In the Garden Where We've Been Planted

dc.contributor.authorPrunckun, Henry Walter
dc.contributor.schoolSchool of Humanities: English & Creative Writingen
dc.date.issued2017
dc.descriptionVol. 1 In the garden where we've been planted : a novella -- Vol. 2 An exegesis to accompany the novella
dc.description.abstractThe title of my research project is In the Garden Where We’ve Been Planted , which is a metaphor for a philosophical outlook on life that reflects the desire for love. My statement of guiding purpose was to write a love story that is couched in the private investigation crime genre , but one with literary tones . I did this using adaptation theory to structure the story based on Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness and then used intertextuality to leverage the reader’s familiarity with Conrad’s book to my story. The output of my research project is an exegesis that is in dialogue with the artefact a novella . My project contribute s to knowledge through my interpretation of this approach as well as my application of theory to practice. The rationale for undertaking to the project is the culmination of a few factors my personal interest in the private investigation (PI) genre as well as my interest in Conrad’s writing. But essentially, I wanted to explore a different approach to how PI stories, one where love, rather than murder, is the focus. My interest in using Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness as the basis for my novel la allow ed me to use a quest plot for a different purpose to find a missing person. In a sense the missing person crime is a trope for exploring other issues associated with the human spirit. In this case, rediscovering love. As we know, in Conrad’s story the central character Philip Marlow journeys into heart of Africa searching for the ivory trader Kurtz who has gone mad. The PI of my story does similarly he’s looking for, not an ivory trader, but an American Indian artist, who too has gone somewhat mad. So, my story starts in Massachusetts and moves to the Australian outback (so, in this regard, it could be seen as being written for a North American audience). My PI protagonist is n o t the usual bitter alcoholic, divorcee, damaged war veteran, or a burnt out ex cop. This is n o t to say the narrator does n o t have his faults he does, but he has engaging qualities h e i s a romantic, moral according to his philosophy, and quite kind in his relationships. If he sounds normal, he is. So, what makes my proposed novel la intriguing? It’s my view that it’s the complexity of the situation into which the character is thrust a phone call from a socially high profile Boston art curator about her missing husband. Intertextuality allow ed me to make connections between the original text, and other texts, and the adapted text; in doing so, I was able to establish parallels with key characters and the overall plot line, therefore helping outline a relationship between the two. Like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness , my story explore s issues relating to the human condition. In The Garden Where We’ve Been Planted looks at problems such as racism and big picture political issues involving the impacts of colonisation on Indigenous people centuries on. However, where Conrad’s book looked at the politics involving what was then the Belgian Congo, my novel la looks at land disposition by American Indian s and to some extent Aboriginal land rights . Though neither are covered in depth, the attention given is sufficient to provide the literary tones I sought I used practice led research as my methodology for the project. This involve d the critical reflection process employed elsewhere in creative arts research comprising the plan, act, observe, and reflect cycle. My method include d library research, site visits, lived experience and active documentation.en
dc.description.dissertationThesis (MPhil) -- University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2017en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/126333
dc.language.isoenen
dc.provenanceThis 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/legalsen
dc.titleIn the Garden Where We've Been Planteden
dc.typeThesisen

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