In our class discussions, a main focus has been our attempt to categorize Ned as good or evil, as villainous or heroic. While it is tempting to pick a side on this issue, I think that we should look at it from a less absolute point of view. Rather than seeing Ned as simply good or evil, we should examine his moral values closely and individually. In doing so we can find that Ned certainly has a strong sense of morals, but he is forced to adapt them to the life he lives and use them in ways that may be unusual, but certainly not villainous.
Ned’s family values remain central to his moral composition throughout the book, and he adamantly defends his family in several ways, allowing us to examine how his morals adapt as he matures. At an early age, Ned seems intent on preserving his family pride. When Patchy Moran, who was much bigger than Ned at the time, slanders his father, Ned takes on a bravery and aggression that we only see in him when his family is being threatened. Later in the book, he takes on the role of the father himself, and feels it is his duty to provide for his family in a more material way. He tries to take care of his mother’s land so that he can ensure that she and his siblings are comfortable and well fed. If anything threatens his family, whether it is hunger or his mother’s lover, Ned does not think twice about doing whatever he has to do to stop it. Finally, the books opening lines, and the fact that Ned’s intended audience is his daughter, show his love for his family and his fatherly affection. We first see this side of Ned’s love for his family when Grace is born, and he says “I held our precious baby in my arms her eyes so clear and untroubled. She looked me frankly in the face and I loved her as if she were my very own” (27). Comparing the way that Ned thought of his sister when he was 11 with the way he speaks to his daughter as he writes the book shows that his affection and love for his family has not changed.
For these reasons, it doesn’t seem that Ned’s morals deteriorate or alter in their core values, but they do become more realistic. He realizes that, as an Irishman living in Australia, living an honest farmer’s life is nearly impossible, and certainly won’t keep him out of trouble with the police. This realization doesn’t effect a change in his morals, however, it simply causes some of his values to take precedent over others. For example, he shoots Bill Frost not because he wants to, but because Harry tricks him into believing that that is the only way he can defend his mother’s honor. Ned never abandons any of his moral values; instead, he realizes that, in the environment that he lives in, he will sometimes be forced to choose one of his values over another.
I agree completely with what you have said here. I think that, from what we have heard from Ned, that he does have a very strong sense of what is just in his world. While his morals may not be the best to follow by, they are pretty admirable given his life. What makes them more admirable is the way Ned follows them always. We must, however, remember that this is a tale that Ned is narrating to his daughter, so he would not portray himself in a bad light. Even taking this into account, I still believe that Ned does really have very strong morals. This is shown not only in the ways that he rationalizes and justifies his actions, but also in the way that he acts. Whatever the explanations for his actions he may give, these actions alone give us an insight into his character. Like David said in his post, Ned leaves his extremely peaceful life at the sawmill immediately after getting news that his family needs him. He doesn't stop to think about how his mother had hurt him and the reasons he left 11 Mile Creek in the first place, but rushes off to help his brother, who was rather disrespectful to him before, get out of trouble. To do this, he again faces the police whom he had been avoiding. This reminded me of the way that his father had faced the police and took the blame for him earlier, though his father was extremely afraid of going back to prison. Ned does have a strong sense of honor, and perhaps he should have given his father more credit.
ReplyDelete