The Turning By Tim Winton Summary

Australian writer of novels, children books, non-fiction and short stories Tim Winton recent bibliography, ‘the turning’, provides a fascinating and entertaining interpretation of the short stories that has been compacted into one book. At the age of 10 Winton already knew that his future career was to become a writer. This indicates that his passionate and loves writing. Winton interconnects 17 short stories using character development, relatable themes, and setting to hook the audience and provoke self-reflection. Winton utilises a variety of language techniques throughout his stories and his clear use of character to engage us as readers is shown in the opening story Big World. These stories all involve the story of Vic Langs life and relationships.

The prime feature of Wintons smart writing style is the use of charter development. Wintons wide range of various language techniques describe the two main characters, mateship. Biggies and ‘me’ mateship is described as ‘..but he saved my life...a single defensive act of violence that joined me to biggie forever. (pg7 &8). In big world two major characters, Biggie and me. The narrator of the text is the main character and often referred to as ‘me’. Biggie is not ‘biggies not the brightest crayon in the box but he’s the most loyal person I know. Hs the real deal and you can’t say that about many people’ (pg 6). Me feels trapped in his home town Angelus. Whereas Biggie is committed to the panel van and his home town Angelus. Me is from the city and is working at the meatworks. Walking to meatworks in the early morning the boys are described as wearing ‘jeans and boots and flannel shirts, with beanies on our heads and the horizon around our ears’ pg. 2). Biggie and me have finished school and are trying to find person discovery and the meaning of life but after failing their most significate exams they feel restrained in their home town of Angelus. The relationship between Biggy and me creates this dramatic feeling towards the

The characters have connected and grown since the first story. The narrator from Big World seems to be the same throughout ‘On her knees’, but the setting has changed as now ‘a year later and we have moved back to the city’. (pg. 101). Vic is established as a college student studying law. Despite predicting to be strongminded he can be seen as a very caring person. His mother who is on her knees cleaning other people’s floors to pay for her son’s education rather than him earning the money for himself. Winton introduces a new character Carol, comes in the story as she accuses Vics mother for stealing $500 earrings and she is fired but must clean the house one last time. The narrator hears about this and thinks is crazy as he describes his mother as being ‘proud of her good name and the way people bragged about her and passed her around like a hot tip’ (pg. 102). and wouldn’t do such a thing. Winton makes the audience feel guilty, proud and thankful as at the end of the day the mother is getting on her knees scrubbing floors for her son so he can get a good education. Vic ‘was sixteen when the old man shot through’ (pg 1). This produces a strong the relationship is cemented. Winton is suggesting that Vic feels confused, sad, angry and abandoned by his