Essay Questions

What is the main limitation of the book ‘Such Life’?

The author depicts the narrator as undependable and ambiguous. The book is made to look like it is based on Tom Collin's diaries. However, the reader finds it difficult to relate the book Collin's journals because of its ambiguity. Collins is not different from the conventional narrators who try to make the reader believe that what they are telling is true without basing their stories on facts. The reader notes that the narrator is misleading because he does not tell free accounts but only focuses on hidden ones. Therefore, the narrator's approach is unreliable, and the reader concludes that he misses the point.

How does the narrator go in actuality allegorical about lack of knowledge?

According to the narrator, pride is expensive and a discontented legacy of every profession. The narrator goes ahead to say that getting rid of even a minute segment of congenital unawareness is a life-work for any individual. The reader can connect the narrator's metaphor to the real-life situation in courts of justice where ignorance cannot be used as any form of defense.

What is Furphy’s main moral lesson to his readers?

The author metaphorically warns his readers against theft when he writes, "theft – well, whatever thing other than grass and water – brings a heavy a curse as anything you can do." Consequently, the author says that theft wages are burdensome because they can lead to death or jail term. Despite the book being ambiguous and confusing, the reader can take home a moral lesson essential in his entire lifetime.