A Literary Perspective of Ned Kelly and Justice
The bushranger Ned Kelly is certainly a divisive figure in Australian history. While a plethora of works dealing with the notorious outlaw have come into print, Peter Carey’s 2001 Booker Prize winning, ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’, is certainly one of the more noteworthy. But what does the text have to say about Ned Kelly and justice? Oliver Friendship explains.
Published in 2000, Peter Carey’s ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’ is a critically acclaimed historical narrative. Written from the 1st person perspective of the protagonist Ned Kelly, the text is a work of semi-fiction, and provides the reader with Carey’s perspective on the history of Australia’s most infamous outlaw. Carey
…show more content…
laces the novel’s pages with many divergent notions and discourses; however, no theme is more prominent than that of justice. Due to Carey’s personal interpretation of the life of this Australian icon, justice is also approached in a particular manner within the work. Indeed, it is apparent in Peter Carey’s ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’, that Ned Kelly, and his family and associates, are portrayed by Carey as being subjected to many injustices at the hands of the police and authorities. These wrongs are also depicted to have forced Kelly to become an outlaw, a role that Carey demonstrates his protagonist using to fight for his own interpretation of true justice. Ned Kelly’s Persecution by the Authorities It is evident in this work, that Carey illustrates the members of the Kelly family as being subjected to many blatant injustices perpetrated by the police and authorities. This undue treatment is first seen on page 7. Here, Carey shows Kelly recalling an event where a policeman destroys a cake that his mother has made for her imprisoned 15-year-old brother; in what can only be described as a clear and degrading injustice. He is shown to state that, The description of the policeman’s hands as “livid instruments” (pg.7), is an emotive use of language utilized in this section, in order to display Kelly as being passionate about the injustices that those close to him are exposed to. Within the work, Kelly’s father is also depicted to have been wrongfully imprisoned for the killing of a rich squatter’s cow. This unjust incarceration is demonstrated to result in the character’s alcoholism, and eventual death, after he is released from prison. Carey describes Kelly’s father after his homecoming by saying, This event depicts a blatant wrong committed by the Police against Kelly’s father, that also has far reaching ramifications upon the entire family.
The poor grammar and punctuation seen in this passage, and indeed throughout the work, is also used by Carey to create a realistic voice for his uneducated protagonist. This makes the character, and the injustices he describes, believable for the reader. Overall, it is clear within this novel, that the reader is invited to observe Ned Kelly, and his family, as the victims of many injustices perpetrated by the authorities. These injustices are also demonstrated to have profound impacts on Kelly’s …show more content…
life. Why Ned Kelly Became a Bushranger It is clear within this text, that Carey portrays the injustices that Kelly, and his family and associates face, as forcing his protagonist to become an outlaw. While Kelly does face discrimination throughout the work, the particular injustices that are demonstrated to cause his transformation into a bushranger, are those surrounding the arrests of his family and associates, after the false claim of Attempted Murder made by Constable Fitzpatrick. Indeed, due to the perjury committed by the policeman, the judge Redmond Barry, Due to the close connection between Kelly and his mother that is foregrounded within the work, this event in particular is seen to cause him to start fighting against what is depicted to be an unjust ‘justice’ system. This same charge of Attempted Murder is also erroneously levelled at Kelly himself, an act that places him in direct opposition to the authorities. The police are also demonstrated to make plans to apprehend Kelly with lethal force on pages 313 and 314. Here, one of his associates, ‘Wild’ Wright, is told of the police’s purchase of a long leather strap used to transport dead bodies, to which he exclaims, This injustice is foregrounded to show Kelly as being forced into becoming an outlaw, as it insinuates that he could not return feasibly return to face ‘justice’, and keep his life. Later on in the text, when holed up in the Glenrowan Inn, Kelly is also portrayed by Carey to lament upon the reasons for his anti-police actions. He is seen to state that, This quote clearly indicating that the character of Kelly felt that the wrongs and injustices committed by the