Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay Book Analysis Essay Example

Set in Australia in 1900, Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock follows the story of Appleyard College, and their unsolved mystery which takes the country by storm. The college along with its headmistress, Mrs Appleyard aims to instate the colonial values in the students, ultimately preparing them for marriage and a life of grace, etiquette and manners. Through their education along with other elements of society, the novel does reveal many of the illusions of colonial Australia. These illusions are unveiled through the ridiculousness of the clothing which is naively thought to conform the girls to a certain behaviour. The strong colonial traditions and customs which are implanted in Australia and in reality seem out of place and alien and additionally, the belief of the colonial society that they can rule over the natural environment and history of Australia. 

The novel emphasises the illusion of colonial Australia that dressing the girls in certain clothes will make them conform to a certain behaviour. For the girls of Appleyard College, their gruelling day-to-day routine is complemented by the heavy clothing they must wear, which is completely inappropriate for the weather and conditions of the Australian bush. Finalised with ‘corsets’, ‘petticoats’, ‘stockings’, and ‘gloves’, the uniform for the girls ‘(insulates)’ them from the natural environment at Hanging Rock, making them ‘no more a part of the environment than figures in a photograph’. These uniforms allow the reader to understand just how ill-suited the colonial clothing was when it was placed in the dissimilar environment and culture. When given the opportunity to, the senior girls immediately removed their restrictive clothing stressing how disconnected to their so called home feel and just how false the idea is that dressing the students in certain clothing will make them behave and act a certain way. Analysed from a feminist perspective, it’s clear to see the expectations from Mrs Appleyard and the rest of the colonial society for the girls to act in a polite, generous, gracious manner just because of the imported, unsuitable clothing they have to wear. A feminist examination would suggest that ‘the text does not endorse female development beyond farily strict gender roles’, and the clothing they are expected to wear contributes excessively to this. The misconception of colonial Australia that by putting these girls in specific clothing will make them into proper young ladies is just one illusion of colonial society that is exhibited by Picnic at Hanging Rock. 

Additionally to clothing, Lindsay further uncovers these illusions through the colonial traditions and customs that seem artificial in the Australian bush and society. Colonial Australia seems to believe that they can transplant their alien culture into a completely different culture and place, which is ultimately revealed by The Fitzhuberts. Though minor characters, they play a big role in uncovering how peculiar regular colonial traditions appear in Australia. Their garden party, filled with important guests, French champagne and musicians is a complete misplacement in culture. The party is easily out of place and is just one of the many illusions in colonial Australia, with the customs and traditions of the entire event seeming fake and like a replication of a party that should belong in England. Paired with it though for the Governors entrance, ‘God save the Queen’ plays, which is not only much more suited to an English party rather than one held in Australia, but demonstrates how deluded characters are in the novel to how their culture doesn’t necessarily conform wherever they are. The British traditions and customs seem ‘artificial’ in the Australian culture and environment and from a post colonial examination it must be recognised that these British traditions and customs do not allow ‘recognition of the traces of indiginous culture’ nor any other Australian culture or customs. Civilsation and British society reveals yet another illusion of colonial Australia that they can bring their culture and traditions with them wherever they are.

The main illusion of colonial Australia though is primarily divulged through the environment and how colonial society believed they could rule and dominate over the natural land of Australia. Despite feeling dominant and in control over the land due to being incredibly important or dignified, people in colonial Australian society find themselves at the mercy of the natural environment, specifically Hanging Rock. Miranda, Irma and Marion, though being quite intelligent and reasonably sound-minded young women, are seduced by the rock, finding that they have no power over themselves nor the bushland around them even though they are a part of the culture that feel they have control over wherever they are. Michael Fitzhubert also finds himself mesmerised and encapsulated by the rock, even though he attempted to rid his class and become like Albert, planning to make Australia ‘the country where he would live’. Whilst they may feel in charge, the ‘dominant culture seems out of place’ and has the illusion that they can rule and dominate the land, but are proven wrong by the multiple lives lost or threatened at Hanging Rock. The ‘destruction of the landscape by the colonisers’ must also be recognised in a post-colonial examination due to demonstrating not only the lack of control they have over it but also the lack of respect. Overall, Lindsay reveals yet another illusion of colonial Australia through their belief of being able to rule over the environment, despite its ‘horrible power’. 

In the end, the natural environment is shown to dominate civilization, with the main antagonist Mrs Appleyard being subjected and killed by its suspected power, despite feeling above it, and the mystery being left unsolved. Lindsay makes a clear statement throughout the novel of how colonial Australia has many illusions whether it be through believing they can make the schoolgirls conform to a specific type of behaviour through dress, implementing their alien traditions and customs in a completely different land or believing they and their culture can overstep the environment and gain control over the land. She leaves a lasting message that the colonial society is out of place in Picnic at Hanging Rock and has multiple illusions coming into the land that are instantly proven to be wrong or are unsuitable to the natural world.