The negativity continues when she refers to the “plump girls in skin-tight satin bathing things and a couple of lanky boys in trunks.” This example of antithesis using “plump” girls in tight suits to contrast the “lanky” boys in loose “trunks” emphasizes Henny’s feelings of disgrace towards them. This sense of disapproval is underlined when they are suddenly referred back to, describing one of the girls “plunge from the houseboat”. The use of the word “plunge” as opposed to ‘jumped’ or ‘sprang’ again promotes Henny’s dissatisfaction, not only of the girls and boys, but also of the situation as a whole.
The way the first section is written also greatly influences the reader’s perception of Henny’s character. It is written in a stream of consciousness as if it appears in the order she thinks it. This is evident in line 14 when out of nowhere, the narration drifts back to the girl on the boat; “A girl took a plunge from the houseboat” This un-structured section of the text reflects her instability at that point, making the reader sympathize with her slightly. Parts of it also show how absorbed in her thoughts she is. For example in line 18, when Henny hears her husband say “Looloo-dirl, make some cawf!”, but doesn’t really acknowledge it, and instead simply returns to her own thoughts. This also accentuates the ignorance she shows towards her surroundings as well as her disassociation with it. All this serves as her ‘calmness before the storm’ and is reflected by what Louie says: “Oh the waterskin crawls… …to the dirty margin”. Louie is symbolically representing Henny’s current state of mind in an almost lyrical sort of way. This gives her comment, as well as the scene itself, a surreal quality which builds up to the next few lines when Henny has her sudden outburst.
As Henny’s mood abruptly changes just before her outburst, so does the mood of the piece. Her outburst in lines 26 – 27 are in fact the most important lines of this passage; Not only do they serve as a separation device for the two main sections of the extract, they also give the reader, the clearest insight into Henny’s mind so far. “Henny awoke form a sullen sort of absence” The narrator stresses the fact that Henny has returned from her subconscious state of mind to the reality, forcing the reader to appreciate how genuine Henny is about her “breaking heart”. The reader can finally understand to a degree why Henny is behaving the way she is, even with little information as to what exactly is wrong.
In a way, the mood of the whole piece is no more than a reflection of Henny’s mood. This is achieved through the third person narrative being written from her perspective as well as the sensory imagery throughout the extract; “Casual mosquitoes buzzed… …the mild sunlight… …the reek of the weeds forever damp and the brackish water… …and the smell of the ground…” This forces the reader to view the situation from her perspective evoking a type of sympathy which would otherwise be brought to mind.
After Henny’s breakdown, she appears to be more alert and clear-minded than before. This sharp frame of mind is mirrored by the broken-up structure of the second half. The most striking line within the second part is ““I say, Dad, this gas won’t turn on; it’s jammed.”” The fact that it occupies a line for itself makes it stand out, showing the reader how aware and awake Henny has become. This structure continues until the end of the extract.
A very interesting feature of this extract is the nature of Louie’s character. Although she is constantly ordered around by Henny and the father in a very domineering fashion, she holds herself back and never appears to be affected by it in any way. The illustration of her patience as well as her obedience is showed in line 41 just after Henny orders her to stop “staring” and leave: “Louie, not at all offended, and now observing more closely the many defects of the old house… …”Mother says put everything where you like”” This is a surprisingly reserved and compliant response to her mother’s strong use of imperatives. Apart from this, Louie shows evidence of her far-off, strange type of character in the way she wonders around seemingly aimlessly “droning” to herself in a song-like manor. The use of the word ‘droning’ here suggests that she, like her mother, is absorbed in her own state of mind at that point.
The nature of the father Sam’s character also plays a large roll in the events of the passage. Louie refers to him as “Daddy” or “Dad” which contrasts the rather formal “Mother” which Henny is referred to as. This makes him seem to have a better relationship with the children than Henny, making him appear as more of the dominant figure in the family. It is however countered by the fact that Sam gets Henny to decide on where to put the “things”. This ambiguity is the first mixed message the reader is given about Sam. The relationship with the children itself also sends out a very ambiguous message. Although he talks to the children in a responsible parental way, he treats Louie as if she were his servant: “Looloo-dirl, make some cawf!” Another piece of evidence for this, is his use of her as his messenger to communicate with Henny, also suggesting his husband-wife relationship with Henny is not a strong one. The last two lines are perhaps the most significant regarding Sam: “Sam only too pleased, hallooed and whistled for the gang…” This not only shows how delighted Sam is to have been given control over a situation, but also by the way he calls the children over as one would an animal, it shows how he deals with them as if they were simply some pets that needed to be tended to. Also the way he discards the importance of their opinions by saying: “It was not hard to suit most of them,” shows that he really only wants to satisfy them and keep them quiet.
The family in this extract is in essence just like any other; the event at hand is also by no means an uncommon one. Christina Stead however, successfully gives the scene a sense of peculiarity, by presenting such a familiar experience in an almost alien way, yet still managing to remain true to the realistic restrictions of the characters she has created.
