'Sister Kate and True History of the Kelly Gang are two important rewritings of the Ned Kelly Legend—an indispensable part of Australian collective memory. Both novels aim to rewrite history: Sister Kate focuses on deploring the unfair treatment of women in the nationalist history, whereas True History places emphasis on disclosing the operations behind the colonialist historiography. Both can be viewed as postcolonial rewritings: Sister Kate is primarily keen on bringing to light the catastrophic consequences under the colonial rule, while True History centers on the colonized Other’s fighting back. They are both involved in subverting the facade of masculinity. To attain this goal, Sister Kate reveals a series of aggressive exclusion on the part of the Kelly Gang, while True History focuses on the phenomenon of cross-dressing. A comparative study of both novels helps to explicate different writers’ concerns and approaches in their reshaping of Australian collective memory.'
Source: CAOD.
