In my paper I want to talk about the book The Bodysurfers (Robert Drewe) by focusing on the description of the different landscapes and the way people identify with it. I also find it important to mention the mixed feelings of the different characters, all of them living by the coast. While I was reading the book, I could notice the rather different ways of describing the landscapes, each narrator and character senses the surroundings differently. The
environment in which the characters are living is one of the main topics of the book, it focuses on the descriptions and provides the reader with the opportunity to ‘live’ the book and to understand in a better way, how important the sea and the beach are for Australians.
In The Bodysurfers the beach is the most popular and most described landscape. It is fantastic how many different ways of ‘seeing’ and ‘feeling’ the beach can be found in this book and how different varieties of language can influence the reader by
providing him with many ways of understanding the characters.
The Bodysurfers is not an easy book, maybe you have to read it twice, but it can give you a perfect possibility to deal with other nations and cultures and to distinguish between different characters and their ways of speaking and telling. When I was
dealing with my topic I was impressed how ones opinion can change while reading a book, e.g. in one story the beach is described as a lonely and quiet place, in another story as a sand heap full of rubbish.
In my paper I want, above all, to show these different ways of describing, on the one hand, describing by using different sorts of language and on the other hand describing, by ‘feeling’ and observing the place you live in. I want to show, that these
depictions are the essence of the book and make it vivid, because “these stories breathe. Taut yet teeming with life, they are shot through with gritty phrases that catch at one's throat.” (Goodreads)
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE WORK
2.1. THE AUTHOR
2.2. THE BOOK
3. LANDSCAPE AND IDENTITY
3.1. “THE VIEW FROM THE SAND HILLS” (DREWE 85-92)
3.2. “LOOKING FOR MALIBU” (DREWE 47-65)
3.3. “SHARK LOGIC” (DREWE 23-35)
4. CONCLUSION
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines Robert Drewe's "The Bodysurfers," focusing on the depiction of Australian coastal landscapes and how these environments shape the identities and emotional states of the characters living by the sea.
- The role of the beach as a central landscape element in Australian literature.
- Individual identification with the environment as a means of processing life experiences.
- The linguistic diversity and varying narrative perspectives across short stories.
- The influence of memory, imagination, and direct contact on the characters' connection to the coast.
- The beach as both a place of social interaction and personal refuge or conflict.
Excerpts from the Book
3.1. The view from the sand hills (Drewe 85-92)
In this story the main character and also narrator is Paddy, a former inmate, who is using the beach for perverse and obscene fantasies. He lurks behind the sand hills, watching and photographing couples having sex or young women lying around naked or topless.
His language is rude, although direct and to the point. He describes the beach as it is, not using any metaphors but simply describing what he sees. In his eyes the beach is not only a lonely place to think about life, but a vivid place, where many people live together and share the same habits. And exactly these habits are his dreams: sun oil, nudity and sex.
His identity can be seen through his actions, his language and his connection to the beach. The rudeness in his description depicts his way of life and emphasizes what he appreciates.
Sex on my mind the whole time, racing from one beach to another, must have trudged over every sand hill in the state! Now I mostly concentrate on one beach. Don’t think I’m going to give the beach away! They’ve got these sorts of vigilante groups now and they come at you all fury and saggy balls, not even stopping to put their pants on, with the intention of beating the shit out of you! (Drewe 88)
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: The chapter outlines the focus on how different characters identify with Australian coastal landscapes and the emotional complexity this brings to their lives.
2. THE WORK: This section provides biographical details of Robert Drewe and introduces the collection "The Bodysurfers" as a significant example of the short story form in Australian literature.
3. LANDSCAPE AND IDENTITY: The chapter investigates how the characters' identities are linked to the beach, either as a social space, a site for memories, or a backdrop for their struggles.
4. CONCLUSION: This final section summarizes the insights gained from the three examined stories, reinforcing the importance of landscape in shaping narrative tone and character identity.
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY: This section lists the primary and secondary sources used for the analysis.
Keywords
The Bodysurfers, Robert Drewe, Australian Literature, Landscape, Identity, Beach, Coast, Narrative, Memory, Metaphor, Environment, Short Story, Social Space, Character Analysis, Consciousness
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores how Robert Drewe depicts coastal landscapes in his book "The Bodysurfers" and analyzes how these settings influence the identities and personal experiences of the characters.
Which specific themes are central to the analysis?
Key themes include the Australian connection to the sea, the transition from urban to coastal life, the usage of varied narrative languages, and the psychological impact of specific environments.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The main objective is to demonstrate how descriptions of the environment serve as a vital tool for understanding character motivation and cultural identity in Australian fiction.
What methodology is applied in this work?
The author uses a text-based analysis of three selected short stories, comparing how different narrators perceive and relate to the coastal environment.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body examines three distinct short stories—"The view from the sand hills," "Looking for Malibu," and "Shark Logic"—to contrast different perspectives on the beach.
Which keywords best characterize the paper?
The most important keywords are Australian Literature, Landscape, Identity, and The Bodysurfers, as they reflect the core subject matter.
How does the character Paddy in "The view from the sand hills" perceive the beach?
Paddy views the beach as a vivid, visceral place that aligns with his personal fantasies and crude observations, directly reflecting his own lifestyle.
In "Looking for Malibu," why is the beach significant for the Lang family?
For the Lang family, the beach serves as a bridge to their memories and a site where they attempt to navigate marital difficulties and nostalgia for their Australian home.
How does the narrator in "Shark Logic" differ from the others in his relationship with the beach?
Unlike the others, he feels a sense of alienation and disgust towards the social behaviors on the beach, preferring to find solace in the sea itself rather than the crowded shoreline.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anna Rauch (Autor:in), 2010, "The Bodysurfers" by Robert Drewe. The Landscape and its Effects on the Identity of the Characters, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/272959
