Cloudstreet Analysis: Place and Identity in Winton's Narrative Anonymous 12th Grade

Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet (1991) is a fantastical and vivid exploration of the lives of the 20th century ‘Aussie battlers’ whose reputations fabricated the Australian identity present in today’s society. The novel resonates the idea that this identity was forged through hardship, tragedy, faith and luck in a country shaped by injustice. I believe that a critical analysis of the text provides a window for true understanding of its multidimensional nature, as it incorporates magical realism and a deep sense of spirituality that highlight the importance of unity and social cohesion of the multitude of characters. We learn vicariously through these characters who share traits we inherently possess and lives we can relate to. The formulation of a sense of place amidst changing times in a landscape mirroring the emotions and mental state of the people is expressed through a uniquely idiomatic Australian vernacular. This produces meaning and cohesion that flows in a logical sequence of events, primarily through dual narration from Fish Lamb, a man split between two worlds.

Winton uses his text to portray a unique view of the lives of two very different Australian families through an unlikely paradox. Existential ideas about self are...