Revisionist History of Australia in Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda and The True History of Kelly Gang

Abstract

This dissertation has tried to find out the exclusion in official Australian history which Peter Carey writes back through the writings of two novels Oscar and Lucinda & True History of Kelly Gang. The assumption is that those who have been excluded from the history are the marginalized sections of the Australian society - mostly the poor and the criminals who had been imported from Britain. The contention is that Peter Carey's historiography revision of Australian history is his attempt to write an inclusive history which gives voice to the voiceless. Their voice, the dissertation argues comes in the form of recognizing the contribution of the marginalized, poor and the erstwhile criminals in the making of modern Australia. Documented history of Australia does not represent inclusively but that is considered authentic in the eyes of officials. Peter Carey reconstructs the Australian history focusing its violence and hardship representing how aboriginals and imported