Darkthorn’s Blog

In “Minimum of Two” Tim Winton examines what it means to be a young man. Discuss.

The young male characters in Minimum of Two are not a homogeneous group in their life experiences or in the ways in which they deal with society. Most of them however, are characterized by a sensitivity that makes them very aware of the world around them and the demands of that world. They struggle, with varying degrees of success with the changing expectations that Australian society places on men. In the series of stories in which he appears, Jerra learns to cope with a number of issues, including a lack of job satisfaction and being a house husband. He also has to grow into an adult relationship with his parents and to cope with becoming a parent himself. Madigan tries to maturely cope with the rape of his wife, but descends into an almost primeval revenge response to the situation. Hart finds his sensitivity and heightened perception make him venerable to the trials of life and he relies strongly on good friendship to cope. None of these male characters find their struggles easy.

Winton depicts society’s expectation that young men have a job through Jerra. Jerra, in Forest Winter has a job sawing wood, which he thinks is bitter work. By reading further stories about Jerra, the reader realizes that Jerra had once wanted to pay for his family his music. However, society forces Jerra to give up his dreams and work at a menial, boring day job because musically, and also for his father, he “wasn’t good enough.” Jerra struggles to come to terms with his role as a house husband in The Strong One. He feels ill-equipped to deal with “looking after a baby.” As Jerra grows into adulthood, he becomes surer of himself and has an affair in More, which his wife Rachel is aware of but does not like mentioning. Jerra was too young to have a child, but in having one he becomes older, more hardened to the knocks and blows of life. His relationship with his parents is strengthened by Rachel’s trust in them, but also the nearness of death in the shape of his father.

Hart, in Holding works as a nurse, but is unable to deal with the pressures involved in maintaining a professional attitude towards his patients. He becomes emotionally involved with the Pusher trying to “break into that ten year old before the case conference at the end of the week.” Hart doesn’t want other people classifying the boy as hopeless, a lost cause, because in the Pusher he sees something of himself. Hart is “not coping” with his life, desperate to change but unable to. Only his relationship with Clive and Jan holds him together.

In the title story of Minimum of Two, Madigan struggles to come to terms with his wife’s rape, but is unable to maturely deal with the situation. He eventually ends up murdering Fred Blakey in revenge, but this does not make things “right and whole” again with Greta. Instead his actions repel her from him, making it hard for him to live his life. If Madigan had considered further, or had been more experienced he would not have forced the truth from his wife and become a murderer.

All of the young male characters face difficult issues in their lives. They are a diverse group, offering many different responses to the reader. Some successfully come to terms with their situations, while others despair and either retreat from life or react with anger and frustration. Although they have varying degrees of success, they are all sensitive to the world around them and struggle with the changing expectations of Australian society.

Year 11 English essay