Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing - Margaret Atwood

Helen of Troy was know as the —- —- ——– ——- —–. This shows her as the one to blame for male desires. She has become a cultural motif of male emphasis on physical beauty.

The use of a historical figure shows the ——— ——– — ——— and the dangers that come with it as ——– ——– ———. There is no winner as the female loses as the same time as the men go to war, thus losing their lives.

The myth shows the ———- ——— of Helen, as well as other women in mythology. As they both the ——- — —– —– and in a position of ———– concurrently, placing her in a ————- ———- of the power structure afforded to an exotic dancer.

Term describing the revisiting of myths through re-imagination of poetry.

The poem attempts to subvert the ———— and ———– nature of commonplace mythology instilled by the ———- ————-.

—— states with reference to —— that old myths ———- — ——- so must be ———- —- ———- —-.

——- states that these revisionary poems do away with the ———- —— imposed by males in favour of what women find ——– and ———- in themselves. They are ——— ——— of what women have suffered historically and in some cases are ———– — ———.

——- stats that revisionary female poets are looking — or —- but never — — sacred things, thus ———- ———.

—— agrees with ——– stance on the postmodern domestification of myth, saying that is impossible to write something uninfluenced by the ———– with a ———– —-, due to the limitations of living within present society.

The poem is an example of this, meaning a fiction which references another fiction.

Helen escapes from the ———– ——- ———- of the patriarchy through the ——- ——— — —–. This is mirrored by ——– ——– ——– — —— thus the poem is —- ———-.

Name of the anthology where this poem is found.

—— states that every version of myth is a ——— — —–, meaning that every narrative takes the ——— —– — —-, thus becoming —– —–.

—— ——- view of mythology states that it —– the ——— —— — —– — ——-, thus ——— some of their concepts as ———– ——.

——- says that Atwood enters both the ———- and ———- of the reader, effecting their ———- ——– and creating a new myth from the old one through revisionist feminist mythology.

The formal choice of —- —— represents Helen’s —–, with —– ——– and largely —— ——— it also represents the ——- she gains through this dance. The lack of rhyme, rhythm, meter and syntax represent this freedom and ————-.

‘The —– — —- — —— who’d tell me I ——- — ——— — ——–‘ Quote showing the socialisation of women, the subject was changed from —— in the drafting process, taking a more pointed stance on this and the lack of unity in women’s groups.

—— —— ——- —— narration style grounds the poem in ——– ———–.

Helen can be seen as both ——– and ———. All of her power is derived from the men’s lust, once this is gone she will be powerless again – however it is implicit that this is far from happening.

‘And ———- —-, and ——– ——, —- ——– — — —— for eight hours behind a —– ——–‘ Quote showing the unequal job opportunities for women and the imprisoning determinism enforced by social power structures. Varicose veins high placement on the list shows emphasis on good lucks to survive in the economy.

The —– ——- represents the —– ——– of limitation for females in the workplace. While women reject Helen’s form of empowerment, she dances above them in terms of power on the glass counter that they are stuck behind.

‘instead of —– — – —- ———-‘ Sexual metaphor, reclaiming of her own sexuality. Sexual pun and the idea of the woman as something to be consumed, a product and something temporary that once she has been eaten up there will be nothing of interest left for the male.

‘———, they’d say. —, — — — — –‘ Quoting showing that exploitation of women is omnipresent, at least the speaker is aware of her exploitation and gaining from it. Here she attempts to ———- the ——– —– ———.

‘But I’ve a choice of how, and — —- — ——‘ Quote showing that capitalism necessitates the speakers role and ——— the ———- —-.

‘I do give value. —- ——-, – —- ——-.’ Quote showing a knock at religion, possibly for its role in solidifying the patriarchy. The comparison of selling false, unattainable visions. Pretense.

‘like ——- —, desire or its facsimile’ Quote showing her abstracting herself into an advertisement. Not selling the whole but the ——– mentioned later.

‘I sell men back —– —— ———-: —- ——— — —-‘ Quote criticising the banality of a society where everything can be bought and sold at an increasingly endless cycle. Also response to critics of her trade, as it is male driven.

‘They gaze at me and see a ——— —— just before it happens’ Quote showing that men’s gaze is equatable with violence. Violent male fantasy.

‘When —–, —, ——, ——–, — and —— are still connected.’ Quote showing the imposition of cultural ideas onto a natural body and sexualisation of natural form in western society. Parodies, in words, the ———- —- shot of film. However in terms of empowerment this makes her intangible and hard to nail down, fitting thematically with the poem thus keeping her true self elusive from the males to which she sells her false self.

‘Seeing the —- — —– and ——– —, imploring’ Quote using ——– to dehumanise her audience, implying that they are not worth more than the sum of their parts which mirrors the objectification she receives by society.

