On The Edge Of A Plain
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On The Edge Of A Plain is a well-known sketch story by iconic Australian writer and poet Henry Lawson. The story is one of many to use the shrewd, philosophical character of Jack Mitchell to tell a story. It is often considered to be among Lawson's best Mitchell stories.
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[edit] Publication Details
- First Published: Bulletin, 6 May 1893.
- Source: While The Billy Boils, Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1896
[edit] Synopsis
Mitchell and his mate drop their swags, and sit down in the mulga shade on the edge of a plain. Mitchell reflects about the last time he had seen his family, after having been away for eight years. He is holding a young cattle-pup, and intercuts his tale with the occasional observation about the pup's feet, or a request for a knife.
With the tale complete, Mitchell and his mate take up their swags, "[turn] their unshaven faces to the wide, hazy distance, and [leave] the timber behind them."
[edit] Characters
- Jack Mitchell
- Mitchell's mate
- Mitchell's mother
- Mitchell's father
[edit] Writing Style
"On The Edge Of A Plain" is a beautiful example of the 'sketch story' that Lawson often exploited so effectively. The story itself contains very little plot, and simply describes one particular moment in Mitchell's life. The story aims at suggestiveness rather than explicitness, leaving the reader to ponder what events have lead up to this moment, and what events will follow.
In fact, "On The Edge Of The Plain" is regularly cited as the "perfect" example of an effective sketch story.
[edit] Quotes
- "“The girls came rushing down. Mother was so pumped out that she couldn’t get up. They thought at first I was a ghost, and then they all tried to get holt of me at once—nearly smothered me. Look at that pup! You want to carry a tank of water on a dry stretch when you’ve got a pup that drinks as much as two men.”"
- "“Well, mother screamed and nearly fainted when she saw me. Such a picnic you never saw. They kept it up all night. I thought the old cove was gone off his chump. The old woman wouldn’t let go my hand for three mortal hours. Have you got the knife?”"
- "The mate guffawed and Mitchell grinned. They shouldered the swags, with the pup on top of Mitchell’s, took up their billies and water-bags, turned their unshaven faces to the wide, hazy distance, and left the timber behind them."
