Distinctively Visual Elements in Literature and Film
Composers utilize distinctively visual elements to expose unique experiences to their audiences. Distinctively visual qualities lie in the capability to convey a powerful response. Through the use of visual and language techniques, composers effectively communicate their ideas and concepts, positioning both positive and negative responses in their audiences. The Australian writer Henry Lawson exposes distinctively visual elements through many of his short stories. ‘The Drover’s Wife’ creates a vivid picture of an independent and isolated mother’s hardship of taking care of and protecting her family. ‘In a Dry Season’ presents readers with a vivid insight into the Australian colonial bush culture and its people. Distinctively visual elements are also shown in the film ‘The Matrix,’ directed by Andy Wachowski. In this film, the use of strong images to convey distinct characters in an illusionary world provokes viewers to doubt their perception of reality. The composers of these texts generate powerful images through the use of strong language and visual techniques to explore distinctive environments and characters.
Distinctively Visual Language in “The Drover’s Wife”
Distinctively visual language creates images that allow the responder to establish relationships with the characters and their environment. Henry Lawson’s short story ‘The Drover’s Wife’ emphasizes distinctively visual elements through the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery. Descriptive language is used to create a sense of isolation: “The two-roomed house is built of round timber, slabs, and stringy-bark, and floored with split slabs.” With the use of imagery, the quote allows the responder to visualize the home and how isolated it is from society. Strong sensory description is effectively used to create an image when the Drover’s wife sits to watch the snake all night. “A green sapling club laid in readiness on the dresser by her side, together with her sewing basket and copy of the Young Ladies Journal.” In this line, the audience is led to a distinctively visual image of the Drover’s wife, depicting her as a protector of the family but still upholding her feminine appearance. When the Drover’s wife attempts to hit the snake, present participle verbs are used to highlight her actions. ‘Snatches’ is used to create images of immediacy and courage within the responder’s mind, whilst ‘darts’ is used to create an image of menace. The woman has no hesitation in hitting the snake, and she darts because she is a protector and loves her children. These distinctively visual images enable the audience to perceive and admire the Drover’s wife’s personality and resilience in spite of the grueling conditions of her environment.
Visualizing the Australian Bush in “In a Dry Season”
In a distinctively visual manner, Lawson captures the essence of the Australian bush culture and introduces his readers to the eccentric nature of its inhabitants. A distinctive environment that Henry illustrates in his story of the Australian bush culture is the Australian outback. Lawson concentrates on the harsh reality of outback existence, portraying it as a dull environment. “Draw a wire fence and a few ragged gums, and add some scattered sheep running away from the train. Then you’ll have the bush all along the New South Wales western line from Bathurst on.” The imperatives ‘draw’ and ‘add’ enable the audience to participate in recreating the bush setting; the stoic tone, however, provides an insight into the Australian outback, giving the readers an uninteresting, dry illustration of his train trip, demonstrating the true nature of Australia. Additionally, Lawson portrays his stereotypical perception of people in the Australian outback through the distinctively visual. Although the characters are not personalized, remaining anonymous and unnamed, they are differentiated only by their stereotypes. A quote, “…we saw the first sundowner. He carried a Royal Alfred, and had a billy in one hand and a stick in the other. He was dressed in a tailcoat turned yellow, a print shirt, and a pair of moleskin trousers, with big square calico patches on the knees and his old straw hat covered with calico,” shows the characterization of a typical swagman in the Australian outback, portraying the stereotypical laid-back, easy-going Australian person. “Here we came across soft felt hats with straps round the crowns, and full-bearded faces under them.” Here, Lawson’s use of colloquial language conveys a distinctive image of their personalities. These distinctively visual images enable the audience to perceive the personality of the characters and give a distinctive image of their environment.
Film Techniques and Visual Imagery in “The Matrix”
Film techniques create attention to specific parts of films that give a distinctively visual image of both the characters and the environment. Andy Wachowski’s film ‘The Matrix’ emphasizes distinctively visual elements through the storyline. In the film, a low-angle shot of Morpheus, the leader of the group, is used as he closes the door. This positions the viewer to perceive him as a superior character. Morpheus then asks Neo if he feels a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole. This is clearly an intertextual reference to the classic story, ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ This reference raises numerous pictures in the viewer’s mind if they are familiar with Alice in Wonderland, such as magic and a distorted world in which anything can happen. Also, the use of costumes in The Matrix shows the agents in black suits with crisp white shirts and black ties. They look flawless, with no cuts, bruises, or dirt. They also wear dark sunglasses, which hide their eyes, indicating to the viewer that they are hiding their emotions, if they have any, behind the glasses, as your eyes really speak and let other people in to you. These scenes exhibiting the theme of characters draw the responders in and give a distinct image of the protagonists of the film.