Australian Literature In 1962
1
Australian Literature In 1962 By JUDAH W TEN TEE DMOaRATIC TRADITION tion of the battle against the demoncratic- rmlist tradition in Australian writing. In many articles .in the literary pages O the daily press and in literary magazines, on TV and radio, at the "Cultural Freedom" seminar on "Little magazines ", a nd in the "Overland discussion on the Australian Myth", the democratic-realist tradition was roundly denounced, declared to be artistically inferior to the contemporary psychologi cal and sym- bolical writing which allegedly penetrates more deeply into something called "Life". "Li fe" it would seem consist s of a certain biological phenomenon and mental disorder. This ty pe of w riting in 1962 , fol lowing the pattern of current American literature, has moved through a phase of psychiatric case histories, decadent private fantasies and melo- dramas. As in much modern painting and music this writing turns its back on recog- nisable reality and retreats into meaningless symbolism. Add to this a strong dose of mysticism and religiaus fervour and you have some o f the stnificant features of the much vaunted anti-realist-metaphysical trend. At the same time democratic-realist writin8 has been portrayed as standing where it stood twenty and even flfty years ago. atro- phied tradition-bound, unable to cope with the cAmplexities of modern life. This is demon- strably untrue. The democratic tradition established by mancis Adams, Henry Lawson. Joseph nr- phy. Bernard O'Dowd and Mary Gilmore in- spired the subsequent school of iLustra1ian novelists. it created a na tional literature, a blood stream that ran through our most im- portant writers-Prichard, Palmer. Dark. Ds.vison. Mann. Herb ert. PZlrnley Maurice. Fitzgerald. Tennan t, Marshall , Casey and Morrkon. In all the criticism of the democratic- realist traditlon there can be discerned a political-ideolo~ical trend-~basically oppositim to the Lahour movement and to the ideals of Socialism. This is clearly expressed in "Australian Civilisation." a collection of essays edited bv Peter Coleman, associate ediMr of the "Bulletin." The majo rity of these essays. thken together constitute a kind ot anti-democratic, intellectual NCC manifesto. Similarly in the "Overland " discussion (Autumn 1962) the criticism of the demo- cratic trend was accompanied by a political attack on the. left. Pase 26 EALIST WRITER, No. 12, 1963. Socialist views were considered to be in- compatible with gwd writing by a number of reviewers of John Morrison's 23 stories and Ron Tull ipan's novel. "mr ch into Morn- ing." But from the days o f La wm the demo- up with socialist ideas. This has been the redity, a further proof that a11 literaCure has an ideological -politi cal trend, th at in one way or another it expresses and upholds the interests of deflnite Class es and social groups. The democratic-realist trend ha s always up- held the interests of the mass of the people. T. Inalis Moore, the well-known Poet and Ass ociate Professor O Austr alian Literatwe at th e Australian National University writing on Australian Literature and its traditions in the January 1963 issue of the "Good Neigh- bour." the bulletin of the Department of Immigwtion, says: "The founders of our literature, the writers of the 1890s. were not only men of the working classes but also, as a rule, radicals and socialists. "Their sympathies lay with the under- privil eged. 'the under-dog : and their writing is filled with social criticism." Professor Moore quotes a verse from Ber- nard O'Dowd whch expressed the vision Of the early democratic-realist: "That each shall share what all men sow, Tha t colour , caste's a lie: That man is God, however low- Is man, however high." The ideals of peace, freedom and social justice combined with a marked realism are the two el ements constitbting democratic tradition Professor Moore emphasises. In the same article Professor Moore rightly indicates the existence of another tradition in Austraiian literature. This is the anti- realist-metaphysical one of which the present day symbolists and mystlcs are the inheritors. It 'is very strongly expressed in the work of considerable number of poets who manifesl the present-day epidemi c of chaos an d gib- berish, intellectual paucity, excessive inward- ness, sexual fantasies, anti-Communism a nd the abandonment o f reason, features of much poetry in tke whole capitalist world. Even Vincent Buckley, the well-known Catholic poet, critic and poetry editor o f the "Bulletin" and opponent of the democratic trend, has expressed misgivings about Australian poetry in 1962 . "There is little of the genuine ex- ritemmt. the sense of Doetry as a communal venture and achievement, which existed a few years ago." he wrote in the "Bulletin" December 29. 