Lawson's strength lies in his portrayal of isolated bush women and frail children.
             Based on the short stories studied in class, it would be fair to say that Henry Lawson's strength in writing lies in his portrayal and description of isolated bush women and frail children. Lawson focuses on the harsh conditions of the Australian bush, the struggle for survival and the mateship between the people however his strong point is his portrayal of characters particularly women more than the children. He describes the women characters in great detail and brings them to life creating a sense of closeness between the reader and the character. The way in which Lawson explores the inferior female characters appeals to the reader's emotions unlike the men who generally seem to be the entertainers. The feeling of sympathy towards the "haggard bushwomen" and "increasingly unwell" children adds depth to Lawson's writing beyond the typical outback yarn.
             His ability to create and explore the feelings of characters specifically independent women and fragile children were drawn from his own life experiences. Lawson's mother Louisa, a famous feminist, influenced Lawson's views on the importance and role of women which may have structured the strong capable women characters he created. Like the children characters in his stories Lawson too suffered from illness as a child. At age nine he suffered from an ear infection resulting in deafness and from this experience he formed characters such as Jim Wilson realistically and in great detail. Lawson's connection to his past and characters within his stories enhance the realization of his stories.
             Lawson emphasizes that women represent two particular stereotypes rather than unique individuals. The hard-working, persevering, lonely sun-dried kind of women were the most common however he did portray some of the wives to be nagging, difficult and high main
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