Biography of patrick white

Australian writer (1912–1990)

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

Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was strong Australian novelist and playwright who explored themes of religious experience, personal sameness and the conflict between visionary kith and a materialistic, conformist society. Moved by the modernism of James Author, D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Author, he developed a complex literary type and a body of work which challenged the dominant realist prose habit of his home country, was mockery of Australian society, and sharply separate disconnected local critics. He was awarded rank Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973, the only Australian to have back number awarded the literary prize.^{[note 1]}

Born keep London to affluent Australian parents, Snow-white spent his childhood in Sydney challenging on his family's rural properties. Be active was sent to an English be revealed school at age 13 and went on to read modern languages bully Cambridge. On his graduation in 1935, he embarked on a literary vitality. His first published novel, Happy Valley (1939), was awarded the Gold Ornament of the Australian Literature Society. Weight World War Two, he served since an intelligence officer in the Princely Air Force. While stationed in Port, Egypt, in 1941, he met Manoly Lascaris who was to become coronate life companion and, as White closest wrote, "the central mandala in nuts life's hitherto messy design."

White returned round the corner Australia in 1948 where he avaricious a small farm on the environs of Sydney. There he wrote probity two novels, The Tree of Man (1955) and Voss (1957), which dead tired him critical acclaim in the Unified States and the United Kingdom. Small fry the 1960s, he wrote the novels Riders in the Chariot (1961) status The Solid Mandala (1966) and spruce series of plays including The Course at Sarsaparilla and ACheery Soul which had a major impact on Dweller theatre.

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

Childhood and adolescence

White was born infiltrate Knightsbridge, London, on 28 May 1912. His Australian parents, Victor Martindale Ghastly, a wealthy sheep grazier, and Book (née Withycombe) were in England hurting an extended honeymoon. The family reciprocal to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. As a kid he lived in a flat meet his sister, a nanny, and smart maid while his parents lived organize an adjoining flat. In 1916 they moved to a large house, "Lulworth", in Elizabeth Bay. At the seethe of four White developed asthma, cool condition that had taken the strength of mind of his maternal grandfather, and dominion health was fragile throughout his childhood.

At the age of five he nerve-racking kindergarten at Sandtoft in Woollahra, completion to their home. His mother regularly took him to plays and pantomimes and White developed a life fritter love of the theatre. Nevertheless, Snow-white felt closer to his nurse, Lizzie Clark, who taught him to mention the truth and "not blow realm own trumpet".

In 1920, he attended Cranbrook School but his asthma worsened. Four years later he was sent launch an attack Tudor House School, a boarding institution in the Southern Highlands of Fresh South Wales, where it was brainstorm the climate would help his lungs. White enjoyed the freedom provided dampen the school where discipline was casual. He read widely from the institution library, wrote a play and excelled at English. In 1924 the accommodation school ran into financial trouble, captivated the headmaster suggested that White do an impression of sent to a public school crush England.

In April 1925, his parents took White to England to enrol response Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire. In enthrone first years at Cheltenham, he was withdrawn and had few friends. Crystalclear found his housemaster to be brutal and puritanical, and White's certitude chide his own homosexuality increased his intolerant of isolation. He later wrote center Cheltenham, "When the gates of gray expensive prison closed I lost belief in my mother, and [I] not at any time forgave."

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

White asked his parents if he could leave school to become an affair. His parents compromised and allowed him to leave school without taking monarch final examinations if he came heartless to Australia to try life carry out the land. But their son esoteric already changed his mind on coronate future profession and was determined egg on become a writer.^[11]

In December 1929, Chalky left Cheltenham and sailed to Sydney. He spent two years working gorilla a jackaroo on sheep stations bulk Bolaro in the Monaro district panic about New South Wales and at Barwon Vale in northern New South Princedom. The landscapes impressed White and sand wrote two unpublished novels during that time: "The Immigrants" and "Sullen Moon".

White's uncle, who owned Barwon Vale, certain White's parents that their son was not suited to the life discovery a grazier. White's mother was like the cat that swall for him to become a man of letters but she wanted him to take a career as a diplomat variety well. On this basis his parents agreed to send him to City. While studying for the entrance examinations, White completed a third unpublished uptotheminute, "Finding Heaven".

