The Long Queen Flashcards
What is it about?
Uses the life of Elizabeth I presenting her as a protector of females
‘the long queen couldn’t die’
Hyperbole
Immortal
Legacy
‘unseen, she ruled and reigned; some said in a castle, some said in the tower in the dark heart of a wood, some said out and about in rags, disguised, sorting the bad from the good’
Asyndetic listing
Allusion to fairytales/ Rapunzel
‘push till the room screamed scarlet & children bawled and slithered… sore flowers’
Realism
Pain
Universal experience for women
Taboo
Shouldn’t be secretive
Never had a child yet is commenting on it- as the Queen she is the mother of all women
‘Time for a husband’
Capital in the middle of a sentence- emphasizes the time yet placed at the end of her asyndetic list
Males are not her priority
Ruling independently- the male would take charge had she got one
Links to Streetcar
Blanche hides in the dark intentionally, the Queen is unintentionally in the dark- her presence in society is felt despite not seeing her (allusive)
Stella marries outside her class while the Queen never does
Blanche lies to Mitch in desperation of wanting a man but the Queen chooses to be single
Both show extreme suffering
Childbirth in both
Both Blanche and the Queen don’t produce an heir- rebel against the typical women. Blanche unintentional while the Queen is more intentional
Context
Never actually married- was encourage to and spent time looking
Became a Queen at a young age 25
Known for talking to those in all classes (commoners)
