Minimum Of Two
Encyclopedia
Minimum Of Two is a volume of short stories
by Australia
n writer Tim Winton
.
It is an anthology which consists of 14 short stories:
Stories marked with * indicate stories which feature the recurring characters Jerra, Rachel and Sam Nilsam.
Although many of the stories do not contain references to any particular setting, it is most likely that all stories in the anthology are set in Perth
, Western Australia
, around the late (post-World War II
) 20th century.
Most of the stories deal with relationships which are placed under hardship and stress, it also deals with the theme of men and masculinity. They are written in a minimalist
style typical of Tim Winton.
Perhaps the most prominent theme throughout all the stories is not necessarily the adversity these people are placed under, but the way in which they react to the problems confronting them. For example- Jerra Nilsam doesn't try to deal with his problems at all; preferring to accept his circumstances and be depressed about it. Rachel doesn't address the cause of her problems, but moves on from them, determined to better herself. Jerra's father accepts his illness (cancer), but rather than wallowing in it, decides to make the most of his remaining days. The unnamed boy in "No Memory Comes" uses denial to deal with his problems, assuring himself that things are not changing, and that 'he doesn't mind' when things do. Queenie Cookson is possibly the most successful, going back to her old town to confront her past demons, deal with them, and then be able to move on in her life. Finally, Madigan, rather than dealing with the actual problems arising from his wife's rape, decides to deal with the cause, killing her rapist once he is released from prison.
Many of the stories mentioned in this book relate to two common characters found throughout the book, Jerra and Rachel Nilsam. Rachel and Jerra are two very separated people who learn to live together through the birth of their son Sam. Sam provides the two with a connection which ultimately always pulls them through their everyday and life struggles.
Since 2005 the anthology has been included in the VCE
reading list, as an option for study by Year 11 and 12 English Students.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n writer Tim Winton
Tim Winton
Timothy John "Tim" Winton , is an Australian novelist and short story writer.-Life:Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the regional city of Albany....
.
It is an anthology which consists of 14 short stories:
- Forest Winter*
- No Memory Comes
- Gravity*
- The Water Was Dark
- Nilsam's Friend*
- Minimum Of Two
- Distant Lands
- Laps
- Bay Of Angels*
- The Strong One*
- Holding
- More*
- Death Belongs To The Dead, His Father Told Him, And Sadness To The Sad
- Blood And Water*
Stories marked with * indicate stories which feature the recurring characters Jerra, Rachel and Sam Nilsam.
Although many of the stories do not contain references to any particular setting, it is most likely that all stories in the anthology are set in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, around the late (post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) 20th century.
Most of the stories deal with relationships which are placed under hardship and stress, it also deals with the theme of men and masculinity. They are written in a minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
style typical of Tim Winton.
Perhaps the most prominent theme throughout all the stories is not necessarily the adversity these people are placed under, but the way in which they react to the problems confronting them. For example- Jerra Nilsam doesn't try to deal with his problems at all; preferring to accept his circumstances and be depressed about it. Rachel doesn't address the cause of her problems, but moves on from them, determined to better herself. Jerra's father accepts his illness (cancer), but rather than wallowing in it, decides to make the most of his remaining days. The unnamed boy in "No Memory Comes" uses denial to deal with his problems, assuring himself that things are not changing, and that 'he doesn't mind' when things do. Queenie Cookson is possibly the most successful, going back to her old town to confront her past demons, deal with them, and then be able to move on in her life. Finally, Madigan, rather than dealing with the actual problems arising from his wife's rape, decides to deal with the cause, killing her rapist once he is released from prison.
Many of the stories mentioned in this book relate to two common characters found throughout the book, Jerra and Rachel Nilsam. Rachel and Jerra are two very separated people who learn to live together through the birth of their son Sam. Sam provides the two with a connection which ultimately always pulls them through their everyday and life struggles.
Since 2005 the anthology has been included in the VCE
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
reading list, as an option for study by Year 11 and 12 English Students.