Discuss How the Australian Landscape and Australian Culture are Presented in Ladds a Neighbours - Essay Example

Australian Landscape and Culture: Ladd and Malouf Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Discuss how the Australian landscape and Australian culture are presented in Ladd’s ‘A Neighbor’s Photo’ and Malouf’s ‘Jacko’s Reach’. What connection is there between the landscape and the culture each author describes? How does the contrast between the narrator and an ‘outside’ character in each story help make clear the author’s perspective on Australian culture clear? Introduction It is imperative to note that both the works by Ladd and Malouf present contrasting yet connected perspectives of the Australian landscape and culture. Both of these stories assume different modes of narration which is central in bringing out the nature of relationships in these landscapes, the experiences of different characters as well as the predominant culture which has been adopted by the people living in these distinct landscapes. The subsequent section will explore the Australian landscape and Australian culture as presented in Ladd’s ‘A Neighbor’s Photo’ and Malouf’s ‘Jacko’s Reach’ Presentation of Australian landscape and culture In Malouf’s work, the Australian landscape is a combination of both metropolitan and natural landscapes. This is best epitomized whereby the reach is in a natural, undeveloped, wooded landscape which has seen the thriving of a distinct culture among the locals in the nearby communities. On the other hand, there is the mention of Sydney which is a metropolitan landscape which shelters the Salvation Army home where Valmay Mitchell is allegedly having a baby. In regard to the culture, Malouf presents a culture which is characterized by collectiveness and homogeneity. This is whereby the locals around the reach come together to share stories and engage in collective merry making. Additionally, children in the neighborhood of the reach often converged in this place to play innocent games as epitomized below ‘When I was seven or eight years old we used to play cops and robbers there. It seemed enormous. Just crossing it from the main road to the river gave you some idea, at the back of your knees, of the hundred million square miles and of Burke and Wills’ (Malouf, 2000, p. 95). On the other hand, Malouf presents a secular culture among the locals in this place. This is whereby people inhabiting the households around the Jacko’s reach ‘gather there with a carton of cheap wine or a bottle of metho…’. This depicts a secular culture among the people in this place. Additionally, they engage in smoking and going to dances among other secular activities. This has degenerated to a violent culture whereby in some cases, drunk men or some late-night rover are knocked on their head and robbed and in other cases men are found hanged or their skulls smashed in (Wood, 2000, p. 1). Nonetheless, this is not to infer that there is no sense of religion among the inhabitants of this place. This is based on the revelation by the author that a few local aborigines claim an affinity with this particular place and might or might not be spiritual. There is also a sporting culture which is evident in the work by Malouf. This is whereby different sporting activities, mostly football are revealed to be established in this place and the old people often go to watch the younger ones engage in these sporting activities. This can be perceived as a co-curricular activity which both brings people together and on the other hand keeps the younger ones occupied. The work by Ladd presents a significantly different landscape and culture from Malouf. This is whereby Ladd presents a predominantly urban landscape which is characterized by suburbs, swimming pools, many motor vehicles and traffic, good communication infrastructure like telephones as well as churches which present a prevalent city landscape. In regard to the cultural set-up, Ladd presents an individualistic culture whereby there is a differentiation of private and public property. This is best revealed by the swimming pools which are fenced off and reserved for the exclusive use of just two people. Additionally, in case an individual feels the need to enter into a private property or take another person’s item, for instance, picking grapes from the neighbor’s vine, he/she has to seek permission of the owner. This represents a highly developed individualistic culture where there is respect for private property and lifestyle. Additionally, this urban landscape is characterized by a multi-religious culture although there is some sense of Christianity which is evidenced by the existence of churches which are engaged in donating to the needy among other activities. The multi-religious culture is evidenced whereby the religious days are ‘as mixed as the styles of food and the inherent tendency of going easy and not taking too much interest in religion (Ladd, 2010, p. 185). On the other hand, the intrinsic culture of multi-religious tendencies culminates to increased secularism in the culture of the people presented in Ladd’s work. Another cultural aspect which is evident in Ladd’s work is that of hospitality to the needy in the society. This is best exemplified whereby church donates some items to the less advantaged children like Arwan while on the other hand, the family described in A Neighbor’s photo shows hospitality to Arwan through offering him food, drinks and even the bike which was previously being used by their son. This portrays an embedded culture of generosity to strangers and the less fortunate in the society. The subsequent section will explore the connection between the landscape and the culture each author describes. Connection between the landscape and the culture Both of these authors create a deep connection between the landscape and the culture of the places that they describe. In the case of Ladd, the author describes an urban landscape which is often associated with heterogeneity. As a result, people in this landscape tend to live a segregated life which is characterized by economic inequality, isolated lifestyles as well as immigration as people enter the cities to seek for better opportunities. The above reality is evidenced by Stern and Seifelt (2007, p. 4) who determined that despite the fact that the indicator of social diversity which is most visible in the urban landscape is changes in ethnic composition, urban neighborhoods increasingly reflect transforming life-cycle stages, economic and households heterogeneity as well as new waves of immigration. In this case, Ladd creates an in-depth connection between the urban landscape with the religious diversity and secularism cultures which have been linked to the urban