The Turning

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the short story collection.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Western Australia is one of the largest country subdivisions on the planet, yet it is home to only a few million people. When you think of Western Australia, what comes to mind? What do you expect from the literature of Western Australia?

Teaching Suggestion: The primary setting of The Turning, Angelus, is invented by the author, but it embodies many of the problems and the larger culture of Perth and its surrounding towns, and Winton consciously tried to invoke the same traits that American regionalist literature uses. Giving non-Australian students a context for the setting will help them see the social criticism at work in the stories. For a more in-depth conversation, allow students to do informal internet research after their response.

Post-Reading Analysis

At the end of the collection’s chronology, Vic Lang is a shaken man. The death of his parents has enhanced his anxiety and left him on rocky footing in his marriage. Think of these stories as a character study of Vic: What kind of man has he become? What caused him to become this way? Do you find him to be a realistic portrait of an adult traumatized by events from his youth?