The Historical Basis of For the Term of His Natural Life
Abstract
Robson examines Clarke’s use of recorded history and the extent to which these records were adapted for the purposes of the narrative. While some items were exaggerated for effect, others are almost exact transcriptions of original records. Robson concludes that His Natural Life is far from the truth in terms of the incidents surrounding Rufus Dawes, but he acknowledges that Clarke’s use of recorded history produced “a more effective human document than it otherwise might have been".
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Published 1 December 1963 in Volume 1 No. 2. Subjects: Australian history, Writer's research & sources, Marcus Clarke.
Cite as: Robson, L. L.. ‘The Historical Basis of For the Term of His Natural Life.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 1963, doi: 10.20314/als.8575ddf80c.