box room essay redraft

The `Box Room’ by Liz Lochhead is a poem which describes a girl’s stay at her boyfriend’s childhood home, and her encounter with the boyfriend’s mother. As the poem title suggests the girl is to spend the weekend in the Box Room, which was her boyfriend’s room as he lived and grew up in the family home. This essay will look at the theme of relationships by examining the conflict between the boyfriend’s mother and the girlfriend by using word choice and minor sentences.

The poet uses minor sentences to display the mother’s disapproval of the girlfriend. She does this by taking her to the room immediately. The girlfriend states “Then she put me in my place”. This suggests that the mother wants to get rid of the girlfriend. Out of sight out of mind. This clearly shows the contrast between the mother and the girlfriend. As the mother is protective and the girlfriend wants to be with her boyfriend.

The poet uses word choice to show the mother’s disapproval again by suggesting the girlfriend is in the way of her and her son. The mother states “He’ll make do tonight in the lounge on the put-u-up”. This shows that the mother does not want her son sharing a bed with the girlfriend, as the girlfriend is to sleep in the box room and the son is to sleep downstairs in the lounge. This could also suggest that the mother is only putting up with the girlfriend for the moment. This again displays the contrast of an obsessed mother and a loving girlfriend.

By using word choice the poet shows that the girlfriend recognises that there is tension between her and the mother. The girlfriend states “I laugh it off in self defence”. This shows that the girlfriend is intimidated by the mother’s hostile behaviour but she is determined not to let the mother win. Once more this displays contrast between the mother and the girlfriend. Although they are fighting for the affection of the same person, they are using different methods.

The poet uses word choice to display contrast of the