We often say that someone's actions can be classified as good or as bad based on his or her intentions. In the scene where Ned kills the cow his intentions are certainly not aimed at torturing the animal, and his ultimate goal is simply to provide food for his family. "We have beef I said we'll feast on her. But my words was bolder than my upset heart and I were very pleased she relieved me of the bloody knife I didn't know what next to do having not the faintest idea of how to butcher the heifer and yet not wanting the privilege to go elsewhere," Ned says (22). Although his intentions don't seem to be rooted in any kind of evil, it seems that the "privilege" he speaks of relates to a sense of personal satisfaction not only in providing for his family but also quite simply for killing the animal. Similarly, when Ned makes the decision to kill the cow he is very aware that the animal is Mr. Murray's property, but to this he simply states, "I did not care." (22) We are left in somewhat of a moral gray area: at what point does harming one person in order to help another make one a hero? an antihero? I think this gray area is sort of a debatable theme that will almost definitely be present throughout the novel.
The scene where Ned saves Dick from drowning doesn't just set up the juxtaposition of good vs. bad or killing vs. saving (speaking generally and looking past the moral questions); it also shows us how Ned responds to praise. Response to praise is often something that sets heroes and villains apart; heroes are thought to be gracious and humble while villains...aren't. In this case we are shown Ned's heroic side as he insists that he doesn't need a reward for his actions. Even when he considers the possibility of a reward he thinks immediately of his mother, desiring a dress for her (30). Either way, whether Ned becomes the good-guy or the bad-guy, I think it is safe to say that his early years will have a huge impact on the character he develops into.
Abby, I think you brought up a great point about the characterization of Ned Kelly in this novel! Just a few thoughts to back up your ideas…
ReplyDeleteThis post brought to mind a discussion from my philosophy class, Intro to Ethics. In The Republic, Plato relates a conversation in which a group of philosophers debate whether or not it is possible to simultaneously have a gentle and spirited personality. They conclude that it is certainly possible, using a puppy as analogous evidence. A puppy is gentle, affectionate, and protective of people he knows (or is not threatened by) but is spirited, reactionary, and feisty around those he does not know. I think this parallels the nature of Ned Kelly. Aside from the examples you included in your post, Ned’s heroic and tender side are witnessed through his role in/response to the birth of his baby sister (“…all the world seemed bright and new…I did not wish to leave my new sister” (27)) and through his selfless efforts to help his family escape their burning home and to retrieve his mother’s precious tin box (45). In addition to his slaughtering of this cow, we see this more “villainous” side of Ned through his physical quarrels with Patchy Moran (16), Uncle James (44), etc.
Later in the debate, the philosophers conclude that the individual consists of three parts: spirit, reason, and appetite. I think that whichever of these dominates in most of a person’s decisions and actions tells a lot about the type of person he is, whether he is someone to be admired (a hero) or someone to regard as a negative influence (villain). At the same time, I feel it is imperative to note that all three parts do exist in everyone, that every hero (realistically) has flaws and every villain has certain redeeming qualities. Because of this vague overlap between the qualities of heroes and villains, the scale on which we tend to judge one another is subjective. We are getting small glimpses of each of these divisions of personality; Ned is still very much in his youth and hasn’t quite discovered who he is. This is very much a coming of age story, and Ned has been trying to care not only for himself but his family, as he sees it is his duty since his father passed away. At this point in the plot, however, Ned has been ousted to follow Harry Power and live the life of a bushranger and is somewhat relieved of these familial responsibilities. As he grows more and more independent, it may become easier for us to see which part of his soul is dominating the others and therefore decide which of his actions are admirable or justified and place him in either the hero or villain category.