Blog #4

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Write a letter to Patrick White telling him what you think of any one of the texts you have read this week

Dear Mr. White, 

I have to say it was a shame that I did not come across your literary work earlier in my life. Your work possesses deep meaning and flows smoothly, taking readers on a journey. In particular, I was captured by your literary piece, ‘Down at the Dump’ as it instilled in me a greater appreciation for the diversity of human experiences, particularly in regards to how you managed to capture the meaning of life and this concept within different perspectives. 

An aspect of the text which truly caught my attention was the contrast you implemented. I viewed this particularly through the two families; the Hogbens and the Whalleys. The Hogbens were fixated upon the certainty of death whereas although the Whalleys lived in a chaotic environment, they lived life without a care of what people thought, with excitement and thus “their faces were lit by the certainty of life”, not the certainty of death. I especially liked how although they reside in the same fictional town of ‘Sarsaparilla’ and in houses so close to each other, they could not be further apart regarding their outlook on life. This truly brought me back to how individuals respond to scenarios and experiences differently simply because we are all unique human beings. However, some tend to be unhappy even though they have a lot and some delight in the little that they do have. 

In a world where the meaning of life is still explored and contemplated, this text has truly remained timeless. You have indeed created a story where readers are able to be taken on a journey, viewing the multifaceted nature of society and how all we need to do to be content is to truly be ourselves and delight in the ‘certainty of life’. 

Thank you for allowing me to immerse myself in this literary adventure.

Kind regards, 

Holly Ibrahim