Salome Coursework 1
Bertan states women are seen as “immoral and dangerous seductress” How far is this negative view of women portrayed?
Salome is a poem which has been reinvented by the use of a well-known biblical story which the women are portrayed to be ‘immoral and dangerous’’. Duffy has modernised this story and placed Salome as the narrator, whilst also fulfilling the expectations of a feminist text by challenging stereotypical ideas of conventional gender roles. It is interesting, however, that unlike other poems in the “Worlds Wife” ‘Salome’ has been received negatively as stated by Janet Lewison “Salome by Carol Ann Duffy: the ‘soul-lessness of cliché?”1. It can be argued that it is ‘soulless’ if you interpret Duffy’s presentation of Salome as “immoral and a dangerous seductress”, as Bertan suggests women have been portrayed in literature. Duffy has modernised the poem, she is presenting a modern woman who is the dominant sex by doing this Salome can be seen negatively as Duffy suggests that she is ‘immoral and a seductress’, giving a negative portrayal of women in modern society. Whilst this can be shown in ‘Salome’, other interpretations also offer the view that Duffy is creating a more realistic and possibly positive portrayal of women. It can be argued, that she can be seen as more helpless than a dangerous seductress. She deliberately subverts the idea of Salome from the bible and liberates her, modernises her, and makes her relevant to a modern audience.
In the literary theory, Bertan states that women are widely stereotyped as being seductive but also attitudes of men toward women in the 20th century were “denigrating, exploitive and repressive”. In the Christian tradition ‘Salome’ has been portrayed as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, this idea can be interpreted in the poem as Salome is shown to have woken up with a strangers head besides her. Waking up with a stranger’s head besides her could suggest that Salome has had a one night stand, Salome poses
Salome is a poem which has been reinvented by the use of a well-known biblical story which the women are portrayed to be ‘immoral and dangerous’’. Duffy has modernised this story and placed Salome as the narrator, whilst also fulfilling the expectations of a feminist text by challenging stereotypical ideas of conventional gender roles. It is interesting, however, that unlike other poems in the “Worlds Wife” ‘Salome’ has been received negatively as stated by Janet Lewison “Salome by Carol Ann Duffy: the ‘soul-lessness of cliché?”1. It can be argued that it is ‘soulless’ if you interpret Duffy’s presentation of Salome as “immoral and a dangerous seductress”, as Bertan suggests women have been portrayed in literature. Duffy has modernised the poem, she is presenting a modern woman who is the dominant sex by doing this Salome can be seen negatively as Duffy suggests that she is ‘immoral and a seductress’, giving a negative portrayal of women in modern society. Whilst this can be shown in ‘Salome’, other interpretations also offer the view that Duffy is creating a more realistic and possibly positive portrayal of women. It can be argued, that she can be seen as more helpless than a dangerous seductress. She deliberately subverts the idea of Salome from the bible and liberates her, modernises her, and makes her relevant to a modern audience.
In the literary theory, Bertan states that women are widely stereotyped as being seductive but also attitudes of men toward women in the 20th century were “denigrating, exploitive and repressive”. In the Christian tradition ‘Salome’ has been portrayed as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, this idea can be interpreted in the poem as Salome is shown to have woken up with a strangers head besides her. Waking up with a stranger’s head besides her could suggest that Salome has had a one night stand, Salome poses