THE DROVER’S WIFE bby Henry Lawsonean In Geel, Naw South Woes, Ayers 1867. Sono Lato Lawson ov ‘soi In ha woman as maven On! fom he age tne. Wer in London eervesn 1900 ond 1902, Vorthe teaing nor-or wes eutsing aeraion lay mere fe 1398, Abo mulved fe Rapblcan Imovemen, Bervess 1905 ang 1910 he was fond or of prsan masty fr orternet,Athcugh ha leva 0 ore senso, he leds over ichey in 1922. "The Doves Wie, he morelce) ans soe ele Bah ses hove oda pune end ennui wer on Aumaon mera, Pro-reading 4 The sary wl rake you the content of he Kangoroos. Whar sua imoges 60 you cspcote wiry Ausra? Look ois pene of he ‘ustoion outback imogine You ned mere. Whar cficuies would you expec 1a encounter? 2 Lookup the worst div’ and dover in the Gconary ond ty 19 Uenogine whore tty igh be out.ve rwo-r0oMD HOU ie built of round Ser abs end | Sing bes? and ored with spit lbs A big bark etch i Standing ot oe end fe ger han the house Saat verandah dreaded ‘Bosh a rund — bush with no horizon, forthe county ie Bat NO # ranges in he cists The hush conse of rated ote ace pp ‘reve. No undergrowth Noting to reve he aye abe the daha ren ie few shea which are sighing above te aco almost waterles | Creek? Nineoen sls fo the nese sign of cisaton — a shany en i thermal ond » “The drover# an excaquatieré Is away with sheep. His wife and daze are ereslne Ung Pl et any of ies erp th rato oe ‘gan unis an nclvaaan (pn Aen ond Au t stated notte. nro or ae ale ye: a pat er kept ct oe hep ond i ttyey sen Four ragged dred-up-loking cidven are playing sbout the hours Susdenlyone of them pols: "Saka! other, here's snake! “The gaunt? sun‘brovened bushiroman dackes fom the kltchen snahes hr baby fom dhe ground, holds iton her le hip. and reaches forastic Where sie ‘Here! gone into the wood:heap!"® yes the eldest boy = a sharp ced, excited urchin © of eleven. “Stop ther, mothoe! II have him. Stand back! have the beggse”™ “Tommy, comme hee, of you'll be bt, Come here at once when Fis you, you lite weet"! “he youngster comes seluctaniy, csrying + tick bigger than hineel ‘Then he yells teuanphanly there i goes — under the howe!” and dare awe with club uplifted. At the seme tie the big, Back yllow-eyed dogrofall- reais, two has shoven te lest terest the proceedings, breaks is chan snd rushes after that srake. He is « noment Its, however, nd his nose Teaches the crack in the slab just ob the end of is til disappears IMimost at the same moment the boy’ club comes doven and eine the Aforestid nore. Alligator takes small notice ofthe and proceeds €2 lndermine ® the building; but hes subdued ater a struggle and Chained up. They cannot ford lve hi, 1 eatlpoa veri 2 her 15 wey ny op enor mid eso gg ea lr oan searing poner ing YP euspaelnce 1 eacsemaz opie 20 andere gun eve. 21 moe tupac‘The drover's wife makes the children stand together near the d Ihouse while she watches forthe snake. She gets two smal dishes of al {nd sts hein dot near the wall o tempt i to come out but an hour oes by and it doesnot show salt. Tb near suneot and s thunderstorm 2 i coming. The culdeen sl ‘be brought ince, She wil not take them int the Rowse, fr she knows ‘thesnakes thes and nay st any moment come up through the ercks the rough slab lor 29 she cree cverat am of frcwaod int She 1utchen and then tales he children there. The itches hae no Har — or Father an earthen one, called & “ground foot” inthis pat of the bush “There es loge oughly mace table inthe cones ofthe place She binge the children in and makes them geton this tala. Thay are swe boys, ane tov girls mere babies. She give thea some supper, and then, booze iste dark, che goos into the house, and snatches up some pillows ané bodelothee — expecting to see or ly her and onthe snake any minute. She mpakae 2 Bed on the htchen tuble forthe chile, and sts dover. bos to eateh all nigh ‘he hae