Representation and function of Landscape

             A variety of books from this semester's reading list have been chosen for the construction of this essay, covering the 100 years difference in publication dates. Ways in which the landscapes are presented in the books which both compare and contrast will be addressed, as well as the functions of the landscapes. There are also many different landscapes, some of which have a similar function. Finally the effect of the landscape on some of the books will be discussed.
             In looking at the different landscapes presented, we find bush settings, which are complimentary and supportive of human existence, and others which are alienating and threatening (Foster, Finnis and Nimon, 1995). We also will look at inner city landscapes, landscapes that involve technology, and also Aboriginal issues.
             On the first page of her book A Little Bush Maid (Bruce, 1910), Mary Grant Bruce painted a beautiful peaceful landscape as the setting for "Billabong". It certainly represents a sense of Eden (Foster, Finnis and Nimon, 1995). This theme is evident throughout the book. There are different plots that come and go through the story, but every event turns out in a positive way, so peace is again restored. The wide sweeping plains are just perfect for the farming angle of the story, and the trees and shrubs and used for their shade during work time. The bush is used to protect the characters, and the main disadvantage I can find with the landscape in this story is the vastness of it. It sometimes took them a long time to get from A to B, which was tiresome, but certainly not insurmountable. The function of the landscape in this book may be to emphasise how well man can live in the environment if the bush is treated with respect. The "elements of imperfection" (Foster, Finnis and Nimon, 1995, p59) such as snakes, floods and fire do dampen the positive picture painted, but even these dangers can be fought when man is proper...

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