AustLit

'Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, created by Australian dramatist Ray Lawler, is widely acclaimed by the literary circles as a real Australian drama with historical significance. The play not only makes a declaration to the world the birth of Australian national drama, but also through the depiction of the life of the bottom social class in Australia, expresses the author's concern and reflection of the historical context of the play, namely the 1950s, the crucial period in Australia national development, during which the construction of Australian cultural identity, the role of women, and the stereotyped image of man have undergone a transition and change.' (61-62)