Charles Dickens as a hero of the contemporary Australian novel

Abstract

The article is devoted to cultural reception of classical English literature in the contemporary Australian novel. Till the mid-20th century, Australian literature was mainly developing within the framework of the British literary tradition. Contemporary Australian literature, however, is rapidly developing as postcolonial literature in constant dialogue with British literature, but clearly with its own perspective on the colonial history of the continent. Being one of the leading figures of the Victorian age, Dickens and his works are often mentioned and referred to in contemporary Australian fiction. In the article, three novels of leading Australian authors (Jack Maggs by P. Carey, Wanting by R. Flanagan, and The Dickens Boy by T. Keneally) in which Dickens is one of the characters are analyzed. The novels under discussion differ in their genre parameters, but they all follow the writer’s biography. They are written from a postcolonial perspective: Britain’s imperial policy is criticized, while Dickens is viewed as a typical representative of the British Empire.