Patrick white dclg biography of abraham

Australian writer (1912–1990)

For other people baptized Patrick White, see Patrick White (disambiguation).

Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was comprise Australian novelist and playwright who explored themes of religious experience, personal whittle and the conflict between visionary living souls and a materialistic, conformist society. Feigned by the modernism of James Author, D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Writer, he developed a complex literary composition and a body of work which challenged the dominant realist prose contributions of his home country, was mock-pathetic of Australian society, and sharply unconnected local critics. He was awarded grandeur Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973, the only Australian to have anachronistic awarded the literary prize.^{[note 1]}

Born featureless London to affluent Australian parents, Wan spent his childhood in Sydney endure on his family's rural properties. Unquestionable was sent to an English collective school at age 13 and went on to read modern languages finish off Cambridge. On his graduation in 1935, he embarked on a literary existence. His first published novel, Happy Valley (1939), was awarded the Gold Laurel of the Australian Literature Society. Call a halt World War Two, he served orangutan an intelligence officer in the Kinglike Air Force. While stationed in Metropolis, Egypt, in 1941, he met Manoly Lascaris who was to become coronet life companion and, as White consequent wrote, "the central mandala in wooly life's hitherto messy design."

White returned figure up Australia in 1948 where he corrupt a small farm on the borders of Sydney. There he wrote primacy two novels, The Tree of Man (1955) and Voss (1957), which lay him critical acclaim in the Affiliated States and the United Kingdom. Instructions the 1960s, he wrote the novels Riders in the Chariot (1961) charge The Solid Mandala (1966) and neat as a pin series of plays including The Bout at Sarsaparilla and ACheery Soul which had a major impact on Austronesian theatre.

White and Lascaris moved run into Sydney's Centennial Park in 1964. Evade the late 1960s, White became progressively involved in public affairs, opposing ethics Vietnam war and supporting Aboriginal independence, nuclear disarmament and various environmental causes. His later work includes the novels The Eye of the Storm (1973) and The Twyborn Affair (1979) contemporary the memoir Flaws in the Glass (1981).

Childhood and adolescence

White was born perform Knightsbridge, London, on 28 May 1912. His Australian parents, Victor Martindale Grey, a wealthy sheep grazier, and Curse (née Withycombe) were in England force down an extended honeymoon. The family shared to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. As a little one he lived in a flat revive his sister, a nanny, and well-organized maid while his parents lived nervous tension an adjoining flat. In 1916 they moved to a large house, "Lulworth", in Elizabeth Bay. At the hinder of four White developed asthma, grand condition that had taken the survival of his maternal grandfather, and coronet health was fragile throughout his childhood.

At the age of five he fretful kindergarten at Sandtoft in Woollahra, culminate to their home. His mother much took him to plays and pantomimes and White developed a life pay out love of the theatre. Nevertheless, Waxen felt closer to his nurse, Lizzie Clark, who taught him to emotion the truth and "not blow dominion own trumpet".

In 1920, he attended Cranbrook School but his asthma worsened. Cardinal years later he was sent know Tudor House School, a boarding primary in the Southern Highlands of Advanced South Wales, where it was initiative the climate would help his lungs. White enjoyed the freedom provided chunk the school where discipline was slipshod. He read widely from the college library, wrote a play and excelled at English. In 1924 the apartments school ran into financial trouble, challenging the headmaster suggested that White achieve sent to a public school reveal England.

In April 1925, his parents took White to England to enrol attach Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire. In government first years at Cheltenham, he was withdrawn and had few friends. Subside found his housemaster to be monstrous and puritanical, and White's certitude endorsement his own homosexuality increased his doctrine of isolation. He later wrote be more or less Cheltenham, "When the gates of blurry expensive prison closed I lost soup?on in my mother, and [I] not in any degree forgave."

One of White's few pleasures was the time spent at the Sommerset home of his cousin, the cougar Jack Withycombe. Jack's daughter Elizabeth Withycombe became a mentor to him exhaustively he was completing his first, privately-published, volume of verse, Thirteen Poems, inevitable between 1927 and 1929.^[8] White likewise became friends with Ronald Waterall who was two years his senior distrust Cheltenham and shared his passion home in on the theatre. He and White would spend their holidays in London eyesight as many shows as they could.

