Herbert uses symbols and simple oppositions to structure his novel. In Chapter One, the heading ‘The Coming of the Dingoes’ underlines the then generally accepted civilisation/primitive opposition which is given in the lines:
When dingoes come to a waterhole, the ancient kangaroos, not having teeth or ferocity enough to defend their heritage, must relinquish it, or die.
This sets the theme of the coming into being of a ‘New Race’ through natural selection. Herbert is using the theory correctly though simply, and if we accept it at face value, he is not talking about Social Darwinism at all, but about natural selection in which one species succeeds another, not one society another. He is not describing the replacement of Aboriginal culture and society by the stronger British ‘civilisation’; but by a ‘new’ society emerging from the amalgamation of the two. The opposition of primitivism and civilisation engages in an ironic dialectic, and the synthesis of the dialectic is the ‘new’ race; but the potentialities of this ‘new’ race are not ‘realised’.
Herbert introduces a counter-theme in which natural selection is opposed to Fate. Fate is both antithesis and synthesis. A transcendent force which rules Black, Coloured and White. There is no escape from it and the dialectic collapses into confusion. Fate excludes any attempt at transformation, or social mediation, and stymies any movement towards resolution. What we may finally decide is that we are reading a good yarn, filled with conflict and tension, which are aspects of life and from which there is no escape. It is then that we accept the notion of a ‘universe of appalling waste’ which may only be mitigated through irony and good humour.
Incidents such as Tom O’Cannon’s death on Christmas Day, Joe Ballest’s death and Nick’s ‘seeming death’, are humorously presented so that the bitterness of Man’s Fate is lessened, though not diminished. Apart from this there is the Dickensian caricature which operates throughout the book. Names of the characters O’Crimmell, O’Theef, Paddy Pickhandle, McCrook, Nibbleson, Thumscough, Ponderosass, Shouter Rightit, Major Luffmay and so on, although enjoyable and pointing towards the great Aussie yarn with its emphasis on good humour and irony, may be felt to be too heavy-handed. But it does make for a structural opposition between seriousness and irony which adds to the complexity of the novel. I find the roots of Herbert’s style in the Aussie Yarn. In fact Capricornia might be considered ‘The Great Aussie Yarn’ in that it goes on and on like a river flowing towards the mythical inland sea, which in reality turns out to be a desert of ill-promise.
In summing up my comments on Herbert’s novel, I stress that the theme of Capricornia is the producing of a ‘new’ race from the mixture of Aboriginal and European stock. This is a product of natural selection. Against this is opposed a counter-theme of man at the mercy of Fate. Man proposes, Fate deposes. As natural selection is considered a rigid scientific principle, Fate is considered a rigid metaphysical principle. This opposition results in pessimism. The cawing of the crows at the end of the novel stresses this. By resolving his narrative in this way, Herbert has, I believe, revealed an important aspect of the Australian character. A fatalistic attitude which, instead of stressing change for the betterment, argues for stasis. Thus we have ‘accords’ and ‘consensus’ and calls for unity and conformity as against experiment in difference. It was perhaps Herbert’s knowledge of the Australian character which prevented him from giving us a more optimistic ending in which the two races in Capricornia unite to produce a ‘new’ national type. It is said that an author is only as good as his material allows him to be, and so Herbert has only been able to produce a text which reflects Australia and Australians. It is here that the value of his narrative lies and the reason it has remained a perennial best seller. Capricornia is about what makes Australians Australian.
Mudrooroo Nyoongah
May 1990
A
AINTEE, DR. Protector of Aborigines.
ANGEL. See BLACK ANGEL.
ANNA. See FAT ANNA.
B
BALLEST, JOE. Railway Ganger.
BICYCLE. Aboriginal stockman, of Red Ochre cattle station. A member of the Mullanmullak tribe.
BIGHTIT, CAESAR (“THE SHOUTER”). An eminent lawyer.
BLACK ANGEL. An Aboriginal woman, of the Mullanmullak tribe; a midwife.
BLAIZE, MRS VIOLA. Postmistress at Soda Springs.
BLEETER, REV. SIMON. A missionary.
BLOSSOM. See O’CANNON, BLOSSOM.
BOOTPOLISH. Aboriginal stockman, of Red Ochre station. A member of the Mullanmullak tribe.
BORTELLS, EDWIN. A pharmacist, friend of Norman Shillingsworth.
BOYLES, DR BIANCO. Government Medical Officer.
BURYWELL, JACK. Grazier, a purchaser of Red Ochre station.
C
CALLOW, CEDRIC. A grazier, of Agate Bar station.
CHARLIE WING SING. A Chinaman. Cousin of Blossom O’Cannon.
CHIN LING SOO. A Chinese. Father of Mrs Cho See Kee.
CHO SEE KEE. A Chinese. Storekeeper at Port Zodiac.
CHO SEE KEE, MRS. Wife of Cho See Kee.
CHO SEK CHING. A Chinese cook, brother of Cho See Kee.
CHOOK. See HENN, ALBERT.
CHRISTOBEL. An Aboriginal half-caste girl, friend of Tocky.
COCKERELL (“COCKY”). A fettler.
CON THE GREEK. Constandino Kyrozopolis, a Dago cook.
CONNIE. See DIFFER, CONSTANCE.
CROWE, JOE. Undertaker and cabman of Port Zodiac.
D
DIANA. Black quadroon girl, daughter of Yeller Jewty (q.v.).
DIFFER, CONSTANCE. Aboriginal half-caste girl, daughter of Peter Differ. See also PAN, PETER.
DIFFER, PETER. A settler and author, of Coolibah Creek.
DINGO JOE. An Aboriginal half-caste, employed by Oscar.
DRIVER, JOCK. A Pommy. Grazier, of Gunamiah station, Melisande River.
E
ELBERT (“YELLER ELBERT”). An Aboriginal half-caste, an assassin.
F
FAT ANNA. A laundress, and woman of independent means, living on the Port Zodiac waterfront. Classified as an Aboriginal, though daughter of a Japanese. Foster-mother, for a time, of Norman Shillingsworth.
FLIEGELTAUB, KARL. A German, settler, of Caroline River.
FLUTE, COLONEL PLAYFAIR. Resident Commissioner of Capricornia.
G
GIGNEY, SIDNEY. A railway construction engineer.
GINGER. Aboriginal, of the Mullanmullak tribe. A police tracker.
GOMEZ, EMILIO. A Spaniard. Captain of S.S.Cucaracha.
H
HEATHER. See POUNDAMORE, HEATHER.
HENN, ALBERT (“CHOOK”). Locomotive engineer, bosom