The Traditional Man in Australian Literature - Coursework Example

Running head: Praise Praise Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 12th November, 2012. Introduction Over time masculine identity in Australia has changed significantly, however some features of male identity remain the same as they were when the fast fleet landed in 1788. Australia was a wild territory full of hardship and struggle for every man who crossed over to the Virgin territory. Its dwellers were supposed to be hardworking men battling to survive in an unforgiving territory. However, Andrew McGahan in his Novel “Praise” brings out a frail image of an Australian man who is passive about most issues in life. In this paper, I wish to argue that the masculine identity of Australian men as rangy battlers is fast fading and has been replaced by a man who struggles to find his identity in the modern Australian society. McGahan (1992) describes the Australian man as an urban creature that is introverted, vague and sexually passive. However, not all the manly characteristics of the Australian man as depicted traditionally have disappeared. In this paper the similarity of the traditional man in Australian literature and in McGahan’s novel praise is critically compared to find out the features of Australian masculine identity that have not been eroded by time. Secondly, the paper concentrates and supports McGahan’s portrayal of the Australian man as a man who is afflicted by an identity crisis. Traditional masculinity According to Lee (2011), the identity of Australia as a nation is closely associated with the harshness of the wild territory that constitutes most of the country. Australian male identity is the foundation of national identity, whose character is adapted to surviving in the bush. Ward (1978) captures the traditional depiction of the Australian Man as follows: “He is a practical man, rough and ready in his manners and quick to decry any appearance of affection in others, He swears hard and consistently, gambles heavily and often, and drinks deeply on occasion […]. He is fiercely independent […..] above all he will stick to his mates through thick and thin, even if he thinks they are wrong.” Wards (1978) depiction of the Australian man was accurate in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. However, in contemporary Australian society, such a depiction of Australian masculinity is in sharp contrast with the reality and how literature depicts it. It can be urged that Australian Masculine identity has evolved through various phases. Between 1790 and 1890’s Australian masculine was closely associated with the different landscape of the Australian country (Wenger, 1992). Hardiness for men was a necessity for them to live off the Land or otherwise they would die. Literature from this period depicts the Australian man as one who struggled to survive against natural enemies. Men had to contest against a vast wilderness and wild animals and they had to protect their women against the harshness of the land. Australian men tried to live like indigenous people who have had intimate knowledge of the land which nourished them. In the early 1890s, Australian masculinity revolved around bush life and the struggle to become affluent from the spoils of the bush. In this age, men were wild and were defiant against authority. The Australian man was identified by his ability to sleep out in the open, ride horses, shoot accurately and battle natural elements that were a threat to his survival in the bush (Wenger, 1992). Most literature has christened these Australian Male identities as “the Aussie Battler”. According to Young (2004), the male identity and in extension the Australian identity largely ignored people who lived in urban centers and the outback was largely used as the signature identity for Australia. Most feminine literature on masculinity in Australia view Masculinity as a relational Construct that can only be understood in gender relations. It follows then that masculinity must express it power over feminine persons. The traditional Australian man was depicted as a man who seeks to exert power over women and struggles with authority from fellow men. Ward (1978) represents this struggle with authority in the following words. Ward (1978) brings out the traditional Australian man as a person who has little value for religious activity, educational pursuits or cultural engagements. The traditional Australian man shows a disdain for authority even in employment. It is exemplified in Ward (1978) who says that the traditional man “believes that Jack is not only as good as his master but, at least a principle, probably a good deal better”. These disdain was also exemplified by Australian gold miners who abhorred any authority over them (Wenger, 1992). The rebellious nature of Australian masculinity is thought to have its roots in the original penal colony idea of the continent. Clark describes the spitefulness the original male settlers had for authority and their antagonistic attitude against people in high praise as convictism Ward (1978) depicts the traditional Australian man as a lazy and laid back as a person who does not work unless they were any justification to work. Ward alleges the typical Australian man is not hardworking or able to produce excellent work. Bode, K (2006), alleges that the Australian traditional man though physically capable was not willing to work without good cause. Ward (1978) further notes that Australian men were emotionally insensitive. He alleges “the typical Australian man is rough and ready in his manners and quick to decry any appearance of affection in others”. According to Bode (2006), the traditional Australian man is a construct of the land which is thought of as an enemy of man. Australia is shown in literature that defines the battler masculinity as a land to be conquered and transformed. The traditional man was always in a struggle against such factors as heat, drought and the vastness of the wilderness. Among one of the legendary traits of traditional Australian masculinity is the strong mate ship ties with their fellow male friends (Ward, 1978). The need to have friends that one could rely on in any situation may have developed as a result of harshness of the outback and it inhabitants. The men who lived in this wilderness had no choice but to co-operate with each other or the bush would get the better of them. Friendship among traditional Australian men was so highly valued that some mates