Through his realistic portrayal of the Australian outback and the people who reside there, Lawson provides the audience with an anomalous approach into the harshness of bush life and the stereotypical characteristics of its inhabitants. Henry presents the readers with a vivid insight into the Australian colonial bush culture and its people. 'In a dry season' talking from a homodiegetic narration, explores the thoughts of a narrator who is travelling through the NSW bush when in fact this story was based on Henry Lawson's own trip from Sydney to Bourke in the summer of 1892.
Lawson captures the essences of the Australian bush culture and introduces his readers to the eccentric nature of its inhabitants. A fundamental nature that Henry illustrates in his story of the Australian bush culture is the Australian outback. Lawson concentrates on the harsh reality of outback existence portraying it as a dull environment quoting 'Draw a wire fence and a few ragged gums, and add some scattered sheep running away from the train. Then you'll have the bush all along the NSW Western line from Bathurst on.' With the use of sarcasm, it provides us with an insight into the Australian outback giving the readers an uninteresting dry illustration of his train trip captivating the true nature of Australia. Additionally, the use of descriptive imagery in the quote 'There is sometimes a small, oblong weatherboard building – unpainted, and generally leaning in one of the eight possible directions, and perhaps with a twist in another – which, from its half obliterated sign, seems to have started as a rival to the Railway Stores; but the shutters are up and the place empty.' grants the audience a perception allowing them to visualize the environment of the Australian outback being old and rusty letting the readers gain a better understanding of what the narrator is seeing from his perspective.
