And Women Must Weep by Henry Handal Richardson (1931)
Historical and social bachground
Ethel Florence Robertson wrote under a mand name is signifcant as it shows that she felt that her work would not be fairly appreciated if she would sing after a womens name.
The womens main objective was to find a man who would look after them.
Sexist atitudes prevalent within 1930s Australia
Style of writting
Detailed descriptions of the characters behaviour, gesture and expressions - intesifies feelings towards the moment od the central protagonist - Dolly
References to temperature - to show the stress of the moment
Lots of exclamations
Long paragraphs and sentances - to draw out the agony if the moment
Detailed accounts of Dolly's thoughts - highlights her distresst
Descriptions of Dolly's clothing - her dress becomes more and more tatty which symbolises how she feels
The title which links to the final moment in the sotry
Narration
Third person
Selective omniscient narratir
we learn what dolly is thinnking and feelin whilst also gaining a clear image of the scene as the story unfolds
Themes
Humiliation
The importance of looking attractive
Sexism
Freytag's pyramid
Rising action
Climax
Narative hook
Falling action
Exposition
Dolly is going to attend her first ever grown up ball she has an objective of finding a suitable partner, she is very happy with her apperence she is quite arrogant has she says she feels pitiful for those thatd ont look like her and she is also bursting with excitement.
Here we get to know that dolly isn't as pretty as she has portrayed herself at the beginning of the text. We learn this from Auntie Cha. here also dolly rips the bottom of her dress when exciting rhe cab, ruining it. This forebodes the disastrous evening ahed
Due to the dress breaking they turn up late for the ball, also Auntie Cha forces her to present herself and sit down to be picked by the other men to dance. She isnt picked by anyone antue cha then asks the master of ceremonies to look for a man to dance f or dolly but he fails to find onr for her. Auntie cha telles one of her friends to tell his son to dance with dolly, one is obliged to and he puts ugly faces in as he rather dance with her fiancée. Then they realize that Dolly isnt gettinga anywhere so they decide to leave early
At home dolly rips up her antire dress out of frustration and she realises that Auntie Cha is talking basly about her and making her feel completely rejected
Dolly thaen says that nono of it is her foult and that she didnt really want to any of the gentlemen there. She also realises the tortuouse falseness of the whole situation that girls alre meant to be pretty and smile when its the last thing they actual feel like doing at the end of the story she breaks down and sobs uncontrollablt and the unfaiarness of all.
Characters
Dolly
Through the choice of the name the author definces the roles expected of young women, to be that of a doll someone who is pretty, smiling and passive. She also undergoes a transformation through the story starting off very positive and with a good confidence and then she feels utterly rejected and miserable at the end
Aunt Cha
she is very bossy but only acts of the intrest of her neice, being fully aware of the way society works she also make as trong effort to get dolly to the ball and give her a partner. Dolly envies her because she doesnt have to look for a partener to dance with her. Through this the author reinforces the idea that there are very close set of rules for women: to be married or tu be a spinster