1962. THE OTHER TRADITION The anti-realist tradition has its roots in relctiollary 19th century Eluropean thought and in th e concept of a ruling elite, care- fully nurtured by the offspring of the ru le r O a convict-serf society . Ils earllest adherents embraced as their guide Ni etzsche t he author of the superman phi losoph y. &ch mite rs as Norman Lindsay th e poets Brenn&n and BaYlebridge ior exam p~e, shows the influ- in the words of the Times Literary Supple- ment (Ja nuary 11, 1963 ) "something of a zara - thustrah." This tradition was also influenced by the French symbolists and the leading right wing literary figures of the 20th century Enghsh speaking world. T. E, Hulme, T. S, Eliot ana Ezra Pound, lhe American poet and fascist collaborator who was praised in "Quadrant" by Noel Stock. former 1i:erary editor of Eric Butler's anti-Semitic "New Times." Today in Australia lts exponents include the editor of "Quadrant." a member of the D.L.P. executive Catholic poet Jame s MC- AUle Y, who attalks the ~ite ratuie f the Inst few centuries, finds refuge in authority, the Mlddle ages and classicism and detests any conceilt c,f social progress. And ironic ally Max Harris whom McAuley exposed is no at one with him in denouncing democratic- realist writers. But Perhaps the ou standing work of the metaphyslcai and am-realist t~aditlon s that of Patrick White. in official circles the most highly Praised novelist in Australla. He has even been drcrib'ed in Max Harris's "Aus- tralian Book Revlea" (Ja n.. 19 631 as "prob- zbly the greatest Englihll ilriter at work to- day." Yet it is taken for eranted bv most literary Cr iLcS that Patrlck White. ill.the words ot Jack Beasley in the ',Realist Writer' (septem- beer. 19621, "no onl:< stands outside the democratic realist tradit~on . . but in fact stands against it." For insCance the Times Litcrary Supplp- niellt on January 11, 1963, pertlnmtly re- marked that, "with 'The Tree of Man' end 'Voss' we arc back to Nietzseha The Nietz- chean ghost in Australia is, alter more than hnlf a century, far from hid." In a n ersay on Pa tr~ ck White's ncwel "Riders in the Chariot 1 1 "Southe rly" Nov . 2 19C2 , Dr. Colin Roder lck wrote . . . . me tender-minded optimist who looks for hai~piness on a future existence Wi ll find congelllal thought In the panthe istic semi-philcmphicai senll-mythological mysticis; of this book. But the humanist who looks for ethical and moral self-realisation in this one poor life, will reject its haslc philosophy." Dlscuaing th* four principal characders in Lh e ncoel, Dr Roderick said they "appear to me to express something of perplexity in their mthor's mind, as if he has discovered to hIs dismay, s feathers hat when eason eighed nd rational n the scale bo;ght gain st re instinct and Intoitlon." A similar view of the four cha racter s was advanced by David Bradley in his article On 9162 The ssue Riders f "Overland": n the Chariot" in the ~pril; "They are united by their snseri ng, by humility, by the rejecticn of men, by their mutual vis ion cf the deep horror o f I I ~, nd eseecially of the life guided by ~ e ~ ~ ~ ; their patient cultivation in the darkness-; the mind O that other mode of knowing 'which the flesh might c any moment remem- ber'." Patrick White's explicit belief in an elite and hls anti-reason outweigh his criticism of philistinism and his satire. His mysticism his Concepts of instinct and intuition ard cothing but aspects of fin-de-siecle 20th cen- tury literary decadence. His total inahility to imagine a rational solution of man's illness and his pessimistic belief that man remains unchanged in h~ s oul which is born evil makes him the clearest example ct a meta- Physical-anti-realist, and hence acceptable to the ruling class in our tlme, regardless