Henry Lawson and Alice Munro: Masters of Realist Fiction

Henry Lawson: Australia's Poet of the People

Henry Lawson (1867-1922) was born in New South Wales on 17 June 1867. He was the son of a Norwegian seaman, Niels Larsen, who later changed his name to Peter Lawson. In Henry's early years, the family lived on a poor selection in the Mudgee district. Lawson suffered from deafness and was often teased as a result.

Henry moved to Sydney with his mother, Louisa Lawson. It was there that Louisa began publishing the feminist newspaper The Dawn. Henry spent periods of time in institutions for his alcoholism and periods of time in gaol for failing to support his family. At his funeral, crowds lined the streets to farewell Australia's 'poet of the people'.

Lawson's Literary Style and Themes

Much of Lawson's work was set in the Australian bush or was about bush life. By the 1890s, Australia had been settled for a little more than 100 years, and Lawson was arguably the first Australian-born writer who really looked at Australia with Australian eyes, not influenced by his knowledge of other landscapes. He was perhaps the first to give voice to interpretations of an 'Australian' character.

In his works, Henry used simple language, Australian vocabulary, and a realistic vision of his country. His style was laconic, smart, and direct. For him, describing character and landscape was more important than plot. He valued his manly attitude, and he saw women as strong and intelligent.

Alice Munro: The Canadian Master of Short Fiction

Alice Munro (1931- ) was born in Ontario, Canada. Her parents worked in rural occupations. She started to write in her teens and, in 1949, she went to study at the University of Western Ontario, but she left it two years later to marry and raise her three daughters.

She is one of the most important short-story writers of her generation. Her fiction combines spareness and realism with a magisterial vision and expansiveness. She has influenced many of her English-language contemporaries both within and outside Canada.

Themes of Ordinary Life and Complexity

She describes the customs, lifestyles, and values of ordinary life, often revealing in the process hidden meanings or personal tragedies. She uses simplicity to show the complexity of life. Her stories deal with the lives of women, but she is not an explicit feminist.

Generally, her stories are set in small towns of Southern Ontario and British Columbia, where poverty stamps itself on all facets of life and women confront the triple binds of:

• Economic confinement
• Gender expectations
• Cultural limitations

From the beginning, she has been true to her own literary style and voice. Her style is beautifully transparent, unsentimental, and detailed. Her characters are people we meet every day, but their choices are not obvious. Sometimes a small incident changes the course of their lives, gives a new perspective, or provides a key piece of the story.