The Spirit of Australia in Picnic at Hanging Rock

The original .pdf file can be found here

The main points of the article include:

1. The novel deals with how British colonalists deal with the land.

2. Lindsay's novel is 'pretentious' and 'snobbish.'

3. Lindsay seems to believe that the upper classes actually look physically better than the lower classes.

4. She seems to believe the two classes differ in their sexual conventions.

5. The cultural clash is shown by Michael's relationship to Albert.

6. Joan Lindsay seems to believe that the British manners and morals are superior to those of Australians.

7. The book presents a Victorian sexual repression.

8. The novel has many homoerotic relationships including Miranda/Sara, the french dancing instructor/Miranda, the French instructor/Irma, and Mrs. Appleyard/Sara (?)

9. The novel deals with the mythology of Pan.

10. The novel puts innocent, defenseless characters into a hostile environment.

11. There are five sharp contrasts around which the film is built.

t12. The pan pipe music plays a role in the film.

13. The film also deals with the repressed sexuality of the girls.

14. Hanging Rock itself can represent phallic peaks and vaginal caves.


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