of his intentions. The ruling class of Australia through its Propaxanda and academic agencies lauas the anti-reallst-metaphys~cal rend because ~ does not offer the people any c larity but con- tribute. lo confusion, especially among intei- Iectual S Wh o either believe in or want to be- heve in the possibility of progress. An anti-realist approach which is labelled realist also creates the additional danger, at least for a while, of diverting writers from realism. Particularly ycung wnters. Thip struggle between opposing forces In our literalure is part of the literary battle raging throughout the capitalist world espe- cially in the USA, where the literary right at the begin1lin.q c f the cold war launched a Weat onslaueht on the democratic humanist tradition in American literature. An Ameri- can literary magazine back in 1949 gave a name t the two opposing forces in ~m pr i- can literature and it called them "redskin" and "paleface" represented by wait whit- man a nd Henry Jame s respecti vely. ~t also poinl'ed hemselves ut ound hat these merican wo pc.:ar riters ypes. rouped ~ne "redskins" reflected the hfe of the frontier and of the big cities and the "palefaces, the thm, semi-cle rical culture of goston an d Cohcord." Among the "redskins" were such Weat writers as Theodore Dreiser Sherwood Anderscn an d Sinclair Lewis, and' it is pre- (Continued on next page) REALIST WRITER, No. 12, 1963 ge 27 (Continued from previous page) cisely the "redskins" who are now h ~ v w nmdpr fire just like the democratic writers in . Australia. A YEAR OF ADVANCE ye t 19 62 was a year o f advance for m e democratic-realist trend. During the year outstanding books in this tradition were published by the Australasian Book Society. These were Gavin Casey's "Amid the PleptY." joml ~orri~on'~ 23, Ron Tullipan's "March into Morning" and Alan Marshall's "This is the ~ ra ss, " which was also published in EW- land and by Cheshire's in Australla for the general public. G,avin Cmey's novel "Amid the Plenty" gives a picture of contemporary unemployment has become a feature of ~ustralian society for the first time since the end of the war. Unemployment is now of Cour se a ountries ermanent ut' spect ot so f long ife in go ost t was apitalist aid by the press, capitalist politicians and theore- ticians of all kinds, tn have been atdlshed. This belief affected whole sections of the people with the result that the new Wave of unemployment in the midst of apparent prosperity has had a devastating p~schological effect on many of its unpreuared victims. This icts is ith he nsight roblem nd hich eeling. avln CaseY de- "Twenty Three" stories by John Morrimn bas added to his already considerable fame as a sho rt story writer. It was widely re- viewed ave conceded n the press hat ~nd hese ven tories ight-wing re authen- + & tic pictures of Australian life. This collection includes bbott." ~uch study utstanding f a militant tories waterside s "80 worker he bourgeois nd "Morning entality lory," hich a places icture Pro- f perty above life. "March into Mcn nin :" by Ron Tullipan was selected by the "Sydney Sun" as one of Lh e three best Australian novels the year. With this novel Ron nllipan has cotwli- dated the reputation as s novelist of dis- tinction tha t he made with his first navel "Follow the Sun" which was also published by n he March BB into Morning," ~ I ullipan embarked on a more ambitious theme. the making of a class conscious worker, a theme that is attracting more and more reahst writers. he last ABs book of the year was Alan Marshall 's "This is the Grass, the Con- tinuation econd volume f his of I his an rojected ump Puddles." our-volume he autbbiography. 