When Sentimentality Isn’t Favourable

From The Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson

In his short story, The Drover’s Wife, Henry Lawson reveals the hardships of living in the Australian bush. Lawson states that “her surroundings are not favourable to the development of the ‘womanly’ or sentimental side of nature,” (p 1038). The drover’s wife accepts the challenging role of protecting her home and family during her husband’s long absences. While she endures these hardships, she experiences few moments of relief and carefree activities. However, I believe the drover’s wife has developed healthy emotional, maternal connections, despite the harsh demands of her lifestyle.

With a poisonous snake hiding in the home and a thunderstorm and nighttime coming on, the drover’s wife tucks her four children into bed on the kitchen table, and sits at watch through the night for the snake. These calm and careful actions reveal her experience, independence, and determination. Despite the tense situation, she smiles at eleven-year-old Tommy’s influence on his younger brother for swearing.

Lawson reveals that “recent events have shaken her nerves,” (p 1036). Her nephew recently died from a snake bite and her husband has been gone for six months. As she waits for the snake to show itself, her mind reminisces on her life, revealing moments of emotional connection: after fighting a bush-fire wearing trousers, she holds her crying child who doesn’t recognize her; she fights to save the dam from a flood, but loses it, and cries; she fights to save the cattle from a sickness, but loses two, and cries; she fights bullocks, crows, and eagles; occasionally she fends off suspicious-looking men who come around. During each of these fights, she is alone to protect her home and children. While she is not emotional during these “fights,” her efforts during the struggles and her tears following the struggles reveal her emotional connection to her home and family.

Her influence on her household is shown after defeating the snake, when “she lays her hand on the dog’s head, and all the fierce, angry light dies out of his yellow eyes,” (p 1038). Tommy, on seeing the tears in his mother’s eyes, emotionally declares that “I won’t never go drovin’; blast me if I do!” (p 1038). I anticipate that his mother’s calm acceptance of her lifestyle will increase in influence over Tommy’s emotions as he grows older. He already exemplifies her in his desire to protect home and family as she does, a behavior that indicates a strong emotional connection, despite the lack of opportunity for sentimentality.