Away by Michael Gow Essay Guide (HSC Common Module)

1Introduction

Today, we’ll be looking at Michael Gow’s play Away (1986) in the updated HSC Texts and Human Experiences Module. Below is an unpacking of the new syllabus description for HSC Common Module and how we can link this to the ideas in the play.

From NESA: “Students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent emotions and qualities related to these experiences. By responding to a range of texts, students explore how texts provide insight into emotional, intellectual, physical, cultural and lived experiences. They explore the ways texts represent identity, culture, acceptance and growth, invite the reader to see the world differently, and challenge assumptions. Students explore how texts can represent the tension between agency and conformity in our human experience, while examining the paradoxes of motivation and behaviour. Through critical and creative responses to texts, students consider the ways that texts encourage them to reflect personally and challenge their assumptions about the nature of human experience.”

Important things to note:

• individual and collective human experiences
• emotions and qualities related to these experiences
• emotional, intellectual, physical, cultural and lived experiences
• identity, culture, acceptance and growth
• invite the reader to see the world differently, and challenge assumptions
• tension between agency and conformity
• paradoxes of motivation and behaviour
• texts encourage students to reflect personally and challenge their assumptions about the nature of human experience

2Links to the human experience syllabus

A key tip to answer questions for the Common Module is to analyse how the composer’s portrayal of the human experience has allowed them to ______, or, alternatively, invites the responder to ______.

Also, a common pitfall is to focus too much on themes, e.g. language, nature. When doing your paragraphs, make sure to focus on what the HUMAN EXPERIENCE is rather than thematic concerns.

3Applying the syllabus to Away

• Individual and collective human experiences: Gow presents the individual experience of Coral dealing with grief, where her eccentric actions alienate her from her husband and wider society, leading to people making assumptions about her. Tom is also undergoing an individual experience of reconciling with his mortality, yet also shares experiences with his family during their final trip together which emphasises the need to treasure present moments. He seeks to proposition Meg, seeing it as a marker for adulthood and maturity but fails and ultimately accepts his impending death. Gwen’s family have a shared experience of strained communication, stemming from Gwen’s desire for financial stability and material success while Jim and Meg merely wish for family unity. Ultimately, the experience of reconciliation is a collective one, with Roy and Coral overcoming her grief and rekindling their connection, and Gwen acknowledging her materialism and prejudice is damaging for her family, leading to her reconciliation with Harry and Meg.
• Emotions and qualities related to these experiences: The desire to maintain social reputation as seen in Gwen and Roy leads to fragmentation in relationships. Ultimately, reconciliation through acceptance is required to mend these connections. Coral is alienated by society, but it is through her connection with Tom that she is able to return to reality, overcome her grief and reconcile with Roy.
• Emotional, intellectual, physical, cultural and lived experiences: The play explores the emotional experience of reconciliation between individuals as they recognise the need to overcome material desires and inauthentic relationships. Gow also presents the raw trauma and escapism in Coral and Roy’s lived experience of dealing with their son’s death. It also explores Gwen’s lived experience of poverty which motivates her to pursue material success.
• Identity, culture, acceptance and growth: Gwen undergoes growth as she recognises that her shallow pursuit of material success is straining her family relationships and reconciles with Meg and Jim. Coral undergoes growth when accepting her son’s death, and Roy similarly undergoes growth as he reconciles with Coral. Tom ultimately accepts his mortality.
• Tension between agency and conformity: Coral deviates from the expected social norms of her town as she retreats into her internal world when grieving for her son. This fragments her relationship with her husband, who prioritises a façade of normalcy to conform to and maintain their position in society. Gwen conforms to society’s shallow definition of success at the expense of authentic family relationships. However, she also presents her innate drive for success in her youth, representing the agency to determine one’s own life outcomes regardless of her initial social status. Tom desperately seeks to find a sense of agency after learning of his terminal illness.
• Paradoxes of motivation and behaviour: While Tom’s family is presented as supportive and united, they are keeping up a performance to keep Tom from knowing the truth about his illness, which leads to inauthentic communication.

4Final thoughts

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