Jack Mitchell (character)
John "Jack" Mitchell, often referred to only as Mitchell, is a recurring fictional character in the short stories and sketches by Australian writer Henry Lawson. He is widely considered one of Lawson's most memorable characters.[1]
Description
Mitchell has been described as a "shrewd, kindly, swagman."[2] Critic John Barnes suggests that Mitchell functions as a persona rather than a fully developed character, replacing the author as narrator and storyteller, an "instrument by which Lawson can create states of feeling and so define his sense of being human."[2] Mitchell is usually depicted as a traveller, often accompanied by a companion with whom he shares stories.[2] He has been likened to the Romantic outcast figure of The Wanderer.[2]
Published Jack Mitchell Stories
Jack Mitchell appeared in the following Henry Lawson stories, among others:
- "Mitchell: A Character Sketch"
- "On The Edge Of A Plain"
- "'Some Day'"
- "Shooting The Moon"
- "Our Pipes"
- "Bill, the Ventriloquial Rooster"
- "Enter Mitchell"
- "Mitchell Doesn't Believe in the Sack"
- "Another of Mitchell's Plans"
References
- ↑ Manning, Charles (1991) "Henry Lawson", lecture at The University of Melbourne. Collected in Speaking out of turn: lectures and speeches, 1940-1991, Melbourne University Publish (pub. 1997), pp. 181-196
- 1 2 3 4 The Penguin Henry Lawson Short Stories (first published 1986); with an introduction by John Barnes, Camberwell, Victoria: Penguin Books Australia, pp. 1-16, 221-6