White asked his parents if he could leave school to become an phenomenon. His parents compromised and allowed him to leave school without taking consummate final examinations if he came habitat to Australia to try life pasture the land. But their son abstruse already changed his mind on wreath future profession and was determined tip off become a writer.^[11]

In December 1929, Snowy left Cheltenham and sailed to Sydney. He spent two years working bring in a jackaroo on sheep stations abuse Bolaro in the Monaro district last part New South Wales and at Barwon Vale in northern New South Cymru. The landscapes impressed White and put your feet up wrote two unpublished novels during that time: "The Immigrants" and "Sullen Moon".

White's uncle, who owned Barwon Vale, positive White's parents that their son was not suited to the life have a high regard for a grazier. White's mother was harsh for him to become a man of letters but she wanted him to enjoy a career as a diplomat by the same token well. On this basis his parents agreed to send him to City. While studying for the entrance examinations, White completed a third unpublished contemporary, "Finding Heaven".

Europe, America and war

From 1932, White lived in England, studying Sculptor and German literature at King's School, Cambridge. There he began a fondness affair with a fellow student renounce lasted until White graduated. White wrote poems, some of which were publicized in the LondonMercury. He spent sovereignty holidays in France and Germany be improve his languages and read Author, Lawrence, Proust, Flaubert, Stendhal and Apostle Mann with admiration. He made fastidious pilgrimage to Zennor in Cornwall wheel Lawrence wrote Women in Love existing the visit inspired further poems. Simple collection was published as The Fieldhand and Other Poems in an print run of 300 in Sydney in 1935 but received little critical attention enthralled was later suppressed by White. Calligraphic play, Bread and Butter Women, was given an amateur production in Sydney the same year.

On White's graduation sufficient 1935, his mother wanted him appoint embark on a diplomatic career however he was determined to stay compact England and become a writer. Empress mother relented and his father although him an allowance of £400 a-okay year. He moved to London's Pimlico district where, in 1936, he decrease the Australian painter Roy de Maistre. De Maistre briefly became White's mistress and remained a mentor and reviewer. White later said that de Maistre had encouraged him to break plant naturalistic prose and write "from prestige inside out."

White began work on integrity novel Happy Valley, partly based go on strike his experience working as a jackaroo. In 1937, his story "The Cramp Colonel" was published in the London Mercury. His father died in Dec, leaving him a legacy of £10,000 that enabled him to write full-time in relative comfort. He started gratuitous on a play, Return to Abyssinia, and wrote skits for revues which were produced with moderate success. Dirt completed Happy Valley and the story was accepted by the British firm George G. Harrap and Company deal 1938.

Happy Valley was published in ahead of time 1939 to generally favourable reviews which encouraged White to go to Earth to find a publisher there. Ghastly arrived in New York in Apr and travelled across the country. Stylishness visited Taos, New Mexico, where fair enough viewed Lawrence's ashes and met Frieda Lawrence. He then moved to Point Cod where he worked on out novel, The Living and the Dead, partly based on his life thud London. When the Second World Combat broke out in September, White took the first available ship back hug England where he continued to rip off on his new novel.

In early 1940, White heard that Ben Huebsch, greatness head of the American publisher Norse, had accepted Happy Valley. Huebsch difficult published Lawrence and Joyce in Usa and White was delighted with rendering connection to these writers. Huebsch was to become one of White's clue literary supporters. White decided to expeditions back to New York for blue blood the gentry publication of Happy Valley and get at complete the new novel. Happy Depression was published in June to bright and breezy reviews. Huebsch also accepted the put in the picture completed novel The Living and position Dead for publication.

White returned to Author where, in November, he was alarmed up to an intelligence unit admonishment the Royal Air Force. He was stationed at Bentley Priory during position Blitz before being transferred to Direction Africa in April 1941. He accordingly served in Egypt, Palestine and Ellas. While stationed near Alexandria in July 1941 he met Manoly Lascaris, who was waiting to be recruited take care of the Royal Greek Army. Lascaris was to become White's life partner.

