The Analysis of The Drovers Wife stories
MASARYK UNIVERSITY IN BRNO
FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN STUDIES
Jana Laszáková
The Position of Women in Australian Literature: the Analysis of the Drover’s Wife Stories
Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis
Supervisor: Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph. D. Brno 2012
I declare that I have worked on this bachelor thesis independently using only primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. Acknowledgement
I would like to thank to Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph. D. for her helpful insights and her inexhaustible patience.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 5
1.1. Forming Australia and Australian Identity 7
1.2. Bush and the Bushman vs. Women 11
1.3. Gender Bias 13
1.4. The Role of Language 14
2. THE ANALYSIS OF THE DROVER’S WIFE STORIES 16
2.1. Henry Lawson: “The Drover’s Wife” 16
2.2. Murray Bail: “The Drover’s Wife” 19
2.3. Barbara Jefferis: “The Drover’s Wife” 22
2.4. Mandy Sayer: “The Drover’s Wife” 26
3. VARIATIONS ON THE DROVER’S WIFE STORY 30
3.1. Barbara Baynton: “The Chosen Vessel” 30
3.2. Anne Gambling: “The Drover’s De Facto” 32
CONCLUSION 36
WORKS CITED 39
CZECH RESUME 42
ENGLISH RESUME 43
1. INTRODUCTION
This thesis analyzes the position of women in six different versions of the same story about the drover’s wife coming from Australian literature. Australia has often been perceived as a land for men, since from the very beginning of its existence, it is connected with adventure and danger, which are usually attributes ascribed to men. As a place with such attributes, it is supposed that Australia is not appropriate place for women. The aim of this thesis is to show how different authors deals with the same motive of an alone woman abandoned in the bush along with her children, whose only, but difficult task is to survive. I would like to make a close analysis of these six stories and show how women have been seen and perceived since the remote past.
The bush is
FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN STUDIES
Jana Laszáková
The Position of Women in Australian Literature: the Analysis of the Drover’s Wife Stories
Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis
Supervisor: Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph. D. Brno 2012
I declare that I have worked on this bachelor thesis independently using only primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. Acknowledgement
I would like to thank to Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph. D. for her helpful insights and her inexhaustible patience.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 5
1.1. Forming Australia and Australian Identity 7
1.2. Bush and the Bushman vs. Women 11
1.3. Gender Bias 13
1.4. The Role of Language 14
2. THE ANALYSIS OF THE DROVER’S WIFE STORIES 16
2.1. Henry Lawson: “The Drover’s Wife” 16
2.2. Murray Bail: “The Drover’s Wife” 19
2.3. Barbara Jefferis: “The Drover’s Wife” 22
2.4. Mandy Sayer: “The Drover’s Wife” 26
3. VARIATIONS ON THE DROVER’S WIFE STORY 30
3.1. Barbara Baynton: “The Chosen Vessel” 30
3.2. Anne Gambling: “The Drover’s De Facto” 32
CONCLUSION 36
WORKS CITED 39
CZECH RESUME 42
ENGLISH RESUME 43
1. INTRODUCTION
This thesis analyzes the position of women in six different versions of the same story about the drover’s wife coming from Australian literature. Australia has often been perceived as a land for men, since from the very beginning of its existence, it is connected with adventure and danger, which are usually attributes ascribed to men. As a place with such attributes, it is supposed that Australia is not appropriate place for women. The aim of this thesis is to show how different authors deals with the same motive of an alone woman abandoned in the bush along with her children, whose only, but difficult task is to survive. I would like to make a close analysis of these six stories and show how women have been seen and perceived since the remote past.
The bush is
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