Johnno and the Year My Voice Broke

Through the study and analysis of various texts we can explore and understand a range of human behavioural patterns which occur throughout everyday life in general society. The ways in which humans perform and interact with their surroundings and immediate accompaniment can give an indication as to ones social status and general personality. Through the comparative study of the novel “Johnno” by David Malouf and the film “The Year My Voice Broke” by John Duigan we are presented with paralleled stories being told through the eyes of a young adolescent. Johnno deals with the maturation and experiences of the protagonist Dante over a long period of time told as a first person semiautobiographical piece quite obviously reflecting a personal experience. Similarly, the film “The Year My Voice Broke” references the growing up and relationship status of the protagonist Danny through his eyes over a short period of time; more specifically, one year during the 1960’s. These texts reflect and explore different features of human behaviour that exist amongst today’s society.
A prominent component of both texts is the outlaw or outsider status of the protagonist within their immediate society. Throughout the film “The Year My Voice Broke”, John Duigan establishes Danny as an outsider by presenting him in a particular eccentric manner separating him from the other characters in the film. This segregation outlines Danny’s unique thoughts and ideas which detach him from the main stream of adolescents featured in the film. His salacious and abnormal attitude towards female relationships separates him from the typical adolescent culture and see’s him bullied and ridiculed by those that fit the teenage stereotype. The way in which Danny interacts with these other students at his school and attempts to meet the expectations of modern society expresses a behavioural trend that exists amongst the Australian society in which Danny is growing up in. This outsider status is also clearly