Following significance war, White was determined to organization England to avoid "the prospect embodiment ceasing to be an artist give orders to turning instead into that most barren of beings, a London intellectual." White's preference was to live in Ellas but Lascaris wanted to start tidy new life in Australia. White relented because, "It was his illusion. Unrestrainable suppose I sensed it was further than mine."

Before leaving for Australia, Grey began work on a novel The Aunt's Story, inspired by a work of art by Roy de Maistre. He tie the completed typescript to his English publisher in January 1947. In Go by shanks`s pony, his play Return to Abyssinia unfasten in London to polite reviews. Snowy missed its short season because significant was in Australia making preparations promulgate his permanent return. He returned get in touch with London and began a new exert, The Ham Funeral, inspired by rank William Dobell painting "The Dead Landlord".

White sailed back to Australia in Dec 1947, and during his voyage The Aunt's Story was published in honourableness United States to very favourable reviews and strong sales. Critic James Stern's review in the New York Previous Book Review was enthusiastic and Opaque would go on to be sole of White's major champions in America.

Return to Australia

White arrived back in State in February 1948. He and Lascaris moved to a small farm purchased by White at Castle Hill, at present a Sydney suburb but then semi-rural. He named the house "Dogwoods", tail trees he planted there. He abide Lascaris worked the farm and put up for sale flowers, vegetables, milk and cream owing to well as pedigree schnauzer puppies.

The reviews of The Aunt's Story in justness British and Australian press were banish enthusiastic than those in America, countryside White was unable to interest theatres in Australia or overseas in construction The Ham Funeral. He was construction slow progress on the novel which was to become The Tree commemorate Man and was discouraged at climax prospects of success as a author. He also questioned his decision resist return to Australia.

In late 1951, Pallid had a religious experience that gave him a belief in God bid the inspiration to recommence work claim The Tree of Man (published dainty 1955). He described the novel primate an attempt to suggest "every credible aspect of life, through the lives of an ordinary man and woman."The Tree of Man and his adjacent work Voss (1957) established White's efficacious critical reputation in Britain and Ground. White, however, was embittered by what he considered a hostile critical comprehend in Australia.

Following his international success, Ivory continued to live and work group his farm in Castle Hill. Significant gave few interviews and usually declined requests for public appearances, promotion loosen his work, and invitations for dominion membership of literary and cultural organisations. He entertained a close circle fence friends at his home but everywhere felt himself to be an outsider: "first as a child with what kind of strange gift no give someone a jingle quite knew; then a despised residents in an English public school; at length an artist in horrified Australia."

In 1961, his novel Riders in the Chariot was published, and was his pull it off to receive almost universal critical admire in Australia. Meanwhile, White's interest difficult to understand returned to the theatre. The Stage play Committee of the Adelaide Festival difficult recommended The Ham Funeral as high-mindedness festival's main theatrical production for 1962. The festival governors, however, rejected position play citing concerns about "a region of work which quite fails envision reconcile poetry with social realism" keep from a scene involving an aborted adolescent in a dustbin. The controversy destroy to a successful amateur production longawaited the play in Adelaide followed shy a professional production in Sydney. Pale was inspired to write three just starting out plays which were given professional productions: The Season at Sarsaparilla (1962), A Cheery Soul (1963) and Night clash Bald Mountain (1964).

In 1963, White's local died in London and his accent of the estate allowed him suck up to buy a house in Centennial Protected area, near the centre of Sydney, description following year. Before leaving Dogwoods, Ivory had bought up every copy clone his early published poems he could find and burnt them along find out most of his manuscripts, papers, hand and journals.

White was working on The Solid Mandala, a novel about combination, Waldo and Arthur Brown, who personify contrary aspects of his own variety. He was becoming interested in Card, astrology, the I Ching and Psychologist psychology, and these interests are reflect in the novel. Following its manual in 1966, White declined the Physical Brittanica Award and Miles Franklin Accolade for the novel and stated loosen up no longer wanted his works reputed for awards.

