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.
I am all edges, a surface, a shell
metaphor
Just as edges are sharp and uncomfortable, so too does the speaker keep her guard up due to her discomfort in this enemy territory and is keeping her true self hidden.
Just as a shell is delicate and easy broken, so too does the speaker feel fragile, vulnerable and out of place as she faces the tension between her and her rival which creates a tense atmosphere
Lady of the house. Queen bee.
euphemisms to describe the rival’s dominant position in the household. Standoffish tone- speaker less passive
far more unconscious, far more dangerous than me.
repetition reinforces the importance of not underestimating the influence she exerts on her son and the dancer this could pose on the speaker’s relationship with him
unconscious-the rival may be unaware of her threatening behaviour OR she may be devious and underhand
Listen, I was always my own worst enemy
‘Listen’ established a conversational tone. Direct comment to the reader- the speaker is admitting she can be over sensitive. She is aware of her rival’s power/ destructive qualities
she has taken even this from me
brevity suggests that this rivalry will continue
She dishes up her dreams for breakfast. Dinner, and her salt tears pepper our soup
food imagery associated with the Rival exposing the grief and bitterness the mother feels about his new romance
She won’t give up.
The final 2 lines sum up completely the hopelessness of the situations *! their simplicity and directness, these 4 words leaves the reader with no doubt that the battle will go on
