Cloudstreet Final Thesis (Honours)
...ent – it worries her. · Rose is one depressed woman, she see her life as nothing special, “rose thought of morgues, cells, the steps of aeroplanes, the flash of camera bulbs. Her world was mundane in the hight times…” (p289) · p289 reference to River, as Rose makes out with Toby “the river went by and by” could symbolise the movement in time for Rose. · On page 290 there is a paragraph by Fish, he speaks of how Rose once loved him and how she has been wooed by Toby and that she has left the house in more ways then one (physically and emotionally). He then speaks of how he and the others will return to the water: the water for him it is heaven, and for Rose it would be happiness on Cloudstreet. · Rose loses her virginity to Toby. Wooed by what he represents, the change she longed for. She falls in Love. “ Rose shut up and listened, let herself be taken by the sheer force of him.” (p290) · “the moment she left Cloudstreet the wide world fell wonderfully upon Rose (p291) – reiterates the fact she was in love with the idea of leaving the troubles of Cloudstreet. · Toby was in love with sex, not necessarily Rose. Whereas Rose went ‘melancholy’ after sex. · When Rose spoke of her past/family, Toby was uninterested, “no use talking to Toby” · Toby had also taken Rose away from the Switchboard. She was now called a “inta-llec-shul” by the girls (p292) – Rose was starting to lose the things she should hold in high regards (friends, work, family). “she feels a stranger to them (p293).” · Toby begins writing a book of Poems ,“the poems were long scenes in which athletic men whispered Greek words into the ears of virgins.” These men symbolised Toby preaching his life to Rose, her being the virgin. (p292) · They fight and Toby rudely remarks about how he has never seen Cloudstreet. · Oriel is still in the tent, Rose sympathises with her because she had the courage to move out to have a life of her own. (p294) · Rose becomes an Auntie, as Ted marries the pregnant girl. Dolly realises that she too is now ageing. (p295) Rose feels sorry for her mother. · Rose woke to Toby at his house inviting her to a party to celebrate the recognition of his poems. He calls her house a “hideaway” and that Rose has changed since he first heard her voice on the switch. · On arrival, Rose stood behind Toby’s shadow. Rose wished to leave, and finds out that they have the wrong author. “Wrong man wrong poem.”(p298) · Toby then embarrasses Rose, saying he is writing a story about “a shopgirl and a famous writer”, Rose flees the party and nestles back to the River. · The River is attractive to her, it’s a symbol of the past and future, but more importantly calmness. · Toby didn’t treat her right, she needed comfort and love. She wanted to be heard and respected for who she was, it was obvious that Toby new the difference in social class was there and made no attempt to rid it. Part II Chapter Summary: Silhouettes In this chapter, Quick decides to make him useful to the house by becoming a self-employed fisherman. He is happy to supply the Lamb family shop with fish because he enjoys fishing and does it for recreation otherwise. Fish constantly asks Quick to take him out to the water with him, and eventually Quick gives in and smuggles Fish out with him. While on the water they hear someone crying on the riverbank and it happens to be Rose Pickles. Hypothetical, as the Smartbums Say This chapter has Rose joining Quick and Fish in the boat on the river. Fish is tired and Rose is upset about what she has just been through with Toby and they both eventually fall asleep. Rose wakes after an hour and talks to Quick for one of the first times ever. Rose surprises Quick with the question “You reckon we’d be any good married to each other?”(p.312) as the chapter ends. Dwellingplace Rose and Quick proceed to the empty dark library after getting back from the river in this chapter in a great rush to make love in the room. It is implied that the two will get married as the final paragraph says “hurrying out into the daylit house with news for the world” (p.314) Outside Chance The news of the marriage between Rose and Quick is spread to each of the families living in Cloudstreet. Oriel Lamb doesn’t react to the news and is insistent on doing work rather than discussing it. Sam Pickles laugh is heard throughout the house when he hears the new of the wedding. Grandeur, Almost The wedding proceeds in a church, not before Rose and her mother Dolly have a fight outside. The marriage is then celebrated in a RSL hall and towards the end, Oriel asks Dolly to dance and she accepts. Analysis Silhouettes · The chapter begins with more military terminology when referring to the way in which Oriel walks; “She now walked more like a bosun than a sarmajor” meaning she walked more like a boatswain than a sargeant major due to the fact that the floor in the house was crooked, perhaps similar to the floor of a boat. · Quick mentions in this chapter that all important things that happen to him take place at the river. He also talks about the river being ...