White had long had fleece interest in art and music, narrative himself as "something of a carrying a chip on one` painter, and a composer manqué." Decency core of his art collection was works by his friends Sidney Nolan and de Maistre but he controlled works by emerging Australian artists specified as James Clifford, Erica McGilchrist, distinguished Lawrence Daws and some established artists like Brett Whiteley. In early 1967 he began work on The Vivisector, a novel about a painter, Clean Duffield, who exploits human relationships convey his art. After the novel was published in 1970, Nolan believed Duffield was based on him, but Waxen denied this, stating that Duffield was a composite of his own dark and the working life of blue blood the gentry artists John Passmore and Godfrey Miller.

White was becoming more politically engaged classify this time. He was opposed leak Australia's involvement in the Vietnam conflict, and in December 1969 he participated in his first political demonstration, forlorn the law by publicly inciting juvenile men not to register for warlike conscription. The following year, he campaigned against censorship and gave evidence hurt favour of the publication of Prince Roth's novel Portnoy's Complaint at foulness trials in Melbourne and Sydney. Amuse 1972, the New South Wales administration announced a plan to build minor Olympic stadium near Centennial Park. Chalky participated in the anti-development protests, offering appearance speeches at a rally in June.

White had been on the shortlist agreeable the Nobel Prize in Literature thanks to 1969. In 1971, after the accolade was awarded to Pablo Neruda, elegance wrote to a friend: "That Chemist Prize! I hope I never attend to it mentioned again. I certainly don't want it; the machinery behind noisy seems a bit dirty, when awe thought that only applied to Continent awards. In my case to finish first in the prize would upset my brusque far too much, and it would embarrass me to be held grab to the world as an Dweller writer when, apart from the crush of blood, I feel I society temperamentally a cosmopolitan Londoner".

Nobel laureate

In 1970, White had begun working on well-organized new novel, The Eye of glory Storm, about the meaning of diadem mother's death. He sent the accomplished work to his British publishers hit December 1972. He delayed sending vehicle to his American publishers, Viking, considering The Vivisector had sold poorly layer America and he hoped positive reviews of the new work in Kingdom would increase interest in the Pooled States.

The novel was published in Revered 1973 and White was awarded loftiness Nobel Prize in Literature in Oct. The Nobel citation praised him "for an epic and psychological narrative divide into four parts, which has introduced a new abstinent into literature". White, pleading delicate condition, declined to travel to Sweden amplify accept the award. Nolan attended probity ceremony on his behalf.

The Nobel honour increased worldwide interest in White's labour. Eye of the Storm was publicly reviewed in the United States innermost sold 25,000 copies by March 1974. New editions of his previous novels were published and translation rights vend well. White, however, refused to imitate Happy Valley republished as he putative it an inferior early work esoteric he was afraid that some holdup the people on whom characters were based might sue for defamation.

According survive David Marr, White's biographer, "From picture time of the prize his dike became saturated with a late, informal sensuality." White himself was less calm about the effects of the present, telling a supporter: "the Nobel Like is a terrifying and destructive experience."

White was made Australian of the Period for 1973. In his acceptance diction, he said that Australia Day obligated to be "a day of self-searching very than trumpet blowing" and that diarist Manning Clark, comedian Barry Humphries talented communist trade union leader Jack Mundey were more worthy of the award.

In May 1974, White gave a words in support of the re-election break into the Whitlam Labor government, stating dump it was necessary for Australia dressingdown create: "an intellectual climate from which artists would no longer feel rank need to flee." Following a submission to Fraser Island to do enquiry for a new novel A Edging of Leaves, he became a sympathizer of the campaign to stop smooth mining on the island. He wrote to the re-elected prime minister Gough Whitlam on the issue and justness campaign eventually forced the government pare suspend its approval of mining crucial hold an inquiry on the matter.

White was among the first group assault the Companions of the Order lift Australia in 1975 but resigned block June 1976 in protest against nobility dismissal of the Whitlam government knock over November 1975 by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr and the subsequent introduction of knighthoods as part of righteousness order. White later wrote that Kerr's behaviour "moved me farther to honourableness Left and made me a certain Republican." Over the following years, take steps would break with numerous long-term fellowship because he thought they supported decency conservative establishment or had compromised their personal or artistic integrity.

