Cloudstreet ****

hey I read and saw the play and I've also read the novel for lit. The script for the play cuts out alot of the novel so things might not be as clear. Oriel moves to the tent to escape the house. The house is portrayed as an actual character and is personified. It is often described as being " alive" and Fish often comments that the house is sad. This is due to events that happened in it. Oriel feels she needs to escape this, and also escape the fact she feels she is losing control of her life ( this is partly due to the fact that Fish doesn't recognise her). Fish can't see Oriel because she was the one who bought him back from the brink of death when he nearly drowned. He lost part of himself when this happened and throughout the text he oftens says he wants to " go to the water" . What he means is he wants to die so he can be complete again. Oriel was the one who stopped him from doing this and thats why he doesn't recognise her. The Black man is more a spiritual figure and representative of an feeling of tribualism within the text. The two families are portrayed as a tribe coming together so thats why they all see the black man. Thats what I got from it anyway, hope it helps !