History has always been a space of male deeds, male achievements, male gain or loss. Or so one is made to believe in retrospection. Of course women were not absent from history but they certainly are to a great extent from historical representations. Patriarchy dominated Western culture for more than two thousand years and supplied the framework for what is to be known and how, i.e. in which contexts, it is to be known. Historical material has always been scarce but in regard to women it is almost non-existent. So women rightfully started to ask where their part in history was or why they have been consequently written out of history instead of being included. A necessity arose to deconstruct certain historical "truths" and to make women visible in and show their relevance to our past to build up strength and to obtain a voice or rather voices in order to question the present and the past systems.
In this paper I examine Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife , whose poetry runs very much in above line. I will concentrate on the gender constructions established within The World's Wife. Even though Duffy questions traditional conceptions of men and women and their relationships with each other, she maintains a binary gender structure. The first chapter therefore deals with a general overview of gender conceptions constructed in and through the poems. The second and third chapter will take a closer look at certain poems. I think the poems weave their own web of femininity. In a circular movement they refer to past and future thus describing a female/feminist tradition. Accordingly the first and the last poem, Little Red Cap and Demeter, form the outline of the circle, not only in regard to their position but also by implicitly refering to each other. My third chapter will extend the question of wo/manhood. As extreme picture inspired by psychoanalytical gender definitions Queen Kong presents an excellent farce of cultural constructions of masculinity and femininity. Mrs. Teresisas likewise undermines biological essentialisms. Within the volume it is the most explicit voicing of gender constructions and differences. For my analysis I will rely mainly on psychoanalytical theories, and here especially on Jacques Lacan and Hélèn Cixous.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Laughing Medusa
3. Mothers & Daughters
4. Masquerades or How to be a Wo/man
5. Résumé
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines gender constructions within Carol Ann Duffy's poetry volume "The World's Wife," analyzing how the collection deconstructs traditional male-dominated historical and mythological narratives from a female perspective while maintaining a binary gender structure.
- Analysis of gender conceptions and the feminist tradition within the poems.
- Exploration of the mother-daughter relationship as a symbol of female continuity.
- Deconstruction of male-centric myths and literary figures.
- Application of psychoanalytical theories, particularly those of Jacques Lacan and Hélène Cixous.
- Investigation of the "masquerade" concept and power dynamics between genders.
Excerpt from the Book
The Laughing Medusa
Public opinion, which [...] always knew what to think [...] is always of the feminine gender – not the world, but the world's wife.
In George Eliot's Mill on the Floss the phrase "world's wife" refers to an area traditionally ascribed to women: Gossip. Mean and far from the truth Eliot's gossiping women pass harsh moral judgements mixed with other trivial bits of information, backed up by their own (safe) social standing of matrimony. The (unmarried) heroine, however, remains silent. "Silence is golden" or according to Aristotle: "silence is a woman's [not a man's] glory". Gossip, as Eliot defines it, and silence are not opposed but rather serve similar purposes. Silence of course means for women to remain uncritical towards male power, to be obedient, to accept inferiority. Gossip is a means of control, of upholding the patriarchal system by putting the other in her place. It does not allow for individual feelings or thoughts but echoes conventional standards of behaviour.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: The author outlines the historical exclusion of women from traditional narratives and establishes the theoretical framework for analyzing Carol Ann Duffy's "The World's Wife" through feminist and psychoanalytical lenses.
The Laughing Medusa: This chapter discusses how Duffy deconstructs traditional female stereotypes, transforming the concept of gossip into a positive tool for female connection, and utilizes the Medusa myth to advocate for women reclaiming their own voice.
Mothers & Daughters: The focus is on the cyclical nature of female history, highlighting the mother-daughter relationship as a site for passing down wisdom and resisting patriarchal oppression across generations.
Masquerades or How to be a Wo/man: The analysis centers on the "masquerade" as a performative aspect of gender, examining how characters like Mrs. Tiresias challenge biological essentialism and reveal the artificiality of gender constructions.
Résumé: The conclusion summarizes the main findings, emphasizing that the volume serves as a critical revisiting of cultural inheritance rather than a simple return to 1970s feminism.
Keywords
Carol Ann Duffy, The World's Wife, gender construction, feminism, psychoanalysis, Jacques Lacan, Hélène Cixous, patriarchy, masquerade, Medusa, mother-daughter relationship, female identity, literary criticism, binary gender structure, mythology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores how Carol Ann Duffy’s collection "The World's Wife" deconstructs traditional patriarchal historical and mythological narratives to build a feminist space of female expression.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the re-evaluation of history from female perspectives, the mother-daughter bond, the role of gossip in female empowerment, and the performative nature of gender (masquerade).
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the gender constructions in Duffy's poetry to understand how the poems establish a female/feminist tradition that undermines and challenges existing patriarchal hegemony.
Which theoretical methods are utilized?
The analysis relies heavily on psychoanalytical theories, specifically concepts from Jacques Lacan and Hélène Cixous, alongside discussions of gynocentric theory.
What is addressed in the main body of the paper?
The main body investigates the poems through the lens of a "generation axis" (mothers and daughters) and a "gender axis" (power relations), supported by close readings of poems like "Little Red Cap" and "Mrs. Tiresias."
Which keywords best describe the paper's scope?
The scope is best characterized by terms such as feminism, gender construction, psychoanalysis, myth deconstruction, and performative gender.
How does the author interpret the role of "gossip" in the text?
The author argues that Duffy reclaims the traditionally negative connotation of "gossip" as a tool for female gathering, mutual support, and the formation of a counter-power against patriarchal silencing.
What significance is attributed to the mother-daughter relationship in the analysis?
The author views this relationship as the "linking spirit" of the volume, symbolizing a natural bond that transcends generations and serves as a vehicle for transferring wisdom and protecting women against male threats.
How does the author analyze the character of Mrs. Tiresias?
The author uses Mrs. Tiresias to demonstrate that femininity can be seen as a performative masquerade, while simultaneously arguing that Duffy rejects biological essentialism by showing that Tiresias remains fundamentally male despite his physical transformation.
Why does the author conclude that the volume is not a "return to the 70s"?
The author explains that the poems do not aim to reveal a hidden "repressed truth" from the past, but rather act as a contemporary, ongoing continuation of literary gender criticism that responds to present-day societal conditions.
- Quote paper
- Antje Peukert (Author), 2003, "What's a Man Without a Woman …?" - Gender Constructions in Carol Ann Duffy's "The World's Wife", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/158356
