NationMaster - Encyclopedia: True History of the Kelly Gang

True History of the Kelly Gang is an historical novel by Australian writer Peter Carey. It won the 2001 Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize in the same year. Despite its title, the book is essentially a fictional variation on the Ned Kelly story. Peter Philip Carey (born May 7, 1943) is an Australian novelist. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For discussion of historical romance novels, see historical romance. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... â€œISBNâ€ redirects here. ... Peter Philip Carey (born May 7, 1943) is an Australian novelist. ... The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, also known as the Man Booker Prize, or simply the Man Booker, is one of the worlds most important literary prizes, and awarded each year for the best original novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland in... The Commonwealth Writers Prize was established in 1987. ... For other uses, see Ned Kelly (disambiguation). ...

The novel takes place in 19th century Australia. Australia acted as a penal colony from 1788 to 1866. During that time, 806 ships brought around 162,000 male and female convicts to the continent. Some of the more serious British criminals were shipped over to prevent further crimes in Great Britain. About 24% of the individuals shipped over were Irishmen, in this case, the ancestors of the Quinn and Kelly families.

Setting background

Australia can be considered a penal colony to which many of the felons from Great Britain were transported. Convicts in Australia were forced into hard labor for their entire detainment. These convicts were used for the betterment of the British colony, many being forced to work on public facilities and infrastructure projects. Some business men even built factories to benefit on the cheap convict labor. Land holders and free settlers also took advantage of the labour provided by these convicts. As time progressed the number of convicts decreased in Australia, partly because the men and women were released at the end of their term of imprisonment, and partly because the British government used transportation less. By 1820 many former convicts had completed their time and were released and by 1830 only 6% of these people were imprisoned. Many of those released were given plots of land from which to make a living.

During the mid 1800s Australia's population reached one million people. This was not only because of the release of former convicts, but also many migrants were attracted to the colony from Great Britain in order to make a better life for themselves. With the increase in population, Australia became able to sustain itself and grow in many different aspects.

Motifs

Horses play a significant role throughout the novel, paralleling at times both the confinement and freedom of Ned Kelly and his family. The night sky is admired and expounded upon by Ned throughout his history, usually standing as an infinite and ancient contrast to the brevity of his life on earth (for example it is mentioned at the birth of his daughter on p. 337). The pivotal importance of storytelling and the seeking of truth is a theme which dominates the work as a whole, and is manifested in numerous ways not only through Ned Kelly but also through many of the other characters.

Historical background on Ned Kelly

Edward 'Ned' Kelly was born in 1855 in Beveridge, Victoria. His father 'Red' Kelly was a convicted Irishman who, after his release, found work at the farm of James Quinn. At age 30 Kelly married Quinn's daughter Ellen. 'Red' Kelly was arrested when he killed and skinned a calf and was required to serve six months hard labour. The treatment of his father helped form Ned's opinion of the police at a young age. 'Red' Kelly died when Ned was only eleven, after which he was forced to leave school to become head of the family. Shortly after this the Kelly family moved to the Glenrowan area of Victoria. In Australia, folk tales are still told of the poverty of Ned Kelly's childhood. Before Ned had been declared an outlaw, eighteen charges had been brought against members of his family with only half of them resulting in guilty verdicts. This is an important aspect in understanding the idolizing of Ned Kelly since many people were able to view the Kelly's as victims instead of outlaws.

Plot summary

The novel is presented as having been hastily written on scraps of paper by Ned Kelly himself, and it expands on the story told in the real life Jerilderie Letter. Carey departs from what is known about Kelly's life by providing him with a lover and a daughter, for whom he has been recording his life history whilst on the run from the police. Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Jerilderie, New South Wales, Australia, is a town of 900 people and a Local Government Area, located on Billabong Creek, 640 kilometres southwest of Sydney and 60 kilometres north of the Victorian state border. ...

The novel is written in a distinctive vernacular style, with little in the way of punctuation or grammar. Although there is much profanity in the novel, it has all been censored (save the racist terms) for the benefit of Kelly's fictional daughter. Look up Vernacular in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A literary technique or literary device may be used in works of literature in order to produce a specific effect on the reader. ... The term punctuation has two different linguistic meanings: in general, the act and the effect of punctuating, i. ... For the topic in theoretical computer science, see Formal grammar Grammar is the study of rules governing the use of language. ...

The book does however remain close to the real chronology of Ned Kelly's life. It captures and expands upon the tone of Kelly's actual writing style demonstrated in his Jerilderie Letter.

