Analyzing Duffy's Satire of Men in "Mrs. Faust" and "The World's Wife
Explore how Carol Ann Duffy satirizes men in the poems "Mrs. Faust" and "The World's Wife", examining quotes, themes, and techniques used to portray men in a critical light. Discover connections to other poems and analyze gender roles and societal critique embedded in Duffy's feminist perspectives.
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Planning for your Task 1 Close Reading
Discuss the ways in which Duffy satirises men in Mrs Faust , considering how far it is characteristic of her presentation of men in The World s Wife . O Look up and define the key terms e.g. satirise. O Find the quotes relevant to answering the question. O List the points you would like to make. O Identify the techniques Duffy uses to make meaning and create effect. O Link to other poems which Duffy presents men in a similar or different way.
Mrs Faust Select references to Faust: Faust s face/was clever, greedy, slightly mad. He grew to love the kudos,/not the wife. And Faust would boast/at dinner parties/of the cost /of doing deals out East. Analyse each of the quotations in the light of the question. What is Duffy saying about men in general? Compare it to other poems in the anthology. (There can be differences too.)
What? How? Why? O What quotation supports what the poem says in relation to the question? O What techniques does Duffy use? O Why does she present her ideas in this way, what point is she making? Duffy associates men with rather controversial activities. He cloned sheep, , raising ethical issues which run counter to some religions. He also surfed the Internet/for like-minded Bo-Peep. which continues the sheep imagery but also hints at possible paedophilia. Duffy has chosen unsavoury past times to satirise men as dubious characters.
AO2 Analysis of Text AO1Understanding AO1 Critical Concepts Analysis O Duffy uses hyperbole to satirise the arrogance of some men who believe they are invincible by describing how Faust was Cardinal, Pope,/knew more than God; She also comments negatively on the attitudes of some men in Mrs Aesop referring to the small man syndrome, she suggests Aesop may have suffered from, He was small, didn t prepossess./ So he tried to impress. Her use of internal rhyme adds humour to her insight into how some men deal with situations by showing off. She is indicating that women have more insight into the motivation of men. AO2 Quotation AO1 Critical Concepts AO2 Quotation AO1 AO2 Analysis of Text. Discussion of Language Argument AO1 Fluent, accurate writing
Discuss the ways in which Duffy is critical of some feminist viewpoints in Mrs Beast , considering how far it is characteristic of the feminist views she presents in The World s Wife . O Look up and define the key terms e.g. feminist viewpoints: how women view their position in society and how they propose to improve the lives of women. You can consider radical, liberal, multi-racial or social feminism. O Find the quotes relevant to answering the question. O List the points you would like to make. O Identify the techniques Duffy uses to make meaning and create effect. O Link to other poems which Duffy presents men in a similar or different way.
Mrs Beast Select relevant references: These myths going round, these legends, fairytales, The little Mermaid slit/Her shining, silver tail in two, rubbed salt/Into that stinking wound, got up and walked, The lady says Do this. Harder. The lady says/Do that. Faster. The lady says That s not where I meant. Analyse each of the quotations in the light of the question. What is Duffy saying about how women need to deal with their relationship with men? Compare it to other poems in the anthology. (There can be differences too.)
What? How? Why? O What quotation supports what the poem says in relation to the question? O What techniques does Duffy use? O Why does she present her ideas in this way, what point is she making? Duffy challenges the stereotypical views of men being the less demonstrative in a relationship and less likely to show their feelings by inverting Auden s sentiments and suggesting that in order to achieve equality some feminists feel that women have to assume this less emotional attitude towards their partner and become the Let the less-loving one . Auden was challenging this assumption in a homosexual relationship.
AO2 Analysis of Text AO1Understanding AO1 Argument Analysis AO1 Critical Concepts Duffy reveals the truth behind the romance of some of the fairy stories with which children have grown up. To secure her Prince charming the Little Mermaid will have had to endure physical pain and suffering which is a metaphor for the ways in which women suffer in order to meet the expectations of society and to marry a handsome man. She is described as being, In agony, in fishnet tights, stood up and smiled, waltzed, Similarly, in Little Red Cap the protagonist sees through the man symbolised in the form of a greying wolf who howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out,/season after season, same rhyme, same reason. She uses poetry imagery to hint that she has learnt all she can from this boring man. Here Duffy offers a solution to the situation in which she has found herself by learning from men to beat them at their own game It could be argued that Duffy laments the situation the little mermaid has found herself in and leaves it up to the reader to consider the solution. AO2 Quotation AO1 Argument
Comment closely on the writing and effects of Mrs Midas, saying how far it is characteristic of Duffy s exploration of differences between men and women in The World s Wife . O Look up and define the key terms e.g. the perceptions of the differences between men and women. O Find the quotes relevant to answering the question. O List the points you would like to make. O Identify the techniques Duffy uses to make meaning and create effect. O Link to other poems which Duffy presents men in a similar or different way.
Mrs Midas The kitchen/filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath/gently blanching the windows. And then he plucked/a pear from a branch we grew Fondante d Automne/ and it sat in his palm like a light bulb. If you were to choose these two quotations, consider what they have in common. Which gender are they referring to and what differences are they suggesting?
Highlight the AOs Do-it-yourself Analysis Duffy suggests that men are more likely to be motivated by money and power. Midas sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne. and the use of the simile not only refers to the original mythical tale but also hints at man s desire for the wealth and power which kings possess. However, because she has already set the scene, the reader knows that the burnished throne has negative associations with death and destruction which symbolises the effect of greed. These stereotypical male characteristics are also evident in Mrs Faust where Duffy describes Faust as a clever, cunning, callous bastard who didn t have a soul to sell. The use of alliteration emphasises the bitterness she feels for Faust who has been presented as having been corrupted by his desire for wealth and power so that he no longer possesses a soul whereas Mrs Faust pursues a more spiritual life.
Comment closely on the writing and effects of The Devil s Wife , saying how far it is characteristic of how Duffy challenges female stereotypes in The World s Wife . O Look up and define the key terms e.g. female stereotypes. O Find the quotes relevant to answering the question. O List the points you would like to make. O Identify the techniques Duffy uses to make meaning and create effect. O Link to other poems which Duffy presents men in a similar or different way.
The Devils Wife O Choose one quote, analyse in relation to the question, identify the technique used and the compare to another poem
Discuss the ways in which Duffy presents the notion that to be successful women have to emulate men in The Kray Sisters , considering how far it is characteristic of the exploration of female equality in The World s Wife . O Look up and define the key terms e.g. measures to secure female equality. O Find the quotes relevant to answering the question. O List the points you would like to make. O Identify the techniques Duffy uses to make meaning and create effect. O Link to other poems which Duffy presents men in a similar or different way.
The Kray Sisters O Choose one quote, analyse in relation to the question, identify the technique used and the compare to another poem
The Perfect Paragraph What point are you making about the poem which relates to the question? What is your evidence (or quotation) to support this point? What is the effect or meaning of this quote, in relation to the question? What technique has been used to create this effect or meaning. Is this characteristic of Duffy s work as a whole? Link with another poem. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
