Dr Mark’s The Meaning in a Nutshell
David Malouf, The Complete Stories (2007)/ Every Move You Make (2006)
David Malouf’s short story collection, Every Move You Make (2006), reproduced in The Complete Stories (2007), reflects his critical fascination with Australian identity, society and culture, especially what he perceives to be the limitations and toxicities of mainstream Australia before mid to late-1960s and the rise of the progressive left-wing politics that, in his opinion, changed Australian society for the better, although he would see much that still needs to be done in this regard.
With the tumultuous politics of the mid to late-1960s that featured leftist protests against Australia’s participation in the Vietnam War and the use of conscription providing the turning point in this transformation of Australia, it is not surprising that a major story in the collection, ‘War Baby’, celebrates these leftists while portraying those conscripts who did not protest, and willingly served, as ‘duped’ by an insensitive government that put them in harm’s way and left them psychologically scarred even if they survived and came home without physical wounds. This story, and others, promote a pacifist disdain for war and a disdain for a masculine culture that legitimates violence.
Although many elements of the ideology that can be termed as political correctness, and complementary theoretical positions derived from postmodernism, are evident in this short story collection, the most consistently promoted dimension of this world view is feminism. Notably, Malouf sees a compatibility between pacifism and feminism because he perceives war as, substantially, an expression of what feminists would regard as ‘toxic masculinity’. Malouf also seems to accept the feminist view, shared by others on the politically correct Left, that sees society as mainly the product of socialising factors (such as family and media) rather than treating human behaviour as fundamentally biological in origin. Characteristics like patriarchy can therefore be challenged and changed, as is evident in Malouf’s favourable depiction of a sub-culture of beatniks, hippies and bohemians in inner-city Sydney where the women are portrayed as more liberated, and also in his depiction of more progressive households in multiple stories. To Malouf, these representations are more like how Australia can and should be. Meanwhile, female characters are depicted as yearning for all the things that feminists believe women yearn for, so feminism appears to be an ideology speaking for women and offering them the avenue towards a more fulfilling life. Most women appear to be unjustly constrained by marriage and raising children, but liberated by higher education, employment or careers.
Australian society before the mid to late-1960s and the rise of the New Left and hippy counter-culture was, according to these short stories, mostly unequal, unfair, unjust, and unsatisfying especially to those considered to be in marginalised groups, such as women and homosexuals. In addition, the group he perceived to be the most privileged in society, heterosexual white men, are, paradoxically, presented as deprived as well, and likely to be improved by distancing themselves from traditional codes of masculinity in favour of exploring new, more sensitive, flexible, and inclusive codes of masculinity.
In addition, in a manner that reflects both an appreciation of feminist literary criticism and sympathy for gay rights, Malouf’s stories eroticise males rather than females when it is typical to treat females rather than males in this fashion. This is done by using evocative descriptive language to depict attractive males and by giving these males far more attention in the story.
The story ‘Elsewhere’ contrasts the beatnik-hippy-bohemian inner-city lifestyle ̶ presented as eccentric, colourful, exciting and surprising ̶ with the supposedly bland, mundane, predictable routines of the mainstream Australian culture. Not only are the politically correct Left presented as superior in their politics, they are superior in their way of life, and mainstream Australians are depicted as secretly yearning to be more like them. Meanwhile, leftist families are depicted as more intellectually evolved, sophisticated, broadminded, and lively in family discussions. The politically correct Left is represented as more educated and therefore superior, the implication being that a superior education is synonymous with left-wing values as these people are more enlightened.
Malouf believes that there is an all-encompassing eternal cycle of life that involves birth, death and renewal. All creatures are part of this cycle, which started long before human existence and will continue long afterwards. It puts individual humans in perspective. They are part of nature, not above it. True enlightenment involves having an awareness of this state of existence and feeling close to nature. This is Malouf’s big idea that subordinates everything else. Malouf devoted several stories to substantially articulating and promoting this concept, while in other stories he refers this concept when he felt he had an opportunity to do so. For example, an appreciation of this concept is integral to a teenage boy coming of age. An appreciation of this concept is presented as helping an elderly dying woman find inspiration to appreciate what remains of her life by glorying in her observations of a beautiful male swimmer who is in tune with nature. An appreciation of this concept is also presented as intrinsic to an old woman opening up to a spiritual dimension of life that she had always neglected, allowing herself to be touched by the spirituality of the sacred Aboriginal landmark, Uluru, and to be consoled by accepting her place in the grand cycle of life involving birth, death and renewal.
With the story ‘Every Move You Make’, Malouf decided to write about the heterosexual romance of a trendy inner-city yuppie couple and use this as a vehicle to explore ideas such as attraction, obsession and loss. However, the story ultimately asks whether we can ever really know another human being, even one with whom we have been intimately connected. A woman loses her de facto partner to a workplace accident and realises how little she really knew about him. In ‘The Domestic Cantata’ Malouf looks at how a happily married man can have a secret desire for a woman he encountered through his career in the arts. Therefore, even an individual in a happy, loving marriage can have secret desires and experience subliminal sexual tensions. The same story also affectionately shows progressive parents and the happy chaos of their family life involved in raising teenagers.
Student resources by Dr Mark Lopez
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The purpose of the concise notes of Dr Mark’s The Meaning in a Nutshell is to provide much needed help to students seeking to unlock the meaning of the texts with which they have to deal. (More elaborate notes are provided in lessons as part of my private tutoring business.)
Subject: The Complete Stories (2007)/ Every Move You Make (2006) meaning, The Complete Stories (2007)/ Every Move You Make (2006) themes, The Complete Stories (2007)/ Every Move You Make (2006) analysis, The Complete Stories (2007)/ Every Move You Make (2006) notes