Box Room

Question 1

“First the welcoming.”

Answer 1

First suggests this is a routine & not the first time the mother has met her sons girlfriend.
suggests the mother is following a set agenda rather than responding with a genuine welcome

Question 2

“First the welcoming. Smiles all around. A space for handshakes”

Answer 2

Short minor sentences to describe mother and girlfriend meeting for the first time - reflects awkwardness as the women get to know each other

Almost like stage directions, suggests both women are acting out the roles they should play but dislike each other

Suggests friendliness but space at the end of the line suggests intentional distance between both women

Question 3

“This room was always his”

Answer 3

Direct speech to quote mothers exact words - shows how mother makes subtle criticism of the younger women

this also highlights that the mother is suggesting that the relationship between the speaker and her son won’t last so when they do breakup, the mother will have his room ready when he goes back to her

change of tense from past to present – ‘was always his…it’s here for him’ – mother’s words highlight the continuing bond with her son in comparison with the speaker’s recent acquaintance

Question 4

“When he comes home”

Answer 4

Prediction that relationship will not last and the son will go back to the mother alone.

emphasises the mother’s determination to undermine the speaker by reminding her of her son’s loyalty/origins/the inevitability of his return

Question 5

“He brings a Friend”

Answer 5

Capitalisation of Friend suggests the mother had chosen to his word carefully and only sees the girlfriend as a friend and not girlfriend.
‘Friend’ suggests the mother dismisses their relationship as superficial or childish

Question 6

“Then she put me in my place”

Answer 6

Highlights mothers dominance of house visit and son.

Question 7

“Make do” “a night or two” “once or twice before”

Answer 7

Direct speech - suggests the speaker is mocking the mother , her dislike is very clear. We also detect the mothers sarcasms and subtle hints.

emphasises the mother’s reluctance to accept the speaker’s permanence

Question 8

“Lightweight, glossy, made of some synthetic miracle”

Answer 8

“Lightweight” suggests something insubstantial

“glossy” implies something superficial

“synthetic” suggests that their relationship isn’t real whereas the mother has a long loving connection with her son

the mother has made the speaker feel like her relationship with her son is not built to last and is fake

Question 9

“Pathetic shrine to your lost boyhood”

Answer 9

The use of metaphor suggests the mothers deliberately kept memories of the boys childhood alive, by devoting herself to keeping the room exactly the same as it was.

‘pathetic’ - suggests the speaker’s dismissal of the mother’s attempts to keep her son’s childhood alive

Question 10

“Think she can brush off time with dust”

Answer 10

The use of metaphor suggests the dust we return to when we die. The woman sees the mothers relationship with the son is something dead

suggests the speaker’s critical view of the easy way in which the mother thinks she can turn back the clock

Question 11

“Who have come for a weekend to state my permanence”

Answer 11

The contrast of weekend and permanence shows that the woman is aware of how short her time with her lover is compared to the relationship she wants or the long-standing one the mother has

contrast between ‘weekend’ and ‘permanence’ suggests the speaker’s feelings of insecurity versus her desire for a long-term relationship with the son

Question 12

“Peace to unpack - but I found none”

Answer 12

The use of dash and inverted structure empathises that the speakers mindset has changed

she’s now doubtful and troubled - tone of uncertainty and anxiety

contrast between ‘Peace…but I found none’ suggests the total absence of any comforting thoughts

Question 13

“In this spare room which once contained you”

Answer 13

Suggests that the woman herself has become a spare, something unneeded and unused.

‘spare room’ the description of a neglected or less frequented place suggests the speaker now sees herself as unimportant in the eyes of her boyfriend

Question 14

“What can I blame for my unrest, insomnia?”

Answer 14

The use of rhetorical question reflects how troubled and uncertain the speaker is, questioning her feelings about her place in the relationship

use of question – ‘What can…insomnia?’ – emphasises
doubt/confusion on part of speaker

Question 15

“Persistent fear elbows me”

Answer 15

Personification of fear suggests how intrusive her doubts have become - she’s so scared about the future of the relationship so much that it’s keeping her awake, almost as if the boyfriends place in the bed has been replaced by fear.

Question 16

“One small window which used to frame your old horizons”

Answer 16

The use of double meaning describes the rooms small window which limits the view of the scenery and indicates the way the boys life was restricted by his life at home with his controlling mother.

Question 17

“On every side you grin volt edged from long discarded selves”

Answer 17

‘Selves’ suggests the boy has changed many times which leads to the speaker questioning herself and where she fits in his life. This also adds to her anxiety of their relationship not lasting.

Question 18

“But where do I fit into the picture”

Answer 18

Parenthesis is used to show asides - the feats that the young woman has for her relationship, she wonders if he will ever have a photo of them together, she wonders if there is a place for her to feature prominently in his life.

Question 19

“Your bookshelves are crowded with previous prizes”

Answer 19

Previous prizes hints that he has had other women in his life and she realises that she’s just the latest of a succession of girlfriends. Her place in his affections is not as secure as the thought

Question 20

‘previous prizes, a selection of plots grown thin’

Answer 20

Suggests they ended because he became bored with them.
suggests the speaker’s growing awareness that she is only the latest in a series of girlfriends

Question 21

“Your egg collection shatters me”

Answer 21

The egg collection symbolises past relationships, upsetting the speaker.

It reflects her partner’s disinterest in an old hobby, signifying boredom.

word choice - ‘shatters’ - hints at a sudden realisation that the relationship will end and suggests her fragility/delicate feelings/shock

Question 22

“My position is precarious”

Answer 22

The use of double meaning suggests feeling unwanted and not at home in the room and feeling as if her role as a girlfriend is uncertain, the relationship is in danger of ending.

Question 23

“I shiver despite the electric blanket and the deceptive mildness of the night”

Answer 23

The use of double meaning could be a comment on the warm temperature of the night but it’s most likely a comment on the fake welcome the mother gave, she was being cold towards the speaker

What should be a happy and positive experience actually leaves her feeling anxious with doubts about the future of their relationship. This is why she shivers and can’t sleep.

‘shiver’ - suggests deep unease/fear

Question 24

‘oh, with concern for my comfort.’

Answer 24

emphasises the speaker’s comfort is merely an aside or afterthought on the part of the mother, and is secondary to the mother’s real aim of maintaining dominance

Question 25

(Lightweight…Miracle)

Answer 25

parenthesis used to describe her case suggests that she is an unimportant ‘extra’, rather than someone central to his life

‘miracle’ - although referring to the case’s man-made material, this suggests that the speaker believes her relationship with the boyfriend is an unlikely one/is on a shaky footing

Question 26

‘self-defence’

Answer 26

suggests the speaker’s feeling that she is under attack, due to the mother’s hostility

Question 27

‘Dun-coloured’

Answer 27

connotations of unattractive/plain suggests the
speaker’s increasing self-doubt

Question 28

‘embedded deeply…outgrown bed’

Answer 28

contrast between ‘embedded deeply…outgrown bed’ suggests a desperation to cling onto the relationship even though things have changed

Question 29

‘(Dun coloured…Narrow…but where…you
said…)’

Answer 29

use of parenthesis – highlights the speaker’s internal dialogue and attempts to rationalise her doubts

Question 30

‘abandoned…precarious…closeted…dark’

Answer 30

accumulation of negative adjectives suggests increasing desperation and disillusionment

Question 31

‘your past a premonition’

Answer 31

oxymoronic - highlights the speaker’s confusion and fear for the future