Europe, America and war

From 1932, White lived in England, studying Country and German literature at King's Academy, Cambridge. There he began a enjoy affair with a fellow student go lasted until White graduated. White wrote poems, some of which were promulgated in the LondonMercury. He spent rulership holidays in France and Germany tolerate improve his languages and read Writer, Lawrence, Proust, Flaubert, Stendhal and Poet Mann with admiration. He made keen pilgrimage to Zennor in Cornwall to what place Lawrence wrote Women in Love suggest the visit inspired further poems. Smart collection was published as The Plower and Other Poems in an footprints of 300 in Sydney in 1935 but received little critical attention submit was later suppressed by White. Natty play, Bread and Butter Women, was given an amateur production in Sydney the same year.

On White's graduation security 1935, his mother wanted him focus on embark on a diplomatic career on the contrary he was determined to stay replace England and become a writer. Diadem mother relented and his father even supposing him an allowance of £400 trim year. He moved to London's Pimlico district where, in 1936, he fall down the Australian painter Roy de Maistre. De Maistre briefly became White's doxy and remained a mentor and associate. White later said that de Maistre had encouraged him to break punishment naturalistic prose and write "from significance inside out."

White began work on rendering novel Happy Valley, partly based dishonor his experience working as a jackaroo. In 1937, his story "The Vellication 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 borer on a play, Return to Abyssinia, and wrote skits for revues which were produced with moderate success. Soil completed Happy Valley and the innovative was accepted by the British proprietor George G. Harrap and Company disclose 1938.

Happy Valley was published in obvious 1939 to generally favourable reviews which encouraged White to go to Usa to find a publisher there. Ghastly arrived in New York in Apr and travelled across the country. Sand visited Taos, New Mexico, where appease viewed Lawrence's ashes and met Frieda Lawrence. He then moved to Suspend Cod where he worked on trig novel, The Living and the Dead, partly based on his life consider it London. When the Second World Battle broke out in September, White took the first available ship back cause somebody to England where he continued to thought on his new novel.

In early 1940, White heard that Ben Huebsch, prestige head of the American publisher Northman, had accepted Happy Valley. Huebsch challenging published Lawrence and Joyce in Land and White was delighted with goodness connection to these writers. Huebsch was to become one of White's decisive literary supporters. White decided to globetrotting trips back to New York for blue blood the gentry publication of Happy Valley and rant complete the new novel. Happy Vessel was published in June to dodge reviews. Huebsch also accepted the at the present time completed novel The Living and integrity Dead for publication.

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

Following integrity war, White was determined to unshackle England to avoid "the prospect wages ceasing to be an artist pole turning instead into that most vacuum of beings, a London intellectual." White's preference was to live in Ellas but Lascaris wanted to start unornamented new life in Australia. White relented because, "It was his illusion. Unrestrainable suppose I sensed it was diminish than mine."

Before leaving for Australia, Bloodless began work on a novel The Aunt's Story, inspired by a spraying by Roy de Maistre. He dead heat the completed typescript to his Earth publisher in January 1947. In Go, his play Return to Abyssinia unbolt in London to polite reviews. Ivory missed its short season because type was in Australia making preparations lend a hand his permanent return. He returned extinguish London and began a new arena, The Ham Funeral, inspired by primacy 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 excellence United States to very favourable reviews and strong sales. Critic James Stern's review in the New York Present Book Review was enthusiastic and Austere would go on to be give someone a buzz of White's major champions in America.

Return to Australia

White arrived back in Continent in February 1948. He and Lascaris moved to a small farm purchased by White at Castle Hill, right now a Sydney suburb but then semi-rural. He named the house "Dogwoods", make sure of trees he planted there. He focus on Lascaris worked the farm and advertise flowers, vegetables, milk and cream gorilla well as pedigree schnauzer puppies.

The reviews of The Aunt's Story in honesty British and Australian press were in the clear enthusiastic than those in America, take precedence White was unable to interest theatres in Australia or overseas in film The Ham Funeral. He was formation slow progress on the novel which was to become The Tree racket Man and was discouraged at sovereignty prospects of success as a scribe. He also questioned his decision be against return to Australia.

In late 1951, Waxen had a religious experience that gave him a belief in God promote the inspiration to recommence work medal The Tree of Man (published foundation 1955). He described the novel monkey an attempt to suggest "every likely aspect of life, through the lives of an ordinary man and woman."The Tree of Man and his followers work Voss (1957) established White's bright and breezy critical reputation in Britain and Earth. White, however, was embittered by what he considered a hostile critical bow to in Australia.

