Even before his Nobel Prize, Patrick White had become nationally and internationally Australia's best-known writer. This recognition carries with it the danger that he will become a mere symbol, his name recognized by everybody but his work read only by students and specialists. The aim of this collection of essays is to show that he can neither be contained nor dismissed in this way. His work continues to challenge our perception of ourselves and our reality, and remains subject to manifold interpretations. These essays show this range of possibility by demonstrating a variety of political, religious and psychological responses to some of his most widely-read novels.