Common Themes In Tim Winton's Short Stories

Tim Winton’s short stories, Big World, Damaged Goods and Small Mercies all share a number of common themes that are illustrated through the use of similar characters. Three of these themes are change, self-reflection and difficult relationships. Winton’s stories connect with a wide audience, but particularly adolescents. Although individual circumstances might be different, most people would have experienced considerable change of some kind, reflected on their lives, whether positive or negative, and most would also have struggled to some degree through difficult relationships. These stories push the audience to reflect on their own lives, both present and past.
The theme of change is evident within all three of Winton’s short stories, and

The primary relationship in Big World is between Lenny and Tony. They seem to have a close relationship; however, their big trip together brings up many conflicts which they rarely discuss, instead bottling up their feelings. Lenny subconsciously blames Tony for his failure. Lenny states that ‘I made him look brighter than he really was and me a little dimmer’. In Damaged goods Vic has a delusionary relationship and attraction towards Strawberry Alison. He becomes attached to her imperfections to the point of obsession, which Winton describes with a simile: ‘like a fever that wouldn’t break’. However, Alison doesn’t share Vic’s feelings and he is crushed when she turns him down. The current relationship between Vic and his wife also seems marked by obsession and longing. The story is told through the wife’s point of view and there is a kind of juxtaposition between Vic’s relationship with his wife, and his relationship with Alison. Vic’s relationship with his wife is haunted by his strong connection and attraction to Alison. Winton describes the wife as being ‘like some biographer sniffing around in vain for one final, telling detail that will complete the psychological puzzle at the centre of Vic’s life.’ The main relationship in Small Mercies is between Dyson and Fay. Their high school relationship began as ‘love’, but turned to lust and sex addiction. Winton uses a metaphor to describe what their relationship became: ‘a form of entertainment for their classmates who saw them as a bad show which refused to go off the air.’ This relationship led to Fay having a secret abortion. The story hints at the psychological destruction that resulted from this relationship, particularly in Fay, with her descent into drugs and other irresponsible actions. There is also irony in the positive relationship between Dyson and Fay’s parents, who are hoping he will help Fay, without knowing about the abortion, or