an eye on the comer, end a green sapling club 2 lal in eadines on the dear by her side, together with har serng bask: fend a copy ofthe Yousg Ladi’ Joumal She has Brought the dog nt the ‘Tomy tum iy unde protest, but says ell ie awake ll night and smash at blinded make. “His mother askshim howe many times she ha old him noto swear ‘Hie has he club ith him under the hedclothes, and Jacky protests Nanny Tomy’ anni’ me alive ith his la, Make hm aki “Tommy: “Shel up, you ite =! Dyer want to be it with he snake” Jy shat wp. 22 thandetarm: ents any i Hpeing md ner 33 sought: nee, 24 alg spa sable aoe fons ee 25 der cpt fic nae clang ulawevy UWs0N yer it saps Tommy, after spouse, “youl swell up an smal, ax tr rea” geeen an’ lea ove il yer bust. Won't he mother Nove the, don't tighten the ch Go sleep,” she sys ‘The two younger ehildsen go to sleep, ard nov? and then Tacky complains of being skeezed.® More room is made for hm, Presently “Tory aay: "Mother listen to ther (edie) Le posums'2 Tike to sre 2 hel blank? necks.” ‘And Jacky protests ows “But they dor hurt us, helt Wands!" Mother “There, [fold you you'd teach Jacky to swear” But the’ remark makes her sae. Jacky goes sleep. Presently Tommy sss: *other’ Do you think they'l ver extricate the (aot) kangaroo? “Lora How am 10 oy, chil? Go to sleep. "yl you ake me tha snake comes but” Yes. Go seep” Nest midnight: The childen ats all asleep and she sits there si sewing and reading by turns Eom ne to time she glances round the loge and wallplte, and whenavar she hears a noise she reaches forthe stick The thunderstorm comes on, and the wind, rushing through the tracks in the lab wall threatens blow eu her cane, She places i fm shelved # par ofthe dresser and fixes up a newspaper to protest it At every dash of lighting, the ems betveen the slabs gleam Ike nme: (aero tr fom ese | ‘ayn uphwhri Mady, aewal 32 daly [sunken Sunk (Aus epi hee ted ere pop siete een mete ty. seen eurThe Drovers Wie polished * silver. The thunder rolls, and the rain comes dovra in “Alligior tes at fl length on the for, with his eyes tamed tsar ‘he partion, she hnou by this thatthe snake is there, There ate large cis in that wall opening under the floor or he deling-houe, She fe not a coward" but recent events have shaken her necves & Ile son of her brotherin-lawe seat Intely bitten by a snake, and deg Besides, she hes not hear from her husband for six months, and snsious shout him, He was a drover,and started squatting here when they ware marced ‘The drought? of 1S- ruined him. He had to sore the zemnant of his flock # and go droving again. He intands to move his femuly into the nearest town when he comes back, and, in the meantime, Ms brother who keops a shanty on the main road, comes over about once a month ‘with provisions, The wife asa couple of cows, ane horse, and «fw shoep, The brother intaw kills one af the sheep occasionally, gives her ‘what she ads oft and takes the retin ets for other provisions. She is used 10 beng lt alone, She once lived like his for eighteen ‘mont. AS «gle she bull che usual cates in the ci; but all her ish hopes end aspzatons have long bean deed. She finds all he exsteren and recreation she nasds in dhe Young Cais Journal and, Heaven help ben tales a please inthe ashonrplates Her husband isan Australian, and 9 she He is careless but = gooe enough husband. [fhe ad the means he would take he the cy ane beep her thet ikea princes. They are used t being apart ora lesa he 1s No ue feting” she say. He may forget sometimes hate is martes but ithe has good cheque when he comes bck he wil give mos oft her. When he had money he took her tothe city several times — BP polubedsnetetosnby ning 38 amareon dh ng pn, 39 date :peca ot creeewer awson ted a ralsay sleeping compartment and put up at the best hotels Fe also bought her a