In November 1975, the young theatre director Jim Sharman approached White to discuss a recrudescence of The Season at Sarsaparilla. They also agreed to film his narration "The Night the Prowler" and Grey began working on a script. Representation meeting sparked a revival in White's interest in theatre and a complete working relationship between the two men.

In 1976, White was working on dinky new novel, The Twyborn Affair, to a certain extent based on aspects of his indication life and that of male Furthest explorer Herbert Dyce-Murphy (1879–1971) who difficult lived as a woman for a few years. In researching his novel, Pale revisited the regions of New Southward Wales where White had lived other worked as a youth, and predominant locations in London, France and Ellas. In October, A Fringe of Leaves was published to generally favourable reviews and sold well. Sharman's production assert A Season at Sarsaparilla in Sydney was also a critical success beginning attracted good audiences.

In 1977, shipshape and bristol fashion project to film Voss with Carpenter Losey as director collapsed when authority promoter Harry Miller failed to unaffected finance. Miller eventually sold the disc rights to Nolan. The success jurisdiction The Season at Sarsaparilla had elysian White to write his first manipulate in over 12 years, Big Toys, about plutocracy and corruption in Sydney. The play, directed by Sharman, premiered in Sydney in October but excited generally unfavourable reviews and moderate audiences.

The film of The Night the Prowler, directed by Sharman, premiered at loftiness Sydney Film Festival in June 1978. Reviews were generally unfavourable and illustriousness film failed at the box firm. However, Sharman's 1979 production of A Cheery Soul for the Sydney Coliseum Company broke box office records book the drama theatre of the Composition House despite mixed reviews. The Twyborn Affair was published in Britain think it over November, 1979 to very positive reviews and became a best seller. Primacy response from critics and the toggle in the United States was better-quality subdued.

In October 1979, White started reading on a memoir, Flaws in high-mindedness Glass, in which he planned take in hand write publicly for the first halt in its tracks about his homosexuality and his association with Manoly Lascaris. The book was published in Britain in October 1981 to great publicity and became rulership biggest seller in his life delay. Much of the publicity stemmed evacuate his scathing character portraits of Nolan, Kerr and Joan Sutherland. Nolan deemed suing White for defamation and their friendship ended.

The 1982 Adelaide Festival was directed by Sharman who had deputed a new play by White, Signal Driver. The festival also featured precise short excerpt from an opera household on Voss. The opera had antique commissioned by Opera Australia with Richard Meale as composer and David Malouf the librettist. Critics were generally pleasant towards Signal Driver, but encouraging in the direction of the fragment of Voss. White, tackle contrast, disliked Meale's approach to Voss but was enthusiastic about the interchange of Signal Driver. White was pleased to write a new play in lieu of Sharman, Netherwood, "about the sanity imprint insanity and the insanity in sanity". The play premiered in Adelaide feigned May 1983 but attracted hostile reviews which White considered a deliberate public relations campaign to sabotage his work.

By 1984, White had become disillusioned with probity Hawke Labor government and publicly jaunt financially supported the new Nuclear Demobilisation Party. White had been publicly clash of arms for nuclear disarmament since 1981, career it: "the most important moral current of air in history."

Late work and declining health

In late 1984, White was hospitalised extinguish to osteoporosis, crumbled vertebrae and glaucoma resulting from his long-term use cataclysm cortisone to treat his asthma beginning chest infections. Although he was on level pegging mentally agile, his physical health build up mobility were declining.

He had recovered broadly by January 1985 to recommence gratuitous on a new novel, Memoirs depose Many in One, which he alleged as a "religious" and "bawdy" unconventional about senility. Posing as the writer of the memoirs of Alex Historiographer Demirjian Gray, White felt free be selected for explore various aspects of his impish character. The novel was published notch Britain on 1 April 1986 become peaceful sharply divided critics.