police force, were what had caused his actions as a bushranger. On the whole, Carey clearly depicts the injustices that Kelly is seen to face throughout work, as the reason of his transition from a farm worker, to an outlaw. The role of outlaw, is also one that Kelly is shown to use, in order to enact his own ambitions for true justice. Ned Kelly’s Fight for Justice It is obvious within ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’, that Carey demonstrates and portrays his character of Ned Kelly, as fighting for his own interpretation of true justice once he has become a bushranger. For example, throughout the text, the concept of the average settler being beholden to corrupt banks, and rich squatters, is a heavily emphasized topic. In the second bank robbery in Jerilderie, Kelly is seen to fight for his version of justice with relation to this matter, by This act would have made the struggling farmers and small holders listed in those books effectively debt free; and is hence an event highlighted by Carey to display Kelly fighting for his own interpretation of true justice. Moreover, Kelly is shown to use his role as an outlaw, not to fight for personal gain, but instead for the freeing of his mother. This being his own interpretation of what is just. On pages 423 and 424, Kelly is depicted to demonstrate his intentions. After giving over his Jerilderie Letter to a local printer for republication, he states, The aesthetic feature of capitalization is utilized here to accentuate the fact that, in all of what he is doing, Kelly’s main intention is still to secure the release of his mother. The reference made to the ‘River Styx’, is also a literary technique used by Carey to portray Kelly’s desire to be with his mother and lover. This river, in Greek mythology, lies across the entrance to the underworld, and is supposedly impassible for the living. It is hence symbolic and indicative of Kelly’s desire for his mother to be free, that he states that he is prepared to cross this river to be with her, and others dear to him. This passage also demonstrates that Kelly is fully prepared to “leave the banks and government alone” (pg. 424) if achieves his mother’s freedom. Overall, it is therefore apparent within this text, that Kelly is demonstrated to utilize his position as outlaw, to fight for his interpretation of what is just, such as the release of his mother, and is not focused on financial gain, or committing atrocities as part of a ‘twisted bloodthirsty vendetta’ against the establishment. An Influential Perspective of Justice Within Peter Carey’s 2000 novel ‘The True History of the Kelly Gang’, it is clear that the police and authorities are depicted to expose the character of Ned Kelly, and his family and associates, to countless wrongs and injustices.
These acts are also demonstrated to have forced Kelly to become a bushranger, a role that he is also shown as using in order to battle for his personal view of what constitutes true justice. The treatment that the Kelly family are seen to suffer within the work, from those in positions of power, can easily be recognized by the reader as degrading and unjust actions. Such conduct from the police and those in authority, especially surrounding the false claims of Attempted Murder, and subsequent intended lethal apprehension of Kelly, are also portrayed by Carey to have forced his protagonist into a position where to become a bushranger, and live outside of the law, was his only feasible option. Once outlawed, Kelly is also depicted by Carey as fighting for his own interpretation of what he views as truly just. Carey achieves this by foregrounding Kelly rebelling against the financial enslavement of the average settler by the banks and rich squatters; as well as the wrongful imprisonment of his mother. Kelly is also seen to view his understanding of justice, not monetary gain or bloody revenge, as the principle focus behind his actions as an outlaw. In general, this text provides a unique insight into the Ned Kelly story, especially with respect to
the notion of justice. Also, due to the success of the novel, the representations of the character of Ned Kelly depicted by Carey within the text, can be considered as shaping the national perception on one of Australia’s most renowned folk heroes.
Edward Ned Kelly (1855-1880), an Australian bushranger, was born in June, 1855, at Beveridge, Victoria. He was the eldest son of John Red Kelly, an immigrant from Ireland, and Ellen, also an immigrant from Ireland. Ned Kelly was most known for stealing horses and robbing from banks. Some people think that Ned Kelly is a victim because he and his family were victimized by police. The Kelly’s were blamed for many crimes hey didn’t commit, Fitzpatrick abused Kate Kelly and got away with it and Ned’s mum (Ellen Quinn Kelly) was gaoled for a crime she didn’t commit.
