'Overcome by toxic enemy gas in the muddy trenches of Flanders, Jim and Wally are sent to hospital in London. Mr Linton and Norah whisk them off to recuperate in the clean air and safety of Ireland – via a hazardous crossing of the Irish Sea.
'Ireland entrances them, and catching trout thrills them as they fish the lochs. They encounter a crippled man who turns out to be a delightful wealthy landowner only too glad of their company. They go touring the countryside with him, experiencing life in the villages and being enthralled by his knowledge and stories of old Ireland.
'Car troubles strand them at a seaside village for a few days, where the boys discover a sea cave with a hidden cache of fuel tins indicating the proximity of a German submarine. Risky plans are set afoot for enemy capture. They succeed, but at great cost.' (Publication summary)
From Colonial to Modern: Transnational Girlhood in Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Children's Literature, 1840-1940
Toronto
:
University of Toronto Press
,
2018
15039944
2018
multi chapter work
criticism
'Through a comparison of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand texts published between 1840 and 1940, From Colonial to Modern develops a new history of colonial girlhoods revealing how girlhood in each of these emerging nations reflects a unique political, social, and cultural context.
'Print culture was central to the definition, and redefinition, of colonial girlhood during this period of rapid change. Models of girlhood are shared between settler colonies and contain many similar attitudes towards family, the natural world, education, employment, modernity, and race, yet, as the authors argue, these texts also reveal different attitudes that emerged out of distinct colonial experiences. Unlike the imperial model representing the British ideal, the transnational girl is an adaptation of British imperial femininity and holds, for example, a unique perception of Indigenous culture and imperialism. Drawing on fiction, girls’ magazines, and school magazine, the authors shine a light on neglected corners of the literary histories of these three nations and strengthen our knowledge of femininity in white settler colonies.' (Publication summary)
War, Women and the Bush : The Novels of Mary Grant Bruce and Ethel Turner
St Lucia
:
AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
,
2009
Z962022
1978
single work
criticism
Comments on the portrayal of women, men and the bush in the novels of Mary Grant Bruce and Ethel Turner which were set during World War I. Walker draws particular attention to the disadvantages of being a woman and the qualities a woman should possess as portrayed in these novels. In their general behaviour, the characters of both sexes in the novels are permitted to be 'mildly unconventional' provided they still abide by the major social conventions of 'loyalty, decency [and] fair play'. Walker also points out the manner in which the bush is clearly depicted as a superior living environment, 'enhancing good health and wholesome attitudes to authority' and negating the 'socially harmful behaviour' engendered by life in the city.
War, Women and the Bush : The Novels of Mary Grant Bruce and Ethel Turner
St Lucia
:
AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
,
2009
Z962022
1978
single work
criticism
Comments on the portrayal of women, men and the bush in the novels of Mary Grant Bruce and Ethel Turner which were set during World War I. Walker draws particular attention to the disadvantages of being a woman and the qualities a woman should possess as portrayed in these novels. In their general behaviour, the characters of both sexes in the novels are permitted to be 'mildly unconventional' provided they still abide by the major social conventions of 'loyalty, decency [and] fair play'. Walker also points out the manner in which the bush is clearly depicted as a superior living environment, 'enhancing good health and wholesome attitudes to authority' and negating the 'socially harmful behaviour' engendered by life in the city.
From Colonial to Modern: Transnational Girlhood in Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Children's Literature, 1840-1940
Toronto
:
University of Toronto Press
,
2018
15039944
2018
multi chapter work
criticism
'Through a comparison of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand texts published between 1840 and 1940, From Colonial to Modern develops a new history of colonial girlhoods revealing how girlhood in each of these emerging nations reflects a unique political, social, and cultural context.
'Print culture was central to the definition, and redefinition, of colonial girlhood during this period of rapid change. Models of girlhood are shared between settler colonies and contain many similar attitudes towards family, the natural world, education, employment, modernity, and race, yet, as the authors argue, these texts also reveal different attitudes that emerged out of distinct colonial experiences. Unlike the imperial model representing the British ideal, the transnational girl is an adaptation of British imperial femininity and holds, for example, a unique perception of Indigenous culture and imperialism. Drawing on fiction, girls’ magazines, and school magazine, the authors shine a light on neglected corners of the literary histories of these three nations and strengthen our knowledge of femininity in white settler colonies.' (Publication summary)
