Eat Me Flashcards
Structure of poem
- there are ten very structured tercets giving a sense of tight control and consistency. This may represent the constraints and tight routine imposed on the woman or the repetitive cycle of oppression she faces. Tercets often signify control which amplifies the conflict between the woman’s emotional turmoil and the oppression of her partner.
- the final stanza though signifying a mental shift in the woman, does not break from the pattern, this suggests that while the speaker’s actions might break the physical control, the psychological and emotional scars may still remain.
- on a broader scale it may be seen to be symbolic not just of this relationship but of the harsh societal constraints imposed on women the fixed form suggests the cultural pressures and expectations that dictate how women should look and behave.
- the number three in the tercets may also be significant as it mirrors the concept of indulgence, three is often viewed as a number of completeness or even excess. This hence reinforces the theme of greed.
Enjambement in the poem
-the continuous flow of lines reflects the unrelenting nature of the speaker’s oppression, as she is unable to pause or escape. It creates a sense of inescapably and tells us that the speaker cannot rid herself of the oppression of her partner on her.
Caesura in the poem
- pauses can suggest the speaker’s growing awareness of her situation or brief moments of self-awareness. However, they are brief, highlighting how quickly the control reasserts itself.
- in areas like stanza two and in ‘his flesh, my flesh’ it helps reinforce her lack of agency and aids the reader in pausing to undertsand the depth of her lack of autonomy. Biblically shows they have become one and thus her identity has subsumed into what he has moulded it to be
-fragmented narrative mirrors fragmented sense of self
Rhyme scheme
- the aba consistent rhyme pattern creates a sense of inevitability and entrapment, as the rhyme pattern loops back onto itself. It reflects the speaker’s life being stuck in a cycle of control and abuse. It could also show the lack of freedom as the speaker has to think in the bounds of a tight rhyme scheme.
- letters KTD are entrenched in the narrative at the end of every line, very insidious embedding of cycle shows how the mans power over the speaker is so deeply entrecnedh it can be easily missed
Main themes
Gender
Gluttony
Power
Revenge
Body image/ insecurity
Objectification
Form
- written in a personal dramatic monologue which underscores the theme of freedom and expression as the speaker is able to express her experiences first hand
- however, the one sided nature of the narrative highlights the imbalance in the relationship
-the conversational and sometimes satirical tone creates a raw sense of authenticity allowing the reader to fully express her trauma to the speaker
Anaphora of ‘too fat’
-mimics a sort of chant, emphasising the speakers overwhelm towards their sense of entrapment and how they are now rendered inanimate
- also highlights her awareness
- the lack of emotional depth in the anaphora is disturbing and perhaps reveals how long and deeply entrenched into her the abuse is
EAT ME
- impérative phrase which emphasises the unquestioning control of her partner
- alludes to Alice and wonderland in which she keeps trying to change in order to fit into the wonderland society’s perception of a girl. Underscores a warped and unrealistic urge to charge to please others in this case her partner
- proleptic allusion to the canbalistic end to the poem, perhaps underscoring how abuse results in an outburst of revenge almost as if he is commanding his end by subjugating her
Cake section
- the candles are ironic as usually they celebrate a birthday or a significant event. Here the celebration of weight gain is uncanny and show his warped ideals that she must comply to
- the cake is white which is a symbol typically for morality and purity, thus he may be trying to hide or deny his abusive role. It seems to be normal as it is deeply entrenched
-the letters being pink is symbolic of femenotnity and thus society’s pressures onto what it deemed an acceptable girl. The abuse is hidden by a facade of morality and femininity
‘I like big girls, soft girls…’
- shift in tone to a jolly, rhythmic style rhyme which is off putting and ironic as obesity is deathly, shows how his needs are put foremost over hers
- the EPISTROPHE of girls is infantilising and patronising, shows how he is of the dominance and finds women malleable
- the plural of girls implies this is not for him a one time event but instead his livelihood fetish and perhaps this is not an isolated event in terms of the fact so many women are subjected to their partners fetishisation
Motif of objectification
- ‘ like a forbidden fruit’ simile + biblical allusion which compares her to the non societally accepted and immoral apple in the bible- for him fat women are tempting and fetishised. The frickitive alliteration underscores a sense of disgust and fear at what is becoming of her.
- ‘his breadfruit.. his’ ‘his jacuzzi’ possessive pronoun and objectification show a complete lack of autonomy for the woman.
- ‘globe of a cheek’ implies she is the size of the world, infinitely large. ,ore over she is circular
‘Eyes bulging w greed’
- scopophilia- the love of looking
- shows even in his dying moments man is overcome with desire and it is his most primal of instricts
Juxtaposition of flesh- reclamation of identity
-in areas like stanza two and in ‘his flesh, my flesh’ it helps reinforce her lack of agency and aids the reader in pausing to undertsand the depth of her lack of autonomy. Biblically shows they have become one and thus her identity has subsumed into what he has moulded it to be
- ‘Hé drowned in MY flesh’ loss of any form of possessive pronoun and instead she has silence him. With her own autonomy