On Page 66-69 of ‘The Black Snake The daring of Ned Kelly’ he took hostages but never hurt them and treated them with care. After the robberies, he took the hostages and treated them to tea and entertained them. He to treat them cruelly but chose not to out of his own will. This proves that Ned Kelly is a kind-hearted man and is very astonishing. he was also an entertainer and rode into the town with unbroken horses on pages 72-73 which shows his perseverance. Although Ned was a Hero he was also villainous.
“The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson: A True Story of Love and Murder” is studied as a historical non-fiction novel, in which Lois Simmie shows the reader the actions of a man who sets his life up in a series of lies and betrayal. Her purpose is clear, to intrigue the audience with a true story of the murder of Polly Wilson, which had not yet been heard. Though not a lot of people had ever heard of John Wilson, the first ever Saskatchewan RNWMP officer who was found guilty of a crime, being that he killed his wife, and hung to his death. She writes her novel that is not only entertaining to her audience but also serves the purpose of educating fellow Canadians about the true life events that followed John Wilson and his fellow RNWMP officers.
Ned Kelly was a notorious bushranger in Australia. People formed thoughts on Ned Kelly after his death. Some doubted him, as a villain who committed all behaviours of crime. Some believed he was a hero who fought for the fairness of people. Whereas, many saw him as a victim with no community status. I strongly believe that Ned Kelly was indeed a victim, who suffered unjust sentence and whom police treated very unfairly. He had low economic status and he was not able to defend his rights. If you look back and read through his history, you would find the pages of evidence and the numerous reasons why Ned Kelly was the dreadful person everyone thought he was. But... there is also evidence that indicates that Ned was not a ruthless person- but
The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey tells a story of Nurse Ratched, the head nurse of a mental institution, and the way her patients respond to her harsh treatment. The story is told from the perspective of a large, Native-American patient named Bromden; he immediately introduces Randle McMurphy, a recently admitted patient, who is disturbed by the controlling and abusive way Ratched runs her ward. Through these feelings, McMurphy makes it his goal to undermine Ratched’s authority, while convincing the other patients to do the same. McMurphy becomes a symbol of rebellion through talking behind Ratched’s back, illegally playing cards, calling for votes, and leaving the ward for a fishing trip. His shenanigans cause his identity to be completely stolen through a lobotomy that puts him in a vegetative state. Bromden sees McMurphy in this condition and decides that the patients need to remember him as a symbol of individuality, not as a husk of a man destroyed by the
R N Howie and P A Johnson, Annotated Criminal Legislation NSW, 2011-2102, (Lexis Nexis Butterworths 2012) 17769-1774
Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest explores the dysfunctions and struggles of life for the patients in a matriarch ruled mental hospital. As told by a schizophrenic Native American named Chief Bromden, the novel focuses primarily on Randle McMurphy, a boisterous new patient introduced into the ward, and his constant war with the Big Nurse Ratched, the emasculating authoritarian ruler of the ward. Constricted by the austere ward policy and the callous Big Nurse, the patients are intimidated into passivity. Feeling less like patients and more like inmates of a prison, the men surrender themselves to a life of submissiveness-- until McMurphy arrives. With his defiant, fearless and humorous presence, he instills a certain sense of rebellion within all of the other patients. Before long, McMurphy has the majority of the Acutes on the ward following him and looking to him as though he is a hero. His reputation quickly escalates into something Christ-like as he challenges the nurse repeatedly, showing the other men through his battle and his humor that one must never be afraid to go against an authority that favors conformity and efficiency over individual people and their needs. McMurphy’s ruthless behavior and seemingly unwavering will to protest ward policy and exhaust Nurse Ratched’s placidity not only serves to inspire other characters in the novel, but also brings the Kesey’s central theme into focus: the struggle of the individual against the manipulation of authoritarian conformists. The asylum itself is but a microcosm of society in 1950’s America, therefore the patients represent the individuals within a conformist nation and the Big Nurse is a symbol of the authority and the force of the Combine she represents--all...
