Saturday, August 31, 2019
The World’s Wife ‘Little Red-Cap’
How true would it be to say that ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ is representative of the body of Carol Ann Duffyââ¬â¢s collection ââ¬ËThe Worldââ¬â¢s Wifeââ¬â¢? Duffy includes a range of themes, which are portrayed in an idiosyncratic way within the collection ââ¬ËThe Worldââ¬â¢s Wifeââ¬â¢. Most prominently ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ focuses on the issues of female dominance whilst contrasting it with female exploitation. Alongside, qualities of ambition and independence Duffy can represent her female characters as significant and therefore hinder menââ¬â¢s reputation in the current patriarchal society.This point is further elucidated by Michael Woods who stated ââ¬Ëthe poet fuses these ideas to reinforce the unremitting nullity that is forced upon many women when they are required to take a man's name in place of their own. In fact, the central theme of The World's Wife is encapsulated in this critique upon male arrogance. ââ¬â¢ [1]. Particularly this is something Duffy concentrates on in ââ¬ËQueen Herodââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËMrs Rip Van Winkleââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËThetisââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËMrs Aesopââ¬â¢ alongside ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢. In order to intensify the value of women in society Duffy typically portrays her female characters as more dominant than the males.In ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ the adolescentââ¬â¢s control is clear especially in the final and penultimate stanzas as the twist on the original tale of Little Red Riding Hood ââ¬ËI took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chopââ¬â¢ gives the narrator the power to dominate over the controlling, male character. Her impatience to escape the wolfââ¬â¢s rugged seduction is especially evident from Duffyââ¬â¢s use of enjambment between these two stanzas where she ââ¬Ëtook an axe / to a willow to see how it weptââ¬â¢.Further her power is apparent from the last line, ââ¬Ësinging, all aloneââ¬â¢, as Duffy explicates the satisfaction with her t riumphant victory over the dark character without the assistance from the hero, typically being a male character. Duffy identifies the problem in which men are portrayed in ââ¬ËQueen Herodââ¬â¢ where women commonly see men, deceptively, as a ââ¬ËHeroââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËHunkââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëthe je tââ¬â¢adoreââ¬â¢ and showing that this is a problem by incorporating the negatives in contrast, such as ââ¬ËThe Wolfââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËThe Ripââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËThe Ratââ¬â¢.In comparison, the humorous pun used in the final stanza of ââ¬ËMrs Aesopââ¬â¢ portrays the female as over powering through the trenchant ridiculing of the maleââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëlittle cock that wouldnââ¬â¢t crowââ¬â¢. Following this, the witty threat; ââ¬ËIââ¬â¢ll cut off your tail, all right, I said, to save my faceââ¬â¢, which refers to the Bobbit case where his wife cut off his penis, is suggestive of threatening the same act upon him, which ââ¬Ëshut him upââ¬â¢ and she ââ¬Ë laughed last, longestââ¬â¢ proving how much control Mrs Aesop has over her husband.Comparatively, there is a distinct semantic field of power in ââ¬ËQueen Herodââ¬â¢ from the use of phrases such as ââ¬ËI sworeââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËDo itââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËI sent for the Chief of Staffââ¬â¢, showing the power, and confidence in that power, that Queen Herod has over the male characters. Perhaps this portrayal by Duffy is to influence women that this attitude can be acceptable and possible in our modern day society. Despite this, Duffy contrasts the power of the female gender with the exploitation of females in society.The wolf in ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ is alluring whilst his chin beholds a hidden sign of adulthood; ââ¬Ëred wine stainingââ¬â¢. The last line of the second stanza ââ¬Ëhe spotted me, sweet sixteen, never been, babe, waif, and bought me a drinkââ¬â¢ elucidates the overpowering control the wolf has over the adolescent. It is considerably regarde d as an issue as the adolescent initially sees the wolf as seductive rather than threatening, as seen in most modern day relationships. Perhaps here Duffy is attempting to inform the reader of the dangers of growing up too fast in the company of an influential man.Particularly, in ââ¬ËMrs Rip Van Winkleââ¬â¢ the female ââ¬Ësank like a stoneââ¬â¢ as if drowning, which creates