"They are not a nation of snobs like the English or of extravagant boasters like the Americans or of reckless profligates like the French, they are simply a nation of drunkards." Marcus Clarke. Is it true or is it just a big stereotype?

I’m Australian and I’ve grown up in an Australian family, an Australian family who’s number one priority isn’t drinking and getting drunk, what? Australians are depicted as drunkards worldwide through text, film, and media, but are we really all drunkards? The famous novel ‘The Harp in the South’ would say yes, so would the film ‘Red Dog’ and every alcohol advertisement. I can confidently say that this stereotype is very exaggerated but still has some truth and by the end of this article, you will most definitely …show more content…
“Don’t let Dad get drunk this weekend”. These are words we hear from Roie, a young girl in the 1940’s novel, ‘The harp in the south’, but these aren’t words we often hear from young females or males throughout Australia. 34% of all Australians have gone drinking to get drunk, most of these Australians are young and most likely don’t have children. This is just one of the many quotes we hear from the characters in ‘The harp in the south’. Throughout the whole story, Hughie is depicted as a heavy drinker who is always coming home drunk. On page 27 of ‘The harp in the south’ The Author, (Ruth Park) writes, Mumma had been waiting for their return impatiently, for Hughie was due home, and she feared that he would be drunk, and anxious for a fight. This presents a character to the audience who is so often coming home drunk to the point that his wife and children are afraid of …show more content…
Who could be drinking more alcohol than Australia you ask? Well, to simply answer your question let me say, Europe. Every country listed in the top 10 is from Europe. This would come as great shock to most because isn’t Australia just a bunch of drunkards? Well, Approximately 44% of the population (aged 14 years and over) drink alcohol at least once per week, including 6% of the population who drink daily. Twenty-two percent of Australians do not drink alcohol at all (nadk, 2017). What was that ‘Red Dog’? What was that VB? Only 6% of Australia's population drink