Self-Reflexivity and Historiographic Metafiction: The Intersection of Public and Private Spheres in Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of self-reflexivity, historiographic metafiction, and the collapse of the boundaries between the public and private spheres in postmodern literature. Specifically focusing on Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang, using Linda Hutcheon’s theoretical insights on historiographic metafiction, this study explores how Carey’s narrative dismantles conventional distinctions between private and public realms. The novel portrays the life of Ned Kelly, who is a figure often regarded as a national hero.  As the story unfolds, Carey complicates our understanding of memory, truth, and identity. His narrative strategy blurs the lines between the inner, personal world and the outer, public space, thereby suggesting a complex interconnection between the public and the private spaces. This fluidity challenges traditional notions of boundaries concerning historical accounts and their construction of reality. By foregrounding intertextuality and employing metafictional techniques, Carey exemplifies key postmodern characteristics, and she does so mostly by questioning historical narratives and the subjective nature of truth. The paper argues that True History of the Kelly Gang’s self-reflexive nature encourages readers to critically interrogate the roles of history, personal experience, and societal structures in the formation of identity. The paper contends that the novel challenges the conventional understanding of history as a fixed and linear entity, offering instead a fragmented and subjective portrayal of the past. Through its exploration of how personal identity and political history are interconnected, this study enriches our understanding of postmodern literature and highlights the ways such works interrogate historical narratives. In doing so, this study also urges readers to reconsider the complex relationship between memory, truth, and historical representation(s).