Masculinity and Labor

The book portrays a rugged, homosocial world of bullock drivers, drovers, and boundary riders, where physical endurance, practical knowledge, and a stoic acceptance of hardship define manhood, contrasted with effete 'whalers' or gentlemen.

Alf Morris's changed disposition and his work as a carrier and boundary man, along with the narrator's observations on labor and reputation, explore themes of masculine identity and work.