A Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson demonstrates a person’s uncomfortable presence on this continent. Why does this particular story resonate so deeply in our collective imagination? Define collective.

The Drover's Wife exposes the difficulties, dangers, and problems faced by those who settled in the Australian bush. The drover's wife must provide for her children, keep them safe, and traverse these difficulties alone, as her husband is away for long periods of time. Nature is a true beast in this tale. The bush throws fires, floods, poisonous animals, storms, and droughts at the people of the bush; life can often be seen as nothing more than a continuous fight for survival. Nature is depicted as powerful and capricious, and utterly indifferent to the men and women who seek to inhabit her landscapes. Man must match strength and wits with Nature to continue to live, which is exactly what the drover's wife does. She fights one thing after the other because it is simply what must be done. Sometimes she wins, sometimes she loses. If Nature were able to judge her, it would be fair to say she would be impressed by this quiet but doughty woman.