Adrienne Rich - Power

Question 1

Tragic irony that something she worked so hard on would eventually kill her
It takes pain and suffering to achieve goals
She was brave and selfless

Answer 1

“She must have known she suffered from radiation sickness her body bombarded for years by the element she had purified”

Question 2

Painful symptoms of radiation exposure
Vivid, shocking
Duality to her character that she denied the effects of radioactivity
She is a martyr to science

Answer 2

“Cataratas on her eyes the cracked and suppurating skin on her finger-ends till she could no longer hold a test tube or a pencil”

Question 3

Stubborn
Curie wanted to deny that her life’s work and suffering came from the same source
Power and suffering are two sides of the same coin. Joy and success cannot be achieved without being accompanied by pain and suffering
We can direct power but can’t control it
Marie curies is symbolic for female power
Se embodied the positive use of power

Answer 3

“Denying her wounds came from the same source as her power”