Ladies and Gentlemen? Language, Body and Identity in The Aunt’s Story and The Twyborn Affair
Abstract
In The Aunt's Story (1948) and The Twyborn Affair (1979), generally considered White's first and last great novel respectively, the themes of gendered settler identity and its subversion are prominent. Along with The Solid Mandala, White proclaimed these his favourites of his twelve novels (Flaws 145). Gordon Collier, interested in why they should stand out, observes that they represent 'his most consistent, daring and unified essays into the nature of human identity (particularly the quest for psychical and sexual wholeness)' (5).
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Published 1 October 2013 in Volume 28 No. 3. Subjects: Body image, Identity, Language, Literary portrayal, Patrick White.
Cite as: Grogan, Bridget. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen? Language, Body and Identity in The Aunt’s Story and The Twyborn Affair.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 28, no. 3, 2013, doi: 10.20314/als.fd52d51984.