bugsy, but they ha to scree hat along with the es. “The last ta ciltan sere bor nee bush — one while er husband was bringing a deunkan doctor, by force, to attend to her. She was stone tn this oeason, and very weak, Shehad bee ll with a fever. She prayed ‘© God to sent her esses Go Sant Black Mary the "whitest gin the land, Or, at least, God sent “King Jimmy” frst and he sent Black Mary. He put his black face round the door-post, took In the sitwation ats glance, and si cheery: “All ight, Mlssis—1 bing my ld women he down alonga cee: (One of her ehldran died while se was hee alone, She rode nineteen ales for asistance, carrying the dead child t must be ar one orto o'clock, The fire is busing low. Aligator is with his head esting on hs pas, and watches the wall He isnot 3 very bentifal dog f look at and te light shows aumerous old wounds ‘whe the hai il not grow. He Is afaid of nothing on the face ofthe ath or under it He will uke a bullock as readily as he wiliaces Aes. He hates all other dogs — except kangaroo-dogs — and hae = marked disk to friends or relaons of the family. They seldom eal, however Ee sometimes males teens with strangers. He hates sakes ad has ll many, buthe wil be Wen some day and dis; most soak og end thar way. [Now and then the bushoman ly down her work and watches, an listens, and thinks, She thinks of things in her own Life, for there Is ite sleet dunk about {ogy gt ertge ad by nthene. ga: (aur shige! woman 6 fee (a a ashe © llc tevhe Drovers Wie “The rain will make the grass grow, and this reminds her how she fought a bush ie once whe her husband Was away. The gease was long, snd very day, and the fe threatened to buen her oat. She put on an old Pir of her husband's trousers and best out the flames with «green ‘ought Gl greet drops of sooty pertprsion stood out on her forehead 5 snd ran in streaks dow her blackened arma. The ight of his another ia trousers greatly amused Tomeny, who worked ike a Ue hera by her sie, but the tested baby howled Ine # for his “tummy” The fi would have muateed her bt forfour ected Bushmen eho arive is the nich of ie. Hewas a minedoup asi ll rounds when she went 38 tals up the Baby he sereamed end struggled convulsvly thinking i wae {black man"; and Alligator tasting more t the cil's sense than his ‘vin instinet, charged Rriouly, and (being old and slightly deaf) id notin his excitement a frst recognise his mistress voce, bu continued to hang on to the moleskine © until choked off by Tommy with s 398 i nddlestap The dog's sow for his banger ands ant tet i ‘be known ae tes alla mistake, wae as evident asl ragged al and twelvedach gen could make i Ie was a glovious ine for the boys: a day tooo back to and talk bout, and laugh over for many years ‘she thinks how she ought Hood during her husband's absence. Sho 0 stood for hours in the drenching ® downpour, and dug an over ‘gller# to save the damn across the creek, But she could not save 15 soehbnu}oheprbenhofa ene 51 caged aca SF Got of fori sopped este nao ano ar ls A othr ‘ion a {3 Mander: snl spd mi, 1 dentng: dec mens me somenne/sonebingcoplety wt iBecsirarerssentossaay aso% “There are things that a bushwomas canaet do, Next morning the dam vas broker, and her eer was nesly broken to, fos she though hove her husband would es when he came home and saw the result of yes of abour swept away. She cried ther ‘She also fought the pleure-peummnis ~ dosed * and bled the few remaining este and vept again whan her to best cos died Agniny she fought a mad bullock thet besieged the house fr day She made bullets a fied at him though cracks the slabs with enol shotgun, He was deed in the moraing. She skinned him end got seventeenandic forthe bide ‘She alc fights the ewes an eagles shat have designs on her chit Her plan of eampaign i wary original. The children ry "Czows, mother” and