Away,_Michael_Gow_with_Supplementary_Texts

The core text Away, by Michael Gow, Currency Press, 2007, through three different families physical holidays highlights the percussions various people are exposed to as a result of adventure and acknowledges that journeys have the capacity to alter peoples attitudes and perceptions of themselves, others and the world. Through Away, the movement to new places and obstacles which arise throughout journeys, creating challenges for people to respond to in order to learn more about themselves and the world around them, provide travellers with prospects to develop themselves physically, psychologically and emotionally. These same concepts are also reinforced in the supplementary materials of the song “Nobody’s home” and the text Perfect. One of the Key characters in the play demonstrates a withdrawn attitude, emotionally distancing her self as to ensure that people are unable to get too close to her and experience her suffering. This is evident when Roy, her husband, expresses in Act Two Scene Three, “Will you allow me that' Could you let me in on the sadness just a little'” .Through the use of rhetorical question the desperation Roy feels to help Coral becomes apparent and the suffering he experiences as a result of Corals agony is exemplified. Coral, it appears, continues to mourn the death of her son, struggling to relieve herself of her pain, enduring the everyday battle she experiences with her emotions. During the play, Coral and Roy embark on a holiday in which they both hope will bring them some happiness and relaxation from the heavy burden they both carry of their son’s death. When Coral goes away, she finds that she is lost within herself, unable to break through the surface of her overbearing sadness which envelopes her, and leaves her trapped and broken inside. Through this physical journey Coral gradually undergoes profound change, which in the end appears to have advantageous effects on her when she allows herself the opportunity to break free of the illusion of the past she dwells in and embrace the fact that she’s alive and living in the present. Similarly in the song “Nobody’s Home”, by Avril Lavigne, Under My Skin, Arista Records, 2003, a girl experiences a mirrored emotional trauma such as Corals. She discovers herself lost in a world, withdrawn and distanced from society, unable to find comfort in going home, home not being a physical point of return but the metaphorical concept of a soothing place where security and reassurance are abundant. This is made evident in the chorus “She wants to go home, but nobody’s home. It’s where she lies, broken inside”, where repetition of the word home is used to reinforce the image of home being an empty place for her , somewhere that holds no value for a lonely person of despair, as well as emphasising the girls want to return to stability and comfort. The psychological journey this girl undergoes is similar to that of Corals as they both experience severe suffering which leaves them damaged and irreparable through the help of others, the only path to healing is through succumbing to the inevitable and moving on with life, embracing the present and leaving the past as a distant memory. Another character, in Away, that is subject to great transition through a physical journey is Gwen, a narcissistic, socially conscious woman who’s prejudices and insecurities don’t allow for her to break free of her state of mind in which she is blinded by the obvious. Throughout the play Gwen is presented as a self absorbed, brash individual captured by the material possessions of the world, although it becomes clear that her behaviour is based on a well founded lack of confidence in her financial stability. Gwen is a character who likes to maintain control, which is evident in Act One Scene Two in the line, “You were supposed to hurry, not stand round…There are a million things to do. I’ll have to do it all, I expect”, the use of a condescending and demanding tone as well as hyperbole highlights this power Gwen possesses and emphasises the extent to which she exerts it. Gwen’s control is metaphorically unmasked by the wrath of the storm in Act three Scene four, and through this Gwen is able to discover that her doubts and prejudgment of both people and the world are holding her back from life’s joys. The emotional change Gwen experiences due to her physical journey is noticeable in Act four Scene one when she expresses “Lets walk. Come on, down to the water. The water’s so warm.” The use of repetition of the word water symbolises her purification and the stripping away of her negativity allowing her to feel freedom to live in the natural environment. Furthermore the notion of prejudices and insecurities being stripped away by journeys is also presented in the text Perfect, by Judith Mcnaught, Pocket Books 1993. Julie the main character, a woman always in control, feels the need to maintain power throughout her journey of being kidnapped by an escaped, although innocent, prisoner. Her lack of confidence leaves her in a vulnerable state, which is also metaphorically shattered by a snow storm. This fury of Mother Nature which is unleashed upon her is the catalyst for her changing views and acceptance of what she once disapproved. Through her physical journey of discovery Julie is subject to psychological and emotional change which is evident when she expresses, “The world was once black, and now it is bright…I used to have dreams, but now I have hope.” Juxtaposition is used to emphasise how she lived in darkness, held back by her insecurities, only to discover brightness in the freedom of confidence and the knowledge of life being more then her immediate, naive, view of the world. The character Julie is parallel to Gwen as she too is a socially conscious individual, with a need to be accepted in society. Their acts of superiority and their forever present need to be in control, mask their insecurities, although when both experience impacts of a storm which unveils their determination to sustain power their outlooks are forever changed. In conclusion the concept of journeys bearing more than just physical impacts is developed through the characters of Away as their experiences lead them to discovering more about the world around them and their selves, broadening their minds and views.