Evaluate how similar themes or ideas are treated in two different texts.
In our contemporary society, men are often seen or see themselves as the higher beings, and often degrade the opposite sex and adopt foul behaviours simply because they feel like they dominate or rule the world. "My Country" by Jenni Millbank and "The Kiss" by Peter Goldsworthy present ideas concerning the degradation and objectification of women, our tolerance towards the irresponsible and reckless behaviours of men, and our inattention towards the issue of the exploitation of the power of men over women. Goldsworthy utilises dialogue and plot structure to present and publicise the idea that society shouldn't romanticise or tolerate ignorant and reckless behaviours of …show more content…
In "The Kiss", Goldsworthy forms two male characters, Tom and Kenny, who are constructed as careless, reckless and insensible men; both thinking it was a good idea to leap into a tank even though they didn't "know the water level" and knew that the "wet [was] still a week away". Within a conversation between them, Kenny asks Tom, who is in a relationship with a female character Debbie, "what [Tom was] doing to her (Debbie)" on a beach they travelled to, and Kenny "almost chokes himself with laughter" when Tom responded with "her mouth was full". This positions us to see both characters as ignorant and disrespectful, forcing us to dislike them due to making Debbie seem like a mere sexual object. In correlation, the fact that Tom and Kenny has integrated foul words in their day-to-day conversations, constantly repeating the curse words "fucking" and "fuckwit", positions us to see them as childish and immature. When both characters find themselves in an inescapable-death situation, leaping into the water tank simply because neither characters wanted to be seen as "a chicken", only Kenny manages to make it through the night. Unfortunately, such behaviours and attributes of men: carelessness, ignorance, vulgarity, and masculinity; are all expectations of Australian males that are set by society, which in turn indicates that we are tolerating and romanticising such foul behaviours and attributes. By incorporating the vulgar conversation between Tom and Kenny about Debbie and their constant use of foul language, which allows us to see their ignorance and immaturity, followed by the tragic ending with one of them passing away simply because of their reckless actions, Goldsworthy positions us to dislike men with such reckless and