Helen Garner is the celebrated Australian contemporary writer. Her novel, The Children’s Bath brings her the SA Premier's Literary Award. The study of Helen Garner mainly focuses on the feminine elements in her works for she is viewed as a pioneer of feminist novel. However, this essay will concentrate on the indeterminacy in The Children’s Bath to discover the extra-feminist aspects in Garner’s writing.
　　Ihad Hassan believes that indeterminacy consists of all kinds of ambiguities，ruptures and displacements that affect knowledge and society.[1] In this essay, the word “indeterminacy” overlaps little part of Hassan’s definition. It refers to something uncertain which deserves readers to relish. Such kind of uncertain things may be laid either purposefully or unintentionally to convey a certain meaning. This essay will analyze the text of The Children’s Bath from the indeterminate narrative perspectives and the indeterminate ending.
　　1. Indeterminate narrative perspectives
　　Garner employs indeterminate narrative point of view to recount the story. The narrative indeterminacy here is in reference to the fact that the narrator of the story is indeterminate. Garner presents the uncertainty by intercrossing two narrative perspectives.
　　In chapter 15, Garner describes that Dexter is not able to endure Phillip’s “inferior” music and ploughs away outside. The author does not only depict the outer environment, but also exposes Dexter’s feeling and such kind of narrative perspective is the third omniscient point of view. Those who read that are able to know everything. However, in chapter 21, the author employs the third limited point of view, and writes the letter in Athena’s voice with the meaning as well as her inner heart unopened. Readers are in a dilemma to estimate whether this is a real letter to Arthur or this is just Athena’s monologue.
　　The transition of narrative point of view facilitates Garner’s writing to convey what she is desirous to illustrate and reserve those she would like to keep. The indeterminate narrative perspectives give the novel appropriate stretching force and the literariness of the work is likewise enhanced.
　　2. Indeterminate ending
　　It is common that many of the writers would like to present readers a certain closure in their works. However, Garner, in The Children’s Bath, seems reluctant to establish a certain closure. Therefore, she leaves the ending open and invites readers to construct their own centers.
　　The ending embodies indeterminacy by keeping an unignited bomb---the one night stand between Dexter and Vicki. Readers may imagine Athena’s action after hearing the outrageous news. Will she depart from Dexter again? Will she forgive them? Or even that she will never be informed the affairs, but in accordance with Dexter’s personality, will he feel easy if he keeps the secret unspoken? The above-mentioned possible results constitute the uncertain ending, so readers can imagine all the possibilities on the basis of their own interpretations. Garner leaves the indeterminacy to readers with the purpose of inviting readers’ involvement. Meanwhile, readers can regard stories from different perspectives, so that different conclusions can be drawn.
　　In The Children’s Bath, the indeterminacy is manifested in the indeterminate narrative perspectives and the indeterminate ending. The author employs indeterminacy to create an extraordinary text. The greatness of Garner is that she does not simply grant a certain meaning or significance to the novel but invite readers to give the dynamic interpretations of the work. Such kind of feature as well as Garner’s unique writing makes The Children’s Bath to be a successful work.
　　Bibliography:
　　[1]Ihad Hassan, The Postmodern Turn (The Ohio University Press, 1987), 81.
　　[2] Helen Garner, 1999, The Children’s Bath, Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Australia
　　[3] Ihad Hassan, 1987, The Postmodern Turn, The Ohio University Press, Ohio.
　　[4] 向小红. 《孩子们的小屋》里音乐隐喻的二元性. 西南民族大学学报（人文社科版）, 2008年11月
　　[5] 朱晓映. 海伦.加纳和她的《孩子们的巴赫》. 外国文学动态, 2008年第5期
　　[6] 朱晓映. 《毒瘾难戒》的女性主义解读. 当代外国文学, 2007第2期