Prologue

The novel begins with an undated account of the capture of Ned Kelly from the point of view of an eyewitness. The witness is presumably educated as they write coherently in standard English. The witness seemingly aligns with the authority's effort against the, "wild beast[Kelly]."

The text sets up a conflict between Kelly and the authority. Kelly is "nothing human...no head but a very long thick neck and an immense chest", while the police are described as valiant. As the police shoot at him, he taunts them for their corruption :"You shoot children, you f-----g dogs. You can't shoot me." The prologue ends when Kelly is taken down with a shot to his leg. When he is captured by the police, all of his belongings are confiscated, including thirteen chapters of a letter to his daughter, which open the novel.

Parcel One

Peter Carey writes as Ned Kelly to his daughter. Kelly writes to his daughter that she is "presently too young to understand a word", thus his daughter must be too young to read. He began to form his views of his father and mother, and how the rest of the world treated them at this stage of his life. Ned recalls an incident when his mother baked a cake to bring to her imprisoned brother James. The English warden first had to search the cake by breaking it apart with his clean white fingers, then forced her to shove it under the door to James' cell in the rain. A few years later, a Sergeant O'Neil came on to Ned's mother, Ellen, while his father was away. When Ned tried to defend her, O'Neil called him a coward and told him a story about Ned's father running through a townsmen's yard in a woman's dress. When Ned and his sister really found the dress buried in their yard, he burned it to destroy any evidence of his father's shame.

Carey repeatedly uses the color red and blue to reveal a character's superiority or inferiority. The color red resembles warmth and success, thus those in the novel that are rich are characterized as being dressed in red. In contrast, the color blue resembles cold, thus those in the novel that are poor are characterized as being dressed in blue. For instance, Ned's mother is characterized as wearing a "bright blue silk dress" whereas the Judge was wearing "his wig and his bright red robes". Since the Judge is wearing red, he is thus superior than others including Ned's mother. Ironically, later in the novel, Carey displays the blacks as wearing red. During that time, blacks were seen as inferior, but Carey chooses to characterize the blacks as superior. In addition, despite the fact that Ned's mother is inferior, she too wears a bright red dress. Perhaps she wishes to be rich and economically successful. Or maybe she is greater in her own way.

In this parcel, we see the strength of Ned’s mother. It shows through in the story of bringing her brother a cake in prison. This symbol of love for her brother is broken by the police man and yet she does not say anything because “she understood she must hold her tongue.” Here she recognizes that she must refrain from fighting back because she cannot win. Even though she has in the past she won her court case against Bill Frost. The reader than knows that she is capable and yet she is submissive. This reaffirms that she choose to remain silent. This is a different kind of strength than that which won her court case. It probably took more energy to hold back as she watched the destruction of what she had created out of love for her brother than to speak out.

Parcel Two

This Parcel opens with the death of Ned Kelly's father. The family then moves to Greta to live with Ned's Aunts, Kate and Jane. Next in the story comes the arrival of Kelly's Uncle James. James tries to seduce Kelly's mother, but she rejects his advances. In response, James Kelly burns down the Kellys' house down. James is sent to prison and ultimately sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, the Kelly family receives a new parcel of land near Eleven Mile Creek where Kelly's mother illegally sells alcohol while Ned works the land.

Both Harry Power and Bill Frost begin to court Ned's mother. They each compete for her affection, and Ned's mother seems to show Harry some favor. Harry is a criminal and often shows up to the Kelly's house with presents that consist of stolen goods.

Alex Gunn, another potential suitor arrives, but it is revealed that he is courting Ned's sister Annie, who has been maturing over the course of this parcel. Ned is taken aback by this revelation, and the parcel ends with Alex Gunn's engagement to Annie.

Parcel Three

This Parcel opens with...Annie and Alex Gunn's wedding party. Ned feels awkward around the girls his age and cannot wait for dinner to be served. He told his mother that he would be happy to help with Harry Power; without hesitation she suggests that Ned spend more time with him "more in the nature of a ride" (p. 66). They mount the horse and off Ned and Harry go on a long ride together.

Parcel Four

This Parcel opens with Ned's sister Annie's wedding to Alex Gunn, where Ned's mother asks him what he thinks of Harry Power. She then tells him to spend some time with the bushranger, which in turn marks Ned's entrance into the world of the outlaw. He becomes Harry's sidekick who holds the horses and carries stolen goods, yet the whole time he wants to return home. However, Harry's suggestion about Ned's mother's marriage to Bill Frost makes Ned try to accept a new idea of home that Harry introduces, one that has a relationship with nature and is not clearly defined.