1n this book Alan Marshall has set out to give a picture of his early manhood, hls dif- Eculties in finding work because of his dis- abilityes due to polio. He shcvs how the employers, ooked upon hen im hey s did source ffer him f cheap ork, labour. Page 28 EALIST WRITER, No. 12, 1963. There re brUliant cameos of Australian city life in 'TWs is the Grass" a s wel l IL÷ social criticism. In this book Alan MErShan reaflkms his deep and lasting faith in man and his future. publication by the BS in the tenth year r its existence of nuch four disting- uished writers as Gavin Cauey, John MOr- risen rton Tullipan and Alan Marshall is additional prosf of the high prest %e of the Society. ~t has been one of the major forces making for the continuation of the demo- cratic tradition in Aurtraliall literature. of the realist bcoks published during the year hould by e made ommercial f the publishers nthology of mention Mod- ern" Australian Hu mor, edited by Bill Wan- nan st writers hich from ncludes enry ost awscn f ~ustralia's o Alan Mar- ed- shall, and Bill Wonnan's original "Very Strange Tales" a crltical account of AUS- tralian ict period. olitics e and lso affairs lves a during orrifying he pict- on- ure of the treatment of the Aborigines of that t i e . Thousands had been slaughtered by urder 838 was nd o t t even as manslaushter fflcial opinion f cam- hat mitted on a "black." The novel "yaralie" (G mrgian House, Melbourne) by the talented novelist Donald Stuart, any vivid he and uthor ympathetic f " Ya nd y" , ictures ontains f the aborigi nes of the extreme n orth of West Awtralia. nowledge ofonald he modern tuart has borigine remarkable nd his knowledge of the idiom of speech of the ab- orieines is probably unequalled in Aus- tralia. Perhaps some of the most notable poamh to appear durmg 1962 were in the "Realist Writer." They were distinguished for their social content and clarity of expression. The poems Dorothy Hewett and Denis Kevans deserve special mention. Of the collection of poetry the most out- standiny I believe was Roland Robinscm's weep oet but ell." e sings e is f not he only brigines great ith ature are sensitiveness and understanding. CONCLUSION This list of prose and metry b y no means exhausts the works of distinction by pro- gressive Australian writers. These include novels by Australians living abroad, like the world famous writer James Aldridge. Altogether, then, 1962 saw the appearance cf haracter any Ane onvincing ooks of roof democratic hat the realist emo- cratic tradition is still a great force in qur literature, desgite the attacks on it. A line of influence of such persistence and strength can only be explained by its constant Close amnit" with the people. It is afte r all only the demcaratic and social realistic miters who eal man, ace up roblems o th? n eal hich roblems he emanclp- f the ation of humanity is posed. It is just be- cause of this that the democratic tradition xi11 han nod he disappear; orces of prcgress t will no hich orenourish isappear t.
Transcript of Australian Literature In 1962
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Australian Literature In 1962By JUDAH WATEN
TEE DMOaRATIC TRADITION
NIN5TEEN-SIXTY-TWO saw an intensifica-
tion of the battle against the demoncratic-rmlist tradition in Australian writing.
In many articles .in the literary pages Othe daily press and in literary magazines, onTV and radio, at the "Cultural Freedom"seminar on "Little magazines", a nd in the"Overland discussion on the Australian Myth",the democratic-realist tradition was roundlydenounced, declared to be artistically inferiorto the contemporary psychological and sym-bolical writing which allegedly penetratesmore deeply into something called "Life"."Life" it would seem consists of a certain
biological phenomenon and mental disorder.This ty pe of w riting in 1962, following thepattern of current American literature, hasmoved through a phase of psychiatric casehistories, decadent private fantasies and melo-dramas. As in much modern painting andmusic this writing turns its back on recog-nisable reality and retreats into meaninglesssymbolism. Add to this a strong dose ofmysticism and religiaus fervour and you havesome of the stnifica nt features of the muchvaunted anti-realist-metaphysical trend.
At the same time democratic-realist writin8
has been portrayed as standing where itstood twenty and even flfty years ago. atro-phied tradition-bound, unable to cope withthe cAmplexitiesof modern life. This is demon-strably untrue.
The democratic tradition established bymanc is Adams, Henry Lawson. Joseph nr -phy. Bernard O'Dowd and Mary Gilmore in-spired the subsequent school of iLustra1iannovelists. it created a na tional literature, ablood stream that ran through our most im-portant writers-Prichard, Palmer. Dark.Ds.vison. Mann. Herb ert. PZlrnley Maurice.Fitzgerald. Tennan t, Marshall, Casey andMorrkon.
