Mrs Midas Flashcards
It was late September. I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun
to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen
“It was late September” - September signals the autum and colours linked with gold in nature. It is the most fretful time of year
“wine” “unwind” - The half rhythms add to the easiness she feels in her comfrtable, domestic (household) setting
“begun / to unwind” - The enjanment echos her relaxation
filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath
gently blanching the windows. So I opened one,
“relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows” - The kitchen is personified to show the same ease
then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow.
“wiped the other’s glass like a brow” - The simile shows her caring nature, it prepares us that she is desperate for a child
He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig.
The onomatopaia dosnt fit with the harmony opening. It hints at the desctruction of their relationship
Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way
the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky,
but that twig has hand was gold. And then he plucked
“Now the garden was long and the visibility poor / / but that twig in his hand was gold” - She knows this is hard to believe but she is certain about it
a pear from a branch. - we grew Fondante d’Automne -
Means melting autum which links with colour gold
and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. On.
“and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb” - A glow is coming from the fruit
“On” - The single word sentance makes it seem even brighter
I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?
“Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?” - His selfishness contrasts (is the opposite) with the romantic action that she thinks he’s doing
He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed.
He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of
“He came into the house. The doornobs gleamed. / He drew the blinds” - The easy flow from earlier is discupted by the short simple sentances
the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready.
She was Duffys history teacher that taught her about the field of the cloth of gold which is all about two kings showing off their gold
He sat in the chair like a king on a burnished throne.
His sence of superiority
The look on his face strange, wild, vain. I said,
“strange, wild, vain” - The short list shows that he is changing already
What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh.
“What in the name of God is going on?” - She is concerned
“He started ti laugh” - He is not listening to her
I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob.
Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich.
“I served up the meal” - She is trying to keep domestic normality. He is powerful and she is survile/like a peservant
“corn on the cob. / Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich” - The corn is tooth shaped, it mimics the effect of him touching something
He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knifes, the forks.
He asked where was the wine. I poured with a shaking hand,
“He asked where was the wine” - She is expected to serve him”
“I poured with a shaking hand”
a fragrant, bone-dry white from Italy, then watched
“fragrant, bone-dry white from Italy” - This is an expensive wine showing that he’s materialistic
as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank.
She watches the atchual transformation to gold. The alleteration of the ‘g’ emphises each step of the transition
It was then that i started ti scream. He sank to his knees.
“It was then I started to scream” - She is horrified by her husbands ‘gift’
“He sank ti his knees” - He started to realise the full implications (consequenes) of his wish
After we’d both calmed down, I finished the wine
on my own, hearing him out. I made him sit
on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself.
“I made him sit / on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself” - The intmasy is gone now, there must be a physical distance between them
I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone
The toilet I didn’t mind. I couldn’t believe my ears:
“I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. / The toilet I didn’t mind” - The shoer, listing sentances climax with humor
“I couldn’t believe my ears: /” The sence of this sentance is broken up across two lines to emphise her disbelief
how he’d had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted.
But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold?
“how he’d had a wish” - The sence of this sentance is broken up across two lines to emphise her disbelief
“Look, we all have wishes; granted. / But who has wishes granted?” - The word play around wishes and granted highlights how she cannot believe what he has wished for
“Him” - Is an accusary (accusing) single word sentance
“Do you know about gold?” - The second person draws us in, the rhetorical shows her knollage about the properties of gold
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst. He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced,
“It feeds no one;” “slakes / no thirst”
