Cirrus@Austlit

'A passer who recognises and admires another's equally convincing performance both succumbs to the other's superficial show and perceives the concealed techniques of its production: it is a matter of fully appreciating the other's style. So too certain narratives of passing oblige readers to negotiate a rite of passage through their conspicuous style: the mode of presentation becomes as important as the story the writer has fashioned and must be met with a style-conscious, paradoxical reading strategy for the tale to "tell". [...] In this chapter I will explore the reader's rites of passage in these two texts [Wild Cat Falling and Beneath Clouds], particularly as they impact upon the non-Indigenous reader, articulating the relevance of style to their comment upon racial identity.' -- From the author's introductory paragraph.