lifestyle. On the other hand, the Ladd also creates a connection between the urban set-up and the economic culture which has evolved among the people who live in these areas. This is best epitomized by the existence of factories which are mostly related to the urban and highly industrialized areas where the inhabitants of the city seek employment in order to earn a living. This is exemplified Niall got himself a factory job and had to relocate in order to be closer to his working place. Lastly, the urban landscape is presented as having minimal differentiation of gender roles, culture which is bound to be highly established and rooted in the rural setting. This can be explained by the fact that based on the reality of both men and women in the urban landscape seeking paid employment in order to jointly support their families, they take turns in the assumption of household chores. This is exemplified whereby Arwan having come from a landscape which is predominantly rural just stands and observes as a man in the kitchen chops vegetables, an undertaking that Arwan finds both funny and as odd as a horse in a tree (Ladd, 2010, p. 186). On the other contrast, Malouf brings forth a different connection between the landscape which is described in his work and the surrounding culture. Firstly, based on the natural, undeveloped and wooded landscape which characterizes the Jacko’s reach, this is connected to a culture of collectivism where children from the same area play together, neighbors gather for drinking and storytelling among other cultures which are bound to be established in such landscapes. In this case, there is increased interrelationship in this landscape when juxtaposed with the urban landscape previously described. This fact is revealed by Scott et. al. (2007, p. 4) who determined that natural and undeveloped landscapes like the Jacko’s reach, are often characterized by more personal and intimate web of social relationships. Additionally, the landscape which is described by Malouf is characterized by some individuals adopting some mystical connection with the landscape. This culminates in the establishment of a spiritual culture among these people who have some sought of affinity with the landscape under description. In the case of the Jacko’s reach, Malouf (2000, p. 93) alludes to a few aborigines claiming ‘an affinity with the place that may or may not be mystical’. This is a key connection between this landscape and the spiritual culture as described by Malouf, although adopted by just a few people. Lastly, Malouf creates a connection between this natural, wooded and undeveloped landscape with the economic culture which has evolved in this place. In this case, agricultural activities like cattle rearing is revealed to be established in this landscape, maybe based on the virtual of the availability of grazing land. This is epitomized by Jimmy Dickens who was out looking for his stray cow and with the salt taste of porridge in his mouth which reveals the establishment of the culture of cattle rearing in this landscape. Narrator and ‘outsider’ character The narrator’s character is mostly predominant in the Malouf’s story. This is whereby the narrator is part of the community, experiences the joys and agonies as they are manifest in the community and interacts with the people at a personal level, understands their feelings and experiences the intimacy between the people in this landscape. In this case, the narration assumes a first-person voice where the central character narrates the story from his/her personal point of view (Kaufman & Libby, 2012, p. 3). Thus, the narrator character in this story helps in bringing some clarity into the collective culture in this landscape which is in rural Australia through participating in games with other children at a young age, engaging in the story-telling activities which help in bringing out the Australian culture as it has evolved in this landscape. Moreover, the tendency of people in this area developing a deep connection with their habitant is revealed in the last page where the narrator alludes to the fact that is this mere four acres of land which has for long defined their coexistence is taken away, they will preserve it in their heads, and if there is no such place, they will invent it because that’s the way they are, the narrator included. On the contrary, the Ladd’s story assumes an outsider character which helps to bring out the isolated relationships between the various people in this landscape. This is through explaining the lifestyles of different families, for instance, Arwan’s family which has little possession and their house has almost nothing apart from two plastic chairs, no television and a couple of beds in the next room and in the course of relocation, all their personal belonging fit into one car load. This is in contrast with lifestyle of the other family which is revealed to enjoy the comfort of watching a DVD and even affording a bike for their child during his birthday. This helps in bringing out some clarity into the Australian urban culture which is characterized by elevated individualism and private life. Conclusion An analysis of both of the landscapes as presented by the authors as evidenced above is integral in expounding on the culture which has been adopted by the inhabitants. This is whereby one is predominantly natural, wooded and undeveloped and characterized by collectivism culture while the other one is urban and characterized by individualism culture and isolation. Additionally, the authors create a deep connection between these landscapes and the cultures which have evolved in these areas, best epitomized by the urban landscape being connected to the economic culture founded on factories. Lastly, the narrator and ‘outsider’ characters as evident in both stories help in clarifying the Australian culture as evidenced in the latter section of this analysis. References Kaufman, GF., & Libby, LK., 2012, ‘Changing Beliefs and Behavior Through Experience- Taking’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 1, pp. 1-19. Ladd, M., 2010, A Neighbor’s Photo, in Cate Kennedy (ed.), The Best Australian Stories, Black Inc., Collingwood, pp. 185-187. Malouf, D., 2000, Dream stuff, Vintage, New York. Scott, A., et. al., 2007, ‘The Urban-Rural Divide: Myth or Reality?’, SERG Policy Brief No. 2, Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, UK. Stern, MJ., & Seifelt, SC., 2007, ‘Culture and Urban Revitalization: A Harvest Document’, Social Impact of the Arts Project, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Wood, M., 2000, ‘Boomerang Lives’, New York Times, retrieved 12th July, 2013, < http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/08/20/reviews/000820.20wood.html>. Read More