People often find themselves as part of a collective, following society's norms and may find oneself in places where feeling constrained by the rules and will act out to be unconstrained, as a result people are branded as nuisances or troublemakers. In the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the author Ken Kesey conveys the attempt McMurphy makes to live unconstrained by the authority of Nurse Ratched. The story is very one sided and helps create an understanding for those troublemakers who are look down on in hopes of shifting ingrained ideals. The Significance of McMurphy's struggles lies in the importance placed on individuality and liberty. If McMurphy had not opposed fear and autocratic authority of Nurse Ratched nothing would have gotten better on the ward the men would still feel fear. and unnerved by a possibility of freedom. “...Then, just as she's rolling along at her biggest and meanest, McMurphy steps out of the latrine ... holding that towel around his hips-stops her dead! ” In the novel McMurphy shows little signs like this to combat thee Nurse. His defiance of her system included
If you think Ned Kelly was a bad guy, you’re wrong, so what if he killed a few people, he was just protecting himself! On page 52 it states that when Ned was hiding from the police, the police were looking for him and eventually they found Ned, The police started shooting at Ned and he would try to hide behind trees
Growing up Jack’s dad’s had a “keen eye for spotting criminals of all stripes was impressive” because he would always point out people that he thought were druggies, criminals, or ex-convicts. He would tell him as a kid that there is no coming back from certain things and being in jail was one of them (Gantos 7). “His eye “wasn’t perfect. He never pegged [Jack] for being one of them” (Gantos 7). Along with his dad trying to help his son not become a criminal his high school tried to help the community as well, In the town's high school there was a presentation where criminals came to share their stories and how they regret doing the things they did because doing the time and wasting their life was not worth it. Jack believed this to be useless, “What could they say that could possibly change my life? I was enjoying my life just fine. I wasn’t going to become a criminal. I was going to be a writer. And if not a writer, I wasn’t sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interests in becoming a criminal,” (Gantos 28). Little did he know that later in life he would become a prisoner
Pinot, S, Wardlow, G, 'Political Violence', Australian Institute of Criminology, 1989, Retrieved 15 March 2011,
White, R., and Perrone, S. (2009) Crime, Criminality and Criminal Justice. Melbourne: Oxford University [Chapter 2 ‘Crime and the Media’]
The gross over representation of indigenous people in the Australian criminal justice system (CJS) is so disturbingly evident that it is never the source of debate. Rather it is the starting point of discussions centring on the source and solutions to this prominent social, cultural and political issue. Discourse surrounds not only the economic and social disadvantage of indigenous communities, but also the systemic racism and continuing intergenerational trauma resulting for the unjust colonisation of a nation which has profited whites at the detriment to indigenous people throughout history. In respect to the currently CJS, trepidations are raised by indigenous communities around the lack of culturally diverse laws and punishments within the system. The overtly western system does not provide a viable space for indigenous
The novel, which takes place in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, centers around the conflict between manipulative Nurse Ratched and her patients. Randle McMurphy, a transfer from Pendleton Work Farm, becomes a champion for the men’s cause as he sets out to overthrow the dictator-like nurse. Initially, the reader may doubt the economic implications of the novel. Yet, if one looks closer at the numerous textual references to power, production, and profit, he or she will begin to interpret Cuckoo’s Nest in a
The True History of the Kelly Gang is a fictional novel written by the Australian writer Peter Carey. The novel is presented as an autobiography written by the Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly, to his daughter. It portrays Ned’s life as a child and as an adult. The audience also reveals the struggles of discrimination he overcomes as an Irish in the Australian world. This novel is packed with many themes but the most obvious and eye-catching would be racism. We are also able to identify many quotes and passages used within the text to demonstrate this theme. Carey’s persuasive language and point of view plays a crucial part in promoting the theme of racism.