Later, a strong parallel is made between Ned's life and that of an injured sniphorse. The animal was The phrase "such is life" that were used to refer to the imminent death of the horse are the same as Ned's last words before execution later in the novel, suggesting that the horse is a metaphor for Ned Kelly.

Ned then leaves Harry Power and takes on the role of being the man of his mother's house. He cuts trees again, which makes him the provider and the brave member of the family. He rivals Bil Frost, his new step-father, in hierarchy and in respectability.

At the end of the parcel, Ned is arrested for Highway Robbery and is beaten for not revealing where Harry Power lives. The parcel ends with a new character, Zinke, who was hired to be his solicitor. The suggestion is made that Harry Power paid for his services.

Parcel Five

Parcel five begins with Ned returning home and confessing to his mother that "the traps are looking for" him because he stole McBean's horse. His mother replies that the police are all over the place looking for Tom Lloyd because they think he stole the horse. She also suggests that Ned should lead the cops to believe Lloyd is the culprit. Demonstrating his loyalty, Ned refuses to let Tom be punished for his crime.

When Sgt. Whelan arrests Ned, he promptly takes him to the Benalla Police station, where two English officers, Hare and Nicolson, interrogate Ned. Hare speaks loudly and cruelly, threatening to arrest Tom Lloyd, to take away Ned's mother's land, and to arrest Ned's entire family. Nicolson suggests that Ned should "give some information" about Harry Power for his "own protection." Even though Ned calls Harry an "adjectival mongrel", "a liar", and "a thief", he refuses to divulge Harry Power's whereabouts to the officers. This interaction between the officers and Ned advances the idea that while the wealthy, authoritative figures are corrpupt and cruel, the lower-class Irishman values honesty and loyalty.

The next morning, Hare and Nicolson visit Ned's mother and offer her money in exchange for information about Harry Power. She refuses. Back at the Benalla Court, McBean commits perjury when he swears on the bible that Ned did not rob him. Revealing even more corruption, Hare and Nicolson "play[...] with justice" and randomly drop more of Ned's charges and transport him to Melbourne. There, Ned fights the Constable (who stands in for the Commissioner) and wins, but does not receive the promised prize of freedom.

At night, the Constable brings blankets and food to Ned's cold jail cell and introduces himself as John Fitzpatrick. Unsuccessfully attempting to gain Ned's trust, John warns him about the police's unpredicatably cruel nature and suggests that they will take away his mother's land because they do not want his family living in the district.

Three weeks after Ned's arrest, the officials drop his charges and Ned returns home. However, his entire family ignores him because they think he offended his family in the worst possible way by being a traitor and turning in Harry Power. Ned's anger overwhelms him to the point where his "hands shake" and his feelings "jump[...] like a slice of bacon on the pan" because his mother does not initially believe that the Lloyds sold Harry. Finally, Parcel five ends with Ned's mom apologizing and proclaiming that Ned is a "good son."

Parcel Six

This Parcel opens with many uncles and aunts, especially Jimmy and Pat Quinn, angry at Ned Kelly. All except his mother and the guilty Aunt Lloyd continue to believe that Ned betrayed Harry Power to the authorities. Because of his false reputation as a traitor, Ned Kelly is rejected by his community and has trouble looking for work.

Finally, Cons Hall and Constable Archdeacon at the police station offer Ned a job. As Ned works to repair a fence, his uncles Jim and Pat come arrive to threaten and terrify him. Hall and Archdeacon act cowardly, but they encourage Ned to start a fight with his uncles. Hall and Archdeacon attempt to arrest Jim and Pat, but they fail, sending them all to court in Benalla. At his testimony, Ned tries to save his uncles from punishment because he does not want to betray his family members. Yet, the uncles are sent to prison for their violence against the police, and Ned is more hated by his extended family. Ned has also angered Cons Hall with the statements he made against Hall in court.

As the Kelly household lives in poverty and exile because their family and community continue to look down upon Ned’s “actions”, Ben Gould, the hawker, comes to stay in their home. He brings laughter back into the Kelly home. One morning they find the McCormick’s horse on their property. Mrs. Kelly sends her child, Jem to return the horse, but the McCormick’s later approach the Kelly home accusing them of working the horse before returning it. Ben Gould makes Ned deliver a package of “calf’s testicles writing a note to say McCormick should tie them to himself before he shagged his wife.” McCormick, along with many other drunkards, spy Ned and begin shouting at him. Mrs. McCormick strikes Ned’s horse causing Ned’s arm to hit Mr. McCormick in the nose. Cons Hall arrests Ned, and Ned is sentenced to jail for six months for striking McCormick and for the gift of the calf’s testicles, both of which were not his own purposeful actions.

