The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, by Thomas Keneally, tells the story of Jimmie Blacksmith, a man of mixed race, who goes on a killing spree in Australia in 1900. Keneally traces Jimmie's life, showing how he faced discrimination and oppression based solely on his race and how this eventually boiled over into an uncontrollable wrath. Taken from a fragment of Australian history, Keneally weaves together a fictional account of Jimmie Blacksmith's actions and his subsequent fugitive journey.
Jimmie is initiated into the Mungindi tribe, but he grows disillusioned and travels with Rev. and Mrs. Neville as they move to a new town. They encourage him to aim for a higher social status. They tell him that he should work to earn money for land and that he should marry a white girl from a farm. Driven by.....
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