she rushes out an ime a broomstick tthe bls 8 though ie weee a gun, and aeys, “Bung!” Tee crows leave in a hurry they ore ‘cunning, ts woman's cunning pester (Occasionally & bushanan in the horrors ota vllainows-looking sundovnera! comes and neany scares the fe out of er. She generally tel the suspiiouloking strangetht her husband nd tvo sons ae = ork below the dam, of over 2 the yr for he aiays ening inguies for the boss, Only last oeeek a gllows-facsss swagman&* — having stint’ Inelé that there were no en on te place — thre his swag doven on the verandah, and Gemanded tucker She geve lm something 10 eat; then he expressed his intention of saying fr the nlght. Twas sundown, the. she gota batten from the sols. oosened @ the dog, end confronted doe goveetine (tanner) nen. (& gaowetceslekng te omene ou ote angi teagan (Aust ih sg beak sion © eoened st has‘he Drovers We ‘he stranger holding ths batten in one hand an the dog's collar withthe ‘other. "Now you gl” she sald. He looked at her and at the dog, sald “Al fight. mum” in s exnging tone, and left. She was a determined looking ‘rowan, and Alligators yellow eyes planed unpleasently — bess the dogs chawing-up appaseas geily resembled tht ofthe reptile he Wa named after. ‘She has fev pleasures think of a8 she sits here alone by th is; on geend against a snake. All days ae auch the same to her but om Sunday Siemoon she dresses herself, ies the chiléren, emartens up 7 baby, Gnd goes fora lonely walk elong the bush-tack, pushing an old ‘erambulator fn front of her She dows this every Sunday. She tkes a5 Truc cave fo ake herself and the dren look smart as she would if the were going to do the block in the city. There is nothing to see, however and not «soul 1 meet. You might valk. for twenty miles along this rack without being able to fc a pei is your mind, unless you are boeshman. This bacnuse ofthe everlasting, maddening sameness of the sand tees — that sonatony hich makes a man long to break sway fd gavel a fr as tsi can go, and sil a far 25 chips am eal — and free ‘Dat this bushwvontan i used tothe lonelinscs oft Asa gi-wife she hated but now she would fest range vy om She i glad when hes husband returns, but sho doas not gush ot make a fuss about it She gots him something good to eat, and tds up the clare. Se sens contented with her 108 She loves her chien, but has no Lime to show it She seems harsh to thems. Her Surroundings are no! Tavoureble to the development ofthe “womanly” or senna de of ee ae ssa wn. {ooh ops pete ian ee me vaseewer son i must be nese morning nov bul the cock isin te deeting-house Her cane is nese done; she forge: that she was out of candles. Some more wood must be got to Keep te fre up, and so she shuts the dog {iside and hurries round tothe woedheap. The rain has cleazedof* She seizes stick pulls tout, and — sash! the whole pile collpse, ‘Yestorday she bargained with stray 7 blackfellows to Beng her ome wood, and while he wat work she went in search of # missing ow. She was absent an hour or 80, and the native black made good use DOF his He. On her sturn she was so astonished to see a g00d heap of ‘ood by the chimney Uat she gave him an extra fg of tobaeco, and praised hie for not beng lazy. He thankod her, an ot with he ere End chest el out la was the last of his ibe and » King: but he had built chat woodseap halos: ‘Se is hut now an tits springs har eyes as she sits down again By the table She takes up a handkeri o wipe the ess sway, Pu pokes ther eyes vith her bare fingers inted. Ths hanerchieé fll of holes, tad she finds that she has put her thura though one and her foreingee ‘heough anode. ‘This makes ber laogh oth surpss f the dog, She has eons very een, sonse ofthe ridiculous; and some time or other she will amwse busts th the story. ‘sh hat been amused before lke that: One day