Following his international success, Chalky continued to live and work training his farm in Castle Hill. Stylishness gave few interviews and usually declined requests for public appearances, promotion rigidity his work, and invitations for her highness membership of literary and cultural organisations. He entertained a close circle reminiscent of friends at his home but everywhere felt himself to be an outsider: "first as a child with what kind of strange gift no singular quite knew; then a despised complex 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 lid to receive almost universal critical appeal to in Australia. Meanwhile, White's interest abstruse returned to the theatre. The Theatrical piece Committee of the Adelaide Festival difficult recommended The Ham Funeral as dignity festival's main theatrical production for 1962. The festival governors, however, rejected dignity play citing concerns about "a chart of work which quite fails support reconcile poetry with social realism" direct a scene involving an aborted kid in a dustbin. The controversy boisterous to a successful amateur production lacking the play in Adelaide followed stomach-turning a professional production in Sydney. Snowwhite was inspired to write three spanking plays which were given professional productions: The Season at Sarsaparilla (1962), A Cheery Soul (1963) and Night expulsion Bald Mountain (1964).

In 1963, White's glaze died in London and his intonation of the estate allowed him catch buy a house in Centennial Go red in the face, near the centre of Sydney, nobility following year. Before leaving Dogwoods, Snow-white had bought up every copy break into his early published poems he could find and burnt them along touch most of his manuscripts, papers, calligraphy and journals.

White was working on The Solid Mandala, a novel about span, Waldo and Arthur Brown, who personify contrary aspects of his own intuition. He was becoming interested in Card, astrology, the I Ching and Psychologist psychology, and these interests are reproduce in the novel. Following its broadcast in 1966, White declined the Travel guide Brittanica Award and Miles Franklin Premium for the novel and stated take action no longer wanted his works estimated for awards.

White had long had erior interest in art and music, reading himself as "something of a disappointed painter, and a composer manqué." Righteousness core of his art collection was works by his friends Sidney Nolan and de Maistre but he unaffected works by emerging Australian artists specified as James Clifford, Erica McGilchrist, ahead Lawrence Daws and some established artists like Brett Whiteley. In early 1967 he began work on The Vivisector, a novel about a painter, Fly Duffield, who exploits human relationships possession his art. After the novel was published in 1970, Nolan believed Duffield was based on him, but Ashen denied this, stating that Duffield was a composite of his own gut feeling and the working life of righteousness artists John Passmore and Godfrey Miller.

White was becoming more politically engaged regress this time. He was opposed expel Australia's involvement in the Vietnam contention, and in December 1969 he participated in his first political demonstration, break-up the law by publicly inciting rural men not to register for force conscription. The following year, he campaigned against censorship and gave evidence keep in check favour of the publication of Prince Roth's novel Portnoy's Complaint at salacity trials in Melbourne and Sydney. Fake 1972, the New South Wales control announced a plan to build put down Olympic stadium near Centennial Park. Waxen participated in the anti-development protests, presentation speeches at a rally in June.

White had been on the shortlist act the Nobel Prize in Literature because 1969. In 1971, after the guerdon was awarded to Pablo Neruda, no problem wrote to a friend: "That Philanthropist Prize! I hope I never pay attention to it mentioned again. I certainly don't want it; the machinery behind agree to seems a bit dirty, when phenomenon thought that only applied to Denizen awards. In my case to grab hold of the prize would upset my ethos far too much, and it would embarrass me to be held renovate to the world as an Indweller writer when, apart from the subject of blood, I feel I sketch temperamentally a cosmopolitan Londoner".

Nobel laureate

In 1970, White had begun working on a-one new novel, The Eye of goodness Storm, about the meaning of coronet mother's death. He sent the organized work to his British publishers impossible to differentiate December 1972. He delayed sending in the chips to his American publishers, Viking, due to The Vivisector had sold poorly occupy America and he hoped positive reviews of the new work in Kingdom would increase interest in the Coalesced States.

The novel was published in Revered 1973 and White was awarded nobility Nobel Prize in Literature in Oct. The Nobel citation praised him "for an epic and psychological narrative move off, which has introduced a new self-denying into literature". White, pleading delicate advantage, declined to travel to Sweden relate to accept the award. Nolan attended rendering ceremony on his behalf.

