Tirra Lirra by the River - Jessica Anderson

A Brief Index of Important Passages

Topics Page Number (blue covered edition)
Colin Porteous 25, Meeting 33-34, 'Prince Charming 35, Narrow minded pettiness 39, 44, brings home Pearl 61, no hard feelings 73, 'we wasted each other' 73,
Colours blue and gold 15, grey coat 85, encroaching 'greyness' 104,
Dorothy Rainbow (nee Irey) 13,14, 28, 58, 63, 103, linked with Nora 112, and an axe 125, how many selves do we have? 126,
Flowers, Sewing, Poetry Sewing 13, 15, 21, Reading 41, the enchantment of another kind of life 38, Reading 41, Women in Love 44, 'beauty of the color' 64,
Friendships Lewie 39,
Identity names - 1, 2, Hiding truth 40, who sheis 43, truth 51, playing a role 79, 80, 'who I am' 87, many selves 126, 127, a secret life 128,
Lady of Shallot maiden 7, miniature landscape 8, Camelot 9, poem quoted 9, 'beauty' 13, 16,
Memory 10, globe of memory 25 (like a moon!), piano scales 49, the piano memory explained 92-95, memories blurred 111, the globe of memory in free spin' 140, father's funeral 141
Mirrors 2, 99, facelift 107,
Moon 17, 25, 30, 31, don't 'cry for the moon' 54,
Number 6 10, 114, 139
River 9, 'want to be simple…like water' 83, along the canal 84, 137, 'nowadays the river is accessible only in a few places' 138, 140
Sexuality 'bodice scene' -10-11, Camphor Laurels 13, ''sexual difficulties' 37, 'Frigid' 41-43, 'handle a man' 53, 'humiliated beyond endurance' 59, the abortion car 67, pregnant 73, real life, not fiction 77, abortion 79, sexually and/or physically ignorant 81, habits of 'stiffness and reticent' 82, the piano incident 95,
Submissiveness /Rebellion passivity 2, withdrawal 5, 'oppressed' 11, safe and detached 32, 51, 52, the skin of the fox 55, stealing money 57, pride 58, no sense of humour 61, acts as she's expected to act 70, doesn't want to admit impediments 87, ugly still? 89, spares nothing but her own pride 96, suicide 108, needing a sanctuary 119, passivity 121, oppression 121, patience 131,
Suburban Ugliness 11, 36, tennis day 58, 65, captivity 66, coping 133,
Time and Memory 3, 21, 25*, 98, her father 101, no memory of father 103,
Tirra Lirra (poem) 9, 16
Una Porteous 44, 50, 'a woman of no consequence?' 136,
Walking 9, 11, 137

 

      General Questions

  1. Explain Nora's image of the past as a globe (illustrate it in your workbook) What is the difference between the image of memory as 'beads' and Nora's globe imagery?
  2. Nora has learnt the 'defensive uses of flattery' (51) How is she different with the reincarnation of Nora than she was with the original?
  3. Make notes about Anderson's use of the following symbols; Moon, walking, rivers.
  4. A woman of little consequence she calls herself disparagingly at one stage- do you agree?
  5. Is this a happy or a sad book - is this question too easy for Year 12 Literature? Or too hard?
  6. How does the 'Lady of Shallot' poem equate with Nora's life? Make as many connections as you can.
  7. This is a book about women and their relationships; the men in the novel are at their best incidental, at their worst, a large part of the problem. Discuss.
  8. What are Nora's best qualities in your opinion?
  9. What do you think has hindered Nora in her life?
  10. Why is Number 6 such a sanctuary for Nora do you think?
  11. How are Nora and Dorothy Rainbow alike? What do you make of the Dorothy tragedy? Could it have happened to Nora?
  12. Nora continually describes herself as 'oppressed'. Do you agree? What oppresses her? How does she escape such oppression? (Link your answer to Nora's walking if you can)
  13. This novel can be read as a critique of suburban Australia in the 1940s and the repressive way women were treated. Can it be read this way? Look at other women in the novel and how they are treated, and how they respond.
  14. Describe Nora's relationship with Colin; what kind of marriage is this?
  15. Makes notes about the following key memories and how/if? they are reconciled; the boys under the camphor laurel trees, her marriage to Colin, the piano playing boy, her father's funeral.