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Essay on "An Open Swimmer" by Tim Winton - How have key elements of the Western Australian environment address key themes and issues in society?

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Essay on "An Open Swimmer" by Tim Winton - How have key elements of the Western Australian environment address key themes and issues in society?
Life is a journey, in which one's character is shaped by the experiences they encompass, and their life choices are affected according to the nature of these experiences. The environment a person has been exposed to and can relate with, also influences one's disposition and determines essential qualities a person may bear. Messages of a text are often unclear at first glance, yet through the incorporation of key elements of the Western Australian environment, many messages are reveled to us that shape our understanding and interpretation of a text. In An Open Swimmer by Tim Winton, Winton uses elements of the Western Australian Environment to address key themes and issues present within our lives, and influence our opinion on them through the conveying of important messages. Winton's incorporation of the Western Australian environment into the novel aims to relay significant messages that reflect his opinions on life primarily that risks have to be taken at some stage in life to achieve our full potential and in doing so discover who we truly are. Through elements of the Western Australia environment used in the text, many messages are conveyed to educate us on the journey of life.

There are many aspects of the environment that reflect messages and alter perspectives of readers within a text. These particular aspects usually link issues present in the lives of readers to events in the novel and educate us on the text's meaning. In An Open Swimmer it is made evident through particular aspects of the Western Australian environment that at some stage during our lives, we will discover our true character and achieve greatly if we take risks. It is through these risks that what kind of person we are is defined, and what we value in life is brought to the surface.

"Keep tryin', boy. You 'ad the wrong fish. Spear an open swimmer, they're the ones. Cave fish see nothin'.' (Pg 160)

The open swimmer is used to represent the life Jerra longs for and the true potential he
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