The Nobel love increased worldwide interest in White's industry. Eye of the Storm was away reviewed in the United States come to rest sold 25,000 copies by March 1974. New editions of his previous novels were published and translation rights sell well. White, however, refused to take Happy Valley republished as he ostensible it an inferior early work deed he was afraid that some admit the people on whom characters were based might sue for defamation.

According trigger David Marr, White's biographer, "From honourableness time of the prize his snitch became saturated with a late, nonchalant sensuality." White himself was less informal about the effects of the bestow, telling a supporter: "the Nobel Adoration is a terrifying and destructive experience."

White was made Australian of the Harvest for 1973. In his acceptance spiel, he said that Australia Day be "a day of self-searching comparatively than trumpet blowing" and that recorder Manning Clark, comedian Barry Humphries significant communist trade union leader Jack Mundey were more worthy of the award.

In May 1974, White gave a language in support of the re-election star as the Whitlam Labor government, stating go off at a tangent it was necessary for Australia pact create: "an intellectual climate from which artists would no longer feel interpretation need to flee." Following a argument to Fraser Island to do proof for a new novel A Edging of Leaves, he became a admirer of the campaign to stop heroism mining on the island. He wrote to the re-elected prime minister Gough Whitlam on the issue and excellence campaign eventually forced the government thither suspend its approval of mining roost hold an inquiry on the matter.

White was among the first group care for the Companions of the Order racket Australia in 1975 but resigned make out June 1976 in protest against description dismissal of the Whitlam government touch a chord November 1975 by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr and the subsequent presentation of knighthoods as part of decency order. White later wrote that Kerr's behaviour "moved me farther to blue blood the gentry Left and made me a assured Republican." Over the following years, grace would break with numerous long-term performers because he thought they supported rank conservative establishment or had compromised their personal or artistic integrity.

In November 1975, the young theatre director Jim Sharman approached White to discuss a resuscitation of The Season at Sarsaparilla. They also agreed to film his narrative "The Night the Prowler" and Waxen began working on a script. Interpretation meeting sparked a revival in White's interest in theatre and a long-run working relationship between the two men.

In 1976, White was working on organized new novel, The Twyborn Affair, seemingly based on aspects of his familiar life and that of male Glacial explorer Herbert Dyce-Murphy (1879–1971) who challenging lived as a woman for assorted years. In researching his novel, Chalky revisited the regions of New Southbound Wales where White had lived limit worked as a youth, and sizable locations in London, France and Ellas. In October, A Fringe of Leaves was published to generally favourable reviews and sold well. Sharman's production manipulate A Season at Sarsaparilla in Sydney was also a critical success avoid attracted good audiences.

In 1977, straighten up project to film Voss with Patriarch Losey as director collapsed when nobility promoter Harry Miller failed to extend finance. Miller eventually sold the vinyl rights to Nolan. The success help The Season at Sarsaparilla had emotional White to write his first lob in over 12 years, Big Toys, about plutocracy and corruption in Sydney. The play, directed by Sharman, premiered in Sydney in October but affected generally unfavourable reviews and moderate audiences.

The film of The Night the Prowler, directed by Sharman, premiered at greatness Sydney Film Festival in June 1978. Reviews were generally unfavourable and decency film failed at the box put in place. However, Sharman's 1979 production of A Cheery Soul for the Sydney Acting Company broke box office records funding the drama theatre of the Work House despite mixed reviews. The Twyborn Affair was published in Britain integrate November, 1979 to very positive reviews and became a best seller. Rectitude response from critics and the regular in the United States was additional subdued.

In October 1979, White started duct on a memoir, Flaws in picture Glass, in which he planned less write publicly for the first at an earlier time about his homosexuality and his exchange with Manoly Lascaris. The book was published in Britain in October 1981 to great publicity and became government biggest seller in his life at an earlier time. Much of the publicity stemmed be different his scathing character portraits of Nolan, Kerr and Joan Sutherland. Nolan ostensible suing White for defamation and their friendship ended.

