Walkabout Figurative Language

Figurative language in Walkabout describes a connection between the characters and their emotions towards the environment and the situation. Using a combination of metaphors, similes, and personification throughout the novel, Walkabout, figurative language is used confidently, showing readers new perspectives on ordinary experiences. The use of figurative language also shows a progression in emotions and understanding between Mary, Peter, the Aboriginal, and their environment.

Figurative language is used to express Mary's hopelessness, despair, and lack of confidence in the pair's chances of survival. The children are being lead by Bush Boy, whom Mary doubts because of her previous experiences with black people in her hometown of Charleston. …show more content…
Fresh from a plane crash, Mary and Peter describe the Australian wilderness to be intimidating from a reader’s point of view. Fresh from the plane crash, the children have no clue where they are but have landed in a natural environment at night. i“The bush was silent: frighteningly still: full, to the children, of terrors all the greater for being unknown.” (1) This quote shows the children’s fear of the unknown in the Australian wilderness, showing that they aren't afraid of the dark, but what lies in the dark. On the contrary, “...they stopped dead in disbelief. For in front of them rose a whole hillside aglow with shimmering colour: every shade of the spectrum sparkling, flickering, and interchanging: a kaleidoscope of brilliance rioting in the midday sun...Jewels, Peter! Jewels! Millions and millions of them.” (47) This quote shows the children’s amazement at butterflies on a rock wall, near the conclusion of Walkabout. At this point, they have nothing to be afraid of, especially after the Bush Boy’s peaceful death. Comparing the butterflies to jewels, the children are awed by nature and admire the butterflies, showing their change from being afraid of the unknown, to understanding the unknown: nature itself. These pieces of text are important because they display a progression from weak, unconfident individuals afraid of the unknown to …show more content…
Use of personification, metaphors, and similes as well as other types of figurative language give the readers a rich understanding of how Mary, Peter, and Bush Boy manage to remain together, despite their vast differences, both physically and mentally. Along with use of dialogue, figurative language shows the transition of Mary and Peter from intimidated, useless individuals to confident children with a will to survive, being cautious not to harm nature and to take what you need. But really, figurative language presents a new perspective to how Peter, Mary, and the Bush Boy all change in response to each other, shedding light on small details that make Walkabout a worthwhile experience. All in all, figurative language is similar to a different language overall, but like how Peter and Bush Boy communicate, readers can find a way to relate to figurative language, and ultimately understand as well as enjoy

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Walkabout Figurative Language