Resistance to Colonial Ideology in Peter Carey’s True History of Kelly Gang

Abstract

This research explores the post-colonial resistance of Peter Carey by rewriting the life and history of Australian icon bandit Ned Kelly in the fiction True History of Kelly Gang. In the novel, Carey has presented details life and incidents faced by Kelly. Unlike the narration of official colonial history, Carey is able to portray him much positive character than a mere bandit by revisiting history from the perspective of historically marginalized person itself is a task of questioning official colonial history as well as a strong sense of post-colonial resistance. Carey as a post-colonial author has captured the sentiment of Australian commoners and written Ned Kelly’s life and history from the people of colony. In this sense, he has countered the colonial notion of Ned Kelly and has established him as a national hero, icon or legend who stood against the oppressive social and political structure of colonizer. Peter Carey has evoked this historical figure as a true Australian legend as if he is countering the colonial culture, history and domination. In this sense, the novel stands as the counter of official history or as a means of post-colonial resistance. Through True History of Kelly Gang, Carey has countered the colonial official perspective by rewriting the myth like life of Ned Kelly in the form of novel. In doing so, he seems clear that he has strong sense of post-colonial resistance.