Essay on the Turning

Who an individual is and how that individual views the world are constantly changing due to moments, people, places and times. The journey of one’s life is never a straight path, instead is a bending road that is constantly being detoured due to other peoples influence and their relationships, moments that can be for the better or for the worst, places that have a significant impacts on ones state of being and time, which changes everyone simply because with time comes change. The novel, “The Turning” by Tim Winton is based on this idea that lives are in a constant state of fluctuation. Although his book is made up of separate short stories, there is a common character, Vic Lang that is often the leading character. This Vic Lang is the perfect example of a life lived in flux and the way lives are formed by moments, people, places and times. Two specific short stories in “The Turning” which follow the criteria above are Abbreviation and Commission. Both of these short stories follow the life of Vic Lang in different perspectives and give us an understanding of who Vic is and why he is the way he is.
Different experiences, combined with specific times and influential people have huge impacts on any human being, and can often shape the rest of their life. In the short story, “Abbreviation” which is housed in “The Turning” follows this exact point through the point of view of Vic Lang. To begin with, just having the point of view of Vic Lang as a young boy gives us an immediate view of his dysfunctional family life which gives the first view of how people can influence life, as Vic himself seems to be slightly alternative too. However, the leading aspect of this story is Vic discovering his strong attraction to those who are damaged with a belief he can better their lives. This is seen through his first sexual experience with, “Melanie” who is missing half a finger. This characterisation of Vic displays the notion of the influence of people on an individual, the...