck”. This is extremely significant as Gow uses his play as a comparison or rather an appropriation of Shakespeare’s drama using Tom as the centre of activity and the character that initiates action. This interweaves beautifully with the character Puck as he is the fairy that directs the other fairies in Shakespeare’s drama. Gow has shown his audience who the main character is and by placing Tom in the role of “Puck” he tells viewers that it is Tom who is going to be the centre of the journeys taking place in the …show more content…
There are many different styles of picture books and “The Red Tree” by Shaun Tan, is a strange book that represents all three journeys, physical, inner and imaginative. This text is also a picture book but extremely different to “The Violin Man”. Rather than using a specific character the main character in this book is not anybody in particular but rather a reflection of whoever is reading the book, taking each reader on their own journey. This character is already an example of symbolism in the book.
On the first page the small girl is pictured in her bedroom and small black leaves are scattered around her room. The use of symbolism in this book is outstanding, already on the first page the physical journey begins with a new day symbolising the beginning of a journey. The black leaves represent troubles, doubts and worries that the little girl feels introducing the imaginative and inner journey that she is about to make. “Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to”.