'Double Line to the Terminus': Marriage, Sex, Romance and Joseph Furphy

Authors

  • Susan Lever The University of Sydney

Keywords:

Joseph Furphy, marriage, sex, adultery, Such is Life, Rigby's Romance

Abstract

This article reads Furphy's fiction in the context of his own failed marriage. It notes Furphy's interest in sex and romance, and his insistence on a degree of sexual realism despite the inhibitions of Victorian decorum. Referring to some of the unstated elements in the story of Alf Morris and Molly Cooper and the more ludicrous treatments of sex in Such is Life, and the rape story in Rigby's Romance, the article argues that Furphy contributes to our understanding of sexual behaviour in nineteenth century Australia.

Author Biography

  • Susan Lever, The University of Sydney
    Susan Lever is an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney. Her books include David Foster: The Satirist of Australia (Cambria Press, 2008). She is general editor of the Cambria Press Australian Literature series.

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Published

2013-06-28

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2013): Joseph Furphy Centenary Issue

Section

Articles

License

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How to Cite

’Double Line to the Terminus’: Marriage, Sex, Romance and Joseph Furphy. (2013). Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature, 13(1). https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/JASAL/article/view/9840