Death and Mortality

Where it surfaces

• When the Sun Went Down

  Tom's sudden heart attack and death at the moment of rescue underscores the fragility of life and the finality of death.

• Arvie Aspinall's Alarm Clock

  Arvie's sudden death in his sleep, despite his mother's efforts to protect him, underscores the fragility of life among the poor and the tragic consequences of overwork and illness.

• The Union Buries Its Dead

  The entire chapter revolves around the death and burial of a young man, emphasizing the impersonal and absurd nature of death in the bush.

• Drifted Back

  The chapter is marked by repeated news of deaths—Ben Hake, the M'Lachlans, Malachi Duggan, and old Mr. Wild—underscoring the passage of time and loss.

• His Father's Mate

  Death pervades the chapter: the brother's possible death, the wife's death from a broken heart, and the tragic accident of Isley falling down the shaft, underscoring the fragility of life.

• An Echo from the Old Bark School

  The calling of Mary Wild's name and the master's announcement of her death bring a somber recognition of mortality into the schoolroom.

• A Visit of Condolence

  Arvie's death and the discussion of fathers dying at work highlight the omnipresence of death among the poor.

• The Bush Undertaker

  The discovery and handling of Brummy's mummified corpse underscores the stark reality of death in the bush.

• Brummy Usen

  The casual treatment of death and the frequency of being 'reported dead' in the bush underscore the precariousness of life in the outback.

• Bogg of Geebung

  Bogg's suicide by drowning and the newspaper's matter-of-fact reporting highlight the anonymity and finality of death for 'well-known characters'.

• Macquarie's Mate

  The revelation of Macquarie's death shifts the tone, and the men grapple with how to speak of the dead.