In all the criticism of the democratic-realist traditlon there can be discerned apolitical-ideolo~ical trend-~basically oppositimto the Lahour movement and to the idealsof Socialism. This is clearly expressed in"Australian Civilisation." a collection ofessays edited bv Peter Coleman, associate ediMrof the "Bulletin." The majo rity of theseessays. thken together constitute a kind otanti-democratic, intellectual NCC manifesto.
Similarly in the "Overland" discussion
(Autumn 1962) the criticism of the demo-cratic trend was accompanied by a politicalattack on the. left.-Pase 26 - EALIST WRITER, No . 12, 1963.
Socialist views were considered to be in-compatible with gwd writing by a numberof reviewers of John Morrison's "23" storiesand Ron Tullipan's novel. "mr ch into Morn-ing."
B ut f rom the days of La wm the demo-cratic-realist trend has been closely boundup with socialist ideas. This has been theredity, a further proof that a11 literaCurehas an ideological-political trend, th at in oneway or another it expresses and upholds theinterests of deflnite Classes and social groups.The democratic-realist trend ha s always up-held the interests of the mass of the people.
T. Inalis Moore, the well-known Poet and
Associate Professor O Australian Literatweat the Australian National University writingon Australian Literature and its traditions inthe January 1963 issue of the "Good Neigh-bour." the bulletin of the Department ofImmigwtion, says:
"The founders of our literature, the writersof the 1890s. were not only men of th eworking classes but also, as a rule, radicalsand socialists.
"Their sympathies lay with the under-privileged. 'the under-dog: and their writingis filled with social criticism."
Professor Moore quotes a verse from Ber-nard O'Dowd whch expressed the vision Of
the early democratic-realist:
"That each shall share what all men sow,Tha t colour, caste's a lie:
That man is God, however low-Is man, however high."
The ideals of peace, freedom and socialjustice combined with a marked realism arethe two elements constitbting democratictradition Professor Moore emphasises.
In the same article Professor Moore rightlyindicates the existence of another traditionin Austraiian literature. This is the anti-realist-metaphysical one of which the presentday symbolists and mystlcs are the inheritors.
It 'is very strongly expressed in the work ofa
considerable number of poets who manifeslthe present-day epidemic of chaos an d gib-berish, intellectual paucity, excessive inward-ness, sexual fantasies, anti-Communism a ndthe abandonment of reason, features of muchpoetry in tke whole capitalist world. EvenVincent Buckley, the well-known Catholicpoet, critic and poetry editor of the "Bulletin"and opponent of the democratic trend, hasexpressed misgivings about Australian poetryin 1962. "There is little of the genuine ex-ritemmt. the sense of Doetry as a communalventure and achievement, which existed a fewyears ago." he wrote in the "Bulletin"December 29. 1962.
THE OTHER TRADITION
The anti-realist tradition has its roots inrelctiollary 19th century Eluropean thoughtand in th e concept of a ruling elite, care-fully nurtured by the offspring of the ru le rO a convict-serf society. Ils earllest adherents
embraced as their guide Nietzsche t he authorof the superman philosophy. &ch m ite rs
as Norman Lindsay th e poets Brenn&n andBaYlebridge ior exam p~e, shows the influ-
ence of Nietzschean ideas and A. D. Hope isin the words of the Times Literary Supple-ment (Ja nuary 11, 1963) "something of a zara -
thustrah."
This tradition was also influenced by theFrench symbolists and the leading right wingliterary figures of the 20th century Enghshspeaking world. T. E, Hulme, T. S, Eliot anaEzra Pound, lhe American poet and fascistcollaborator who was praised in "Quadrant"
by Noel Stock. former 1i:erary editor of EricButler's anti-Semitic "New Times."
Today in Australia lts exponents include
the editor of "Quadrant." a member of theD.L.P. executive Catholic poet Jame s MC-
AUleY, who attalks the ~ite ratuie f the Instfew centuries, finds refuge in authority, theMlddle ages and classicism and detests anyconceilt c,f social progress. And ironic ally
Max Harris whom McAuley exposed is no!
at one with him in denouncing democratic-realist writers.
