In both The Drovers Wife and In A Dry Season, Lawson manipulates the use of brevity in his sentences, juxtaposition,

blunt, dark humour and vivid imagery to help visualise the harsh dry conditions of the outback. Lawson starts off the story
of The Drovers Wife with a descriptive image of the countryside. He represents the surroundings in an unwelcoming way.
The outback is a harsh, barren and isolated environment. Bush all round indicates that there is nothing but trees in the
distance rotten native apple trees demonstrates the outback is dead and inhospitable. The vivid imagery exhibits the
isolation experienced in the main characters day to day life. In a Dry Season Lawson instantly addresses the audience to
Draw a wire fence and a few ragged gums, and add some scattered sheep running away from the train. Then youll have
the bush all along the NSW western line from Bathurst on. The descriptive style of the outback assures us that the
environment is dull and inhospitable as there is no rain forests or mountains as such sights are rare to find. By painting a
mental image of the surroundings the responder is able to be a member of the story and witness the journey at close
hand.

Lawsons appreciation of women is evident as he portrays a strong independent female taking on both gender roles. She
fought a bush fire once... the grass was long and very dry, and the fire threatened to burn her out, she beat out the flames
with a green bough, till great drops of sooty perspiration stood out on her forehead and ran in streaks down her blackened
arms The use of vivid imagery exhibits the circumstances in which the drovers wife fights many battles and challenges on
her own which initially makes her stronger through her struggle. The drovers wife has learnt to be hardy and self- reliant
due to her surroundings, by reading the young ladies journal her femininity is exhibited as she longs the materialistic items
she is not able to obtain in her current environment. Lawsons In A Dry Season lacks femininity. The only town I saw that
differed much from the above consisted of box-bark humpy with a clay chimney, and a woman standing at the door
throwing out the wash-up water. Lawsons only link to a women In A Dry Season represents the outback as very masculine
and not an environment for women to be placed in, though contrasted to The Drovers Wife who although we visualise as
masculine does reveal her femininity through the care and love of her children.

The Drovers Wife is a tale to thank women for all the hardships they faced during a time period which their husbands were
away which enables responders to appreciate the accomplishments of a young brave mother and others who endured the
same journey during this time period. In A Dry Season Lawson makes the responder aware of the harsh reality of outback
life and the poor level of rural development. By using distinctively visual techniques, the responder is able to paint a
mental image of the harsh reality of different environments and how one must adapt their living to suit changing lifestyles.
This provides greater insight and different viewpoints in which we view the world.