Marcus Clarke A witness to the Britain transport system

The　Australian　literature　has　enjoyed　a　history　of　about　200　years，　during　which　many　wonderful　literature　works　have　been　created　by　various　authors.　And　it　is　also　a　period　when　the　Australian　people　formed　their　own　character，　values　and　common　views.　Today，　when　we　talk　about　Australia，　the　most　common　things　we　will　think　of　probably　be　the　Sydney　Opera　House，　kangaroo，　and　the　transport　system.

If　we　want　to　learn　more　about　the　Britain　transport　system，　For　the　Term　of　His　Natural　Life，　a　famous　a　literary　work　by　Marcus　Clarke，　should　be　recommended　for　its　representativeness　and　popularity　among　the　readers.

The　Australian　mainland　was　firstly　used　as　a　big　prison　to　lock　up　the　exiles　from　the　Great　Britain.　Naturally，　the　exiles　firstly　became　the　main　themes　in　terms　of　the　literary　creation.　There　are　quite　a　lot　of　imitating　writing　techniques　of　style　and　content　in　works　at　that　time.　But　things　were　changed　from　the　later　part　in　the　19th　century，　people　in　this　big　prison　begun　to　resist　the　unfair　system　physically　and　mentally.

Several　writers　showed　their　unyielding　spirit　in　their　works，　such　as　Marcus　Clarke　and　his　immortal　novel，　For　the　Term　of　His　Natural　Life，　from　which　we　can　find　many　descriptions，　showing　the　public’s　strong　desire　to　change　the　oppressive　social　system.

Rufus　Dawes，　the　leading　character　in　this　novel，　is　a　symbol　of　indomitable　spirit，　who　has　suffered　quiet　a　lot　misfortunes　as　a　murderer　before　he　meets　Sylvia，　Mrs.　Vickers，　and　lieutenant　Frere.　To　our　surprise，　an　unforgettable　and　tragic　travel　is　waiting　them，　especially，　Rufus　Dawes，　and　Sylvia.

Chapter　27，　The　Coracle，　is　a　good　example　to　show　Marcus　Clarke’s　fine　writing　in　shaping　the　characters’　personality，　which　was　actually　a　great　breakthrough　in　both　writing　style　and　depth　in　the　content　of　the　story.　Specifically，　four　main　characters　are　well　descripted　by　a　series　of　ups　and　downs　so　as　to　express　the　public’s　dissatisfaction　to　the　oppression　of　the　exile　system.

In　this　chapter，　we　can　find　many　well-arranged　descriptions　and　plots　as　follow　to　show　both　Rufus　Dawes’　industrious　working　and　unpredictable　difficulty　he　would　meet.

1.　In　the　morning，　however，　Rufus　Dawes　was　first　at　work，　and　made　no　allusion　to　the　previous　everything.　He　had　already　skinned　one　of　the　goats，　and　he　directed　Frere　to　set　to　work　upon　another.

2.　"I　can　work　no　more，　"　says　Frere　sulkily；　”I　can’t　stand.　You’ve　got　muscles　of　iron，　I　suppose.　I　haven’t.”

The　descriptions　from　the　front　and　side　views　make　Rufus　Dawes　a　successful　example　of　kind　Australian　people，　actively　struggling　with　the　difficult　and　unfair　fate.　Apart　from　shaping　people’s　character　through　multi-angles，　the　descriptions　of　scenes　and　articles，　increase　the　authenticity　of　the　story　without　other　comments　in　the　context，　which　is　another　significant　point　of　Clarke’s　works.

We　can　still　find　Marcus　Clarke’s　facile　writing　techniques　in　depicting　other　figures　such　as　Maurice　Frere　and　Sylvia.　Maurice　Frere　is　a　well-designed　character　in　this　chapter，　from　which　we　can　see　and　feel　truly　the　complexity　of　humanity.

On　one　hand，　he　wants　to　make　use　of　Rufus　Dawes’　talents　to　make　the　boat　and　his　wisdom　to　escape　from　the　adverse　condition.　In　Chapter　27，　Maurice　Frere　pretends　to　be　a　little　tame　in　front　of　Rufus’　order　to　build　the　boat，　though　in　his　mind　he　is　not　willing　to　be　directed　by　Rufus.　He　lets　out　his　dissatisfaction　in　words　like　“Don’t　talk　to　me　as　if　I　was　a　dog”，　“Be　civil，　can’t　you”　shortly　after　Rufus’　order.　But　the　fatigued　lieutenant　still　bears　his　hands，　blistered　and　sore.

On　the　other　hand，　he　turns　green-eye　to　Rufus’　ability，　which　can　be　proved　in　the　following　description　extracted　from　chapter　27.　Mrs.　Vickers　being　on　better，　Dawes　went　to　see　her，　and　seemed　to　have　made　friends　again　with　Sylvia，　for　he　came　out　of　the　hut　with　the　child’s　hand　in　his.　Frere，　who　was　cutting　the　meat　in　long　strips　to　dry　in　the　sun，　saw　this，　and　it　added　fresh　fuel　to　the　fire　of　his　unreasonable　envy　and　jealousy.　However，　he　said　nothing，　for　his　enemy　had　not　yet　shown　him　how　the　boat　was　too　made.　Before　mid-day，　however，　he　was　a　partner　in　the　secret，　which，　after　all，　was　a　very　simple.

Sylvia　is　naive　and　kind.　She　puts　what　she　has　read　in　the　book　into　practice　with　Rufus　without　any　hostility　though　she　has　personified　one　of　the　heroines　from　the　book.　She　also　has　a　fair-minded　judge　in　head　in　terms　of　Rufus　and　Frere.　She　doesn’t　mind　Rufus’　past　as　an　exiled　prisoner，　and　respects　Rufus’　good　and　honest.

Marcus　Clarke　uses　his　great　mind　to　create　the　three　roles　and　their　tragic　destiny　to　expresses　his　dissatisfaction　to　the　unfair　transport　system　by　the　story.　In　Clarke’s　time，　most　Australian　authors　were　still　influenced　by　the　Great　Britain　literature　though　Marcus　Clarke　and　a　few　other　authors　begun　to　make　breakthrough.　The　true　wide-range　awakening　of　Australian　literature　took　place　in　the　later　19th　century，　represented　by　Joseph　Murphy　and　Henry　Lawson.

参考文献：

[1]澳大利亚文学选读　黄源深　上海外语教育出版社　2004

[2]无期徒刑　马库斯.克拉克著　湖南人民出版社　1985