Ned Kelly: Hero, Victim Or Villain

Villains are portrayed as someone who doesn’t abide by the law and is a troublemaker. Heroes are usually titled as courageous, saviours, brave and helpful. When thinking of a victim, we often believe they are misunderstood, misjudged and accused. This statement applies to Ned Kelly.

Ned Kelly... hero, victim or villain? The book 'Black Snake” written by Carol Wilkinson explains the story of his long-lasting legacy through Australian history. In my opinion, this Australian outlaw is a victim! As a young boy, Ned was accused of stealing a horse and was always victimised by the police. This is sourced from the book “Black snake”. Although Ned Kelly is usually portrayed as a murderer, he was a man of his word who gave money to the unfortunate and stood up for rights of others. But what if you were there? How would you feel if you where the poor?

The year of 1876, Ned Kelly was charged with possession of a stolen horse by owner 'John Quinn'. On pages 15-18, Carol Wilkinson states that Ned was innocent. However was sentenced to three long year’s jail sentence. Ned was definitely accused!

In 1869 young 14 year old Ned Kelly was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Chinese man. In 1870, Ned was arrested again, as a suspected accomplice of outlaw, Harry Power. This is found in pages 12-14 in the book “Black Snake”. Both these charges had brought many police’s attention to the Aussie outlaw and caused the victimised targeting of Ned Kelly.

In my opinion, this historical legend was a genuine man who wanted the best rights for people. On page 37, Ned opened a store to pay for his mother’s bail. Although, Ned didn’t earn enough money to bail his mother out. This shows that Ned cared for his family and tried his hardest to provide his mother with the best life she deserved. This is a reason of why people begged for Ned to be let go on the day of his hanging!

In concluding this written essay, I strongly believe that Ned Kelly was a victim! The victimised legend of Australian history was regularly targeted by police and was blamed for theft. Yes, he murdered police, but only in self-defense as the corrupt people wanted to see Ned suffer miserably. Why are we still hearing of this outlaw hundreds of years later? Would it be reasonable for future generations to hear of this Australian bushranger?