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Context Statement

My Independent Study is focused on Malouf's use of descriptions, how he uses a setting and relates it to the character of Dante and how he feels. I have focused on three houses in particular and how the descriptions of these bring more depth to the character.

The analytical essay goes through each house in detail looking closely at the good and bad aspects. How each house makes Dante feel and why it makes him feel this way. Malouf enhances the story through powerful examples of the environments of the houses, and the effect that they have on the character.

The Creative essay stemmed from ideas discussed from ideas discussed in the analytical. It relates to my own personal experiences and is the description of my grandparents’ house, showing what stood out to me and how it made me feel.

Analytical Component - Johnno

Throughout Johnno descriptions of settings relating to houses and buildings enable the reader to obtain an insight into the character of Dante. Malouf captures images with powerful force, creating depth to the characters. Specific details that may be deemed inappropriate are enhanced to provide meaning and show how characters respond and feel toward places.

Malouf effectively uses images to reinforce attitudes, feelings and emotions. Though the descriptions are long and detailed, they are worthwhile and evocative. Many of the descriptions are symbolic, such as the descriptions of the garden. Malouf’s use of language is casual, which enhances the story, causing it to come alive. Through Malouf’s descriptions of each house he creates an atmosphere to reflect the characters’ feelings.

The house of Dante’s childhood was a place of freedom and discovery. With a vast garden, there was continual change, with a comfortable and pleasant environment. The next house his family lived in was built based on his fathers dreams, modern and superficial. It was filled with furniture and material that was hostile and restricting, especially for a child.

Malouf describes the house of Dante’s childhood with words of freedom, revealing the memories through the eyes of a child. The old house represented a freedom, a casual yet organized environment. The old house was described as mysterious, ‘a wilderness transformed into a suburban farmlet’

Malouf captures the settings by words that cause the description to be relived, the thought of an adult, transformed into the active words of a child. Expressing the emotions, that a child would feel, capturing the small aspects that made an impression.
 

'my memories were all of our old house.’

The reader recognizes that the inside of the new house was uncomfortable, due to the words that were used.

‘The new house was stuffily and pretentiously over furnished and depressingly modern’

This would not be an easy environment for a child. The restrictions that are felt by the words make the house seem as though the appearance is of more importance than the comfort. The house is said to be huge, ugly, and show-offish, and through a child’s eyes there is the questioning of why the house needs to be that way. Inside the house the atmosphere is intense, crowded with valuable, superfluous items, requiring proper behaviour.

Dante felt restricted and lonely in the new house, he was unable to feel a part of the environment because of the lack of freedom. He missed the old house, unable to replace the good memories that he held with him.

The house of Dante’s grandmother is large, with many rooms filled with valuable furniture, ornaments and trinkets. Though there is much space, the living area was restricted, protecting much of the valuables from undue use and damage. The outdoors was a release from the house. The verandah was almost another world, filled with warmth and light.

Malouf shows how the grandmothers’ house had many restrictions and expectations. The porcelain, lace, velvet and silk all required so much respect. The many closed doors enforced the house’s limitations, and because of this, the house remained dark, leaving it with an air of foreboding.

Outside Malouf shows the difference of atmosphere, the ability to survey the world around, but remain separate and satisfied.

‘The front verandah was a free-and-easy world of open living, almost the outdoors. The depths of these old houses were dark and musty with damp. Even on the sunniest afternoons you needed a light in our dining-room…’

The outside provided pleasure through wilderness, the fresh and uncultured environment. Malouf showed that with freedom the ability to be dirty, explore, search, and make discoveries can change the entire nature of a child.

The house of his grandmother could have provided many discoveries but Dante felt that there was such a stifled environment inside that he found more pleasure in being outside. He had been shown through the atmosphere of the house that there was far more freedom and life outside, which is where he spent most of his time.

Dante’s house in Brisbane was an ordinary, yet modern dwelling. His opinion of the house did not directly reflect its true aspects. His hatred for the entire place fell most deeply on his own house, it being just a part of the whole picture of unhappiness.

