PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: «OCC5 First name: Other name/s: Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: ^ School: H^Oia ANO PfiftFOB^KlAi^ AiLtS Ps ycHiC WAitiMC fOfi^THe HC^L M/US fnAf^iCUi^ Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) Current scholarship on Miles Franklin emphasises the gaps and contradictions of a secretive and mysterious author. The eagerly awaited release of her private papers was marked by Paul Brunton's 2004 publication of her diaries, an edition that has been conceived and understood as a revelation of "the real Miles Franklin" (Lecture Title, State Library). This thesis disrupts the concept of a "real" Franklin by arguing that these diaries, in their manuscript form, give us more delay. Foregrounding the performative guises of the private diary subject, this thesis establishes that we are, and will always be, waiting for the real Miles Franklin to arrive. The insights of diary and textual theories illuminate Franklin, I will argue, as one who seeks the proliferative creativity of the anonymous author, and who would use her diary writing to escape definition within public discourse. Yet the tension between creativity and the daily enables us to see how potential is distorted into waiting in the surrogate space of these diaries, as Franklin seeks protection within the nostalgia of a national past and an Edenic vision of the future. This vantage point directs us to identify, as will be seen, the vulnerabilities and instabilities of this space for Franklin, as it implicates her in the dilemma of her times. In this way, we can ascertain how she holds the line as a "spotless virgin" (3 May 1942) in her resistance to the gender performances of new women, her refusal to be defined as one thing or another. This resistance to imitation will also be analysed as it plays out via the curse of Franklin's self-repetition in an Australia that waits, disrupting her attempts to achieve anonymity as the embodiment of a national literary tradition. In her avoidance of being a private text to be read. Franklin promotes herself, I will contend, as a "world classic" (Franklin Furphy 3) author of and in these diaries, resisting the transition from the readerly to the modernist writerly text at a time of artistic revolution (Barthes S/Z 4). In illuminating Franklin's exposure to these very vulnerabilities as a subject-in-process, in a document intended for posthumous publication, this thesis will establish that she has made a courageous contribution to the complexities of a particular moment within Australian modernity. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) ail or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research.FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS Q JO The Performances of a Psychic Privacy: Waiting for the Real Miles Franklin Sandra Knowles COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 'I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ORIGINALITY STATEMENT 'I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.' AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT 1 certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.' Signed I would like to dedicate this thesis to my much loved cousin Jane (1974-2006) Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Dr Elizabeth McMahon for her contagious optimism, her consistent support and commitment, and her nurturing and creative approach to the ideas of this project. I would also like to thank my co-supervisor Professor Peter Alexander for his years of encouragement, and for his valuable insight into the world of autobiographical studies. Thanks also to the School of English for their assistance and support throughout my candidature. This thesis would not have been possible without the generosity, tolerance and support of my parents, Harry and Susan Knowles, to whom I will be always indebted. A special thanks also to my sisters; to Karen whose kindness and affection has seen me through every dark cloud, and to Lisa whose logic and insight has kept me grounded. I am also grateful to Sam Newman and Viki Strobl for their friendship, encouragement and frivolity. I would finally like to acknowledge the other members of my family who have also been a comfort and support during my candidature — Helen, Richard, and my nieces, Chloe, Molly and Louisa. Contents Note on the Sources Introduction — The Private Masking of an AustraUan Woman Writer: A conceptual and archival study. 2 Chapter 1 — Miles Franklin Diaries: between "text" and "work". A theoretical study 33 Chapter 2 — Miles Franklin's Authorial Voice: The modernist resistances of a world classic 64 Chapter 3 — Miles Franklin's National Voice: Australia waits 105 Chapter 4 — Miles Franklin's Female Voice: Alone of all her sex 154 Conclusion — The risky business of diary writing: Franklin's contribution to a history of artistic revolution 212 Works Cited 221 Note on the Sources The manuscript diaries of Miles Franklin discussed in this thesis are held at the Mitchell Library, Sydney. The diary material used includes her Diary Notebooks, Literary Notebooks, Pocket Diaries (Ref: ML MSS364) and a book of Thoughts and Impressions (Ref: ML MSS1360). This thesis also refers to the diary manuscripts of some of Franklin's colleagues, as held at either the Mitchell or National Libraries (see works cited). Franklin's Pocket Diaries cover the period from 1909 to 1954. Her Diary and Literary Notebooks cover the years 1934 to 1953. There are no dates for her book of Thoughts and Impressions but internal evidence suggests it was written after her return to Australia in 1932. For this reason, this book is cited with page numbers. As none of these sources, apart from the Pocket Diaries, are strictly chronological, the date has been given as accurately as possible. There are occasional entries that have only been cited with a year. There is only one date provided for her three-week trip around Australia (6 June - 1 July 1937). The majority of diary material used in this thesis has been taken from her Diary Notebooks. For this reason, it is marked either in the citation or in text when an entry has been used from her Travel Diary (which has been catalogued with her Diary Notebooks by the Mitchell Library), Literary Notebooks, Pocket Diaries or book of Thoughts and Impressions. Franklin's Notebooks also include a great deal of extra-textual material, which are also specifically cited in this thesis (most notably her letters). This thesis has kept as closely as possible to Franklin's original script. Omissions are marked with ellipses. Where a word is unclear in the original text, either a presumption has been made and included in brackets — [word?] — or the absent word is noted — [word incomprehensible]. To emphasise Franklin's own editorial and re-reading processes, the signage <word/s> is used to indicate that a word or phrase has been asserted above the original text.