Away Essay Questions

In what ways does Away level criticism against capitalism and materialist ways of thinking?

Though it is more subtle than other thematic work done in Away, understanding the play's treatment of capitalism and materialism is central to understanding the drama as a whole. This is primarily explored through the relationship of Coral and Roy, which has been badly damaged by the loss of their son in the Vietnam War. In particular, Roy tries to console Coral and regulate her behavior by telling her that their son's sacrifice was not in vain, since it ostensibly allowed for the preservation of Australian ways of life. Coral, however, rejects Roy's logic and fails to see how her son's death in a foreign and faraway country has in any way secured the luxuries enjoyed by herself and Roy (e.g., the Gold Coast hotel, plane tickets). Further, the fact that Coral appropriates Roy's logic to later make hotel guests uncomfortable shows that Coral sees Roy's logic as a kind of weapon, and she recognizes that it is faulty and emotionally manipulative. Thus, in general, Away rejects materialism and capitalism as suitable consolations or comforts in the wake of a loved one's loss.

How are the institutions of theater and drama portrayed in Away?

Completely separate from the play's exploration of performativity and pretense, Away also makes the formal institutions of drama and theater an important part of its message. The play both opens and closes with nods to Shakespeare, which serve not only to foreground and allude to many of Away's own key themes, but also to introduce the dramatic space as one where the real and heavy concerns of the everyday are able to be concealed or learned from, rather than confronted directly. To this latter point, note specifically how Puck's closing speech from A Midsummer Night's Dream revolves around the audience's reaction to such a dramatic space fading away, while Lear's speech at the end of Away cues the audience to think more abstractly about the relationship of youth to death (something that had been placed at the forefront of our imaginations by Tom's illness in Act 4). Additionally, through Tom and Coral's play in Act 4, we see how drama can be not just entertaining or instructive, but also restorative and healing. Through enacting the story of the mermaid who regains her legs after futilely chasing her beloved sailor, Coral is able to acquire the same resilience and self-possession displayed by her character. In Away, then, drama and theater are alive and important arts: they not only allow people to escape their everyday concerns and learn important lessons, but also encourage us to actively change and heal ourselves through these lessons.

In Away, what stance is taken by Gow regarding the performativity inherent in everyday interactions?

Performativity is one of the most central topics explored in Gow's play, lying at the heart of each conflict faced by the drama's central families. In the case of Vic and Harry's family, the two are perpetually acting around their son Tom, since they know he is terminally ill but do not wish him to know of his impending fate. Ironically, however, Tom is himself acting, since he is already aware of his diagnosis but does not want his parents to know that he knows. In the case of Roy and Coral's family, Roy attempt to coerce Coral into acting normal and moving past their son's death before she is ready, and her performance of normalcy is what drives her into Rick's arms. Only when she learns at the beach to behave like her authentic self does she heal and feel ready to return to her husband, who earlier threatened her with electroshock therapy. Finally, in the case of Gwen and Jim's family, we learn that Gwen's grating behavior and fastidiousness is all the result of her past economic hardship. She only behaves snobbish and overzealous in the present, then, as a kind of compensatory acting—a bravado put on for the benefit of her family and those around her. In each case, Gow thus frames performativity as a natural human response to the highs and lows of life. At the same time, however, he puts his foot down and suggests that this pretense is not only unnecessary but also actively harms both ourselves and our interpersonal relationships.

How does the Australian setting of Away figure prominently in the drama?

One must not forget that, at its core, Away is distinctly Australian in setting and mood. Of course, many details are inserted into the text of the drama that remind us of this setting and the local stakes of universal dramatic themes. To the former point, one need only remember Gwen's addiction to Bex, or Meg's references to Pine-o-Clean and Rinso in Act 4. To the latter point, think about Gwen's Australia-specific hatred for Harry and Vic; xenophobia, after all, is not exclusive to Australia, but Gwen's specific brand of xenophobia is. Finally, the Australian setting of the play is important because it is a holiday road trip to the beach (a Christmas tradition for many Australians) that sets many of the play's actions into motion. Thus, from its minor details to its larger narrative shape, the play is importantly situated within an Australian context.

What treatment or status is accorded to youth in Away? How are these ideas regarding youth complicated throughout the play?

When Away begins, youth seems to be treated as an end in itself, worthy above all for preservation. When Gwen and Jim think that Meg might be getting too close to Tom, for example, they scold her and worry that all the work they have put in (i.e., for Meg to have a stable and enjoyable youth) has gone to waste. Moreover, when Coral delivers her monologue after Act 1's performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, she thinks primarily about the splendor and beauty of youth, and what a tragedy it is that youth must end early for some (i.e., her son and, in a prescient way, Tom). Later in the play, however, this idea of youth as a yearned for ideal is complicated by the internal family dynamic of Vic, Harry, and Tom. Specifically, because Vic and Harry are pressuring Tom to enjoy his youth in an artificial way not commensurate with a normal life experience, Tom's youth is threatened and pushed closer to something like adulthood, rife with ethical and internal conflict. Thus, in Away, youth is upheld as an ideal, but only when enjoying it untempered by any pretense, artifice, or other extenuating or compromising circumstance.