Feminine Gospels Test Questions with Answers
The Map-Woman - Answer-Themes: Bodies, Place, Identity, Memories, Insecurity, Control
- Extended metaphor of skin as a map for her past. Identity is on her skin, it's almost an accessory rather than something deeply buried within her personality...
The Map-Woman - Answer-Themes: Bodies, Place, Identity, Memories, Insecurity,
Control
- Extended metaphor of skin as a map for her past. Identity is on her skin, it's almost an
accessory rather than something deeply buried within her personality
- Metaphor of a journey; she has something to escape from.
- A woman's path/route is mapped and cannot be diverted from
Quotes:
- "She covered it up with... and fingertip-sleeved" - becomes increasingly concealed -
skin bears a weight
- "Broad if she binged, thin when she slimmed" - verbs of change juxtapose
permanence
The places you have been imprint your identity -
- "But - birthmark, tattoo - the A-Z street-map grew, a precise second skin"
You carry the past with you - "But the map was under her stockings"
Memories are oppressive - "She sponged, soaped, scrubbed; the prison and hospital
stamped on her back"
"Or spacemen in 2001 floating to Strauss" - references to 2001 film Space Odyssey,
hints at the idea of escapism - her identity may keep her from truly leaving but she still
has the capacity to imagine possible adventure.
Everything is prescribed - "And wonder who you would marry and how and when and
where you would die"
Patriarchal society - "Duck and dive down Nelson and Churchill and Kipling and Milton
Way until you were home." - Male names suggests that it is a patriarchal influence that
guides her way home - larger male influence over her decisions.
"When she showered, the map gleamed on her skin" - sense of pride. Arguably, she
doesn't want to reinvent herself, she just craves something new.
, HMT link: woman's body used against her/disempowers her, patriarchal influence,
desire for change
The Diet - Answer-Themes: identity, social expectations, insecurity, power, passivity
- Extended metaphor of the diet to represent social pressures on women; elements of
magical realism (also used in Angela Carter's collection of short stories 'The Bloody
Chamber') present readers with a true experience of anorexia
AO2:
- Explores the impact of abiding by societal norms.
- Metaphysical poem - uses the protagonist's smaller size to allude to her 'hiding' away
from society
- Extended metaphor of the diet - represents social pressures on women, including, but
not limited to, eating disorders
"No sugar, no salt, dairy, fat, protein, starch or alcohol" - asyndetic listing, coupled with
hyperbole - suggests a mocking of diet culture, emphasises restriction
Poem develops from dream to nightmare, tone changes from glorifying of dieting "the
diet worked like a dream" to portraying grotesque nature of it "guns for hips" - metaphor
connotes violence -war against society and its unrealistic expectation of women's
beauty
Increasing loss of control - "she was gulped, swallowed, sent down the hatch" -
passivity, consumed, entrapment
- ironic dark humour: "she loved flesh and blood", "she was skin and bone"
- sibilance highlights her further demise and her need to become smaller "she starved
on, stayed in, stared in the mirror, svelter, slimmer"
-Duffy uses imagery of "women...mothers to all these" to create a sense of female
empowerment as 'The Long Queen' is able to nurture + help these women grow
throughout the cycle of life that is presented in the poem
'Childhood...Blood...Tears...Childbirth"
Free verse - dysfunctional mindset
AO3:
- Rising influence of the media is often blamed for creating a huge amount of pressure
on young women leading to anxiety and other mental illness
- 'airbrushing' culture leads to self-esteem problems
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Perfectscorer. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £9.65. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
