Down under: Ressentiment in the work of Frank Sargeson

Abstract

Frank Sargeson’s stories and novels often contain violent episodes. These have generally been interpreted as responses to the suffocating influence of Puritanism in New Zealand society. They are also expressions of ressentiment, an emotional stance in which a person is consumed by feelings of anger, jealousy and helplessness. Ressentiment provides the psychological dynamics for much of Sargeson’s writing. This article traces the role of ressentiment in Sargeson’s works and assesses the extent to which it enhances or takes away from their quality.