This study examines the issues of identity and alienation in Thomas Keneally’s The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1972) from a psycho-social and postcolonial perspective. The research examines the protagonist, Jimmie Blacksmith, an Aboriginal individual navigating the conflict between his indigenous background and the prevailing white Australian civilisation. This research employs Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory and Frantz Fanon’s insights on racialised subjectivity to analyse the influence of societal oppression, cultural conflict, and personal trauma on the formation and fragmentation of Jimmie’s identity. The qualitative technique integrates literary analysis with theoretical frameworks to offer a thorough comprehension of the intricacies of selfhood and marginalisation. Research suggests that Jimmie’s identity crisis is a continuous process shaped by internal psychological conflicts and external societal influences. This study highlights the importance of literature in clarifying the complex relationship between personal identity, race, and social limitations.

Identity crisis, alienation, Aboriginal literature, Thomas Keneally

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