Joan Makes History

In Kate Grenville's Joan Makes History, the traditional centres and oppositions are displaced to allow space not only for the experience of women but also a marked sense of regional, ethnic and class based differences. Discuss

In the novel Joan Makes History, through the fictional exploration of the personal life of Joan and the lives of the alternative historical Joans, Kate Grenville is able to some degree shift emphasis from the common Eurocentric view of Australian historical events to expose the individual experience, and from that expose social difference and conflict. Despite taking historical liberties in tow, the author reveals the importance of this alternative social and moral take on the often factually based history. Put aside or criticised in this novel are the glorified or traditional aspects of society throughout various stages of history, where the reader is able to gain a sense of the inclusions of marginalised groups. Joan as an individual; not as a group questions the motives of several dominant groups in her society, with the intent to reconsider their importance and exclusions and belittling of less able and prominent groups, such as those with unaccepted class, gender and ethnic groups.

In overview, this novel challenges egalitarian belief, of how Australia's relatively wholesome, clean history has not been accepting of the less dominant; where equality is not practiced. The author exposes the importance of reviewing what constitutes history, where the readers must broaden the spectrum to include the groups that are confined to the outer edge of social standing, where a more social stance is taken. Not only taking this stance however, the author aims to combine these definitions of history, and to look at the experiences of all the people who have lived, and share the recognition of history with a wider scope of people.

The author primarily makes room for these groups by stressing importance