ABSTRACT

The underdog is a familiar figure in Australian popular culture. Yet Australian studies scholarship has tended to focus on the related, but somewhat broader, concept of egalitarianism. The figure of the underdog therefore remains a popular trope, rather than an object of serious study. This article seeks to critically engage with constructions of the underdog, arguing that this figure underpins some of the most significant narratives of Australian identity and is ripe for further analysis. I build on the work of American anthropologist James Wertsch, and what he has described as schematic narrative templates, to position the underdog narrative as an Australian iteration of his schema. In particular, I focus on narratives that feature the horse as significant. Touching on key cultural texts including “The Man from Snowy River” and the Silver Brumby series to illustrate this schema, I then draw more deeply on constructions of the racehorse Phar Lap to argue the template’s use in framing a nationally significant historical narrative. I contend that the underdog schematic narrative template and what I have termed the Australian “horse discourse” function to mutually reinforce the legitimacy of both, creating powerful sites for the expression of nationalism.

摘要

弱者是澳大利亚流行文化中一个熟悉的人物。然而，澳大利亚研究奖学金倾向于集中在相关但较广泛的平等主义概念上。因此，失败者的身影仍然是一个受欢迎的人，而不是认真研究的对象。本文力图与弱势群体进行批判性接触，认为这一数字为澳大利亚身份的一些最重要的叙述奠定了基础，并且有待进一步分析。我以美国人类学家詹姆斯·沃特斯（James Wertsch）的工作以及他所描述的示意性叙事模板为基础，将弱势群体的叙事定位为他的图式的澳大利亚迭代。我特别关注那些以马为代表的叙事。触摸主要的文化文字，包括“来自雪河的人”和Silver Brumby系列以说明这一模式，然后，我将更深入地研究赛马Phar Lap的结构，以论证该模板在构筑具有全国意义的历史叙述中的用途。我认为，失败者的示意性叙事模板和我所谓的澳大利亚“马话”功能可以相互加强两者的合法性，从而为表达民族主义创造了强大的场所。