AustLit
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Contents
-
The Drover's Wife,
single work
short story
First appearing in The Bulletin in 1892, Henry Lawson's short story 'The Drovers Wife' is today regarded as a seminal work in the Australian literary tradition. Noted for it's depiction of the bush as harsh, potentially threatening and both isolated and isolating, the story opens with a simple enough premise: an aggressive--and presumably deadly--snake disrupts the working life of a bushwoman and her young children. Brave but cautious, the woman resolves to protect her children since her husband is, characteristically, away from home and of no help.
As time passes within the story, tension builds, and the snake's symbolic threat takes on layers of meaning as the sleepless heroine recalls previous challenges she faced while her husband was away. A series of flashbacks and recollections propel the story through the single night over which it takes place, and by the time the climax arrives--the confrontation with the snake--readers have learned much about the heroine's strengths and fears, most of the latter involving the loss of children and dark figures who encroach upon her small, vulnerable homestead. To be sure, this "darkness" is highly symbolic, and Lawson's use of imagery invokes Western notions of good and evil as well as gendered and racial stereotypes.
-
The Loaded Dog,
single work
short story
humour
Dave and Andy create a bomb to blast fish out of the waterhole. However their dog picks the bomb up and begins a deadly, yet hilarious, game of 'fetch'.
- The Batting Wizard from the City, single work short story humour (p. 19-27)
- The Perch, single work short story (p. 28-29)
- Fishing for Eels, extract autobiography (p. 30-39)
- The Jumping Jeweller of Lavender Bay, single work short story (p. 40-48)
- Clarkey's Dead, single work short story (p. 49-52)
-
The Lobster and the Lioness,
single work
short story
humour
Thomson, clutching his lobster, is being escorted home from the pub by the friendly policeman, Murphy, when they encounter an escaped circus lion. Murphy bolts, but Thomson, mistaking the lion for a large dog, is unpeturbed. The lioness follows Thomson back to his boarding house and mayhem ensues.
- A Golden Shanty, single work short story (p. 64-77)
- The Funerals of Malachi Mooney, single work short story humour (p. 78-85)
- The Foal, single work short story (p. 86-93)
- The Foal, single work short story (p. 86-93)
- The Ant-Lion, single work short story (p. 94-97)
- Tell Us About the Turkey, Jo, single work short story (p. 98-102)
- The Pelican, single work short story (p. 103-110)
- The Night We Watched for Wallabies, single work short story humour (p. 111-114)
-
It Finds Its Level,
single work
short story
mystery
Pumping station on a big mine pipeline appears to be run by corrupt staff who sell off gear, but in fact it works by gravity and was never necessary. The poor designer proves to be the company's general manager, famous for initiating the pipeline.
- 'Twenty Strong', single work short story (p. 123-128)
- The School Bus Driver, single work short story (p. 129-136)
- Quite a Blow, single work short story (p. 137-150)