Going Back to on the Corner of North and Nowhere. a Novel A
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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2016 On the corner of north and nowhere. A novel ‐ and ‐ Going back to go forward: An invitation to get lost. A critical essay Ali Marie Jarvey Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Fiction Commons Recommended Citation Jarvey, A. M. (2016). On the corner of north and nowhere. A novel ‐ and ‐ Going back to go forward: An invitation to get lost. A critical essay. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1931 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1931 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. 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On the corner of north and nowhere A novel ‐ and ‐ Going back to go forward: An invitation to get lost A critical essay This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Ali Marie Jarvey Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities 2016 Abstract This thesis comprises a young adult (YA) novel called On the Corner of North and Nowhere and an exegesis entitled ‘Going Back to Go Forward: An Invitation to Get Lost’. On the Corner of North and Nowhere follows 18‐year‐old Nev Isles, who lives and works at Cleary’s, her grandmother’s art retreat in the Perth Hills. She dwells happily in an old cottage by herself, until her mother decides that she wants to move there too. Rather than live with her again, Nev runs away with her friend, Cole, set for the WA roads she travelled as a child and the mining town of Newman, where her father lives. The trip forces Nev to relive the slow fracturing of her relationship with her mother. Newman offers little reward. Her father has a girlfriend and wants to move from the town. As Nev grows homesick, she gravitates towards Cole. He encourages her to follow her instincts home, even though he cannot stay long himself: after they return to Perth, he has to leave for America to deal with his own family issues. Nev and Cole’s journey back to the city is set against some of the most beautiful and isolated stretches of WA road. They find that they would rather stay lost in these landscapes, than return to chaos. It is only after a brief stay at a beach camp on the corner of north and nowhere, that they decide it is time to return home to face their troubles and inevitable separation. While On the Corner of North and Nowhere is not autobiographical, it originates from my childhood, adolescent and adult experiences with WA places. ‘Going Back to Go Forward: An Invitation to Get Lost’ critically examines the composition of my manuscript, with distinct reference to these origins. It is written in two chapters, which are connected by the work and praxis of selected creative arts practitioners, whose experiences with place and literature in their youths also compel them to write as adults. Chapter one investigates the prevalence of Edenic landscapes in WA literature, focusing on authors, such as Dorothy Hewett and Tim Winton, who aim to reconstruct ii lost paradise from their youth, in their fiction and nonfiction. Cleary’s, by comparison, is constructed as an unconventional Eden that subverts the trope, thus supporting Nev’s eventual return to paradise and her maturation. Finally, chapter two investigates the influence of Betsy Hearne and Roberta Trites’ narrative compass model, which encourages female scholars to reflect on a resonant story from their youth, towards an understanding of how it impacts their research. Recognising the narrative patterns in my compass was fundamental to the development of On the Corner of North and Nowhere, as it enabled me to craft second and subsequent drafts of the manuscript, with attention to rites of passage in Australian YA literature. iii USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. Acknowledgements To my supervisors, Dr Donna Mazza and Dr Richard Rossiter, whose guidance has had no limits: I remain in awe of your patience and I am honoured to have had the opportunity to produce this thesis under your mentorship. To my ECU family and writing group, including Dr Robyn Mundy, Dr Gus Henderson, Dr Amanda Gardiner, Aksel Dadswell, Annie Horner, Narrelle de Boer, Nicole Sinclair, Rachel McEleney, Sarah Mills, and Sally Murphy: I owe a debt to your creative intuition and sharp eyes. When I lost mine, I was always assured of yours. To artist, Amanda Oei Wells, who accepted a commission to illustrate two of my main characters: it gave me such heart to see them. Thank you. To my mum, Alison, and sister, Amanda: I could not have had better assistants or companions during the research trip that formed the bones of this thesis. And finally, to my family and friends: I found your support most often during those days when I had to put my thesis to the side. Thank you for guiding me back. vi Table of Contents Abstract.........................................................................................................................ii‐iii Use of Thesis...................................................................................................................iv Declaration.......................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments...........................................................................................................vi Novel – On the Corner of North and Nowhere Prologue: Five Years Earlier.......................................................................................1‐8 Part One: Living Little..............................................................................................9‐69 Part Two: On the Road Again..............................................................................70‐112 Part Three: Little Red Sweeper..........................................................................113‐174 Pat Four: On the Corner of North and Nowhere................................................175‐205 Part Five: If the Dream Holds............................................................................206‐226 Exegesis – Going Back to Go Forward: An Invitation to Get Lost Introduction.........................................................................................................228‐232 Chapter One Mental Travellers and Physical Questers.........................................................233‐242 Doctoral Research Trip: “You can’t go home again”.......................................242‐247 Recreating Lost Paradise: A WA Predilection...................................................247‐252 Cleary’s and the Unconventional Eden.............................................................252‐260 Chapter Two Towards Young Adult Fiction...........................................................................261‐263 “A Narrative Compass: Stories That Guide Women’s Lives”...........................263‐275 Rite of Passage: Coming of Age in YA Literature.............................................275‐280 Separation: The “transformational call of adolescence”.................................280‐283 Liminality: “Betwixt and between”..................................................................283‐294 Reintegration: “Narrative closure” and the Absentee Mother........................294‐301 Conclusion...........................................................................................................302‐303 References...........................................................................................................304‐308 Appendices Appendix A: Map of Western Australia: Research Trip Itinerary.............................309 Appendix B: Photographic Essay: Western Australian Roadscapes.................310‐315 Appendix C: A Chronology of Events in Young Adult Literature: 1795‐1984....316‐321 vii List of Figures Figure Title Page Number Figure 1.1. Nev and Aero...............................................................................................................1 Figure 1.2. Early sketch of Nev and Aero..................................................................................227 Figure 1.3: Elspeth and Maruman............................................................................................266 Figure 1.4: Hearne’s narrative compass...................................................................................269 Figure 1.5: My narrative compass............................................................................................270