My Rival's House Flashcards
Speaker feeling uncomfortable
“Cushions so stif you can’t sink in”
Speaker feels apprehensive and fragile
“I am all edges, a surface, a shell”
Playing on phrases to show threatening behaviour
“Capped tooth, polished nail”
Part of a couplet rhyme to show how the mother is superficial
“Won’t let the surface colour fade”
Hiding her feeling about her unemployable experience
“Deferential daughterly, I sip/ and thank her nicely for each bitter cup “
Element of snobbery to the mother
“Lady of the house/ queen bee”
The rest of the family act as objects to the rival
“This family that furnishes my rivals’s place”
Competition between the rival and speaker for son’s attention
“Will fight, fight foul for her survival “
Enjambment to show separation between the rival and the speaker
“She won’t/ give up”
Sibilance to create the idea of a snake as the mother
“Silver sugar tongs, and silver salver”