were willing to kill or to die in order to defend their friends. The interaction of Australian men with other people from the world further cemented the traditional image of masculinity as the national image of Australia. In the first and second world wars, Australian was known for their abrasive personalities and aggressive behavior. According Connel (1996), Australian soldiers were hard gamblers who were always involved in brawls on and off the battlefield. Although the battler masculinity now remains in a few outback areas it remains an important part of Australian identity. Nowadays the term is used to refer to working-class men and farmers. The term is used figuratively to describe the persevering spirit of Australians. Masculinity as depicted in the Novel Praise McGahan (1992) takes a completely different view of Australian masculinity. In the beginning of the story the young Gordon quits his job because to avoid working for three straight days. Gordon’s reference to the fact he has never worked for three straight days shows that he had never really struggled in life. This depiction of a person who could not work is unlike the image of the traditional Australian man who would have taken the chance to work for three straight days with enthusiasm. Gordon’s referral to his lack of strength to quit on the spot shows he was not as forthright with his decision to quit. However, the decision to quit work may identify with traditional masculinity as the traditional Australian man hated to work unless for a very good reason. Like the traditional Australian man Gordon is quoted as questioning the virtue of work; “work wasn’t the answer to anything” (McGahan, 1992). Gordon attitude to work is further shown to negative when he shows pleasure in sitting down at the park rather than working. McGahan describes Gordon pleasure at idleness as follows; it was definitely a better thing to be sitting in the park rather than be at the bottle shop. In contrast, modern Australian work attitude are very positive towards work and Australian has national identity closely associated with hardworking citizens. Nowadays, Australian men work for more hours than their counterparts in other countries. The way Gordon starts living immediately after his job can be equated to the hardship suffered by the traditional man in the bush. Sleeping out in the open was not unlike living in a communal flat and using shared bathrooms (McGahan, 1992). Just like the traditional man Gordon did not know what his future held and he was willing to try everything. His meager wage at the bottle shop shows just like the traditional man Gordon was struggling to survive in a tough suburban environment that substitutes the outback for the Aussie battler. The lives of the fellow residents in the flats at New Farm Park exemplify the traditional depiction of Australian man. The men in the park who lived off their pension spend most of their time drinking heavily (McGahan, 1992). The heavy drinking is very similar to Wards (1978) depiction of the traditional man as a heavy drinker on occasion. However, a distinction can be drawn between the drinking habits of these New Farm tenants and the traditional battler because traditional men only drank when they could find free time to indulge. But, the disdain of the authority of the parks caretaker is reminiscent of the disregard for authority shown by the original Australian settlers (McGahan, 1992). Disdain for authority did not impact. Today heavy drinking cannot be categorized as part of Australia identity as the country average consumption of alcohol each year is lower than in most other countries. Traditional Australian men showed little respect women and most men thought women were not as intelligent as men. Gordon shows this belittling of the intelligence of Women by referring to Cynthia as just another barmaid who was might have been a little more intelligent than the rest (McGahan, 1992). However, Gordon respects Cynthia and does not brand her a whore even after finding out about her multiple sexual relationships in the past. Even when Cynthia confesses he slept with another man in his absence, Gordon does not condemn her but instead comforts her telling her she should not kill herself over sex (McGahan, 1992). Although, large steps has been made in Australia bring about gender parity, Australia remains a largely male dominated society in all spheres of life. Unlike the traditional man who hated sentimental emotions, Gordon can be described as a person who could express the wide spectrum of emotions man was capable of. Gordon was an art student who had written several poems. McGahan (1992) in Chapter 2 describes Cynthia eagerness to really find out if Gordon used to write poetry. Gordon initially denies his association with poetic writing but later shares the books he had read with Cynthia (McGahan, 1992). Gordon interest in poetry is an indication of a man who is in touch with his emotional side. This readiness to express his most inner thought emotional feelings is a clear reflection that Gordon masculinity was not in line with that of the Australian traditional man. Gordon in Praise is depicted as a person who suffers from asthma and who is not endowed with enough physical energy (McGahan, 1992). In Chapter five Gordon breathing during the night is labored and he even awakens Cynthia who thinks he is about to suffocate. McGahan (1992) writes that Gordon constantly depended on his Ventolin inhaler combined with a strong dose of tobacco to keep his asthma in control. He refers to his bad health in a depressing statement which he says carelessly; “I was wheezing all the time, vomiting after only three or four drinks” (McGahan, 1992). Unlike the Aussie battler the young man is soft and would not be able to survive in an environment where physical exertion is necessary to find daily nourishment. His apparent search for empathy from Cynthia shows his weakness as man if his masculinity was to be measured against the traditional Australian male identity. Gordon also lacks the competitive edge and energy exemplified by traditional Australian masculinity. During a game of cricket he attends he indicates his readiness to catch the ball and ones it comes his way he is distracted and the competing team retrieves it (McGahan, 1992). In disgust the retriever of the ball mocks him by hitting him on the face. Unlike the traditional male who would have reacted angrily, Gordon just brushes the incident aside. It is shown clearly that Gordon does