Intetextuality in Hunting the Wild Pineapple – Thea Astley
In page order:
1. North: Some Compass Readings: Eden
Title: Mocking title introducing the escapist journeys of those who travel north looking for paradise.
p.3
Shakespeare – Hamlet, “Ah! There’s the rub”. It’s not the dreaming that matters – Mercutio.
Eden - Bible. The garden of God and the first home of Adam and Eve. Also called Garden of Eden, delightful place, a paradise, state of innocence, bliss, or ultimate happiness.
Limbo- (European mythology) The realm of the virtuous pagan dead. Christianity dealt with the problem of those who lived virtuously before the coming of Christ and unbaptised infants by placing these souls in a special part of Hell, called Limbo. Here they suffered no pain, but were excluded from heavenly bliss.
p. 4
emotional syntax- study of the rules, patterns, system whereby words or other elements of a structure are combined to form a grammatical whole. So emotional coherence, makeup, patterning.
Cachet- mark or quality, as of distinction, individuality, or authenticity.
p. 5
sera comans Iris- late-blooming
p. 7 Orinoco - The courseof the OrinocoRiver in Venezuela describes a wide ellipsoidal arc. At its mouth it forms a wide delta that branches off into hundreds of rivers and waterways that flow through 41,000 km² of swampy forests. Its tributaries spread out in vein-like patterns. Compare with p.9 – “like the Amazon and its tributary system”.
auberge – an inn
p.8
Cyclops (The Cyclops were almost like human beings but of a gigantic size and with only one eye in the middle of their heads. Essentially there were three of them: Brontes (thunderer), Steropes (Lightener), and Arges (Bright). They were born to Gaea and Uranus. They were the first smiths. Volcanos were believed to be the aftermath of their underground work.
Crusader Rabbit - Television's first cartoon series, Crusader Rabbit, Crusader's basic formula was simple — humorous adventure stories told (by narrator Roy Whaley) in short episodes, with cliff hangers, about a little smart hero (Crusader Rabbit), a big dumb hero (Rags the Tiger), and an inept recurring villain (Dudley Nightshade). Its creator would later become famous for another animated TV series with that very same formula — Rocky & Bullwinkle
lustrum- period of five years
p.9
Laurence Sterne 1713–68, English author, b. Ireland. He wrote Tristram Shandy
p.10
Mountebank – A peddler of quack medicine, who stands on a platform to appeal to the audience, charlatan; a boastful pretender to knowledge or a skill.
Art Rimbaud – a volatile and peripatetic poet, the prodigy Arthur
Rimbaud wrote all of his poetry in a space of less than five years.
His poem "Voyelles" marked him as a founder of French
symbolism,and his Une Saison en Enfer (A Season in Hell) is
considered one of the first works of free verse. His poetry was
subconsciously inspired and highly suggestive. Born October 20,
1854, died on November 10, 1891 at the age of thirty-seven.
longueurs - dull and tedious passages in a book, play, musical composition, or the like.
p. 11
A lingua franca is any language widely used beyond the population of its native speakers.
p. 12
Patchouli oil and incense underwent a surge in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, mostly among devotees of the free love and hippie lifestyles, due in part to the fact that the pungent smell of patchouli is known to cover the smell of burnt cannabis.
p.13
Cecil B deMille Director, Producer, Editor, Writer, even Actor: one of the silver screen's greatest talents. Though throughout his multi-faceted he made an invaluable contribution to movie making. Three of his films were nominated for Best Picture of the year (Cleopatra (1934), the greatest show onearth (which won in 1952), and The Ten Commandments (1956).
