Robert Gray- Core Values & Australian Society

Literature is used as a medium to evoke self-reflection in an individual, the responders are forced to reconsider core values in which they live by. Robert gray explores the misplaced values of
Australian society, suggesting that the focus has changed to materialism, personal gratification, consumerism and technological advancement. Through his exploration of the aesthetics of myopia and decay, which occur across both his poems, “North coast town” and “ Flames and Dangling wire” Gray forces the responder to see the dire situation of the world as he does, engaging them in a process of self-reflection.
The deteariation of Australian society and its decaying cultural identity is due to the misplacement of core values.
Powerful imagery through the process of destruction is used in order to entice and persuade responders to reflect on their role and their responsibilities.
By introducing the audience into a world space that is deteriorating
Robert gray get them to reconsider where their core values lay.
In flames and dangling wire he uses the image of a wasteland in representation (extened metaphor) of western civilisation, showing the remains of a decaying culture being picked upon by scavengers from hell.
To highlight the severities of the concerns that he has, he creates powerful images of a crumbling environment, he shows negativity to make the process of self reflection more inevitable, negative images are more powerful as a persuasive device.
The dump symbolises the future of the world after humanity has fallen, the burning flames emphasises the hell-like quality of the surroundings. The severity of the situation is presented through the aesthetic of decay to provoke emotional responses from responders.
Gray begins the poem “ on a highway” metaphorically presenting his concern with where Australian society and its values are heading. The observational tone presents the city as “behind us,” suggesting that the damage that has been done by mankind is to an extent of which is now irreversible. Violent imagery such as “Driven like stakes into the earth” contains connotations of destruction and shows brutality of the situation; it represents the physical intrusion to the natural world through the building of man-made infrastructures.
In contrast to all the intense imagery presented in “Flames and
Dangling wire”, “ North coast Town” approaches the audience in a whole different light, it suggests a more sutle way of presenting the destruction that is occurring, it still has the same effect, still utilizing a similar idea of imagery and observation. North Coast Town, presents a generalised perspective of an anonymous town, which implies that the issues can be occurring anywhere, not just specifically within
Australia but globally. Instead of showing negative imagery to suggest the downfall, he presents an objective and critical analysis of the surroundings, allowing the responders to critise the observations themselves.
Gray presents images of life along the main streets as his persona goes along the highway. The observations are mixtures of critical, innocent and saltitrical observations, the mercantile character of our lives is captured as “our images flaps in shop fronts’. As he drives pass in the car, he see their reflection amongst the merchandise,
“our image” representing their essential being, the superficial and materialistic entity of human life. Parenthesis used to represent separation, “the pink ‘topicana’ motel ( stucco, with sea shells ) recalling the “shell station’, in the first stanza, indicating once again the separation from nature, disrespect and destruction of the environment. The RSL described as “fancy-dress Inca” The Incas an ancient civilisation once important in history, juxtaposed with fancy dress to show the lack of respect we have for ancient civilisations. we as responders are being chalellege through the use of observation, forcing to question the choices we have made and the values in which we live by. Realising the dire situation in our actions to be able to bring clarity and enlightment into are clouded jugdements. Gray explores humanity’s blindness towards society’s corruption and lack reflection of the consequences brought upon by urbanization.
The aesthetic of myopia is used as a reoccurring motif across the whole poem to carry out the allusion of blindness and lack of clarity and reflection. “ now the distant buildings are stencilled in the smoke.”
The smoke alludes to pollution, lack of slight and clarity, Creating an unclear and hazy image of man-made infustructures, suggests that the pollution created by humanity is covering our own view of human society and civilisation’s greed and selfishness enabling us to see the truth in the situation and cause a lack of enlightenment.
Humans are unable to acknowledge their own actions and the consequences it brings, which inturns becomes the cause of its own downward spiral.
“cars like skulls” Cars being a man-made product and a symbol of the commercialised world, our main means of transportation, an essential part of modern society.
“ nothing much in my pockets but sand
From the beach.
The word “nothing” stresses negativity, loneliness and isolation which emphasis the reference to sand and the denial of growth the word connotes.
Sand also metaphoric of time, which could then suggest that humanity is running out of time, but nothing can be done.
Gray creates images, which are representative of a glimpse into our future. The lone persona is not to be acknowledge as an individual, whose existence can be neglected, but as a species, a civilisation, a world. Gray excludes his persona from the environment, creating a sense of an isolated being/man, detaching himself from the city and all the corruption within.
The isolation of the persona is emphasized through the denial of normal human essentials, “A shell station (with their Men’s locked), a closed hamburger stand”
The denial of his relief and a basic need such as food. Closed has negative connotations, parenthesis physically presents the sense of isolation and rejection. The mention to a brand image , the Shells station shows juxtaposition between a natural and unnatural entity,
Shell is a natural element but is being used by human beings for their own selfish gain, turning a natural image of a shell into a symbol for petro.
The hamburger stand a symbol of globalisation, “ they’re making
California” influence from America, symbolises the swift in power and everything becoming more homogenised, this shows the lost of
Australia’s cultural identity and becoming more Americanised. The two images of closure adds to the persona’s alienation from the environment and the separation of humanity from nature’s bounty.
“The place is becoming chrome,” implying that everything is changing and becoming man-made, “bulldozed acres” signifying deforestation, the demolition of the natural world and the essential element it provides us in our daily lives.
In flames and dangling wire, humanity is represented through scavengers. The scavenger acknowledges the destruction that is happening, but rather than do anything about it they savage what the can from the decaying civilisation surviing off of the rotting society. Juxtapose to “North Coast Town” where the character in it , the aboriginal , man hozing down pavement, two guys with greasy pompadours take no notice of what is happening, not concernd about anything beyond their personal existence. Gray shows the neglect using mundane imagery, having things change all around them but taking no notice and carrying on with their lives. This adds to the motif of blindness and myopia , everyone turning a blind eye to the situation that is happening therefore unable to reflection and see the results of their actions.
Australia’s society as a whole is deteriorating due to misplaced values; Society is now all about Materialistic gain and scientific pursuits.Robert gray emphasises how humanity as a whole has misplace our true core values and instead put importance on superficial things.
Gray uses literature as a medium in engaging responders in the process of self reflection, therefore responders are forced to re consider their core values, values meaning ways in which we live our lives and what we see as important. He uses observation in highlighting, and presenting images of society and its selfdestructive nature, inflicted destruction because of selfish materialistic desires, he then starts a reflective process in his responders and therefore his concerns presented through is observational imagery becomes our concern. Through his poetry he is informing us to the danger we purpose to the natural world and that inturn will affect our lives and future.