Write a critical response (essay) to the question:  How have the texts you have selected presented a view of society?

The Theme of Significance of Images in Literary Texts Author’s Name The Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor Name Assignment Due Date Introduction In contemporary society, characterized by social, cultural and economic advancement due to rapid digitization of all aspects of human societies, the need to build and maintain a respectable and accomplished image has become even more pressing for people of all social, cultural, and economic standing. Hence, people dream, strive, and challenge accepted ways of thinking to keep their image respectable and unique under varying social and cultural circumstances. This essay evaluates literary texts (fiction), such as The Dreamers by Melissa Lucashenko, Neighbours by Tim Winton, and Educating Rita by Willy Russell. In Dreamers, Jean challenges the racially discriminating social norms to exert her Aboriginal identity. Likewise, in Neighbors, the young couple contends with their prejudices and biases about their European neighbors to develop a good image of themselves in society; furthermore, in Educating Rita, a hairdresser fights against odds to gain a respectable image for herself. Hence, the three texts highlight the common theme that maintaining an individual image or identity by going against all odds is paramount in contemporary society. Discussion Dreamer by Lucashenko is a short story in which the author uses the technique of flashback to reveal the story of an Aboriginal woman, Jean, who challenges the accepted discriminatory norms of typical Australian society to maintain her Aboriginal identity. As the story begins in the middle, the author uses an everyday life event to highlight the inherent racism against Aboriginals in Australian society and sets the context of Jean’s struggle against it. The foremost and prominent example of this challenge is Jean’s inability to buy an axe from an Australian store due to her specific ethnicity (Lucashenko, n.d.). Hence, this event clarifies Jean's odds to face and deal with to maintain her specific Aboriginal image in Australian society. The entire story reveals various aspects of Jean’s life as a servant to white Australians, and this life presents the contrast between her social status and that of her employers. During her employment with May and Ted, Jean shows all the signs of a resilient Aboriginal woman willing to end the discrimination conducted against her due to her ethnic identity. For the same reason, she willingly goes out to buy an axe to cut down the tree; this attempt shows her effo...