Australian Poem In Tim Winton's Cloudstreet By Tim Winton

Tim Winton’s 1991 saga Cloudstreet is textually prolific with a strong coherence between his central ideas, characters and use of language. It is Winton’s use of classically Australian characters and rich Australian colloquialisms that shape the “big ideas” in the Cloudstreet saga. Cloudstreet is set over a twenty year period from 1943-1963, it looks into the lives of two working class families, the Lambs and the Pickles. The challenges and ordeals faced by the two families place the reader in a position to observe varying values and attitudes which are connected with many aspects of Australian life. Winton’s unique ‘wintonesque’ form, use of colourful idioms and traditional Australian vernacular create strong characterisations connecting his characters to the hardship and identity of working class Australians. The saga has an eclectic approach to ideology, drawing on an amalgam of values and spiritual thoughts including christianity, luck and the beliefs of Indigenous Australians. Through my reading of Cloudstreet it has become evident to me that …show more content…
Through exploitation of his character Toby Raven, Winton exposes Rose to the pretentiousness of the middle class. When on a date with Rose Toby takes her to a restaurant “where real people come.” This pretentious dig at Rose’s working class status expresses Winton’s views and opinions of people like him. Tim Winton values hard work and ‘stickability’, hence his preference to publish novels based on the endeavours of the ‘aussie battler.’ The novels focus on hardship and identity can be seen a tribute to the struggles endured by many working class