| For the Term of His Natural Life, Marcus Clarke's well-known novel, has attracted much attention throughout Australia and other countries ever since its publication. It is a masterwork on the convict system. This thesis is engaged in the existentialist interpretation of this novel, probing into the real living conditions of the early British exile criminals in Austrialia, exihibiting a profound social realistic significance.Before 1960, especially before World War II, it is common that the Australians in London risked hearing languid sneers directed at their criminal ancestry. Though the colonial vestige was dying a generation ago, it still would send Australians into paroxysms of social embassassment. As we know, no one wanted to have convict ancestors, to Australians, convict ancestry was a stain to them. In the novel, Clarke relentlessly attacks the evils of the convict system, and at the same time he tries to demonstrate the innocence of the majority of the outcasts. A number of themes can be read into the novel, one of which may be associated with existentialism, in that it affirms an existential effort in a forsaken world. However, studies on the work are limited only within its themes, artistic techniques, as well as the prototype. Thus the present thesis will make an exploration into this novel in the light of existentialism. This thesis attempts to probe into the exitential elements in the novel through four aspects:the absurdity of the world, self-choice and resposibility, the existential alienation, and freedom and responsibility, and tries to study how Clarke has successfully reflected the living predicament of the criminals in His Natural Life. The thesis also eulogizes the criminal's unremitting spirit to pursuit freedom, love and the meaning of life.The thesis is mainly divided into six parts. The introductory part includes a general survey of Clarke's works, and the critical assessment of them, especially of His Natural Life, and then states the purpose and significance of this thesis.First the thesis gives an overview of the theory of existentialism so as to set up a basis for the study of the novel. The present thesis will apply basic existentialist principles such as freedom and choice, being and nothing, absurdity, alienation and suffering to analyze the fates of characters in this novel.Next the thesis analyzes the absurdity of the world. Clarke reveals the absurdity of the world and illustrates the world of chaos and irrationality, he portrays an absurd and disordered world in which man cannot escape but endure the absurdity of existence, which is identical with Existentialists'viewpoint the "absurdity of the world". Apart from it, this part also expands on the self-choice of the main characters in the novel. In the existential philosophy, man alone is responsible for making himself what he is, and man's responsibility implies suffering. Thus the author of the thesis focuses on the ordinary inner agonies and conflicts in the hearts of Rex, Frere and North.And then the thesis probes into the alienation and perplexity of human nature and the loss of identity induced by the brutally crude environment, including the alienation between convicts and gaolers, alienation among convicts themselves and people's alienation from God. Alienation is one of the central ideas of existentialism.At last the thesis focuses on the convicts'persevering pursuit of the meaning of life and their respective tragic ends. Death to Dawes, Sylvia, Kirkland, and two little criminals is not fear but an extrication from absurdity and transcendence into nothingness. Here we can see Clarke's optimistic view towards death.In general, based on the texual analysis, we can arrive at the conclusion that For the Term of His Natural Life is a great existential tragedy. Beneath the surface of pessimism, there is tenacious perseverance in strugging against nothingness and seeking out the meaning of life. Clarke has shown great enthusiasm in probing into an authentic being.
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