‘Imploring but —— — —- — — ——‘ Quote showing inherent fear of men and comparing men to animals.

‘I ——— —– — ———-, and the —- — —- — —-‘ Quote playing on the Greek God’s tendency to smite people through natural disasters. Helen shares the urge to impose her power through destruction.

‘The —– —— —- —–, crisp as heated metal searing the nostrils’ Quote showing that the strip club share the atmosphere of the hunt. Also associates the dancers with slyness and trickery.

‘As a ——- —- — — ——–‘ Quote showing the sacking of troy. The aim of the narrative is not to escape the ——— of ———- ——— as this too big a task, but simply to instill a narrative voice in those who have none.

‘As a looted city the day after, —- — — —- —- —-‘ Quote describing the rape during city sieges, the simplicity of the monosyllabic language emphasises the it as a routine activity and compounds the shock factor.

‘And the ——– —– ——- ——- — ——- — —‘ Quote comparing the exotic dancing to the consumption of garbage, the means to survive in a hostile environment but at what personal cost.

‘Speaking of which, it’s the ——– —– — — — —-‘ Quote which is extendable to society as a whole, female pretense to please males.

‘because I’m after all – ———- — —-.’ Quote showing the desire for two way communication through comparison to two linguistically incompatible peoples.

‘The ——- —- — — —– ——–‘ Quote highlighting disease and the implicit dangers of sex and comparing masculine communication to something primitive, limited and ape-like.

‘My ——- — —— — – —- —-. — ——- —-? — — —- — — — ——-.’ Quote referencing Helen’s birth as her mother was raped by Zeus in the form of a swan. The acceptance of the dinner date depends on the acknowledgement of male sexual aggression and rape culture, suggesting that only progressive thinking men will be rewarded in any way.

‘That’s what — —- — — ——–. There sure are – — — ———- —– ——–.’ Quote showing the victims of marginalisation demonised and shown to be dangerous in their sexuality, when married men are in the wrong for actively visiting – all achieved through dangerous birds pun.

‘Not that ——– —- — — —– ———.’ Quote showing that the empowered women and reasonable men are in the minority. Possibly talking to a male customer, possibly Paris himself. The subject being spoken to highlights the aspects of the poem as a performance, linking it to the dance. The specific you and I personal approach relates to the specific understanding relationship which men and women must foster in order to dispel the necessitation of the hostile environment of the poem.

‘———- — — ———— as in a —– ——– — ———‘ Quote showing objectification, comparing women to a mass produced product bound for consumption and equating the consumption with death.

‘—- — — —- — — — —-‘ Quote showing the emphasis on body over mind, entrapment in a silent aesthetically pleasing shell.

‘They’d —- — — —— –, but ——– — —- —– —- ——– ——–‘ Quote showing male confusing arising from non-typical sexuality. Opaqueness here stand for the opposite of male desire, so the desire goes when the women has and uses her own voice and thoughts. A didactic message that women should be absolutely transparent, both in having their own opinions and in not pandering to male desires, instead being transparent in their views.

‘Like breath or a balloon, — ——, – —– — —— — — —‘ Quote showing rising above masculine oppression and the stigma of her work. Quite literally, as the raising implied is through the apparatus of the dancing pole.

‘In my ——- ——– — ——-‘ Quote showing again the reference to rape by Zeus, she is the child of sexual violence but refuses to be crushed by her history – instead being empowered by it.

The term for the reading of symbols

—-‘s theory of ——— ———- means we as readers use semiotics to attribute shape and meaning within texts. The unconscious is said to be far superior to the — or I, which is shaped by ——- and ours, says —— is closed and fed on systems of power which are incredibly difficult to escape.

‘— —– — — – ——-? — –.’ Quote contradicting the lack of self-respect assertion that we see at the beginning of the poem, she has the utmost respect and esteem for herself. Also invites the reader to doubt, aware of the implicit consequences of such a judgement, thus fulfilling the seductress archetype in a progressive manor. Also implies an underestimation of the female aesthetic to cause harm/damage.

‘—- — – —– —-. —– — — —– —-.’ Quote showing an empowering final statement, the song in question is also a song of unrequited love but in this the love that goes un-returned is that of her ‘beery worshippers’. Shows the consequences of seeking unwanted ownership.

The fire which Helen burns with ——- ——– is fueled only by her ————, whilst she is trapped by male lust it is also her —- —— — ——-. Despite her negative feelings towards men ironically, even when she distances herself from then through anger they are source of her power. This shows emphatically the hopelessness of her position. The ——— — —— represents, through ———- — —— ——– — —— — their gain in power since then but echoes the fact that they still lie below men, this is a clear ——– ——–.