Boldrewood

Robbery Under Arms is the story of the Marston brothers. Australian born Dick and Jim, and their English-born ex-convict father, Ben. Under Ben's influence the brothers take to the lawless path, following the charismatic Captain Starlight. The novel affords many interesting aspects for literary criticism. These range from the character of Captain Starlight to the role of the 'Terrible Hollow' through to the many and varied dualities in theme and character delineation. This paper will …

…could develop, one which would be representative of the variety that made up that society, and of which the Irish were a considerable number. Although Boldrewood provides a clear divide between his protagonists' English and Irish backgrounds, his choice of language reveals an Irish spirit in the characters and acting as an underground spring that nourishes the narrative in this Australian novel, and which is a key factor in the account of its enduring appeal.