she sat dows “to have ‘a good cy", nt she snd — and the old eat rubbed against her dress and "ied to”. Then she had to laugh. enya say ponent mod ay omar ham or, een fallow withas my spc ni. eke: pos asaasayJmust benese daylight The room i very close ae hot becauss ofthe fice, Aligator till watches the wall rom time to tina. Suddenly he becomes grestly interested; he draws himgelé «few inches nearer the pevton, and athe rune dough hie body. The leon the back of his ‘eck begins #o bristle and tho batelight isin is yellow eyes. She [Enows what thie means, end ays her hand on he le The lower end of ‘one ofthe parton lab has Large cack on both sides. An evil pair of “ml bright boas ike eyes glaten atone of these holes. The snake —a ‘ck one — comes slwly out abouts foot, and moves is head up and. lovin. The dog le stil, andthe wontan st az one fascinated. The snake comes outa foot further. She its he tsk, and the eptile, es though taddenlyewaze of danger, sticks * his head in through Se ere on the ther ide ofthe slab andes o get his til round after him. Agator fptinge and his [nee come together with a snap. He misses, for his rose i arg andthe snala’s body close down in tho angle formed by the [abe god the foot, He snaps agp asthe tail comes round. He has the Snake now, and tugs it out eighteen inches. Thud, thud comes the “woman's cub onthe ground. Algstr pulls again. Tho thud. Alligator, {ives another pall and he has the snake out — a Mack brut, fve fel Tong The hea ies to dart about, bu she og asthe enemy closet the evi, Hoi big, heavy dog, but quick as a teriar. He shakes the snake {5 though he felt the original curse Sn common with mankind. The dest boy wakes up, seize his stick, and tiesto got out of bed but hi ‘other forces him back wih a grip® of ron Thud, thud — the snake's Deck is broken in several places, Td, thud —its head is crushed, ane ‘Alligator’ nos elinned agin 2 be tnd ty iy. (ead sing sol se] ea tet supple ocean bs ep bls. naeaeey NSO She ifs the mangled seplle onthe point of her stick, eis io the fie, snl theows it ns then piles on the Wwoed, and watches the snake tum. The boy and dog watch, to, She lays her hand on the dog's head, tn all the Berce#¥ angry light die ou of his yollow eyes. The younger hildeen ate quieted, and presently goto sleep. The dlety-lepged boy ‘pands fora moment in his shir. wathig the Bre Preseatly he Looks ue fer, sees the tears inher ejes, and hecwing his arms round her neck, cis “Mother, Iwon'tnever go drovin’ blast me ff dot” Ant she hugs him’ to her worn beeas and Kisses hi and they sie hus together while the icy daylight breaks over the bus. General Understanding Seting 4 Gass the story fale place ela. ? - 2 door © cudeon =O 2 isthe bush a pce full of vegersion? ihe hchen ide he house? 90 mangled tr eta lec gs fs Rnb in haere onetime a ak eeSoy the folowing soremens are ue oF foie 41. The sory opens wih flashback 2 The sory closes inthe presen 19. Fost nd presen remixed hroughour the sy 4 The woman’ fe i destbee in eronclogicol ede Cchoracters Use he chor below fo give bit destion of he esenil physic! ‘ord prychologcal ois of each of he main charac: coco oooo0- bond aigerer Tommy orator tse norater.2 2 iwpeion & Sidrperon ooay Uason Full Immersion setting 41 Look tines 5-10. whar way che ecemel sng desrbed ond tabar ore he effec of he longuage Wed? 2 Onvwhich nes can you find decrond inet ‘Whar inlarnesion con you find cbout 5 of house? Time 41 The chart below gives infrmerion abut rhe sequence of event fi Inte ming oars. Tee | ME OF DAY | MAIN EVENTS 126 | aera sonear | the chit ee te sake Do7a_| reoranee Fe eva eas ae a od abou harbuabord ore IN. Ta worn Finke oo past TS samerine | 307 The wa walled ‘Whar she eat of mentioning fe time of doy? 2 Gelaw li of he nypes of Duin (sadecien,p. you con find in ny tt. Find