A Post-Colonial View on David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon - Summary

 

Frederick, Suresh (2021). “A Post-Colonial View on David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon” (Co-author: Silvia Olives G) in Multicultural Education (ISSN:1068-3844) Vol 5, Issue11, 2021. 195-198.

 

Summary

In “A Post-Colonial View on David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon”, Suresh Frederick and Silvia Olives G. analyse how Malouf’s novel explores the deep complexities of colonial identity, cultural displacement, and hybridity. They argue that the character of Gemmy Fairley—an English boy raised among Aboriginal Australians—functions as a powerful symbol of Australia’s own fractured identity, positioned between its colonial past and its indigenous presence.

The essay situates the novel within postcolonial theory, drawing particularly on Homi Bhabha’s ideas of hybridity and otherness. Gemmy embodies both settler and native yet belongs fully to neither. His liminal status disrupts colonial binaries of “civilised” versus “savage” and forces the settler community to confront their own insecurities. Frederick and Olives show that Gemmy’s presence unsettles the colonial imagination, exposing how fears of contamination and loss of authority permeate settler consciousness.

Language becomes another site of struggle in the novel. Gemmy’s fragmented speech, silences, and the settlers’ attempts to interpret his story highlight the tension between colonial discourse and indigenous modes of knowing. The authors argue that this reflects a larger conflict between the dominant imperial narrative and the marginalised voices it seeks to suppress. By examining Gemmy’s failure to be fully understood or assimilated, Frederick and Olives reveal how colonial power works not only through physical control but also through epistemic violence.

The paper further emphasises the role of memory and belonging. Gemmy’s in-between identity raises questions about national history and cultural reconciliation. His very existence resists neat categorisations, reminding readers that colonial nations like Australia are built on hybridity, fracture, and unresolved tensions rather than purity or uniformity. In this sense, Malouf’s narrative challenges the myth of a singular national identity and points toward a more inclusive and pluralistic understanding of belonging.

In conclusion, Frederick and Olives argue that Remembering Babylon is far more than a story of cultural contact. It is a postcolonial critique of colonial power, language, and memory, exposing the fragility of colonial authority and celebrating the possibility of hybrid identities. The novel, they suggest, encourages readers to re-imagine Australia’s origins as complex, unsettled, and inherently hybrid, thereby offering a framework for cultural reconciliation and ecological belonging.

Land as “Terrain of the Conscious” in David Malouf’s Fly Away Peter - Summary

Frederick, Suresh (2021). “Land as “Terrain of the Conscious” in David Malouf’s Fly Away Peter” (Co-author: Silvia Olives G) in Dogo Rangsang Research Journal ISSN : 2347-7180 Vol-08 Issue-14 No. 03: 2021. 221-226.

https://www.journal-dogorangsang.in/no_3_Book_21/35.pdf

 

Summary

In the article “Land as ‘Terrain of the Conscious’ in David Malouf’s Fly Away Peter”, Suresh Frederick and Silvia Olives G. explore how Malouf presents the landscape not just as setting, but as a psychological and philosophical force,what they term the “terrain of the conscious.” The authors argue that in Fly Away Peter, land becomes an active cognitive realm where inner consciousness and external environment intertwine, shaping the protagonist Jim’s identity and worldview.

Frederick and Olives examine how the Australian estuary (the bird sanctuary) operates as a space of deep mental engagement. Through intricate descriptions of Jim Saddler’s birdwatching, the land becomes a mirror of inner thought—its features helping Jim form memories, spiritual connections, and ecological insight. The terrain fosters a unique awareness that transcends physical boundaries, encouraging readers to see landscape as a reflective, transformative medium.

The paper highlights key narrative instances: Jim’s intimate knowledge of every blade of grass and bird plumage; his resistance to the intrusive biplane; his reflective immersion in the estuary’s natural rhythms, all showcase how consciousness emerges through and within place. The land thus becomes a psychological container, shaping perception and memory.

The essay also engages with the shifting landscapes induced by war. On the Western Front, war-ravaged land contrasts sharply with the estuary, signaling a rupture in the conscious terrain. Here, consciousness fractures; Jim’s identity unravels amid destruction. Yet, his memories of the estuary persist in his mind's “terrain,” affirming the enduring power of place in sustaining inner life under threat.

Key Points Highlighted:

• Land as cognitive space – the physical landscape shapes thought, memory, and identity.
• Ecological consciousness – Jim’s bond with place fosters ecological empathy.
• Contrast between peace and war – traumatic landscapes disrupt the “terrain of the conscious.”
• Memory and continuity – the estuary’s sensory details ground Jim’s psyche, even amid violence.

Frederick and Olives conclude that Malouf’s novel positions land as more than backdrop—it is a living cognitive force central to narrative and consciousness. By portraying the natural world as a terrain of thought, Fly Away Peter exemplifies how literature can bridge ecological awareness and interior experience.

