Ned's Growing Up

As we have already seen, Ned Kelly is a static character. He is constantly changing throughout the novel. This is especially evident through the exploration of masculinity with in the novel. At the start of the story, when Ned is just a child, we are introduced to very concrete ideas of what it means to be a man: strength, violence, etc. Throughout our more recent readings, we have been introduced to more abstract ideas of masculinity, as Ned begins to grow up, through the idea of the man providing for his family, the act of owning up to your own responsibilities (pg. 135), and the taboo placed on selling people out. The contrast between Ned's character and characters such as the Quinn's and the McCormick's (pg. 166) continue to portray Ned as an epitome of masculinity.

In my anthropology class we discussed the idea of becoming an adult being more defined on cultural terms, rather than on a more general scale. Taking on this perspective, and looking at True History as a coming of age novel, we see that Ned Kelly experiences a series of events, and undergoes changes that aid in his development as a human being. Knowing that he will become an infamous bushranger, we are still able to see truly virtuous and admirable traits in Ned. I think that a different background and upbringing would have lead Ned down a better path. Going back to the "coming of age" idea, It seems that Australian culture, during this specific time period, defined "adulthood" in very different terms than we do in modern American Society. The focus on physical strength in the novel definitely makes it seem like things such as chopping down a certain number of trees in a day, being able to build a fence/dig fence posts, play a large role in reaching adulthood.