The whole atmosphere reflected in the description of Dante’s house is of intense anger, his disenchantment, no generosity towards the town, bitter towards the place, hates the country, wants the city to be so much more.

‘…looking for one simply object in it (Brisbane) that might be romantic, or appalling even, but there is nothing. It is simply the most ordinary place in the world.’

As Dante got older his opinions matured and broaden. He began to want more from his environment and through looking at what the rest of the world had to offer it caused him to desire change and growth and to search for it. What he had compared to others was not satisfying, not good enough, causing him to despise what he had.

Outdoors-river widens to a broad stream, low mud flaps on one side, pelicans, native pines, high creeper covered walls.

The outside atmosphere of the house brings no pleasure to Dante, the environment seem only an image, he cannot make himself a part of it.

‘It’s a house I have never got used to’

Dante misses the sounds and atmosphere of the old house. The change to the modern is an aspect that he has difficulty adapting to. The growing dislike of each house has brought him to the point of hating his entire environment.

‘My loyalties remain where my feelings are, at the old house’

Creative Component - Johnno

A house that has left vivid memories for me was the home of my grandparents in Geeveston. I haven’t been back to the house for a long time but I remember a lot. These memories are vivid. Of the aspects that are memorable many small things hold great fascination for me.

I spent a lot of time outside the house as there was only really one main room that they used regularly and it was small and awkward, and being a young child, I was sent outside. My brother and I over time discovered the entire property, many places that were scary and intimidating.

My grandfather adored spending time in the garden, which meant that there were many manicured rose bushes full of rich blooms. In the red brick window boxes were miniature roses - red - which was his favourite coloured rose. I would climb up and walk around the window boxes, which gave me the opportunity to peek in the window and see the special room. Inside there were animal skins on the floor, and a couch that was leather, covered with buttons, making it go in, looking lumpy yet valuable. The room had my family’s valuables, but was never used. I don’t ever remember going into this room.

There was always something outside to entertain myself with. The front yard was vast, with a long path that ended with steps going down to the road. Beside the path were pine trees which hid the skeletal remains old cars and machinery. There was rust and vague remains of paint, shapes that were unrecognisable. Under the pine trees, the breeze always seemed cold and the branches too thick to let through much sunshine. The atmosphere seemed too scary.

The edge of the front yard falls off, into a big drop to the road. The busy main highway rushes past. A quiet relaxed house surrounded by the flurry of the moving, growing world around.

At the back of the house heading up to the garden there was an enormously high wall leading up to the vegetables. It was so awkward, too steep to climb, too high to see over, but at the top was a spectacular garden, filled with every type of plant that would make up a meal. My grandfather’s joy was to send visitors away with a bag of the current produce. Magnificently placed at the top of the garden were fruit trees, with plastic bags to scare away the birds. I always had thought the plastic bags were strange. They never seemed that effective.

Part of the outdoors was a big dog, that barked and jumped forward towards the wire, loud and harsh. It would jump all over me, loud and obnoxious. The dog was kept near the long wood pile. Poppy would just keep cutting wood and adding to the pile. Orange wood, triangular pieces, fitted together in a giant jigsaw up the side of the driveway. A ready source of splinters for feet without shoes. From the top of the pile there was the most amazing view, the fresh green countryside, the garden, road, the mountain, the flat roof on the house. I felt so tall and could see so much.

The front patio was a bleak and empty entrance to the house, dull concrete, contrasting with the red brick house. Often I would sit just inside the front door on Poppy’s lap as he rolls cigarettes. I have many memories of the room, especially at Christmas opening my gifts beside the fire place. I still have the barbie clothes that my nan had hand knitted for me.

Each visit, my Poppy would take me for a walk leaving the house together walking hand in hand - something special we shared. Down the long path, over the steep edge of the yard by taking the big steps down. We would walk together into the shop, I would choose an icy-pole and then would go back again, up to the house to show the others what I had.

I would like these memories to continue to remain real in me, and for my own future children to be able to have the same valuable memories of their grandparents house.