Effect of Colonial Power on Hybridization in David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon - Summary

 

Frederick, Suresh (2021). “Effect of Colonial Power on Hybridization in David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon” (Co-author: Silvia Olives G) Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies (ISSN 1305-578X) Scopus Indexed Journal, 2512- 2518.

https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/view/4215/1204

Summary

In “Effect of Colonial Power on Hybridisation in David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon”, Frederick and Olives examine how colonial dominance shapes hybrid identities in Malouf's novel. They argue that colonial power exerts profound influence on both colonisers and colonised, impacting perception, language, and belonging. The paper positions colonial practices not only as political or economic impositions but also as tools that restructure cultural identities and social norms, creating hybrid subjectivities that blur binaries of “wild” versus “civilised”, “Other” versus self, and linguistic appropriation versus autonomy.

The authors analyse how Malouf deploys narrative techniques to portray hybridisation as a complex, often conflicted process. Characters like Gemmy, who has assimilated into Aboriginal life, yet returns to settler society, embody this fluid identity. Gemmy’s cultural hybridity unsettles both worlds and foregrounds friction between imposed colonial norms and lived indigenous experience.

Frederick and Olives highlight key colonial mechanisms like control over language, land appropriation, and the framing of the “Other” as central to understanding identity transformations. They draw on postcolonial theorists such as Homi Bhabha and Frantz Fanon to illuminate how hybrid identities are neither wholly coloniser nor colonised but occupy an interstitial space shaped by power, memory, and resistance.

Through this lens, Frederick and Olives interpret Remembering Babylon not simply as a story of cultural encounter but as a meditation on how colonial structures enforce hybridity, and conflict. They argue that the novel critiques colonial logic by exposing how land ownership, language control, and cultural othering fragment identity, while also creating potential for reconciliation and new subjectivities.

Key points highlighted:

·        Colonial power reshapes individual and collective identities through cultural and linguistic pressures.

·   Hybridisation acts as both effect and critique of colonial hegemony.

·        Characters inhabiting hybrid spaces challenge binaries and illustrate postcolonial liminality.

·        Malouf’s narrative invites readers to question notions of purity, ownership, and cultural authority.

Frederick and Olives conclude that Remembering Babylon serves as a nuanced critique of colonial impact, offering a layered portrayal of hybrid identities as inherently unstable yet potentially transformative.

Ecojustice: Politics of Place and Race in Mildred Taylor’s Song of the Trees and The Well: Article Summary

 

“Ecojustice: Politics of Place and Race in Mildred Taylor’s Song of the Trees and The Well” by Suresh Frederick and J. Edwin Moses, published in Bodhi International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Science, Vol. 7 Special Issue 3 (November 2022), pp. 108-112

 

Summary (approx. 350 words)

In “Ecojustice: Politics of Place and Race in Mildred Taylor’s Song of the Trees and The Well”, Suresh Frederick and J. Edwin Moses present an ecocritical analysis that foregrounds how place, racial identity, and environmental ethics intersect in Mildred Taylor’s stories. Through readings of Song of the Trees and The Well, the authors reveal how Taylor weaves ecological concerns with socio-racial realities to advocate for ecojustice.

Frederick and Moses emphasize that the natural landscapes in Taylor’s narratives are not mere backdrops; they are dynamic sites where racial tensions, economic power, and environmental justice play out. In Song of the Trees, the Logan family’s struggle to protect the trees on their land becomes a symbol of preserving cultural identity and ancestral legacy. The trees carry emotional and spiritual weight—embedded with family history—and standing up for them becomes an act of eco­political resistance. This frames environmental protection as intertwined with maintaining racial dignity and community memory.

In The Well, the authors unpack a darker confrontation with racial violence and land-based power. The story’s portrayal of water access and the control exerted by white community members illustrates how basic ecological resources become instruments of racial oppression. Frederick and Moses argue that the narrative reveals how ecological injustice often mirrors—and reinforces—social and racial inequities, emphasising the necessity of a justice-oriented ecological critique.

Key points highlighted in the paper include:

• Place as identity: The land and natural elements in Taylor’s works are interwoven with the characters’ sense of self and heritage.
• Eco-resistance as racial and cultural preservation: Defending the environment becomes a means to uphold community values under threat.
• Intersectional ecology: Environmental justice is inseparable from racial justice; the stories demonstrate how ecological struggles reflect broader societal inequities.
• Moral imperative of ecojustice: Taylor’s narratives invite readers to consider responsible, equitable stewardship of land and resources, especially for marginalised communities.

Ultimately, Frederick and Moses's essay argues that Taylor’s fiction models an ecojustice framework where ecological ethics cannot be separated from social equity. Through her nuanced depictions, readers learn that the fight for environmental justice is also a fight for cultural survival, autonomy, and dignity.

Early Seeds of Bioregionalism: Place-Consciousness and Harmony in Andrew Marvell’s “The Garden” - Article in a nutshell.