Authorised Version of Bible (King James)
p.14
Lawrence- D.H. Lawrence is a famous novelist. He’s best known for Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Sons and Lovers.
p.15
Dorothea McKellar: My Country (I Love a Sunburnt Country)
The Flying Dutchmanis a ghost ship that can never go home, but must sail "the seven seas" forever. The Flying Dutchman is usually spotted from afar, sometimes glowing with ghostly light. If she is hailed by another ship, her crew will often try to send messages to land, to people long since dead.
caracoles- half turns performed by horse and rider
p.16
Tennyson, “Blow Bugle Blow”
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle ; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
p. 17
acalyphas- tropical shrubs
p. 19
"Nostalgie de la boue" - yearning for the mud- ascribing higher spiritual values to people and cultures considered "lower" than oneself, the romanticisation of the faraway primitive.
p.20
Lotus-eaters; Lotus Land – Tennyson, The Lotus Eaters The Lotus-eaters came bearing the flower and fruit of the lotus, which they offered to Odysseus's mariners. Those who eat the lotus feel as if they have fallen into a deep sleep, hearing only the music of their heartbeat in their ears. The lotus eaters represent the ambiguous appeal of a life without toil.
p. 22
distrait- distraught, distracted
p. 23
Crackerjack - complimentary descriptor modifying the common "jack" meaning everyman, and coming to signify a certain excellence achieved, perhaps, at great daring or risk.
p. 24
Sláinte (to your health) cheers in Ireland
p.25
Ogden Nash(1902 –1971) was an American poet best known for writing pithy and funny light verse.
2. The Curate Breaker
p. 37
“Father” – so Rassini is a Catholic priest
anointed – to anoint is to apply holy oil ritually (esp. in the sacraments of baptism, holy orders, etc.)
curate – assistant priest or deacon
presbytery – the residence of a priest
dram – a small drink of spirits, esp. whisky
suave – smooth; polite; sophisticated
charismatic (style in priestliness)
seminaries – training colleges for Catholic priests
p. 38
Cointreau – an expensive “dessert” liquor
minatory–threatening; menacing
diocese - a diocese is an ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a prelate (high ranking priest); diocesan is the adjective of this
apostolate – the office, duties, or mission of an apostle; an association of individuals for the dissemination of a religion or doctrine
p. 39
“his ancestor’s insane respect for the cloth” – “old style” Catholics, on the whole, would not question anything demanded or stated by priests; priests were seen as having God’s authority
languishing – lose or lack vitality; suffering; pining
Holy Name Society –an organization of Catholics united in action in the name of Jesus Christ
Children of Mary – Children of Mary are expected by their rules to practise many virtues, but it is still the lily of Mary's spotlessness which must shine pre-eminent, hence their love for her Immaculate Conception. Their devotion to the Heart of Jesus prompts the making of vestments and other altar requirements for poor churches and distant missions. Their zeal takes many other forms: - supporting orphans, visiting hospitals, helping the poor in their homes, opening work-rooms and guiding reading-circles for young girls.
ex cathedra – a formal infallible decision of the pope, obligatory on all the faithful
p. 40
whimsicality – odd or quaint; fanciful
plaintively – sorrowfully; mournfully
confessional smile – one of the requirements of the Catholic faith is to “give confession”, which requires the individual to tell the priest all their “sins” in order to be forgiven for them
scruple– a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force, inhibiting certain actions; an uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action
Holy Days of Obligation – the days and rituals the Catholic Church requires its faithful to attend
capitulate– to surrender under specified conditions; to give up all resistance; acquiesce
jocular absolve te– words said by priest to the penitent in the confessional; "ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti" or "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
p. 41
clerkly skills – a clerk is someone who is employed to keep records, accounts, etc.
nine-to-fiving – undertake a job (which has the hours of “nine to five”); suggests the average/norm, a somewhat mundane existence.
per minutias ad coelum – Latin: Through detail/minutiae/smallness [we] attain heaven/sky/glory. It would be worth thinking about this in terms of the inversion suggested in relation to the common adage: The devil is in the detail.
Anglican – The Anglican faith is one which is closely associated with Catholicism (largely because of the similarities in rituals), although it is a protestant religion. It grew out of the Church of England, but is considered essentially separate from this organisation. That being said, the laws around rituals such as Communion are set out by the CoE for the Anglican community.
canon – a Christian priest (usually used in relation to those in Anglican orders)
splenetic– of or relating to the spleen. Affected or marked by ill humour or irritability.
