A Night At The Pink Podle Analysis

Further, culture is omnipresent on both journeys, although its influences are diametrically opposite. Icarus’ journey to fill the hollowness within himself is inextricably linked to his journey through the shallow and superficial Gold Coast culture. In many ways, A Night at the Pink Poodle is the quintessential commentary on the Gold Coast and its culture. It is doubtful that Icarus’ journey could have been successfully portrayed in another cultural context. In a review of A Night at the Pink Poodle, Luise Toma (2007) agrees, stating,

“The Gold Coast, especially Surfer’s Paradise, is the perfect environment for Icarus’s private odyssey. I personally have never liked the Gold Coast and neither, it seems does Matthew Condon. However, somehow, …show more content…
While Icarus’ journey has a clear and, from a narrative perspective, clean, commencement and culmination, Damon’s journey is continuous and nuanced, borne out of a pervasive, perhaps hereditary, sense of displacement and a need for constant movement. Nevertheless, both characters observe and comment on their journeys, providing insight into their personal and emotional meanings and implications. This ability to transcend their physical selves is a common trait in both Damon and Icarus’ journeys. Further, culture informs both journeys in contrasting ways. Icarus’ journey is inextricably linked to the Gold Coast’s perceived hollow and superficial culture, and in many ways is a quintessential literary depiction of the Gold Coast. Icarus is acutely aware of this culture, and frequently comments on it, particularly noting the contrast between urban and hinterland areas. Damon, on the other hand, transcends culture, thereby rendering it redundant. Though Damon passes through a variety of cultures, his detachment and continuous movement prevent him from fully experiencing, settling, or immersing himself in them. Therefore, culture sparsely influences Damon. Though both novels acknowledge culture, A Night at the Pink Poodle is rooted in it, while In a Strange Room merely regards it as a necessary, though reluctant, backdrop. Ultimately, Damon’s bleak, existentialist outlook and lack of purpose leads to an inevitable futility in his journeys, and inhibits him from achieving meaningful emotional growth, while Icarus’ clear goals and willingness to participate in his journey enable emotional fulfilment and self-actualisation. Icarus and Damon’s journeys reveal the disparity between physical and emotional progress, revealing influence, but not necessarily reflection.