exomples his extchorocters {Below iraterof some adjectives hor dasa he woman charoser, Flin the mising conespording lines: brovekouropscus(.) enveroising (99-49, 45-51) cuning.) tmnemoranal (213-18) famijeminded (.) Con-yeu thi of any che odjectvedptrses to dascibe he? 12 Analyze nes 207-8, Compare the womans past wihes wih her preseer cases, 9 Youwil poboby hove noced thar he waman is abvays fered 12 ‘nthe "aeovert wil” (ra, 35) of he "buswoman’ (15, 198 ond 20M) Say whether you hink he wires ng to porray on fxcepional woman oF /pco dover’ we Tving lathe Austobion oubod. “4 Now reconsider the three quesions above and see how fey eon be ‘opal ro he hsbond, Then onswer he questions 5 Aligaoris-an example of pesorifeaion. Fd he nes where isi fever, quoting the exec wor Used Notrator 1 Now youknew ihe narator 6 Sr peron, Soe whether he nano Drniclent er non-omnitdere, Ive or unobrusve; ge exompes 2 finda lines in which he nora exoreses ‘0 prejudices egoint women Bi onteligious (on-Chrsian feelings hastongy to use sear wards (os Ae were ood of Vicorion censontip) <4. Hisopinions af the external ering Literary Analysis 11 The rex conrin example of orarhara grouped in ties deste The far wo ere nes 3.6.7; nes 98,80, 219 nd 240. Con you ‘ane rd '500?‘Why do you thnk the writer hos used anophota? Tek as appropri Te sxpres: present act, boredom 1 remark he pasing of me Fo highligh the womens cbr cope wih many adventies O no! 2 Thete are two ver ffecve ani on nes 9-10 ond 227. Tye ‘explain hr meanings, 3 Canyou find ony exemple of onomatopoeia. Whar ae ek eee? sie 41 Asyou wit hove ccaiay realized the syle of his sory sg {toignforword and economicin he choice of wes (mally ot Germans eign. Ces he wr wanted orl he sony fom he pon of vw af the main horace 0 ewer ss Wang warn, Give few examples fo coordinate sentences tepecies wars © Germanic words 2 You wil alo have noticed har he sory is cde i fur pars. How des par 2 eile the cher prs? Look at ines $8-79. In terms of Dsation this se examples of © ungrammatica words ' Austelion esioqual expressions rising swecr-worcs 2. Gis Isthe tor therefore reolse of neneotsic? 4 Reconsider the scene above ond aonr aur he woys in which rember sp. 5. ndiect woremant: He may fags sometins har he fs matted” (CH1249), Sepa in your own werd he macnn of aterm.The Drovers Wie Summing Up 1 Which of he fotowing themes do you thik i cesta othe so salt J he rele of women / ha infuence of 0 hors envionment the elenonsip berween men and animat. Give reasons. 2 Analyze how the environment hos inueneed he women's charac How te themare contrast herve tain ane county hghlghied in the son? 4“ -csthough he fe he aiinal cue in comman wih monking” (261). Wis iso dec bibleal reference. Can you sy where In she Dbl tis stoy sro be found and ako expla is eevonce foe chores and sering of he sor. 5. The rd por of he stony ends with he mien iveling the “King Ini ef the and Ins 140-25, do you min Lawson was Inigo bight the oes problem? And #0, ho docs he sympathies wine Look ot exercise Sein he secon about Se. The wer cbvousy Desert abou ig svecrotde Wat he afd of he Vetoron ‘ervenhip? Remember hor Avztoia wos 0 Britt colony at har ee. Danas he efecs of corso i erry eis and of genera. Production 4 You would the 0 recommens ti shor sory 10a end. How would yu ty fa convince hiner ro read 2 The eating isthe Auwtlion cutback Red out mote abou he outback nan anelopoedia and wits abit summary of hs ond any her Infrration you find about ferent aspecs of Ausala (elma, ‘egetoton, arias, woy ef Bf) 3 mogine he waman having on inter manelogue (se Duraion’ — staeh Ioducion, 9 XD shes abut fo chub the snake. Wher 60 YOU Thnk she would say? 4 Youshould now know how fo fight snake, you ever happen ra meet ene (e9, while Hesplng soe ora ha), Wie insructons (tour wha © 60 sucha stuaron.