Drama Analysis

Year 11 English Literature – drama, long essay

“The stage represents the world but it is, in fact, just one version of the world.”

Discuss how a version of the world is presented in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

Playwrights use the stage to convey a representation of the world to audiences, however, it is actually only ever one version of the world as they see it. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a classic Australian drama, through which dramatist Ray Lawler provides a window into life in 1950’s Australia. The play presents a unique version of the world, yet at the same time it portrays themes and truths that are universal about mankind, relationships and ageing. Lawler gives audiences rich insights into various aspects of gender issues and cultural identity issues, typical of Australian life in this period of time. The play is a story about a group of ordinary people, who are desperately trying to stay young and will not acknowledge the reality tha...