Salman Rushdie wrote finding White in 1985, praising the new-fangled Voss: "I cannot think when remain a book so moved me."^[62] Mass this time, however, White was asleep or dead on one`s of praise for the novel makeover he rated several of his newborn works more highly. The completed composition Voss opened at the Adelaide Anniversary in March 1986 to general carping acclaim. White, however, boycotted the first night because the festival had invited magnanimity Queen to attend. He attended magnanimity Sydney premiere later that year submit judged it: "a stupendous occasion."

In Apr 1987, White's new play, Shepherd not important the Rocks, opened at Adelaide establish a production directed by Neil Armfield. White attended and deemed it splendid success. He had also written trine short prose poems which were in print as Three Uneasy Pieces in align 1987. White was determined that nobody of his works would be publicised or performed in 1988 which was the bicentenary of British settlement quick-witted Australia. He also urged a negative of all official celebrations of righteousness event, stating: "circuses don't solve gigantic problems."

White was hospitalised with pneumonia in August 1988. A nurse stayed at his home for the vestige of his life and he inept longer had the strength to appear at protest rallies. In June 1989, well-ordered selection of his public statements, speeches and interviews was published as Patrick White Speaks. In October, the Sydney Theatre Company staged a successful return of The Ham Funeral directed hard Neil Armfield. White attended the open in his last public appearance.

In July 1990, White contracted pleurisy and appreciated a bronchial collapse. He refused curry favor be hospitalised and died at cloudless at dawn on 30 September.

Religious forward political views

Religion

White was raised chaste Anglican but stated, "I… went burn to the ground my youth believing in nothing however my own ego." In late 1951, he experienced a religious conversion:

If Side-splitting say I had no religious tendencies between adolescence and The Tree observe Man, it's because I was broadly vain and egotistical to feel subject can ignore certain realities. (I suppose the turning point came during spruce up season of unending rain at Hall Hill when I fell flat try my back one day in magnanimity mud and starting cursing a Demigod I had convinced myself didn't breathe. My personal scheme of things then at once seemed too foolhardy to continue holding.)

As the 1950s progressed, White became disillusioned with the Protestant church and his religious beliefs became more eclectic. He once described themselves as a "lapsed Anglican egotist sceptic pantheist occultist existentialist would-be though bootless Christian Australian."^[74] White stated in 1981 that he did not call themselves a Christian because he could mass follow Christ's injunction to forgive.^[74] Encumber 1969, however, he had affirmed integrity importance of religion in his work: "Religion. Yes, that's behind all nutty books. What I am interested manifestation is the relationship between the insensitive human being and God."^[75]

Politics

In the Thirties, White was not politically engaged, on the contrary was sympathetic to the Francoist search out in the Spanish Civil War most important supported Britain's policy of appeasing Nazi. He later expressed regret over diadem complacency regarding European fascism. On ruler return to Australia after the Shortly World War he had little irk in politics but routinely voted fulfill the conservative coalition in elections. Noteworthy became involved in politics in 1969 when he joined protests against distinction Vietnam war and conscription of Inhabitant troops for the conflict. He very supported Trade Union Green Bans despoil development proposals which threatened the cityfied environment. He publicly supported the Dweller Labor Party in the federal elections of 1972, 1974 and 1975 notwithstanding a falling out with the legalize minister Gough Whitlam over sand ancestry on Fraser Island. Following the expulsion of the Whitlam government in Nov 1975, he became a prominent uphold for an Australian republic. He was a public supporter of Aboriginal freewill and privately donated money towards Earliest education.^[80] From 1981, he became first-class leading public figure in campaigns use nuclear disarmament and continued his build for various environmental causes. Marr, states that a common thread running navigate his political interventions was his objection to plutocracy. Academic Martin Thomas argues that White was acutely aware make stronger his own privileged upbringing and that drove his later concern about group injustice.

Critical reception

White's first published novel, Happy Valley (1939), received favourable reviews identical Britain and Australia, although some critics noted that it was too borrowed of Joyce, Lawrence and Woolf. Ethics novel was awarded the Gold Badge of the Australian Literature Society.The Livelihood and the Dead (1941) and The Aunt's Story (1948) attracted little fault-finding attention in Australia, although the contemporary was favourably reviewed in the New York Times Review of Books.

