His Natural Life

The well-known phrase 'for the term of his natural life' is used by Marcus Clarke to bring home the horrors of transportation and the Tasmanian penal system in the 19th century.Richard Devine, an innocent man (under an assumed name of Rufus Dawes) convicted of a crime he did not commit, is sent for transportation and assumed killed in a shipwreck. In reality, he is heir to a vast estate (unbeknown to him) and the convolutions of the tale that evolve from this are wonderfully written; the gradual demolishing of Dawes, the unspeakable duality of Frere, the calculating guile of Sarah and the gullible innocence of Sylvia are woven together in a plot that does not end happily ever after. This I think, serves to underline the barbarism and futility of the transportation system. Based on actual events, Clarke uses his 'hero' to illustrate the depravation and privations that prisoners (and their guards) had to endure. Graphically showing how degradation degrades and power corrupts, the narrative never dwells on gruesome details, instead it relies for effect on the imagination of the reader, which can be more terrifying.A book that deserves a wider readership.

Well, as an Australian living in the year 2000, reading this book, written in the 1880s, is an emotional experience. For it is through works such as this that we can see our past. We can examine the nature of the beast that gave birth to us. Who we are. From whence we came.If you want to understand why Australians are they way they are, and have the attitudes and language that they do, then give this book a read.

I am planning a trip to Tasmania and it was recommended that I read Clarke's epic tale. It is one of inspiration and great character and describes life, the conditions and environment in which those men and women suffered. I am particularly looking forward to visiting Sarah Island and Port Arthur so I can get a taste of what those people (both innocent and guilty) had to endure. Definately recommended reading for those planning a holiday to Tassie!

Marcus Clarke His Natural LifeAustralia is a mighty long way from Europe - and it must have been even further away in the 19th century, which is when Rufus Dawes, the gentleman hero in Marcus Clarke's masterpiece His Natural Life, gets unjustly transported to the Australian penal colony. His Natural Life is the most important Australian novel of the 19th century (some disbelievers might wonder whether there is such a thing as Australian literature of the 19th century at all - there certainly is!). It pioneered a tradition of Australian historical novels brought to world fame by twentieth century writers like Peter Carey ("Illywhacker") and nobel prize winner Patrick White ("A Fringe of Leaves"). However, Clarke's story of his tragic hero's rather unnatural life is one of the most underestimated pieces of world literature.Over the last decades coming to terms with its shady history has become a crucial step towards the determination of the Australian psyche. The notion that the Australian founding fathers were, in fact, criminals has rendered early Australian history into a very touchy. His Natural Life has played an essential part in the process of history-making in Australia since it largely influenced the image Australians have of their country at the time of its status as a prison colony. Australia seems to be the ideal setting for every kind of human tragedy. In His Natural Life we encounter tragedy at its best (or worst). For Rufus Dawes his imprisonment in the "colonies" turns into a lifelong ordeal. The abundance of both physical and moral violence in His Natural Life was too much for early critics who labelled the book "unsuitable for reading". At the end of the 20th century human suffering is an ever-present phenomenon and today's reader will not be repulsed by the explicit physical violence in His Natural Life. Yet, the amount of mental violence inflicted upon Dawes is just about too much. The reader wonders: It cannot possibly get any worse for Dawes - can it? Clarke's masterpiece is at the same time fascinating and shocking. It is one of those books you just cannot help reading on and on. You desperately wait for Rufus Dawes' salvation and being able to see the much-troubled creature get out of his ordeal makes every single one of the 900 pages worth reading.