Horses Down Under: The Underdog Schematic Narrative Template and Australian Nationalism

The underdog is a familiar figure in Australian popular culture. Yet Australian studies scholarship has tended to focus on the related, but somewhat broader, concept of egalitarianism. The figure of the underdog therefore remains a popular trope, rather than an object of serious study. This article seeks to critically engage with constructions of the underdog, arguing that this figure underpins some of the most significant narratives of Australian identity and is ripe for further analysis. I build on the work of American anthropologist James Wertsch, and what he has described as schematic narrative templates, to position the underdog narrative as an Australian iteration of his schema. In particular, I focus on narratives that feature the horse as significant. Touching on key cultural texts including “The Man from Snowy River” and the Silver Brumby series to illustrate this schema, I then draw more deeply on constructions of the racehorse Phar Lap to argue the template’s use in framing a nationally significant historical narrative. I contend that the underdog schematic narrative template and what I have termed the Australian “horse discourse” function to mutually reinforce the legitimacy of both, creating powerful sites for the expression of nationalism.