Cloudstreet – historical and cultural context

The historical and social context of Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet enables the reader to have a deferent understanding of the action and themes throughout the text.

· Cloudstreet is set between the events of World War II to the mid 1960’s. This is made clearly event when Rose pickles states ” Yeah something terrible is up. Not the war.” The context of the text affects the characters actions throughout the novel.

· Cloudstreet is set in Subiaco Western Australia. This is the main setting that allows the two separate dysfunctional families, The Lambs & The Pickles to unite and start a new life at Number One Cloudstreet. The reader acknowledges the Pickles down by the ocean in Geralton where they then move to Perth.

· The only historical character to make an appearance in the text is the Nedlands Monsters, Eric Cooke a serial killer who happened to be the last man to be hanged in WA on October the 26th. The Nedlands monster features in Cloudstreet because he threatens ordinary peoples lives.

Tim Winton constructs the Nedlands monster as a threat to peaces and people’s lives. His character is established as dreadful person that society is afraid of. 1.

Oriel Lamb doesn’t believe in the sentence of The Nedlands monster as she has a biblical context and believes that everyone should be given a fair chance. 2

· The world events influence the Pickles and Lamb Families. Dolly Pickles character is constructed as selfishness character as she takes advantage of the Catalina Pilot. 3

· Tim Winton text Cloudstreet explores many different social issues the 20 years spanning throughout the text. Class differences are explored throughout the text. Toby’s is an upper class character and his relationship with Rose doesn’t work out due to the differences in social class throughout both of the characters.

· Aborignal History, is mentioned throughout the text. Tim Winton uses the “Black Man Character” to explore many cultural and racial differences which have occurred in throughout Australian History. Due to my context I do not understand the extent to which Aboriginal where aliens in Western Australian society, I sympathize with the Aboriginal Characters in the text with such comments as 4

· Due to my context I easily relate to the places mentioned by Tim Winton in Cloudstreet. When Fish Lamb’s character goes down to the Swan River to die. I am can easily picture the setting which enables Fish Lamb to join his two halves together.

In conclusion, the historical and social context of Cloudstreet, is very important to meaning of the text and unlocking of the major issues presented in the text. Different people’s context will change the meaning and messages of which Tim Winton presents in Cloudstreet.