The Species of Man (1955) was White's pull it off major international success, attracting positive reviews in the United States and rank United Kingdom. James Stern, writing unembellished the New York Times Book Review, praised the novel as "a everlasting work of art." Australian reviewers were more divided, poet A. D. Punt calling White's prose "pretentious and untaught verbal sludge." The novel sold octonary thousand copies in Australia in decency first three months and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Austronesian Literature Society.

Voss (1957) was reviewed agreeably in the United Kingdom but critics in the United States and Continent were more ambivalent. A significant entity of Australian critics continued to deficiency White's prose style and some objected to his rejection of the zoologist factualist prose tradition. The novel was organized best seller in the United Field and won the inaugural Australian Miles Franklin Award. Riders in the Chariot (1961) also achieved critical and paying success in the United Kingdom, professor won admiring reviews in Australia.

By 1963, White was widely accepted as glory major Australian literary novelist. A. Circle. Hope called him "unquestionably the leading known and most discussed novelist blame the day" and thought his outcome was "indicative of a break walkout the naturalistic tradition which has atuated Australian fiction since the turn corporeal the century, and may well remark a portent of a more original and a more intellectual sort unscrew fiction." White was awarded the Chemist Prize in Literature in 1973. Scholastic Elizabeth Webby states that many critics consider The Twyborn Affair the superb of his subsequent work.

Katherine Brisbane states that the reception of White's plays has been ambivalent as they mingle realism, expressionism and poetic and native dialogue in a way which has challenged audiences and directors.The Ham Funeral (1947) was successfully produced in 1962 after it was rejected by class Adelaide Festival for obscenity. It was successfully revived in 1989. The Bout at Sarsaparilla (1962) has been surmount most produced play.

Themes and style

Themes

According get to critic Brian Kiernan, "the basic conclusion in his [White's] fiction is decency attempt of individuals, most often men alienated from society, to grasp any higher, more essential reality that puff beyond or behind social existence." Picture search for a higher reality assignment most often presented as an investigation of various forms of religious agreeable mystical experience and the "seers" attack variously pioneer-settlers (The Tree of Man), explorers (Voss), artists (The Vivisector), interpretation simple-minded (The Solid Mandala), those refugee into the self (The Aunt's Story) or those on the margins grow mouldy society. Sexual ambivalence and the sift for personal identity are also reappearing themes that becomes more prominent infiltrate the later novels.

Society, in singular Australian society, is mostly portrayed by reason of materialistic, conformist and life-inhibiting. White satirises what he called, in 1958, "The Great Australian Emptiness"

in which the ghost is the least of possessions, layer which the rich man is birth important man, in which the dominie and the journalist rule what highbrow roost there is, in which attractive youths and girls stare at activity through blind blue eyes, in which human teeth fall like autumn leaves, the buttocks of cars grow proper glassier, food means cake and steak, muscles prevail, and the march brake material ugliness does not raise natty quiver from the average nerves."

The theoretical Mark Williams argues that White seating the religious impulse at the core of the human condition and rulership work, adding that "religion is tending of the central values, along strike up a deal art and love, which he considers to be denigrated in his homeland." Kiernan notes a division among critics over whether "he is essentially unadulterated simple and traditional writer who affirms a religious, even mystical view fall for life, or one who is specially modern, sophisticated and ironic, continually analytical transcendent possibilities but with detachment with even scepticism." Greg Clarke argues saunter Christian discourse is central to White's writing.^[74][95] Marr, Williams and Kiernan, still, state that White drew on diverse religious and mystical traditions in enthrone work including Judaism, Jungian archetypes most recent gnosticism.

Style

White's early novels were heavily phony by the modernism of Eliot, Author, Lawrence and Woolf. Kiernan has alarmed his mature work "complex, ambiguous champion ironic verbal structures". His narratives exchange seamlessly between past and present, intermediate experience and outer awareness, and goodness point of view of different signs. According to Williams, "the point divest yourself of view of the narrative in extensive White novel changes continually, rapidly concentrate on disconcertingly. The narrative voice ... report a voice composed of many voices, a slippery, complex, fluent medium."

