The Removalists: Summary
The Removalists raised three fundamental questions:
One socio-cultural (Is Australian society violent of its essence?)
Political (do the forces of law and order rest on violence?)
Psychological (do all of us have the kinds of aggressive instincts or behaviour patterns which Williamson depicts?)
Characterisation:
The ocker character used an exaggerated language that existed in the streets. He had limited range of values and experiences a negative view of women, he drank excessively, vulgar. He disliked losing control of any social or work situation. He was egotistical bullying intolerant dominant and loud in conversation with others.
His speech was lurid vulgar offensive and usually derogatory in a racist sexist tone. The ocker usually had a certain amount of self parody in addition to boorish, aggressive behaviour.
The ocker represented a satirical image of contemporary culture which was both comic and apparently authentic
The reader naturally sympathises with the least competent character because of their vulnerability (Ross appeals this way).
Williamson is concerned with his characters’ patterns of behaviour. He is not concerned with psychological explanation or motivation of characters. They exist for the moment only. They have no past to offer insight into characters. Williamson might also have considered what could be taken away from a person, removed from them reducing them to their lowest common denominator. In the play these removals include dignity, respect, compassion, value, humanity, sexuality, possessions, pride, masculinity, feminity and in Kenny’s case his life. These reductions occur as a consequence of violence, whether physical, verbal or psychological
Kenny believes that his wife deserves to be physically beaten and attacked because she not completed domestic duties to her husband satisfaction. Their marriage was culturally typical acceptable almost tolerable. His concern for his daughter’s health is insincere. He uses this false
One socio-cultural (Is Australian society violent of its essence?)
Political (do the forces of law and order rest on violence?)
Psychological (do all of us have the kinds of aggressive instincts or behaviour patterns which Williamson depicts?)
Characterisation:
The ocker character used an exaggerated language that existed in the streets. He had limited range of values and experiences a negative view of women, he drank excessively, vulgar. He disliked losing control of any social or work situation. He was egotistical bullying intolerant dominant and loud in conversation with others.
His speech was lurid vulgar offensive and usually derogatory in a racist sexist tone. The ocker usually had a certain amount of self parody in addition to boorish, aggressive behaviour.
The ocker represented a satirical image of contemporary culture which was both comic and apparently authentic
The reader naturally sympathises with the least competent character because of their vulnerability (Ross appeals this way).
Williamson is concerned with his characters’ patterns of behaviour. He is not concerned with psychological explanation or motivation of characters. They exist for the moment only. They have no past to offer insight into characters. Williamson might also have considered what could be taken away from a person, removed from them reducing them to their lowest common denominator. In the play these removals include dignity, respect, compassion, value, humanity, sexuality, possessions, pride, masculinity, feminity and in Kenny’s case his life. These reductions occur as a consequence of violence, whether physical, verbal or psychological
Kenny believes that his wife deserves to be physically beaten and attacked because she not completed domestic duties to her husband satisfaction. Their marriage was culturally typical acceptable almost tolerable. His concern for his daughter’s health is insincere. He uses this false