a traumatic and confining image where the narrator has lost control and explicates her failure. The use of ââ¬Ëstillââ¬â¢ in the extended metaphor ââ¬ËI sank like a stone into the still, deep waters of late middle ageââ¬â¢ suggests a sense of calmness contrasting with the panic of drowning in from experiencing the menopause. This contrasts gives off the suggestion that it is only the woman that changes meanwhile the rest of the world remains ââ¬Ëstillââ¬â¢ and composed.This is compared with ââ¬ËThetisââ¬â¢ where female exploitation is extremely acknowledged. Similarly, the wif e of Thetis ââ¬Ëshrankââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ësankââ¬â¢ herself to escape the controlling power of the male character. Identifying this issue allows the reader to regard it seriously thus influencing the reader, which is most likely to be female, to share feminist views and condemn the male population. ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ especially consists of the themes ambition and independence whilst growing up.The story of ââ¬Ëchildhoodââ¬â¢s endââ¬â¢ is the transition from innocence to experience with a journey of impetuous turmoil to find love, passion, sex and independence. For Little Red-Cap, poetry is the reason why she chooses ambition because of its richness, the mystery of its ambiguity and the wolf (the dark, mysterious character) can provide this for her. Perhaps, for Little Red-Cap, growing up is poetic and therefore desirable. This can easily be compared with ââ¬ËMrs Rip Van Winkleââ¬â¢ who, ââ¬Ëwhile he sleptââ¬â¢, found adventure in her life.As she explains ââ¬ËI found some hobbies for myselfââ¬â¢ it is evident that she is thinking only of what she wants from the use of personal pronouns for the first and last words of the statement, which further portrays him as unimportant regarding her development in reaching triumph in adventure. This is especially explicated through the sibilance of ââ¬Ëseeing the sightsââ¬â¢ as it conveys these adventures as stimulating thus influencing her female readers to reach out further than their heterosexual relationship.Clearly, Duffyââ¬â¢s collection consists of various profound and weighty subjects and ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ contains the majority of the themes present in the collection. In an interview in 2005 with Duffy the interviewer, Barry Wood, identified particular poems in this collection that ââ¬Ëare unashamedly set in a contemporary idiom, re-casting the old stories in terms of modern lifeââ¬â¢ allowing Duffy to ââ¬Ësubvert[ing] themââ¬â¢ [2]. Arguab ly, the act of modernisation here allows her readers to identify with the aforementioned issues raised.This therefore allows hope for the future for women regarding their status and value as individuals rather than as simply wives or mothers. As a homosexual, Duffyââ¬â¢s feminist views coincided with the notably iconic statement made by Dorothy Parker; ââ¬Ëheterosexuality is not normal, itââ¬â¢s just commonââ¬â¢ as her collection ââ¬Ëtakes a very common relationship ââ¬â that of man and wife ââ¬â and presents a collection of poetic monologues from the perspective of the wifeââ¬â¢ [3] in order to give the worldââ¬â¢s wife a voice. Little Red-Capââ¬â¢ has been identified as a personal account of her relationship with her ex-husband in the interview with Barry Wood as he suggestively asks ââ¬Ëwith a strong autobiographical investment, focusing on the idea of yourself as a young poet, asserting your independence. ââ¬â¢ with a reply of ââ¬ËCAD:à Yes. ââ¬â¢ therefore proving that the poem is reflective of Duffyââ¬â¢s feminist views and opinions on heterosexual relationships. The Worldââ¬â¢s Wifeââ¬â¢ consists of providing wives of famous and infamous historic, fictional and biblical male characters a voice in society as the majority were not even considered, whilst commonly criticising the male population for its ignorance, arrogance, selfishness; the list is incessant. Because it is a personal poem Duffyââ¬â¢s views are most definitely included within ââ¬ËLittle Red-Capââ¬â¢ as are they included in the collection as a whole. Therefore the poem of subjection is representative of the collection ââ¬ËThe Worldââ¬â¢s Wifeââ¬â¢.Word count: With quotes- 1,245 Without quotes- 952 Bibliography: 1. Michael Woods critique of Queen Herod: http://www. sheerpoetry. co. uk/advanced/carol-ann-duffy/notes-on-selected-poems-advanced/queen-herod 2. Interview with Carol Ann Duffy and Barry Wood: http://www. shee rpoetry. co. uk/advanced/interviews/carol-ann-duffy-the-world-s-wife in 2005. 3. An essay written by username: doralulusparky http://www. studymode. com/essays/The-World-s-Wife-Carol-Ann-Duffy-598083. html in February 2011.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment