Away - Play
Michael Gow's Away is a slender, uncomplicated play, the kind of text that is sometimes dismissed by VCE teachers as being too "easy" for their students. And yet, paradoxically, Away is quite difficult to write about. The "plot" is unashamedly slight; the characters are sparsely drawn and not always likeable; the language is economical rather than memorably lyrical; and there are few issues of substance to debate. Where it arguably does shine is in Gow's unremitting and systematic dismantling of the petty deceptions and deceits that make daily living bearable for the characters. Once these emotional props are exposed, for what they are, newly vulnerable individuals are forced to confront unwelcome truths about themselves. Ostensibly about three families setting out on their respective summer holidays, Away hones in fearlessly on the disconcerting aspects of their private lives. As the play progresses, we gradually become aware of the motivations and concerns that underpin their actions. We see how fraught and tenuous are the relationships between family members. We see what significance "going away" has for each individual, and how inextricably the rituals of holidaying are linked to both self-preservation and the desire t
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Michael Gow's, Looking Gods, Neither Paul, Jim Gwen, Dream Gwen, Fittingly Tom, Gold Coast, King Lear, Harry Vic, Ron I'll, forced confront,
Approximate Word count = 954
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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