Past experiences and circumstances are integral in shaping identity. Tim Winton demonstrates this concept in the anthology ‘The Turning’ through the exploration of the impact of adolescent experiences on development in later life. Winton uses flashbacks and flash-forwards to illustrate the inextricable nature of adolescent experiences and adult identity. In ‘Big World’, the author presents a view of the future which is based on the adolescent experiences of each character. “In two hours...In a week...In a year and finally I’ll grow up.” The integral nature of past experiences - circumstances in moulding an individual’s identity is further established by Winton’s use of the horizon as a metaphor. In ‘Big World, the horizon is introduced at the beginning of the text and also mentioned at the conclusion of the story, “The horizon was around us”, shows the endless possibilities and opportunities for the future during youth and the “horizon fades” show how the choices you make due to circumstances and people in your adolescence solidify your path into the future.
Poet Bruce Dawe also explores this concept in Enter Without so Much as Knocking however, his view presents an idea that generic circumstances of childhood and adolescence shape a uniform consumer identity as adults. In the poem Enter Without so Much as Knocking Dawe uses life-cycle or ‘womb to tomb’ style writing to depicts the life of a typical man. It starts with the birth of a child.