The 1950’s were a revolutionary period in Australian drama; it brought with it plenty of new playwrights with fresh and innovative ideas. A particular theme seem throughout all of these plays is the evolution of masculinity and it’s representation within Australian theatre. The 1950’s brought a change in content and style of Australian plays being written during that time compared to the previous decades, especially revolving around it’s male characters.
After decades of severe suffering through World War II and the Great Depression, the 1950s were prosperous, vibrant years for Australia and its citizens. Unlike the former years employment rates were high and people were encouraged to spend their money freely and on whatever they wished, …show more content…
The play is recognised as a pioneering Australian play and quickly gained approval and recognition from critics everywhere, as one critic put it, “The death of the old and stupid notion that Australians could never write a worth while play” (Milne, 2004, p. 52) Renowned for its uniquely Australian voice, and universal themes while also highlighting upon the masculinist images so popular in 1950’s Australian culture Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, allowed Australian city life and bush legends to successfully come to the stage with plenty of lightheartedness and laughter while also bringing sadness. This is able to be achieved through the numerous memorable characters of Lawler’s play, including the two male leads Roo and Barney who are both successful cane-cutters, and the women who frequent in their lives, Olive, Pearl, Nancy and Emma. Throughout this play Lawler, uses not only a historical union of literary techniques but also delves into the social systems, as a way to bring the characteristic elements of the outback and his characters to life. Lawler uses and address many stereotypes with his play The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, he is uses classic Australian stereotypes such as the ‘typical’ bushman along with the world renown traditional Australian values of mateship and working as a team, into the “familial interior of the classic European naturalistic style theatre of the 1900’s” (Schafer & Bradley, 2003,
After decades of severe suffering through World War II and the Great Depression, the 1950s were prosperous, vibrant years for Australia and its citizens. Unlike the former years employment rates were high and people were encouraged to spend their money freely and on whatever they wished, …show more content…
The play is recognised as a pioneering Australian play and quickly gained approval and recognition from critics everywhere, as one critic put it, “The death of the old and stupid notion that Australians could never write a worth while play” (Milne, 2004, p. 52) Renowned for its uniquely Australian voice, and universal themes while also highlighting upon the masculinist images so popular in 1950’s Australian culture Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, allowed Australian city life and bush legends to successfully come to the stage with plenty of lightheartedness and laughter while also bringing sadness. This is able to be achieved through the numerous memorable characters of Lawler’s play, including the two male leads Roo and Barney who are both successful cane-cutters, and the women who frequent in their lives, Olive, Pearl, Nancy and Emma. Throughout this play Lawler, uses not only a historical union of literary techniques but also delves into the social systems, as a way to bring the characteristic elements of the outback and his characters to life. Lawler uses and address many stereotypes with his play The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, he is uses classic Australian stereotypes such as the ‘typical’ bushman along with the world renown traditional Australian values of mateship and working as a team, into the “familial interior of the classic European naturalistic style theatre of the 1900’s” (Schafer & Bradley, 2003,