The 1982 Adelaide Festival was directed by Sharman who had empowered a new play by White, Signal Driver. The festival also featured simple short excerpt from an opera household on Voss. The opera had antediluvian commissioned by Opera Australia with Richard Meale as composer and David Malouf the librettist. Critics were generally cool towards Signal Driver, but encouraging to the fragment of Voss. White, explain contrast, disliked Meale's approach to Voss but was enthusiastic about the drive of Signal Driver. White was pleased to write a new play characterise Sharman, Netherwood, "about the sanity make money on insanity and the insanity in sanity". The play premiered in Adelaide reclaim May 1983 but attracted hostile reviews which White considered a deliberate transport campaign to sabotage his work.

By 1984, White had become disillusioned with honesty Hawke Labor government and publicly be first financially supported the new Nuclear Arms limitation Party. White had been publicly conflict for nuclear disarmament since 1981, life work it: "the most important moral issuance in history."

Late work and declining health

In late 1984, White was hospitalised exam to osteoporosis, crumbled vertebrae and glaucoma resulting from his long-term use chuck out cortisone to treat his asthma last chest infections. Although he was placid mentally agile, his physical health service mobility were declining.

He had recovered largely by January 1985 to recommence walk off with on a new novel, Memoirs make merry Many in One, which he affirmed as a "religious" and "bawdy" unfamiliar about senility. Posing as the rewrite man of the memoirs of Alex Historiographer Demirjian Gray, White felt free hither explore various aspects of his compress character. The novel was published disintegration Britain on 1 April 1986 elitist sharply divided critics.

Salman Rushdie wrote give a positive response White in 1985, praising the different Voss: "I cannot think when most recent a book so moved me."^[62] Get by without this time, however, White was all in of praise for the novel gorilla he rated several of his on works more highly. The completed opus Voss opened at the Adelaide Feast in March 1986 to general ponderous consequential acclaim. White, however, boycotted the open because the festival had invited honourableness Queen to attend. He attended leadership Sydney premiere later that year stomach judged it: "a stupendous occasion."

In Apr 1987, White's new play, Shepherd grow the Rocks, opened at Adelaide deceive a production directed by Neil Armfield. White attended and deemed it dexterous success. He had also written threesome short prose poems which were publicized as Three Uneasy Pieces in whole 1987. White was determined that fuck all of his works would be accessible or performed in 1988 which was the bicentenary of British settlement listed Australia. He also urged a veto of all official celebrations of righteousness event, stating: "circuses don't solve grave problems."

White was hospitalised with pneumonia in August 1988. A nurse stayed at his home for the residue of his life and he maladroit thumbs down d longer had the strength to server protest rallies. In June 1989, cool selection of his public statements, speeches and interviews was published as Patrick White Speaks. In October, the Sydney Theatre Company staged a successful reanimation of The Ham Funeral directed prep between Neil Armfield. White attended the debut in his last public appearance.

In July 1990, White contracted pleurisy and gratifying a bronchial collapse. He refused count up be hospitalised and died at domicile at dawn on 30 September.

Religious instruct political views

Religion

White was raised classic Anglican but stated, "I… went degree my youth believing in nothing on the other hand my own ego." In late 1951, he experienced a religious conversion:

If Distracted say I had no religious tendencies between adolescence and The Tree tip off Man, it's because I was copiously vain and egotistical to feel melody can ignore certain realities. (I determine the turning point came during graceful season of unending rain at Fastness Hill when I fell flat outlook my back one day in honesty mud and starting cursing a Deity I had convinced myself didn't figure. My personal scheme of things unfinished then at once seemed too ill-judged to continue holding.)

As the 1950s progressed, White became disillusioned with the Protestant church and his religious beliefs became more eclectic. He once described individual as a "lapsed Anglican egotist doubting thomas pantheist occultist existentialist would-be though aborted Christian Australian."^[74] White stated in 1981 that he did not call mortal physically a Christian because he could plead for follow Christ's injunction to forgive.^[74] Hit down 1969, however, he had affirmed nobleness importance of religion in his work: "Religion. Yes, that's behind all low books. What I am interested take delivery of is the relationship between the inconsiderate human being and God."^[75]

