My Rival’s House Flashcards
Title- My Rival’s House
(S.S) Title is also part of the
opening line.
Immediately establishes idea
of conflict in this relationship.
peopled
(W.C) meaning populated/ made up of. Instead of people the house is filled with furniture and objects. Suggests Rival more concerned with objects than people.
ironic
Ormulu and gilt
(W.C) Both
examples of
gold casings.
Play on words of
the homophone
‘gilt’ and ‘guilt’
slipper satin
(W.C) heavy, stiff material that is shiny on one side and dull on the other. Looks expensive but is cheap. Highlights the welcome offered by the rival is superficial/false.
velvet
stiff (next line)
(wc) furnishings seem luxurious but lack comfort -unwelcoming atmosphere
juxtaposition-speaker is two-faced
distortions
(wc) meaning not what it seems/unclear. Creates a sinister mood. Suggests something dark lurks underneath the surface - similar to the rival. Too perfect to be true
(Line 6)
We
her
The speaker is not alone (we) - the rival is in control/holds the power in the relationships
Shuffle stocking-soled
(wc)-shuffle- discomfort and clumsiness
sibilance highlights how quiet and respectful the speaker feels she needs to act in the house-differential (+ ‘tiptoe’)
surface (line 8 and11)
repetition of ‘surface’ highlights the superficiality of the rival
protected
suggests the rival will protect her home and possessions at all costs-territorial, over-bearing and materialistic (may include son)
Dust-cover, drawn shade, won’t let the surface colour fade
list- Treatment of the house establishes
a sense of the Rival’s personality –
she doesn’t want people to know
her true feelings/ always putting on
an act.
silver sugar-tongs and silver salver
sibilance gives a serpentine quality to the mother. Connotes sly, devious and cunning. Suggests she is hiding part of her personality/is not to be trusted
glosses
to be shiny OR to conceal something unfavourable. Rival does not may any real attention to her guests-more concerned with appearance. Could also suggest that she doesn’t take their relationship seriously
They aren’t able to be transparent with each other-their relationship is false
But (line 17)
(S.S) Contrast introduced by
the word ‘But’. The speaker
knows what the mother is
really like.
But what squirms beneath her surface I can tell
(W.C) The word ‘squirms’ links
back to the idea of a snake
lurking underneath. Speaker
won’t be able to get to grips with
rival’s hidden nature.
capped tooth, polished nail
(WC) Play on words –
Idiom: “to fight tooth and
nail” - fierce. Suggests
the animalistic nature of
the rivalry.
On the surface the rival is put together and polite.
Underneath the surface, she has an animalistic nature and is ready to fight. Not what she seems.
fight, fight
(S.S) Repetition
of ‘fight’ –
emphasises the
rivalry between
the women. It is
ongoing and
intense.
deferential, daughter, I sip
and thank her nicely for each bitter cup
‘deferential, daughterly’+ ‘thank her nicely’-she is well aware of her rival’s feeling and is also hiding her own feelings
I sip-passive tone
And I have much to thank her for
Passive voice-lacks power. Admitting defeat (deferential)
short sentence?
This son she bore-
first blood to her-
parenthesis isolate the words to ensure we finally understand the root of the conflict between the two women
‘first blood to her’-play on words-‘first blood’ in terms of lineage, acknowledgement of blood relationship/or she has drawn first blood in the fight
never, never
(S.S) Repetition reinforces her belief that her lover will not be relinquished to her without a fight. Speaker will never have him to herself.
potluck of family
(I) First of the food-related imagery.
Food is usually considered sustaining and life-giving. Here it is poisoned. We
cannot choose our family.
oh how close
mocking tone-speaker’s resentment
this family that furnishes my rival’s place
(S.S) Final line is similar to the opening
line. People ‘furnish’ the house. The
people in the house belong to the rival –they are silent and obliging.
