Some critics have praised Wright for her use of magical realism in Carpentaria, while others suggest it is more realistic than not.From outcast savior Elias Smith, religious zealot Mozzie Fishman, murderous mayor Bruiser, queen-like Angel Day, to activist Will Phantom and ruler of the family, Normal Phantom, the characters of Carpenteria transcend their circumstances and challenge assumptions about the downtrodden 'other.' Trapped between politics and principle, past and present, the indigenous tribes fight to protect their natural resources, sacred sites, and above all, their people. When the Gurfurrit mine moves in, making uneasy alliances to support its ownership of the region's land and rich mineral resources, it aggravates an already complex relationship between Uptown whitefolk and Pricklebush Aboriginals. In the sparsely populated northern Queensland town of Desperance, loyalties run deep and battle lines have been drawnbetween the powerful Phantom family, leaders of the Westend Pricklebush people, and Joseph Midnight's renegade Eastsend moband their disputes with the white citizens of the neighboring towns. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. GradeSaver, 14 November 2022 Web.This reading group guide for Carpentaria by Alexis Wright includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. Next Section Carpentaria Summary Buy Study Guide How To Cite in MLA Format Demby, Samantha. However, the novel subsequently experienced widespread success and has been reprinted multiple times. At first, Carpentaria, Wright's second novel, was not stocked by many bookstores, since it was published by a small press and many saw the novel as too difficult stylistically.

Eventually, the independent small press Giramondo published it. When Wright sought to publish Carpentaria in 2006, every major Australian publisher rejected the novel, which has a highly unique storytelling style. Carpentaria also won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. Carpentaria was the first novel written by an Aboriginal author to win this prize outright, since another Aboriginal author had previously shared the award. In 2007, the novel won Australia's premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award. The novel centers around Aboriginal resistance to an international mining company that is causing violence and damaging the environment.Īuthor Alexis Wright, a member of the Aboriginal Australian Waanyi people, published Carpentaria in 2006. Carpentaria is a 2006 novel by Alexis Wright about the tortured relations between white settlers and the Aboriginal Black community in the remote mudflats of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in northern Queensland, Australia.