Ned Kelly is released from prison as a fully grown man. On his way home, he trades horses with Wild Wright, friend of his brother-in-law. As he travels, Con Hall stops Ned tries to shoot him. Ned finds out that the horse he is holding for Wright is actually stolen. Con Hall gets other men to help him beat down Ned, and Ned is again sent to court. Ned Kelly is sentenced to three years hard labour where he will lose all chances of ever experiencing a youthful life.

Parcel Seven begins with Ned expressing his frusturation at his inability to help his widowed (and abandoned) mother through her hardships. Ned elaborates by telling the reader of an episode in which a poor, homeless character visits his mother, demanding "brandy", claiming that if his mother does not oblige, she will regret it as he is a "rat charmer". Ms. Kelly refuses the bum alcohol and instead offers him tea and proper nourishment. He refuses her offer, and leaves upset claiming that she will "remember the name of Kevin the Rat Charmer for many a day" (174). That very night, rats swarmed the Kelly family household, covering the food and children. The next day, the children find Ned's mother crying, and praying to the Virgin Mary over the corpse of her baby daughter. In addition to her death, there sickness spread throughout the household, Annie's horse was stolen, and a man named Flood (an allusion can be drawn from the symbolism of his name to the biblical plague) rapes Annie, leaving her with child. She dies in childbirth. Ned's mother draws all of these incidents following the Rat Charmer's visit to the Kelly manor back to his curse upon their household. In 1872, another seeming bumb comes to the Kelly's steps requesting brandy. Maggie immediately mocks the man, but her mother quickly scolds her and obliges to the man's desire. She believed that the rats didn't leave until she brandy to this second visitor (George King).

Parcel Seven

Parcel Eight

Parcel Nine

Parcel Ten

Parcel Eleven

Parcel Twelve

This Parcel opens with Ned Kelly's account of his attempts to rewrite the history stolen from him by the Gills (the owner of the Gazette Newspaper and his wife) in the autumn of 1879. At this time, Supt Hare and Detective Ward are searching tirelessly for the Kelly Gang, and by June of the following year Ned finally hears from his wife (Mary Hearn) who is now living in San Francisco. A telegram tells Ned that his daughter has been born, after which much celebration amongst the townspeople ensues. Since their friend Aaron Sheritt has most likely become a scout for the police, the gang is forced to hide in a hut in the Bogong High Plains. The walls of the hut are covered with newspapers documenting the American Civil War, and Ned becomes fascinated by a ship called the Virginia, one that is clad with iron and steel. Soon after, Ned enlists Steve Hart and other members of the gang to aid him in creating iron-clad armour for the entire gang once they had moved back to Greta at Eleven Mile Creek. Joe Byrne tests his armour by shooting himself in the head (it works). In the autumn of 1880, Ned composes a coffin letter to the citizens in the Northeastern Victoria territory. Joe Byrne vows to kill Aaron Sherritt after knowledge of his betrayal reaches the gang.

Parcel Thirteen

The Siege At Glenrowan

of Edward Kelly

"No sooner was the knot fixed than, without the prisoner being afforded a chance of saying anything more, the signal was given; and the hangman pulling down the cap, stepped back and, withdrawing the bolt, had done his work....The body was allowed to remain hanging the usual time, and the formal inquest was afterwards held. The outlaw had requested that his mother might be released from Melbourne Gaol and his body handed over for burial in consecrated ground. Neither of these requests were granted, and the remains were buried within the precincts of the gaol."

Trivia

About the author Peter Carey was born in 1943 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. He later studied at the Monash University where he was influenced by writers Barry Oakley and Morris Lurie. He moved to New York in the late 1980s where he teaches creative writing at New York University. Alfred A. Knopf (September 12, 1892 _ August 11, 1984) was a leading American publisher of the 20th century. ... Peter Philip Carey (born May 7, 1943) is an Australian novelist. ...

External links

Categories: Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from July 2007 | Booker Prize winners (books) | 2000 novels | Australian novels The Blind Assassin is a novel by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood. ... The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, also known in short as the Booker Prize, is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of either the Commonwealth of Nations or the Republic of Ireland. ... See also: 2000 in literature, other events of 2001, 2002 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Life of Pi is a novel by Canadian author Yann Martel. ...

Contents

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