The character of Red Kelly is not so concrete as the other characters have been. Ellen Quin (Ned Kelly’s mother) is consistently described as strong-willed, courageous, and having a stalwart “Irish-temper.” Even characters that are not so critical to Ned Kelly are detailed by potent, consistent, and predictable personalities. Sergeant O’Neil, for one, is a man of authority who, during his “hateful reign” (13) frequently abuses his status and harasses the Kelly family relentlessly.
Red Kelly, on the other hand, is approached as a sensitive, secretive subject. When he is presented, our first impression of him is a “quiet a secret man,” and in regards to his criminal history he “never spoke of it.” (7) Our only insight into his past thus far has been Sergeant O’Neil’s vague and deliberate insinuation that Red Kelly was involved with murder. (12) We know that Red Kelly served in Van Diemon’s Land and has since made it his primary objective to avoid the police. His crimes and his troubles are unknown to us.
Red Kelly’s mystery is further intensified by profound contradictions in his character. Of his sparse description, he is detailed as having a “… broad red beard … strong arms … freckled … [and] manly features…” (19) In stark contrast, Sergeant O’Neil presents the image of this great Irish man in “a dress with roses on its hem.” (15) There has so far been no explanation for this seemingly uncharacteristic aspect of Red Kelly, but its affect on Ned Kelly is so profound and troubling that the contrast is indeed severe.
As was mentioned, he avidly labors to avoid the police and to avoid returning to prison. His ardent objection to prison is easily recognized when he says, “I would rather die than return to prison.” (21) And yet, when the authorities inquire about the stolen cow Ned was responsible for killing, Red Kelly accepts the blame and is thus returned to prison. There is not enough information about the nature of Red Kelly to explain his decision, and we are left with questions of his intentions and of his feelings for his family. If we should accept that he sacrificed his honor and his resolutions for his son, why then would he “slowly [piss] away the 80 quid on rent and booze” instead of accepting the land and supporting his family? If Red Kelly’s love for Ned Kelly was worth the destruction of his stability and his spirit, why was Ned treated with such contempt? After returning from Avenel lockup, Red Kelly’s character is further in deeper tumult and even less clear than before. As for their relationship, “[Red Kelly] did not speak more than a dozen words to [Ned Kelly] from that day until [Red Kelly’s] death.” (35)
With the death of Red Kelly, the mysteries of his character persist, now with no means of explanation from the character himself. Who is Red Kelly?
I agree that up until this point Red Kelly remains an enigma. I think this is probably because at this point in Ned's life his father is still a mystery to him. We do not fully understand the nature of our parents at a young age. It is not until we grow older that we are actually able to see them as real people and not just parents. Ned Kelly's father is probably still a mystery to Ned at his point in Ned's life and that is why we do not know as much as we would like about Red Kelly's personality and history. I don't think that these mysteries will persist and never be explained. On the contrary, I think that some of the secrets of Red Kelly's life may come to be revealed later on the novel. This may not be true but I hope that it is. Red Kelly played a large influence in Ned's life and learning more about his real personality compared to Ned's current interpretation of him would be interesting.
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