not care about the game and whether there are losing or not. The original Australian settlers were referred to as convict who spent their initial lives drinking and chasing after the few women who had been shipped into the continent Ward (1978). Connell (2005) notes that the traditional Australian men could be identified as seducers or conquerors; who would not let a chance to sleep with a woman pass. According to Wenger (1992) there were 586 man and 192 girls and women who were shipped from England to Australia as convicts. The men were very sexually active and their sexual desires had to be fulfilled whenever they had the chance with a woman. In contrast, the young Gordon refers to himself as lacking the libido of his fellow mates. On the first night they spend with Cynthia he sleeps without making any sexual advance on the naked woman who spends the night beside him (McGahan, 1992). His disinterest in sex is surprising to Cynthia and the conversation they have about sex in the morning betrays his passive attitude to sex; “thought you’d at least try something last night” (McGahan, 1992). In his answer she confesses to Cynthia that sex had not been great for him and thus she dislikes it. Gordon relationship with other men is in sharp contrast to the depiction of such relationship in traditional masculinity literature. Throughout the whole novel, Gordon closest friend is his girlfriend and none of his relationships with male friends could be termed as mate ship (Lee, 2011). Gordon also shows a passiveness to homosexual sexual orientation. Gordon passively is not outraged by Richards offer to suck his penis or to suck his (McGahan, 1992). When the old man masturbates while watching him bath he does not seen disgusted as he does not consider him a threat. He is not also critical of Cynthia’s involvement in sexual relations with other women. This contrast with the homophobic behavior he notes existed in military service. Gordon speaks about the lack of consideration accorded to homosexuals in Australian military service; “Several of them fought in the World War two. They had no place for faggots” (McGahan, 1992). In contrast old Australian masculinity had strong friendship bonds among men and homosexuality was not tolerated. One of the few similarities between Gordon and the traditional Australian man is found on one occasion when Gordon turned aggressive (Connell, 2005). Gordon also show aggressiveness towards Cynthia when he at last gets appalled by her relentless partying (McGahan, 1992). Gordon forcibly drags Cynthia out of a night club and forces him to accompany home. In the ensuing incident Gordon beats up a man who attempts to board a taxi that he had called (McGahan, 1992). This incident comes as a surprise to any keen observer of Gordon’s behavior throughout the novel. Despite this flare up of rage, Gordon shows is very passive and he only act aggressively in very rare situations. Gordon failure as a man both traditionally and in the novel culminates in his refusal to accept parental responsibility. Cynthia has to suffer the emotional and physical pain of undergoing an abortion as the Gordon is not willing to raise the child. Conclusion According to Horrock (1994), a true man shows a number of good behaviors. Horrock (1994), sets them out as follows; “a truly powerful man is sensitive, emotional, is able to cry, can sometimes admit he can’t cope, can allow himself to be passive at times, and can accept feeling powerless, but can also feelings of rage, brutality and sadism, indeed the whole spectrum of emotions which human beings are privileged to enjoy”. This depiction of masculinity is an alternative to the traditional construct. However, most Australian masculinity has not reached this peak and it still seems like it is suspended between traditional masculinity and adoption of alternative masculinities that have sufficed in recent times. From the analysis of the depiction of masculinity by McGahan in Praise it is apparent masculinity in Australia is in a crisis. Gordon seems lost throughout the whole storyline and his life seems to have no direction. It is shown in the novel praise Gordon was unwilling to work or take on any responsibility. When Cynthia became pregnant Gordon refused to accept responsibility for the raising of the unborn child. Consequently, the willing young mother had to result to abortion as she did not also think of herself as capable of raising the child. This unfortunate denial of responsibility has crept in into Australian society that sees the number of single mothers increase every year. Gordon passiveness to sexual orientation is also a reflection of the crisis facing Australian men when it comes to sexual identity and orientation. The Australian society has increasingly become more tolerant to homosexuality but the most modern Australian men still think “real men” are straight. Indeed the crisis is depicted in Gordon’s imagination that refers to people in same-sex relationships as faggots. It is shown that Gordon expression of masculinity could not be reconciled with the Australian masculinity described by Ward (1978) but Gordon could not also be referred to as per Horrock definition. Thus, Australian masculinity remains stuck between the two concepts of masculinity set out above. The crisis in masculinity inevitably affects the national identity of Australia as it has been strongly linked with masculine identity. Australia is therefore in an identity crisis trying to find an identity rooted in recognition of the diverse input of other groups to the Australian society other than men. References Horrocks, R. (1994). Masculinity in Crisis: Myths, Fantasies, and Realities. London: Waterlow Publishing. McGahan, A (1992). Praise. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin Wenger, A. (1992). Aggressive Masculinity in Australia. Engish, 34. Connell, R.W, (2005). Masculinities. St Leonard’s: Allen and Unwin Connel, R. W. (1996). Politics of changing men. Australian humanities review Lee, B (2011). Australian Days. Retrieved from: http://www.brendanlee.com/site.php?n=Main.BogueNationWalkingWithBogans accessed 12th November 2012. Bode, K (2006). Aussie Battler in Crisis? Shifting Construction of White Australian Masculinity and National Identity. ACRAWSA e-journal, 2 (1). Young, G (2004). ‘So Slide over here’ the aesthetics of masculinity in the late twentieth-century Australian pop music. Popular Music, 23 (2). Ward, R (1978). Australian Legend. Oxford: Oxford University Press Read More