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MEG-19 Block 1 Summary | The Australian Novel: The Beginnings
- Last Updated On June 18, 2025
Table of Contents
Here you will get the detailed summary of IGNOU MEG 19 Block 1 – The Australian Novel: The Beginnings.
We have provided the summary of all units starting from unit 1 to unit 3.
Introduction
IGNOU MEG-19 Block 1, titled The Australian Novel: The Beginnings, introduces learners to the foundational phase of Australian fiction, particularly the novel form. This block explores how Australia’s colonial past, geographical isolation, and evolving national identity influenced the themes, style, and concerns of its early novelists. It offers insights into the socio-political forces shaping literature in the nineteenth century and considers how gender, class, and race intersected with storytelling. The emergence of women novelists during this period is also a major focus, giving students a rounded view of the literary culture that preceded Australia’s more globally recognized contemporary literature.
Unit 1 – The Australian Novel: An Introduction
This unit sets the stage for understanding the early development of the Australian novel, offering historical, cultural, and literary contexts:
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The Australian novel emerged in the 19th century alongside the nation’s slow transition from a penal colony to a self-governing society.
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Early novels often reflected themes of:
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Colonial life and survival
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The harsh Australian landscape
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Isolation and distance from Britain
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Emerging nationalist sentiment
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The literature of this period struggled to balance British literary traditions with local experiences.
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The unit explains how early Australian fiction was often dismissed as inferior or imitative but in hindsight reveals rich insights into the psychological and social realities of settler life.
Key issues introduced:
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How do novels help create a national identity?
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What challenges did writers face in making their work recognizably “Australian” while still being influenced by European models?
Unit 2 – The Australian Novel in the Nineteenth Century
This unit delves into specific features, genres, and concerns of the 19th-century Australian novel:
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Bush realism and the “pioneer myth” were dominant literary motifs. The landscape was not merely a setting but a powerful character influencing human fate.
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The novels were marked by:
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Rural settings and small towns
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Harsh climate and physical isolation
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Focus on settlers, convicts, squatters, and Aboriginal presence (often marginalised or stereotyped)
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Writers such as Rolf Boldrewood (Robbery Under Arms) and Marcus Clarke (For the Term of His Natural Life) are discussed.
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Clarke’s novel particularly stands out as a convict narrative that blends gothic elements with realism, painting a grim picture of Australia’s penal origins.
The unit emphasizes:
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The growing literary nationalism in these novels.
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The emergence of a distinct Australian voice, albeit still tied to British readership and market constraints.
Unit 3 – Nineteenth Century Women Novelists
This unit highlights the contributions of women writers, whose work often challenged dominant male narratives and introduced themes of domesticity, gender roles, and moral complexity.
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Women novelists brought a different perspective, often focusing on:
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Private/domestic spaces
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Women’s struggles in patriarchal society
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Colonial domestic life
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The psychological impact of isolation and gender expectations
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Key writers discussed:
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Catherine Helen Spence – Considered one of Australia’s first major women novelists, she explored social reform, marriage, and female independence.
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Rosa Praed – Her work includes complex female protagonists, critique of marriage, and incorporation of spiritualism and politics.
Important points:
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These writers often used fiction as a means of social critique.
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Their work laid the groundwork for later feminist Australian literature.
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Women novelists were navigating dual constraints: colonial marginality and gender discrimination.