“incense pack” – here Canon Morrow is referring to Catholics; it’s a negatively connotative phrase and focuses on the practice of using incense in Catholic services (oblique reference to the superstitious and iconoclastic practices associated with Catholicism; this is usually seen negatively by Protestants).
infallibility–In general, exemption or immunity from liability to error or failure; in particular in theological usage, the supernatural prerogative by which the Church of Christ is, by a special Divine assistance, preserved from liability to error in her definitive dogmatic teaching regarding matters of faith and morals.
wraith – an apparition of a living person that appears as a portent just before that person's death. The ghost of a dead person. Something shadowy and insubstantial
anti-papistry – against the Pope as the “head” of the church, and all that that implies
p. 42
vintners – wine makers or wine merchants
bigotry – blind commitment to one religious or world view to the exclusion of others.
St Patrick’s Day – St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland (he is supposed to have driven all the snakes from the island!); strongly associated with Catholicism
shamrocks – clover-like plant with trifoliate leaves; used as an emblem of Ireland (which is associated strongly with Catholicism)
wowserism–Puritanism, stopping people enjoying their pleasures; particularly associated with the drinking of alcohol.
White Horse White Horse symbol – the white horse was a religious symbol to the Celts and Romans.
purgatory – refers to a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church, which posits that those who die in a state of grace undergo a purification in order to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven.
Fabio Gallipo – the name is particularly Italian (and therefore “Roman”)
distemper– angry and disagreeable mood
p. 43
graffito – Italian spelling of graffiti
Gnostic – possessing intellectual or spiritual knowledge
haranguing – a lengthy, ranting speech, often attacking the listeners
circumvent – evade; find a way around (a problem)
riveted – direct one’s attention/gaze on another intently; engross
crescendo – progress towards a climax; Mus. gradual increase in loudness
“borne false witness” – to lie
p. 44
dogma – official teaching
ingenuous – innocent, artless, frank
candour – honesty
p. 45
guileless – to be without cunning or deceit
superstitious element (of Catholicism)
limpid – clear, transparent
bemused – puzzled, bewildered
p. 46
rectory – the house of an Anglican priest
cliché – hackneyed phrase or opinion
ardour – zeal, enthusiasm, passion
evangelism – spreading the word of God
p. 47
temporal – worldly as opposed to spiritual; of this life; secular; time
p. 48
prelates – high ranking priests, often bishops
“Judaic proscriptions on women at – well, at certain times” – the woman is in a state of needah, laws surrounding female menstrual cycle; when a woman is bleeding a woman is unclean or impure; cannot be touched by any man (at all!! cannot even “pass” anything to each other, eg, the salt at the table) for the term of the cycle and for 7 “clean” days afterward; after this (remembering that the Jewish day starts at sundown), the woman has to attend a mikzah (ritual bath, totally female environment), where she must clean herself, cut her nails, etc.; she is dunked 3 times and ritually cleansed and then her husband can touch her again; she is to be available to her husband at this time (given that this corresponds to the most fertile time in a woman’s cycle, it’s expected). Underlying these proscriptions is the notion of blood as a form of impurity.
p. 49
apostleship – an apostle is a leader of a new movement, but is also (when capitalised) any of the 12 men sent our by Christ to preach the gospel; thus, apostleship is the learning to be such a leader
zealously – enthusiastically
p. 50
Protties – protestants
disabusing – to free from a mistaken idea
p. 51
apostasy – the renunciation of a belief or faith; abandoning of principles, etc.
petulantly – peevishly or childishly impatient or irritable
“Corkerys” ??
p. 52
incommoded – inconvenienced
parishioners – a person belonging to a Parish (an area which has its own church and priest)
testy – irritable
p. 53
parody – satirical imitation
breviary – daily prayer book used by priests (contains masses of the day)
simulacrum – image, likeness
stupefaction – a state of amazement, astonishment
stratagems – plan for deceiving, plan to gain advantage
p. 54
gauche – socially awkward, tactless
Ecclesiastic– relating to church
self-mockery – to deride oneself; to put oneself down
scrupulous – conscientious, thorough; careful to avoid doing wrong
lamentation – the expression of grief or regret
p. 55
vindictive – tending to seek revenge; spiteful
urbane – suave, elegant, refined in manner
bogus – sham, spurious
p. 56
veracity - truth
Pentecostal – a Christian sect which emphasises divine gifts, such as miraculous healing of the sick; usually fundamentalist in outlook; the members of which express religious fervour by clapping, shouting, dancing, speaking in tongues, etc.
