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Such Is Life · Theme

Masculinity and Labor

How Such Is Life develops 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.

Where it surfaces

  • Chapter VI

    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.