‘The White Distance’, a Novel And Reframing the Past for the Present: Writing ‘The White Distance’ By Susan Errington This Novel and Exegesis are submitted together in satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Writing. Discipline of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Adelaide October 2007 PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 1 Contents Part One 1. Acknowledgements 2. Declaration of Originality 3. Abstract Part Two: The Novel: ‘The White Distance’ 1. On the Red Field 2. Lovers 3. Parting 4. On The White Field 5. Revolutionaries 6. The Bomb-makers’ Party 7. Drummer 8. A Feather 9. Armistice Part Three: The Exegesis: Reframing the Past for the Present: Writing ‘The White Distance’ 1. Introduction: Writing ‘The White Distance’ 2. Inside The Ideas Factory: Eggs, Chickens and Pipe Bombs 3. Preposterous Histories: Cropping and Reframing the Past PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 2 4. Memoirs in the Museum: A Personal Reflection 5. The Tongue Set Free: Language and Memory in ‘The White Distance’ and Other Places 6. The White Indian: Why Use Kipling’s Poetry? 7. That Eye the Mind: Photographic and Other Visual Images in the Writing of ‘The White Distance’ 8. Another Country: How Should We Write About the Past? 9. The Real Inspector Vogelsang: A Contract with the Past? 10. In Conclusion: Reframing the Past for the Present Part Four 1. Bibliography 2. Appendix PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 3 Acknowledgements A great many fellow scholars and writers were very generous to me with assistance and encouragement in the writing of this Thesis. I would like to thank especially my supervisor Prof. Nicholas Jose, Chair of Creative Writing, University of Adelaide and my wonderful mentor, Delia Falconer. I would also like to thank Emeritus Professor Thomas Shapcott who supervised me in the early stages of my work and my co- supervisors Dr Phillip Edmonds and Dr Amanda Nettelbeck. Other scholars who provided advice along the way were Dr Jennifer Stock, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Politics, University of Adelaide, Dr Bill Gammage, Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Humanities Research Centre of the Australian National University and Dr Elizabeth Leane, Lecturer, School of English, Journalism and European Languages, University of Tasmania. I also thank my proof-readers, Kym Teh and Glenn Blackmore. For part of my candidature I was the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award and I acknowledge that financial support. PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 4 Declaration This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text of the thesis. I give consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited in the University Library, being made available for photocopying and loan. SIGNED: ______________________________________ DATE: _______________ PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 5 ABSTRACT ‘The White Distance’, A Novel The White Distance’ is a work of fiction set in Australia and Antarctica at the time of World War I. The story focuses on two lovers, Dora and Daniel, who are part of Australia’s vigorous anti-war movement. Each of the lovers comes to the movement for different reasons. Dora’s beloved brother has been killed in France; Daniel is a printer interested in the new left-wing ideas emerging in Europe, especially Russia. Wanting to escape public pressure to join up and fight, Daniel takes a position with an Antarctic expedition and travels there with a small team from the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology to collect weather data. This was a time of major Antarctic exploration, with the Australian expedition led by Douglas Mawson taking place in 1913. In Antarctica, in the novel, the leader of Daniel’s expedition suffers a nervous breakdown and becomes dangerously violent, believing his men are German spies. Daniel and his colleagues have to consider the possibility that the only way to stop their leader might be to kill him. PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 6 After Daniel leaves, Dora joins a more radical anti-war group led by the charismatic Malachy Mara. She is forced to reconsider what she believes when the group decides to place a pipe bomb in a railway station, which will kill many civilians. Worse for her, she is likely to be the one selected to put the bomb into position. ‘The White Distance’ is also a love story about two lovers who, after being very close, are separated by a great and unfathomable distance. Dora and Daniel struggle to keep their love alive by writing letters to one another, even though they cannot be posted, and keeping journals that will not be read until Daniel returns. Each confronts a deep personal crisis without the other there for support. They use their words to one another to draw the strength to hold on. Although set in the past, the novel raises issues which are relevant to current international and national concerns such as the clash of ideals and personal morality, terrorism, public violence, war and pacifism, love and separation. Exegesis The accompanying exegesis, ‘Reframing the Past for the Present: Writing ‘The White Distance’’, examines the research material and creative influences behind the development of the novel, ‘The White Distance’. It considers the issues which I confronted in writing an historical work of fiction, and concludes by placing the novel in the wider context of current debates about Australian historical fiction. PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 7 The purpose of the exegesis is to open up for examination the process of writing a novel which seeks to incorporate the constraints of historical fact into the creative text. The exegesis considers how the major issues of the past world of the novel (the clash of ideals and personal morality, terrorism, public violence, war and pacifism, love and separation) can be given relevance for present readers. PhD Thesis- Susan Errington 8 THE WHITE DISTANCE Susan Errington The White Distance by Susan Errington Page 1 of 241 Contents 1. On The Red Field 3 2. Lovers 10 3. Parting 80 4. Ice 87 5. Revolutionaries 129 6. The Bomb-makers' Party 158 7. On The White Field 181 8. A Feather 215 9. Armistice 231 The White Distance by Susan Errington Page 2 of 241 One ON THE RED FIELD The White Distance by Susan Errington Page 3 of 241 Dora After my brother was killed, I received a letter from his friend, Tom Holloway, about how Edgar died. For a long time, I carried this letter everywhere with me, in a bag or a pocket. I took it out every now and again in odd places and read it to myself. Afterwards, I would hold the letter, thinking and thinking, but I never understood what I was feeling. There was no word for it, that drilling into the chest, that pain. Over time the letter became stained and tattered. I was afraid of losing it altogether so I put it under the glass of my dressing table. I placed the letter so that it was open; that way, I could read it whenever I wanted to but it would still be protected. The story of my brother lay there, under the glass, captured at the moment between life and death. This is that letter. My Dear Dora, Thank you for writing to me. I am sorry about the delay. It must be two or three months since you wrote to me. I have agonised for a long time about how to answer your letter. You have said that you want to know the truth about Edgar's death. I suppose you received the standard official lie: he died instantly with no pain etc. All the letters say that, of course. I am sure you have already guessed it. To tell the truth, I was glad to get your letter. I have carried this terrible burden for a long time and, in a way, I was relieved when I read what you wanted. To tell this to another person is a great relief to me. I will not bother to try to dissuade you from The White Distance by Susan Errington Page 4 of 241 knowing what you want to know. Everyone should know this, every man, woman and child alive should know what I know. Here it is: We were outside the little French village of Pozieres, part of the Somme offensive. The fighting had been fierce. Lots of fire on both sides with no ground won or lost. It was about nine o'clock in the morning, I think. Edgar was killed by an exploding shell. It landed near his position. There was nowhere for him to get out of the way. Others were killed too in the narrowness of the trench but Edgar took the full impact of the fire. We tried to extinguish the flames with blankets. Buckets of water were pretty scarce. His whole body had burst into flames. The flesh burned as he died. Nothing was more terrible than his screams. I still hear them, in dreams, or in the distance when I am awake. I believe that I shall hear them forever. I think that you will hate me now for what I have told you. Please forgive me. Please find it in your heart to one day forgive me. Yours, Tom Holloway. Sydney, September, 1917. The White Distance by Susan Errington Page 5 of 241 Louise Extract of interview with Miss Dora Somerville, speaking on behalf of the Women's Pacifist League.