Old Man From The Bush Undertaker

Synopses One: Character – Old man from the ‘Bush Undertaker’
For the first entry in this reading journal, I chose to talk about the Old Man from Henry Lawson’s Bush Undertaker. Initially, the Old Man piqued my interest because he seems like the typical representation of a historical Aussie battler and consists of many of the cultural attitudes most commonly attributed to Australians. After all, he is an aging shepherd making a living on his own except for his loyal canine companion, Five Bob. However, it was the final line of Lawson’s story, spoken by the Old Man that illustrated the dark humour associated with the eccentricity of Lawson’s short story: “…the sun sank again on the grand Australian bush - the nurse and tutor of eccentric minds,
the home of the weird, and of much that is different from things in other lands” (Lawson 2012, p.
89). Eventually, I felt an analysis of this particular story is important in a course for reading fiction because it shows the development of colonial literary practices in Australia. For example, during the time of colonialism, there was the rise of Gothic theme, an influential, sensational form, known for its contributions and influence on Australian Literature (Turcotte 1998, p. 10). After reading the Bush Undertaker, I stated to notice the similarities between Lawson’s short story and the Gothic form by way of the Old Man. In his extended exposure to life in the Australian Bush, the Old Man shows signs of this demonstrating this Gothic form in his appearance as an unstable and eccentric recluse. So instead of a typical portrayal of an Australian male in the Bush, Lawson chose to employ a character that challenges
traditional cultural norms owing to the oddity of the Gothic form.

Synopses Two: Key Concept – Modernity in ‘Heart of Darkness’
The forth entry in this journal has to do with the key concept of modernity in Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness.
My interpretation of modernity or modernism has to do with how writers challenge traditional modes of literature and interpretations of that literature in a contemporary period. More specifically, some examples of how modernity differs from historical conventional literature are by the use of imperfect textual styles and the in-depth development of characters. Through reading Conrad’s novel, I found evidence of these points. Despite the fact that on the surface, the novel followed the traditional concept of a main protagonist and ideologies of heroism, the underlying principle of modernity were present. In the analysis of Conrad’s novel, it is evident that the textual themes he utilised explored the possibilities of the ‘modern condition’ in his characters that were illustrated as having ‘epistemological uncertainty’ (Roberts 2000, p. 118). The second reason for the association of modernity with Conrad’s novel is the way he employs the imperfect style of the chronology of the text. This is evident in the story when it is apparent that Conrad’s main character Marlow questions himself about whether what he knows about Kurtz is accurate, casting doubt on previous chapters in the novel (Conrad 2014, p. 29). Both of these examples accentuate the link between traditional Victorian-era values and the ideology of modernism. It is the juxtaposition of these points that
emphasise the archaism of the historical values and the advent of new concepts of modernity in literature. Given that one of the key features of this course is the advent of modernity in literature, it seemed apt to discuss Heart of Darkness, a story that according to the lecture is renowned by scholars for modernist thinking.

Synopses Three: Style – Diction in ‘At the Bay’
The fifth entry in my reading journal is about the diction and style in Katherine Mansfield’s short story, At the Bay. In my opinion, a large portion of the short novel has to do with the exploration of perception. Throughout, it is constantly made aware that perceptions of what is definite and indefinite are challenged. This is portrayed through the use of textual features, such as imagery and syntax. For example, at the beginning of the story, Mansfield creates the illusion of life through her representation of water “gushing into ferny basins” and “slipping between smooth stones” (Mansfield 2012, p. 65). This intellectual style of writing allows the reader to form connections with the text and creates an environment where those readers can relate their own experiences and feelings. The second example focusses on how Mansfield distorts reality in her story. This is through the use of syntax and can be seen in the lines where she denotes the grass as blue. This belief is in conflict with a reader’s basic knowledge that grass is green, another intellectual feat to cast doubt in the minds of the reader. The style of Mansfield is important to study in this course because it shows a whole new approach to diction in regards to literature. Moran states that this form of writing is about ‘textual resemblance’ playing on the “affinities of consciousness” (Moran 1996, p. 10). It is a kind of dedication that Mansfield has to creating a setting through her own approach to diction and style that sets her apart. The other synopses have largely focussed on writers that create meaning through what they write whereas Mansfield creates meaning through how she writes.

Critical Reflection
Keeping a reading journal has not only helped me to categorise my notes in regards to assessments, it has also enabled me to develop a deeper understanding of the various types of literature explored throughout this course. This is due to the fact that I was able to record my personal impressions and then to revisit them at a later date for analysis. Particularly if the reading is complicated, the process of summarising has helped to categorise the material covered. In this process, I composed a series of questions to complement those in the task sheet:

• What was hard to understand in the text (words and/or phrases)?
• What questions can be posed to educators that might help to understand concepts within the text?
• Are there connections between readings (textual and/or formal)?
• Did any of the readings alter previous opinions and/or beliefs?
• What key concepts are explored in the text (How are they important?
• Has the text deepened an understanding of these concepts?

These questions have allowed me to dive deep into the course materials and develop my own individual reflections. They have also allowed me to critically determine which sources I should choose for my synopses. For example, each of the synopses represents a different form of literary analysis. The first synopses focusses on a character and his development in the text, the second is about the understanding of a key concept of a text and the third looks at the writer’s style and how it changes meaning in the text. Overall, the importance of reading modernist fiction can be attributed to developing the skill of analysis. Such analysis includes regarding texts critically and forming an argument based on evidence from that analysis. This mastery of analytical skills makes it possible to look past the overt meaning of the text and develop an appreciation for its underlying meaning.