How does the play 'The summer of the Seventeenth doll' explore the theme of Australian Mate ship?

Answer 1

Ray Lawler's "The Summer of the Seventeenth doll" typically explores the theme of Australian Mate-ship. Although almost all the characters are following the rule of 'loyalty' to their concerned, two characters in this play typically stand for representing this theme.

Roo and Barney have been long time friends working as cane-cutters - their means of living. Sixteen years of their successful work and their regular lay-off make them almost immune to permanence, until ultimately time decides to render the greatest twist of their lives.

Roo is quite rightly described by the author as well as other critics as unnecessarily proud. An incident as little or minor as being laughed at after accidentally falling down while working in the cane field, hurts his ego. He decides to eliminate working and go up north. Barney for his profit and the motive of earning money to be spent during the lay-off decides not to accompany Roo in his journey thereby, breaking the 'unwritten code of mateship'.

The bond that have formed between the two friends would be enough reason to support each other's causes. Yet when it comes to self-satisfaction, self-motive or self-gain, both Roo and Barney are more than ready to depart from each other. Barney, other times, remains faithful to his mate and acts quite loyal to his bondage but when it comes to his profit he is willing to break it.

Similarly, Roo is otherwise quite loyal to his friend. Yet when it comes to his "dirty lousy" pride or ego he does not mind discontinuing to work along with Barney thereby, he too, breaking the "unwritten code of mateship". The reason for doing so is silly - falling down accidentally and being laughed at by a fellow worker.

The idea of the Australian mateship is also explored in the last scene when Roo disagrees to Barney's suggestion that they go up north and start working as usual. He rather proposes to Olive for marriage. This act of Roo has double betrayals. The first is in rejecting Barney for continuing work as usual and the second is in being rejected by Olive for getting married. Fatigued by the realization of his useless pride and the truth about his old age, the marriage proposal seems to Roo, as the only medium to express his inability to do anything any more - to express his loss. He has lost in the battle of usual and customary commonplace of unfruitful lay-off. He has lost against his ego and his old age. His marriage proposal, therefore, is seen as the breakage of the unwritten code of mateship. He could have desired to marry Olive sixteen years ago. Why does he suddenly want to marry only when he realizes that he is old enough for this lay-off game any more? After installing the dreams of the lay-off, the marriage seems to be a kind of betrayal for Olive for, she is conditionally prepared only for the lay-off culture and not marriage.

Barney too has a bad quality of making all his partners know that he is an irresponsible man. He already has two children from two separate women. Nancy would have realized his irresponsibility when she ultimately decides to get married. Pearl's search for an ideal man to get married to on the other hand, is of no avail in Barney - for, he is the person who constantly breaks the code of mateship. Nothing different applies to Roo who ultimately breaks the doll of 'dreams' and 'illusions' himself into pieces.