 

Frederick, Suresh (2024). “Early Seeds of Bioregionalism: Place-Consciousness and Harmony in Andrew Marvell’s “The Garden”” (Co-author Edwin Moses) Journal of Ecohumanism ISSN: 2752-6798 (Print) | ISSN 2752-6801. Scopus Indexed Journal. Published in December 2024. Volume: 3, No: 8.12608–12612. DOI https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.5954

 

Early Seeds of Bioregionalism in Marvell’s The Garden

In their ecocritical reading of Andrew Marvell’s seventeenth-century poem The Garden, Suresh Frederick and J. Edwin Moses identify what they call the “early seeds of bioregionalism,” arguing that Marvell anticipates a philosophy of ecological belonging long before the term was coined. Bioregionalism emphasizes living in harmony with one’s immediate environment—developing a sense of place, honouring ecological limits, and recognizing reciprocal ties between humans and nature. Marvell’s poem, though written in a different historical context, resonates strongly with these principles. The speaker rejects the vanity of human ambition, political conquest, and material competition, instead finding joy in the quiet abundance of the garden. Trees offer shade, fruits drop freely, and the soul communes with “green thought in a green shade,” presenting nature not as backdrop but as an autonomous, sustaining presence. This reflects a form of place-consciousness: the garden is not merely decorative but a living, nurturing space that shapes identity and meaning. Moreover, Marvell envisions harmony between inner life and outer environment—the garden restores balance, suggesting that human flourishing depends on ecological integration rather than domination. Importantly, Frederick and Moses highlight the poem’s subtle recognition of limits: total withdrawal into solitude is not an ideal end in itself, for true bioregional living involves both contemplative retreat and communal responsibility to one’s ecological region. Thus, the poem embodies a proto-bioregional ethic that challenges anthropocentrism and foreshadows modern ecological thought. By reading Marvell in this way, Frederick contributes to ecocriticism’s project of uncovering how earlier literary texts contain latent ecological wisdom. The Garden becomes more than a celebration of pastoral retreat—it emerges as a meditation on belonging, sustainability, and harmony, aligning Marvell’s poetic vision with the ecological imperatives of our own time.

Rooted in Landscape: Exploring Place and Identity in Tim Winton’s Novels - Article in a nutshell

 

Frederick, Suresh(2024). “Rooted in Landscape: Exploring Place and Identity in Tim Winton’s Novels”. (Co-author Thilaga, P. J. S.) Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8), Scopus Indexed Journal. December 2024. 12130 –.12136. 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.5921

Summary:
In “Rooted in Landscape,” Suresh Frederick and P. J. S. Thilaga explore how Tim Winton’s novels, such as Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, and Breath, illustrate the profound role of place and landscape in shaping both individual identity and collective consciousness. The authors argue that Winton does not merely set his stories against Australia’s rugged backdrops; rather, the land itself becomes an active, almost sentient force that moulds characters, catalyses internal transformations, and highlights ecological awareness

By positioning Winton within eco-literature and the Australian literary tradition, Frederick and Thilaga propose that landscape in his works functions as a “machine for identity creation”: a dynamic, living presence that imprints on the characters and readers alike. For instance, in Cloudstreet, the house and surrounding land become repositories of family memory, culture, and emotional burden. In Dirt Music, the coastal wilderness and isolation trigger self-reckoning and existential re-awakening. And in Breath, the lethal beauty of the ocean teaches characters about risk, mortality, and environmental humility.

The article emphasizes how Winton’s engagement with landscape transcends mere description. Place becomes a site of ethical encounter, demanding a responsible, reciprocal relation from humans toward their environment. This ecological consciousness emerges from characters’ immersion in and struggle with the natural world, rather than external moralizing. The authors suggest that Winton’s fiction invites readers to reconsider identity—not as something isolated or abstract, but as embedded in, and inseparable from, ecological contexts. Through this lens, landscape is not only a mirror of the self but a formative agent of introspection and responsibility.

Overall, Frederick and Thilaga’s essay underscores the significance of place-conscious storytelling in contemporary ecocriticism and how Winton’s narratives exemplify the deep entwinement of land, selfhood, and environmental ethics.

Timeline of Literary Criticism: From Classicism to New Criticism

 

Timeline of Literary Criticism: From Classicism to New Criticism

 

Phase	Period	Key Features	Key Figures / Works
Classicism	Ancient Greece & Rome	Order, reason, imitation of classical models; poetry as moral instruction	Plato (Republic), Aristotle (Poetics), Horace
Medieval Criticism	5th–15th century	Religious and allegorical interpretation; Biblical exegesis; literature subordinate to faith	St. Augustine, Dante (Divine Comedy)
Renaissance / Neoclassicism	16th–18th century	Rules, rationality, decorum, imitation of classical forms	Philip Sidney (Defence of Poesie), Dryden, Pope
Romantic Criticism	late 18th – mid 19th c.	Emotion, imagination, originality, genius of the poet	Wordsworth (Preface to Lyrical Ballads), Coleridge
Victorian Criticism	19th century	Literature as moral and social force; cultural criticism	Matthew Arnold (The Study of Poetry)
Modernism	early 20th century	Form, aesthetics, fragmentation, artistic experimentation	T.S. Eliot (Tradition and the Individual Talent), Ezra Pound
Psychoanalytic Criticism	late 19th – 20th c.	Id/Ego/Superego, unconscious, repression, archetypes, symbolism	Freud, Jung, Lacan
New Criticism	1920s–1940s	The text itself; close reading; rejection of authorial intention & reader response	Wimsatt & Beardsley, Cleanth Brooks