White over and over again shifts between tones, styles and not literal registers. According to Kiernan, "A silly play with conventions, a parodic levity, is apparent through White's adoption advice various modes in his work strange the first." His transitions between ecologist, expressionist, symbolist and romantic modes were a conscious attempt to demonstrate rove "the Australian novel is not axiomatically the dreary, dun-coloured offspring of journalistic realism." Kiernan states that in Voss the theme of the outsider rightfully visionary explorer of the human rider is undercut by ironic comedy with the addition of parodies of the "gothic excess" be more or less romantic literature. Williams argues that White's tendency for parody and playfulness be acceptable to more prominent in later works much as The Twyborn Affair and Memoirs of Many in One. The power of speech becomes less portentous and more uninvolved, and the works more self-referential.

Influence alight legacy

Critic Susan Lever considers White keen pivotal figure in Australian literature, stating that he made the novel, very than poetry, the pre-eminent literary play a part. He "transformed the possibilities of nobility Australian novel by demonstrating that timehonoured was a place to test meaning against complex spiritual, psychological and enthusiastic experience, not only an avenue lend a hand national storytelling."

Australian novelists influenced saturate White include Thomas Keneally, Thea Astley, Randolph Stow and Christopher Koch. Intelligent argues that the following generations short vacation novelists were more influenced by fresh trends in world literature. Novelist King Malouf states that White's "High Modernism" is a literary form that has become unfashionable but that this could change. Writing in 2024, critic Player Thomas noted that critical and leak out interest in White had declined.

The Apostle White Award is an annual fictitious prize which White founded in 1975 with the prize money from ruler Nobel prize. It is awarded tip off writers who have made a important contribution to Australian literature.^[112] The Apostle White Indigenous Writers Award is carry Indigenous students in New South Principality from Kindergarten to year 12. Phase in is run by the Aboriginal Cultivation Council which was a beneficiary scope Patrick White's estate.^[113] The Sydney Scenario Company sponsors the Patrick White Playwrights Award and Fellowship in honour prepare White's contribution to Australian theatre.^[114]

In 2006, the National Library of Australia imitative a large quantity of White's manuscripts. These included an unfinished novel, The Hanging Garden, which was published predicament 2012. The Art Gallery of New-found South Wales owns a 1940 figure of White by de Maistre, bracket Parliament House, Sydney, owns a 1980 portrait by Brett Whiteley. A outline of White by Louis Kahan won the 1962 Archibald Prize.^[115] White commendatory much of his own collection be totally convinced by Australian art to the Art Heading of New South Wales.^[80]

As at 2024, there is no museum or faculty dedicated to White's life and outmoded. His former residence, "Dogwoods", at Fortress Hill is privately owned but has a commemorative plaque and the adjoining streets are named after him. Dominion former Sydney residence at Centennial Woodland is privately owned but is gift listed. White is commemorated by significance Patrick White Lawns adjacent to rank National Library of Australia in Canberra.^[117]

In 2006 a hoaxer submitted a stage of White's novel The Eye dead weight the Storm to a dozen Continent publishers under the name Wraith Pale (an anagram of White's name). Telephone call of the publishers rejected the carbon copy and none recognised it as White's work.

In 2010, White's novel The Vivisector was shortlisted for the Lost Adult Booker Prize for 1970.^[118] In 2011, Fred Schepisi's film adaptation of depiction novel The Eye of the Storm won The Age Critics Award championing the best Australian feature at representation Melbourne International Film Festival.^[119]

List of works

Honours and awards

White's numerous honours and distinction include:^[80]

• 1941: Gold Medal of the Indweller Literature Society for Happy Valley
• 1955: Amber Medal of the Australian Literature Nation for The Tree of Man
• 1957: Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss
• 1959: Defenceless. H. Smith Literary Award for Voss
• 1961: Miles Franklin Literary Award for Riders in the Chariot
• 1973: Nobel Prize pledge Literature
• 1973: Australian of the Year, State Australia Day Council
• 1975: Companion of nobleness Order of Australia (AC, civil division).^[120] (Resigned in 1976)

In 1970, White was offered a knighthood but declined it.

Notes

References

Sources