The art and scope of Eleanor Spence's novels

The concern of this thesis is the art of Eleanor Spence and the scope of her children's novels. In general terms, this encompasses the writer's style, the way her work is shaped, and her view of the world. More specifically, the scope of Spence's writing can be described in terms of her preoccupations, namely: the family, personal growth and identity, and Australian social history and values. The author's art, of course, is not to be seen merely in the way she treats these preoccupations but also in the way in which her approach has developed in step with, or ahead of, a changing Australian society.