In Carol Ann Duffy's 'The World's Wife', how does she present relationships?

Intro: Feminist theme running- 'The world's wife' - subordination and submission Encompasses toxicity of romantic relationships as a whole Contextual link: CAD married young and bisexual Para 1 - Coming-of-age relationships Little Red Cap - metaphor of going into forest at the start - reaching adolesence 'sixteen, never been' - use of little red riding hood, childhood fairytale represents vulnerability - reference to school uniform? Leaving forest after killing man - leaving vulnerability behind, killing what detrimented her, freedom Para 2 - Fantasy and realism Fantasy juxtaposes realism in LRC by putting LRC in role of hunter killing the wolf - the man is the wolf - consistent critcism of men - predatory Themes continue in Mrs Quasimodo Title - decreases identity of wife Bells = metaphor for quasimodos 'manhood' which the wife cuts off in the end - shows her taking control over man who evidently mistreated her ie. insults within poem Men portrayed badly frequently ie. quasimodo as unfaithful - CADs own perspective? Paragraph 3: Other relationships Demeter = poem about strength of familial love Weather represents mothers feelings - winter = drought, hibernation/sleeping and cold/frozen heart - daughter arriving and transition to spring = new beginnings, feelings blooming, awakening from hibernation into love Conclusion Men represent death in other two poems Child represents life - little girl Demeter based on Greek Myth rather than fairytale - more spiritual and something one can 'beleive in' than imaginary like fairy tales? Romantic relationships toxic? Familial relationships healing? Context to CAD's own life?

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Answered by Charlotte C. English Literature tutor

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