But Perhaps the ou!standing work of themetaphyslcai and am-realist t~ aditlon s thatof Patrick White. in official circles the most
highly Praised novelist in Australla. He haseven been drcrib'ed in Max Harris's "Aus-tralian Book Revlea" (Ja n.. 19631 as "prob-
zbly the greatest Englihll ilriter at work to-day."
Yet it is taken for eranted bv most literaryCriLcS that Patrlck White. ill .the words otJack Beasley in the ' ,Realist Writer' (septem-beer. 19621, "no! onl:< stands outside thedemocratic realist tradit~on . . but in factstands against it."
For insCance the Times Litcrary Supplp-
niellt on January 11, 1963, pertlnmtly re-marked that, "with 'The Tree of Man' end'Voss' we arc back to Nietzseha The Nietz-chean ghost in Australia is, alter more thanhnlf a century, far from hid."
In a n ersay on Pa tr~ ck White's ncwel"Riders in the Chariot ' 111 "Southe rly" Nov. 2,
19C2, Dr. Colin Roderlck wr ote.
". . . me tender-minded optimist wholooks for hai~piness on a future existenceWill find congelllal thought In the panthe isticsemi-philcmphicai senll-mythological mysticis;of this book. But the humanist who looks forethical and moral self-realisation in this one
poor life, will reject its haslc philosophy."
Dlscuaing th* four principal characders in
Lhe ncoel, Dr. Roderick said they "appear tome to express something of perplexity in theirmthor's mind, as if he has discovered to hIsdismay,s feathershatwheneason eighednd rationaln the scalebo;ght gain stre
instinct and Intoitlon."A similar view of the four cha racter s was
advanced by David Bradley in his articleOn9162 ThessueRidersf "Overland":n the Chariot" in the ~pril ;
"They are united by their snseri ng, byhumility, by the rejecticn of men, by theirmutual vision cf the deep horror of I I ~ ,ndeseecially of the life guided by ~ e ~
their patient cultivation in the darkness-;!the mind O that other mode of knowing'which the flesh might ac any moment remem-ber'."
Patrick White's explicit belief in an eliteand hls anti-reason outweigh his criticism ofO philistinism and his satire. His mysticismhis Concepts of instinct and intuition ard
cothing b ut aspects of fin-de-siecle 20th cen-tury literary decadence. His total inahility toimagine a rational solution of man's illnessand his pessimistic belief that man remainsunchanged in h ~ s oul which is born evilmakes him the clearest example ct a meta-Physical-anti-realist, and hence acceptable tothe ruling class in our tlme, regardless of hisintentions.
The ruling class of Australia throughits Propaxanda and academic agencies lauasthe anti-reallst-metaphys~cal rend because ~t
does not offer the people any clarity but con-tribute. lo confusion, especially among intei-IectualS Who either believe in or want to be-heve in the possibility of progress.
An anti-realist approach which is labelledrealist also creates the additional danger, atleast for a while, of diverting writers fromrealism. Particularly ycung wnters.
Thip struggle between opposing forces In
our literalure is part of the literary battleraging throughout the capitalist world espe-cially in the USA, where the literary right atthe begin1lin.q c.f the cold war launched aWeat onslaueht on the democratic humanisttradition in American literature. An Ameri-can literary magazine back in 1949 gave a
name to the two opposing forces in ~m pr i-can literature and it called them "redskin"and "paleface" represented by wait whit-
man a nd Henry Jame s respectively. ~t alsopoinl'edhemselvesut oundhat thesemericanwo pc.:arritersypes.rouped~ n e
"redskins" reflected the hfe of the frontierand of the big cities and the "palefaces, thethm, semi-clerical culture of goston an dCohcord." Among the "redskins" were such
Weat writers as Theodore Dreiser SherwoodAnderscn an d Sinclair Lewis, and' it is pre-
(Continued on next page)
REALIST WRITER, No. 12, 1963 - age 27
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