The work by Ladd presents a significantly different landscape and culture from Malouf. This is whereby Ladd presents a predominantly urban landscape which is characterized by suburbs, swimming pools, many motor vehicles and traffic, good communication infrastructure like telephones as well as churches which present a prevalent city landscape. In regard to the cultural set-up, Ladd presents an individualistic culture whereby there is a differentiation of private and public property. This is best revealed by the swimming pools which are fenced off and reserved for the exclusive use of just two people.

Additionally, in case an individual feels the need to enter into a private property or take another person’s item, for instance, picking grapes from the neighbor’s vine, he/she has to seek permission of the owner. This represents a highly developed individualistic culture where there is respect for private property and lifestyle. Additionally, this urban landscape is characterized by a multi-religious culture although there is some sense of Christianity which is evidenced by the existence of churches which are engaged in donating to the needy among other activities.

The multi-religious culture is evidenced whereby the religious days are ‘as mixed as the styles of food and the inherent tendency of going easy and not taking too much interest in religion (Ladd, 2010, p. 185). On the other hand, the intrinsic culture of multi-religious tendencies culminates to increased secularism in the culture of the people presented in Ladd’s work. Another cultural aspect which is evident in Ladd’s work is that of hospitality to the needy in the society. This is best exemplified whereby church donates some items to the less advantaged children like Arwan while on the other hand, the family described in A Neighbor’s photo shows hospitality to Arwan through offering him food, drinks and even the bike which was previously being used by their son.

This portrays an embedded culture of generosity to strangers and the less fortunate in the society. The subsequent section will explore the connection between the landscape and the culture each author describes. Connection between the landscape and the culture Both of these authors create a deep connection between the landscape and the culture of the places that they describe. In the case of Ladd, the author describes an urban landscape which is often associated with heterogeneity. As a result, people in this landscape tend to live a segregated life which is characterized by economic inequality, isolated lifestyles as well as immigration as people enter the cities to seek for better opportunities.

The above reality is evidenced by Stern and Seifelt (2007, p. 4) who determined that despite the fact that the indicator of social diversity which is most visible in the urban landscape is changes in ethnic composition, urban neighborhoods increasingly reflect transforming life-cycle stages, economic and households heterogeneity as well as new waves of immigration. In this case, Ladd creates an in-depth connection between the urban landscape with the religious diversity and secularism cultures which have been linked to the urban lifestyle.

On the other hand, the Ladd also creates a connection between the urban set-up and the economic culture which has evolved among the people who live in these areas. This is best epitomized by the existence of factories which are mostly related to the urban and highly industrialized areas where the inhabitants of the city seek employment in order to earn a living. This is exemplified Niall got himself a factory job and had to relocate in order to be closer to his working place. Lastly, the urban landscape is presented as having minimal differentiation of gender roles, culture which is bound to be highly established and rooted in the rural setting.

This can be explained by the fact that based on the reality of both men and women in the urban landscape seeking paid employment in order to jointly support their families, they take turns in the assumption of household chores.

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