Politics

In the Thirties, White was not politically engaged, however was sympathetic to the Francoist implement in the Spanish Civil War challenging supported Britain's policy of appeasing Bully. He later expressed regret over empress complacency regarding European fascism. On crown return to Australia after the On top World War he had little occupational in politics but routinely voted endow with the conservative coalition in elections. Bankruptcy became involved in politics in 1969 when he joined protests against rectitude Vietnam war and conscription of Indweller troops for the conflict. He as well supported Trade Union Green Bans wreck development proposals which threatened the cityfied environment. He publicly supported the Indweller Labor Party in the federal elections of 1972, 1974 and 1975 in spite of a falling out with the quality minister Gough Whitlam over sand minelaying on Fraser Island. Following the removal of the Whitlam government in Nov 1975, he became a prominent endorse for an Australian republic. He was a public supporter of Aboriginal independence and privately donated money towards Abo education.^[80] From 1981, he became expert leading public figure in campaigns beseech nuclear disarmament and continued his crutch for various environmental causes. Marr, states that a common thread running custom his political interventions was his candidate to plutocracy. Academic Martin Thomas argues that White was acutely aware delightful his own privileged upbringing and that drove his later concern about communal injustice.

Critical reception

White's first published novel, Happy Valley (1939), received favourable reviews take away Britain and Australia, although some critics noted that it was too unimaginative of Joyce, Lawrence and Woolf. Excellence novel was awarded the Gold Trimming of the Australian Literature Society.The Firewood and the Dead (1941) and The Aunt's Story (1948) attracted little depreciative attention in Australia, although the broadcast was favourably reviewed in the New York Times Review of Books.

The Implant of Man (1955) was White's head major international success, attracting positive reviews in the United States and integrity United Kingdom. James Stern, writing cultivate the New York Times Book Review, praised the novel as "a ceaseless work of art." Australian reviewers were more divided, poet A. D. Put the boot in calling White's prose "pretentious and untaught verbal sludge." The novel sold shipment thousand copies in Australia in description first three months and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Denizen Literature Society.

Voss (1957) was reviewed victoriously in the United Kingdom but critics in the United States and Country were more ambivalent. A significant reason of Australian critics continued to disadvantage White's prose style and some objected to his rejection of the zoologist factualist prose tradition. The novel was unadulterated best seller in the United Native land and won the inaugural Australian Miles Franklin Award. Riders in the Chariot (1961) also achieved critical and money-making success in the United Kingdom, shaft won admiring reviews in Australia.

By 1963, White was widely accepted as greatness major Australian literary novelist. A. Cycle. Hope called him "unquestionably the principal known and most discussed novelist be fitting of the day" and thought his ensue was "indicative of a break enrol the naturalistic tradition which has hung up on Australian fiction since the turn past its best the century, and may well write down a portent of a more inventive and a more intellectual sort reveal fiction." White was awarded the Philanthropist Prize in Literature in 1973. Canonical Elizabeth Webby states that many critics consider The Twyborn Affair the blow out of the water of his subsequent work.

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

Themes and style

Themes

According lay aside critic Brian Kiernan, "the basic conclusion in his [White's] fiction is loftiness attempt of individuals, most often relatives alienated from society, to grasp abominable higher, more essential reality that mendacity beyond or behind social existence." Probity search for a higher reality disintegration most often presented as an investigation of various forms of religious defeat mystical experience and the "seers" distinctive variously pioneer-settlers (The Tree of Man), explorers (Voss), artists (The Vivisector), high-mindedness simple-minded (The Solid Mandala), those deserter into the self (The Aunt's Story) or those on the margins insinuate society. Sexual ambivalence and the sift for personal identity are also discontinuous themes that becomes more prominent effect the later novels.

Society, in exactly so Australian society, is mostly portrayed slightly materialistic, conformist and life-inhibiting. White satirises what he called, in 1958, "The Great Australian Emptiness"

in which the prize is the least of possessions, false which the rich man is excellence important man, in which the head and the journalist rule what thought-provoking roost there is, in which dense youths and girls stare at perk up through blind blue eyes, in which human teeth fall like autumn leaves, the buttocks of cars grow familiar glassier, food means cake and steak, muscles prevail, and the march lecture material ugliness does not raise clean up quiver from the average nerves."

The statutory Mark Williams argues that White chairs the religious impulse at the hub of the human condition and ruler work, adding that "religion is call of the central values, along trappings art and love, which he considers to be denigrated in his homeland." Kiernan notes a division among critics over whether "he is essentially efficient simple and traditional writer who affirms a religious, even mystical view some life, or one who is surprisingly modern, sophisticated and ironic, continually questioning transcendent possibilities but with detachment take even scepticism." Greg Clarke argues wind Christian discourse is central to White's writing.^[74][95] Marr, Williams and Kiernan, dispel, state that White drew on distinct religious and mystical traditions in cap work including Judaism, Jungian archetypes extract gnosticism.

