This last section of the novel has completely frustrated me in terms of Ned Kelly's character. Like I said yesterday in class, I really don't like the correlation between Ned and Annakin, or really with any other "larger than life" hero/villain, just because I feel that since Ned is from a poor country and background, equating him with them is slightly ridiculous. He doesn't need to be classified as a hero or a villain, because as we said in class, ANYONE is going to have a different view from the person sitting next to them.
But as I said, with regard to Ned's morality, this last section of the novel has thron me through a loop. Ned is now purposefully searching fo rrevenge against the traps. This is a big transition from when he was merely trying to defend himslef from their injustices. Then, he was taking the defensive side. Now he is launching an offensive against them. This is odd to me, because it really seems out of character from what the whole rest of the book has demonstrated to be his character. True, he fought Wild Wright and others, but those were still relatively for defensive purposes. On page 320, he even says that he is now "stewing in [his] own juice and plotting what revenge [he] would take upon them higher ups who so oppressed [them] all." He is no longer about focusing on defending himslef, as he was when he shot at Sgt. Kennedy. Now he is actively searching for them so as to destroy them. This bothers me, because like I said, it seems very out of character for him.
Welcome to the dark side padawan! (sorry, I couldn't help myself).
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm glad you're starting to see evidence of a side of Ned I've been trying to point out in class for a while now. Many are convinced of Ned's perfect morality, a morality that hinges on only fighting in self defense. However, Ned also fights when he doesn't have to for self-preservation, but has to for the defense of his reputation, or for revenge. I don't think that's very moral, personally.
Let me redirect your attention to some parts of the Wild Wright sequence that may seem very similar to the statement about stewing that bothered you so much. At the end of parcel six, Ned describes himself as a "spitting blazing in a rage no rain can staunch" (169). He's unwilling to let the slanders that have gone against his reputation go at any cost. Only a few pages later, he writes that an "injustice put [him] in a rage nothing would ease but danger [he] now craved it" (179). The way Ned describes his own anger is plain scary.
But here's the kicker - Ned comes out even more clearly with his vengeful streak in the same parcel. Ned admits in no hidden terms that he "would have no peace until [he] seen [Wild Wright] punished" (180). Remember, Wild Wright, "a friendly enough cove" (180), accidentally got Ned thrown in jail for his own crime three years earlier. Ned has claimed already to want a peaceful life after prison, but he just won't let this go. He starts having dreams about "[crushing] his jaw his brow his nose" (181). Ned has nothing to gain from beating Wright than the soothing of his own ego. That's plain revenge.
There are plenty more examples of this behavior, from Ned's first fight in elementary school until the end of the book. I don't think you should be worried about a change in Ned's character. He's been a vengeful person his whole life.