The Chosen Vesel

Question 1

Intro Hook

Answer 1

‘Almost every book about Australian social life has contained some reference to its strong masculine overtones and its emphasis on domestic virtues for women’ (Norman Mackenzie, Women in Australia) The Chosen Vessel by Barbara Baynton is no different.

Question 2

Thesis

Answer 2

Barbara Baynton’s The Chosen Vessel uses biblical allusions, irony and zoomorphism to critique the naturalised maternal archetype in colonial Australian culture, illustrating how these societal norms strip women of their personal identity and autonomy, perpetuating their marginalisation and suffering.

Question 3

maternal archetype

Answer 3

according to Carl Jung:
‘universal pattern … that represents the concept of the nurturing and caring mother, as well as the power and wisdom on the divine feminine’. In the context of Baynton’s story, the maternal archetype involves a selfless mother who puts her own needs aside to care for her children.

Question 4

P1 E1

Answer 4

ironic title, ‘Chosen Vessel’. Separating the literal and biblical meanings, it becomes ironic that the concept of giving power to the maternal through Mary, also requires denying the mother her freedom and choice, both situations are chosen but have no choice.

Question 5

P1 E2

Answer 5

characterisation of the protagonist is depicted as passive and self-sacrificing, offering food to the swagman even though she fears him

Question 6

P2 E1

Answer 6

Later in the story, a horse rider Peter, rides past the woman who is pleading for help. He interprets the image of the real, suffering woman as a vision conjured up by a pre-existent and pre-ordained vision of the Virgin and Child.

Question 7

P2 E2

Answer 7

The narrative structure of the story emphasises this erasure. While critics A. G. Stephens and A. A. Phillips deemed the 3rd part unnecessary to the unity of plot, character and action, the 3rd part of the story further represents the erasure of women’s identity and autonomy.

Question 8

P3 E1

Answer 8

3rd person omniscient point of view, the woman thinks that she was ‘afraid of the cow but she did not want the cow to know it’

Question 9

P3 E2

Answer 9

The constant allusion to predator-prey dynamics through zoomorphism such as the ewe and lamb verses the dingo

Question 10

Conclusion

Answer 10

While The Chosen Vessel is a colonial text, many of the issues it addresses remain relevant in post-colonial and contemporary society. Women continue to be marginalised or reduced by harmful archetypes perpetuated by Australian culture. Baynton urges readers to challenge their own biases and reconsider how these archetypes and values influence their perceptions of women, particularly mothers.