The Road to Nowhere: Myths of Homeland and Expulsion in Australian Road Stories
Files
(Major work & Exegesis)
Date
2018
Authors
Allan, Elizabeth
Editors
Advisors
Castro, Brian
Nettelbeck, Amanda
Nettelbeck, Amanda
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Thesis
Citation
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
Exegesis: Through the lens of Richard Slotkin’s theory of the mythogenesis of the frontier, the exegetical component of the thesis proposes that the circular process of analysis and regeneration of the violent mythology of the frontier in both Australian and American literature has dominated the road writing genre. The triumphant frontier narrative of America and the transcendent failure frontier narrative of Australia repeat in contemporary road writing. Road stories featuring women and characters from positions of cultural, ethnic, class, religious and sexual difference offer one possibility for the disruption of this process. Australian road stories Hiam by Eva Sallis, All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld and Floundering by Romy Ash offer a reimagining of road stories beyond the frontier legacies of racial, sexual and class oppression. Ross Gibson’s theory of badlands in Australia, which are narratives set in natural locations which attract more atrocities to occur, informs my approach to the reading of these texts.
School/Discipline
School of Humanities : English and Creative Writing
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2018
Provenance
This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals
Description
Vol. 1 Belly of the Beast: Major work -- Vol. 2 The Road to Nowhere: Myths of Homeland and Expulsion in Australian Road Stories: Exegesis