Presentation of women in AQA anthology

Medusa
1. angry, scorned woman represented as a gorgon
  1. 'showed me a Gorgon. I stared at a dragon'
  2. mythological beast, snakes for hair turns everything she looks at to stone
  3. danger, vengence
2. we hear her voice
  1. sibilance and plosives
    1. hissing like a snake
      1. onomatopoeic
    2. 'hissed and spat on my scalp'
  2. scornful and furious
    1. 'your girls your girls'
3. she anticipates betrayal
  1. this is what makes her angry enough to become the Gorgon
  2. 'I know you'll go, betray me, stray'
4. She would rather her lover were turned to stone, a statue, than that he 'stray'
  1. 'better by far for me'
5. physically transformed by her anger
  1. 'yellow fanged...bullet tears'
6. strong powerful but dreadful woman
  1. refuses to be a victim
    1. 'Look at me now.'
      1. imperative
Singh Song
1. rebellious
  1. rudeness
    1. 'she effing at my mum
    2. den stumble like a drunk making fun at my daddy
  2. appearance
    1. red crew cut, donkey jacket, tartan sari
      1. western clothing adopted and made her own
2. contrasts
  1. bullet eyes, tummy of a teddy
  2. upstairs/ downstairs
    1. making a website cat and mouse
    2. downstairs
      1. love romance moon
  3. not typical indian woman
3. strong independent powerful woman
Ruined Maid
1. chattering simple farm girl contrasted with Melia
  1. farming lives given in detail
    1. 'face blue and bleak'
    2. 'grubbing up docks'
    3. 'hag ridden dream'
    4. no glamour or romance
      1. lif e of exploitation on farm contrasted with sexual exploitation of Melia
    5. 'raw country girl'
  2. country girl chatters on and on, listing Melia's changes
    1. Melia's replies are shirt and terse and repetative
2. Melia is a prostitute, but ironically, she is better off, at least in the short term
  1. 'prosperi-ty'
  2. 'fair garments'
  3. 'gay bracelets and bright feathers three'
3. when were they ruined? now or on the farm?
4. Hardy is commenting on the appalling lives of poor rural girls - their only choices are farm work or prostitution
  1. either way they are ruined
My Last Duchess
1. as art
  1. fresco has more importance to Duke than his living wife
    1. 'Will't please you sit and look at her?'
2. when alive his wife was a constant irriatation
  1. 'too easily impressed'
  2. 'twas not her husband's presence only called that spot of joy into the Duchess' cheek'
  3. 'ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-years old name with anybody's gift'
  4. He keeps a mental list of her transgressions
3. Duke exerts control over Duchess
  1. she is a possession
    1. 'My'
    2. to be disposed of as he pleases
      1. 'I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped'
        Duchess is passive
        things happen to her
        her only actions are innocent and simple, whereas Duke is calculating and brooding
        she is only represented by the Duke's words
        we never hear her voice or words
4. when she lived the Duke could not control her
  1. 'her looks went everywhere'
5. victim
River God
1. victim
  1. to hold her and many a waving reed to hold her
  2. Powerless
    1. He controls her
      1. Waiting for me to smooth and wash away the fear
    2. So I brought her down here
    3. She is his objects
      1. If she wishes to go I will not forgive her
      2. Women are his only company
    4. He chooses to drown her or not meaning she hasn't got any controll
    5. Its a metaphor for abusive relationships
  3. How the man is more powerful than the woman

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Presentation of women in AQA anthology

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	Created by Claire Bowen almost 10 years ago