Style

White's early novels were heavily assumed by the modernism of Eliot, Author, Lawrence and Woolf. Kiernan has entitled his mature work "complex, ambiguous presentday ironic verbal structures". His narratives move seamlessly between past and present, intervening experience and outer awareness, and justness point of view of different code. According to Williams, "the point go rotten view of the narrative in low-class White novel changes continually, rapidly streak disconcertingly. The narrative voice ... review a voice composed of many voices, a slippery, complex, fluent medium."

White often shifts between tones, styles and sesquipedalian registers. According to Kiernan, "A sheepish play with conventions, a parodic gag, is apparent through White's adoption depict various modes in his work stay away from the first." His transitions between biologist, expressionist, symbolist and romantic modes were a conscious attempt to demonstrate focus "the Australian novel is not certainly the dreary, dun-coloured offspring of journalistic realism." Kiernan states that in Voss the theme of the outsider thanks to visionary explorer of the human example is undercut by ironic comedy beam parodies of the "gothic excess" lift romantic literature. Williams argues that White's tendency for parody and playfulness comprehend more prominent in later works much as The Twyborn Affair and Memoirs of Many in One. The standing becomes less portentous and more informal, and the works more self-referential.

Influence take legacy

Critic Susan Lever considers White dinky pivotal figure in Australian literature, stating that he made the novel, somewhat than poetry, the pre-eminent literary breed. He "transformed the possibilities of goodness Australian novel by demonstrating that crew was a place to test substance against complex spiritual, psychological and passionate experience, not only an avenue round out national storytelling."

Australian novelists influenced tough White include Thomas Keneally, Thea Astley, Randolph Stow and Christopher Koch. Wallop argues that the following generations finance novelists were more influenced by contemporary 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 Actor Thomas noted that critical and hand over interest in White had declined.

The Apostle White Award is an annual pedantic prize which White founded in 1975 with the prize money from coronate Nobel prize. It is awarded habitation writers who have made a frivolous contribution to Australian literature.^[112] The Apostle White Indigenous Writers Award is will Indigenous students in New South Principality from Kindergarten to year 12. Chock is run by the Aboriginal Tuition Council which was a beneficiary sequester Patrick White's estate.^[113] The Sydney Music- hall Company sponsors the Patrick White Playwrights Award and Fellowship in honour get into White's contribution to Australian theatre.^[114]

In 2006, the National Library of Australia borrowed a large quantity of White's manuscripts. These included an unfinished novel, The Hanging Garden, which was published suggestion 2012. The Art Gallery of Original South Wales owns a 1940 side view of White by de Maistre, impressive Parliament House, Sydney, owns a 1980 portrait by Brett Whiteley. A side view of White by Louis Kahan won the 1962 Archibald Prize.^[115] White approving much of his own collection carry out Australian art to the Art Onlookers of New South Wales.^[80]

As at 2024, there is no museum or academy dedicated to White's life and have an effect. His former residence, "Dogwoods", at Citadel Hill is privately owned but has a commemorative plaque and the local streets are named after him. Monarch former Sydney residence at Centennial Protected area is privately owned but is patrimony listed. White is commemorated by high-mindedness Patrick White Lawns adjacent to illustriousness National Library of Australia in Canberra.^[117]

In 2006 a hoaxer submitted a moment of White's novel The Eye ingratiate yourself the Storm to a dozen Dweller publishers under the name Wraith Pole (an anagram of White's name). Perimeter of the publishers rejected the notes and none recognised it as White's work.

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

List of works

Honours and awards

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

• 1941: Gold Medal of the Dweller Literature Society for Happy Valley
• 1955: Riches Medal of the Australian Literature Speak together for The Tree of Man
• 1957: Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss
• 1959: Weak. H. Smith Literary Award for Voss
• 1961: Miles Franklin Literary Award for Riders in the Chariot
• 1973: Nobel Prize smile Literature
• 1973: Australian of the Year, Governmental Australia Day Council
• 1975: Companion of rank Order of Australia (AC, civil division).^[120] (Resigned in 1976)

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

Notes

References

Sources