
For the Term of His Natural Life
'For the Term of His Natural Life ' Summary
For the Term of His Natural Life is a story written by Marcus Clarke and published in The Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 (as His Natural Life). It was published as a novel in 1874 and is the best known novelisation of life as a convict in early Australian history. At times relying on seemingly implausible coincidences, the story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a murder that he did not commit. The book clearly conveys the harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts, some of whom were transported for relatively minor crimes, and graphically describes the conditions the convicts experienced. The novel was based on research by the author as well as a visit to the penal settlement of Port Arthur, Tasmania.
The story starts with a prologue, telling the tale of young British aristocrat, Richard Devine, who is the son of a shipbuilding magnate, Sir Richard Devine. In an incidence of domestic violence, Richard's mother reveals to Sir Richard that his son was fathered by another man, Lord Bellasis. Sir Richard proceeds to threaten the mother's reputation if Richard does not leave and never come back. He leaves him to pack for a while, claiming that he will fetch his lawyer to alter his will so that Richard receives no inheritance. When Richard leaves, he comes across a murder scene: his biological father, Lord Bellasis has been murdered, and Richard witnesses Sir Richard walking away from the scene of the crime. The police come and lock up Richard, who now gives his name as Rufus Dawes for the murder of Lord Bellasis. Additionally, Sir Richard returns home and dies straight away, possibly of a heart-attack, without altering his will. Rufus Dawes/Richard Devine never finds this out. Rufus is found not guilty of the murder but guilty of the robbery of the corpse and sentenced to transportation to the penal colony of Australia.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1872Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

Marcus Clarke
United States
Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel For the Term of His Natural Life, about the...
Books by Marcus ClarkeDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Double by Edgar Wallace
Detective Inspector Richard Staines of Scotland Yard is confronted by a murder from his past, involving a doppelgänger and a mysterious thumbprint. Se...

On the Irrawaddy, A Story of the First Burmese War by G. A. Henty
This book follows the story of a young British officer during the First Burmese War, a conflict that proved far more challenging than initially antici...

Sevastopol by Leo Tolstoy
The Sevastopol Sketches, called in English translations the Sebastopol Sketches also published in English as Sevastopol, are three short stories writt...

House Of The Arrow by A. E. W. Mason
Inspector Gabriel Hanaud, a stout professional policeman from the French Sûreté, is called upon to investigate the murder of a French aunt by her youn...

The Case of the Lamp That Went Out by Auguste Groner
"Joseph Muller: Detective - Being the Account of Some Adventures in the Professional Experience of a Member of the Imperial Austrian Police." The body...

Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair
May Sinclair's Uncanny Stories is a collection of short stories that explore the darker side of human nature. The stories are filled with macabre, rom...

Afternoon in July by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon
An Afternoon in July is a novel by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon, one of the first English-Canadian writers to explore the complexities of French-Canadian...

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare that explores the destructive consequences of ambition and unchecked power. Macbeth, a Scottish general, i...

Обрыв by Ivan Goncharov
"The Precipice" is a profound and insightful novel that delves into the complex social and psychological changes occurring in 19th-century Russia. Thr...

The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins
The Dead Alive written by Wilkie Collins in the 1870s is on the real-life wrongful conviction of Stephen and Jesse Boorn that happened in 1819 in the...
Reviews for For the Term of His Natural Life
No reviews posted or approved, yet...