AustLit

'In my reading of Peter Carey's novel The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith, I explore the way in which Carey attempts to make a fictional world in order to connect with the political and social events in the real world of Australia during the 1970s. His fictional world of Efica was made with the same struggles for identity, on both the political and social levels, that Australia was experiencing. Through an examination of the lives of the citizens of Efica, two distinct connections to the real Australia emerge: the first is a retelling of the events and scandals that led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, an event which Whitlam himself describes as an 'execution;' the second relies on Benedict Anderson's theory of the constructed nature of national identities, revealing the complex and overlapping character of national identities. This is exemplified through the attributes-often shared with Voorstand, its principal ally-used to create Efica's identity. This relationship between the two countries which Carey created reflects the relationship that Australia had with the USA. Meanwhile, the characters themselves are caught in a process of trying to make new worlds and new identities in order to feel as though they belong, something that also seems to be a reflection of Australia's history as discussed by Richard White.' (Author's abstract)