The Chant of Thomas Keneally
Abstract
Examines the political consequences inherent in the genre of the ‘well-made novel’. Argues that ‘a reading of The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith may tell us, not only what Keneally’s novel explicitly states, that there is a limit to understanding white Australians can have of aboriginal culture, but also why Keneally was forced by the limits of the novel form itself to draw this lesson in politically conservative terms’ (291).
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Published 1 May 1982 in Volume 10 No. 3. Subjects: Aboriginal Australians - Literary portrayal, Aboriginal-White relations, Literary techniques, structures & modes, Novel writing, Titles of literary works, Use of language, Tom Keneally.
Cite as: Frow, John. ‘The Chant of Thomas Keneally.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 10, no. 3, 1982, doi: 10.20314/als.33c007747a.