p. 58
antithesis – the opposite of
“took communion” – this is a ritual (in most Christian faiths) which involves the metaphorical eating of Christ’s body and drinking his blood (the ritual which involves eating and drinking bread and wine as the priest blesses you) for the purpose of “cleansing” the participants from sin
hibiscus and poinsettia – traditional tropical plants
3. Hunting the Wild Pineapple
Mango Hill is a town in Far-North Queensland
p. 63
Mr Pasmore:Victor Pasmore (1908-1998) was perhaps the most influential abstract artist in Britain and became one of the leading abstract painters of our time. He painted under varied influences ranging from Gauguin and Van Gogh, Rousseau and Modigliani to Matisse, Braque and Picasso; he is also influenced by his discovery of oriental art and the Japanese Print, reading Kandinsky, Mondrian and Arp, and Gustav Klee.
“If I can horn in a bit on another’s mummary” – as is common in Astley, she “reinvents” or inverts Australian idiom. Here, one assumes, it is a re-configuration of “take the bull by the horns”
p. 64
“social movements are amoebic” – as amoebas are a very small simple organism consisting of only one cell, nothing much happens in Mango!
mamma mia – Italian (unlikely to be referring directly to ABBA, but given the time of writing, the awareness would be there!), and reference to the strong migrant intake of the 50s-70s in Australia from this part of the world. The influx of migration had a significant impact on the language used in Australia.
“a brief congruence … [which became] an ardent pattern of mutual succour” – what an interesting way of saying “having an affair!
-congruence noun the quality or state of agreeing or corresponding
- succour - noun help; relief; aid; assistance
[Origin: 1250–1300; (v.) ME sucuren < OF suc©urre, socorre < L succurrere to go beneath, run to help, equiv. to suc-suc- + currere to run; (n.) ME soc(o)ur, back formation from sucurs (taken as pl.) < OF < ML succursus, equiv. to L succur(rere) + -sus, var of -tus suffix of v. action]
Bellamy – perhaps a reference to the Australian artistSuzanne Bellamy, who has written extensively on Virigina Woolf and Gertrude Stein. She lives in southern rural New South Wales on land near the tiny village of Mongarlowe. She directs Mongarlowe Studio Workshops, a print, sculpture and ceramic studio, fires gas kilns, and prints on a Charles Brand Etching Press. She also works extensively in the United States.
Vasco da Gama - (1460-1524) was a Portuguese explorer who discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East. Da Gama’s travels took him “round the horn”, Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
p. 65
Crusader Rabbit – see reference to p. 8 of the collection
Muh-heen-while – Astley does this often; demonstrating the pronunciation of a faux-posh Australian drawl in the speech of her characters. Here Mr Pasmore is trying for airs and graces, and “sophistication” (with his pool, his gin and his “film-star lop-sided charm”)
“stiffen you a couple of stingers” – colloquialism for pouring a couple of strong alcoholic drinks.
Tubs – probably reiterating the “tubbiness” of the character so named
p. 66
bonhomie - A pleasant and affable disposition; geniality.
[French, from bonhomme, good-natured man : bon, good (from Latin bonus) + homme, man (from Latin hom).]
p. 68
huckster - One who sells wares or provisions in the street; a peddler or hawker; one who uses aggressive, showy, and sometimes devious methods to promote or sell a product. [Middle English, probably of Low German origin; akin to Middle Dutch hokester.]
p. 70
carp - intr.v.carped, carp·ing, carps - To find fault in a disagreeable way; complain fretfully (synonym: quibble)
“watching through narrowed eyes like Jason’s” – reference to the Greek mythological hero Jason who sailed the Argo in search of (among other things) the Golden Fleece
p. 71
clap-trap - Pretentious, insincere, or empty language
p. 72
bravura – n. A showy or ostentatious manner or display [Italian, from bravo, excellent]
p. 73
double entendre [duhb-uhl ahn-tahn-druhz, -tahndz; Fr.doo-blahn-tahn-druh]– a double meaning; a word or expression used in a given context so that it can be understood in two ways, esp. when one meaning is risqué [Origin: 1665–75; < obs. F; think double intend]