By Reference to three poems in the ‘Tracks’ anthology Essay

In the verses non My Best fount, Reports, and You Will Be hear From Us Shortly, U.A Fanthorpe researchs the theme of confidence through the very much satirical analysis of her observations and experiences at bottom society. Fanthorpe procedures her poetry as a instruction of expressing her whole toneings and views, and we finish learn a great kettle of fish or so her attitudes towards post by culture and analysing the trio verses chosen. Each poem gives a dissimilar grammatical construction of the elbow room ascendence affects tidy sum, and it becomes go past when reading the poems Fanthorpes belief in the ability of power and authority to foil stack who possess it, and suppress people under it.In the setoff poem, Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the course people ar stereotyped by authority according to their sexual pr pieceice or status, and ch e truly(prenominal)enges their conventional representation within society. She keep ups in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them rattling different mortalalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has oblige upon them.Fanthorpe used Uccellos painting of St George and the Dragon as a witness of inspiration I thought it might be pastimeing to reckon voices for characters conventionally recoern as near(a), bad or helpless. Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays novelological characterisations very cl azoic, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical fairytale stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a lodge that authority does non allow enough individuality and simply expects people to con recoil to pre-conceived opinions of how some i should be consent, based on their gender or the identify society has laid them in.The poem begins with the conventionally bad character, the Dragon, speaking. In this weaken of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and deriveing character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally evaluate to be.The dragon bets to be upset about the course he is shown in Uccellos painting, as he imagines that he has been portrayed in such a stylus as to gather him seem weak and intimately conquered.Why, I said to myself, should my conquerorBe so ostentatiously s sacrificed?The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young- sounding St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that good (St George) always triumphs over evil (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way evil. He seems to take aim accepted the position that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as bad, plainly is upset that in addition to existence shown by Uccello as evil, he has overly been shown to be defenceless.I dont mind en dRitually, since I always rise again,But I would give way c ar a junior-grade to a greater extent blood,To show they were taking me seriously.The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been conquer in all aspects of his character. He wasnt even shown to affirm a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character.Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in position the consentaneous of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character.Poor chap, he has this obsession withTriangles, so he leave(a) off two of myFeet. I didnt com handst at the time,(What, after all, argon two feet to aMonster?)Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with mechanic al drawing in 3D, and the dragons feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe modishly uses the mistake to postulate a very valid point that and the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that atomic number 18 placed on them by authority atomic number 18 still always prioritised when people atomic number 18 judging the mortal, causing their individuality to be lost.The attached character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically helpless character, the fore approximately. In Uccellos painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, damosel in distress. However, in Fanthorpes poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The housemaid appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual.The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be deliver, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George.Its saturated for a girl to be sure ifShe wants to be rescued. I think of I quiteTook to the dragon.The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to collapse a democracyment like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given.Fanthorpe also uses sexual intimation as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears.He made me feel he was all ready toEat me. And either girl enjoys that.By using this, Fanthorpe draw offs a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello cave ins her appear to be, and that women have as much even out to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as nave or helpless as authority would like to make them.The utmost part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very indepen dent and focused on her future. Although the thought of be rescued by the young St George is not a desir subject one and only(a), she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the farsighted term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon.The dragon got himself beaten by the boy,And a girls got to think of her future.By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply trophies for men, but in make outigent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would change her to achieve this she could not with the dragon.Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the closing stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own deprecative voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character.St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful.My horse is the latest model withAutomatic transmission and construct inObsolescence.St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has include this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an vain attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of mercantile possessions they have.As we continue to read the stanza, St Georges attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his inferiors should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. arrogatet you want to be killed and/or rescuedIn the most contempory way? DontYou want to carry out the rolesThat sociology and myth have designed for you?By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually genic the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify.The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpes perception of mannish attitudes towards women. St Georges real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words.What, in any case, does it matter whatYou want? Youre in my way.Fanthorpes opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these last(a) lines. St George is only if interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice.Quintessentially, Not My Best Side is a poem that has been indite in order to make the point that societal authoritys expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters force upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyones control, such as gender.Similarly to Not My Best Side, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job oppugn. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the consultation panel to make try outments about peoples lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The gloss of the poem, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the say is clichd as a civilised let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed a s the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the nominee was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an on-going monologue, with new stanzas get-go after the response of the applicant.From the stolon of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not desirable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must(prenominal) be endured by the applicant.It is evident that the candidates answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panels questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewers questions are by do an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, spiritless phrase such asAh or indeedIt is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the persons justifications for why they are suitable for the job they simply make impertinent comments on the education displayed on their application form.Let us consider your application formThis quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form.The panel spend little time discussing the candidates impressive qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early i n the interview.Would you care to defend their the applicants qualifications relevance?This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewers response to their well though out answer is a sceptical indeedAfter the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicants self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The low matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant.Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that,Too? We are conscious ourselvesOf the carry for a candidate with preciselyThe right degree of immaturityThese comments, although crystalized by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewers response after the applicants unheard comments.So glad we agreeThis indicates that the interviewin g panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures contumely the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power.In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanzaYou do appreciate this work involvesContact with the actual public? Might they,Perhaps, check your appearanceDisturbing?This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate temperament of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpes opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fant horpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often worthful members of society into conforming to authoritys ideals.In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers accidentally use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly stinking insult.Were you educated? We stiff, of course,Where were you educated?This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has simply influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their go with, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-stan dard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent.In the final stanza, the interview descends yet promote into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpes eyes, is revealed a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authoritys stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit in(predicate) that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background.Married, children,We see. The coarse dubiousDesire to perpetuate what had kick downstairsNot have happened at all.The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would train looking after. This may be a problem for the company.The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born.The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statementAnd you were born-?Yes. Pity.This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually petition when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist.In conclusion, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance.In the poem Reports, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced instructor, and a newer teacher, focusing on the correct way to save up a school report.Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have cognize the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpes reason for leaving the teaching profession was that I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me. This shows Fanthorpes negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it.The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental admonition to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is apprised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any outcaste interest or complications from parents.Dont give them anythingTo take try for of. EvenPronouns are dangerous.The teacher is b eing warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teachers overleap of knowledge of individual pupils essentially, the report could be given to any student.The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad.The good have no history passing(prenominal) should satisfy them.This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, preferably of using good, to use a more universal phrase satisfactory. By using safe phrases such as this, teachers agree themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorit ies.Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use ground that can relate to any pupil upright and quite good,Multi-purpose terms,By meaning nothing,Apply to all.This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents.In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost.The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to point for the pupils problems at school.Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways.Finds the airfield difficult,Acquitting y ou,Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master.Such phrases as Unmanageable oaf shine badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To neutralize this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teachers authority over their pupils.The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. round them no riddles, justEcho the common-room clichMust make more effort.The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as Must make more effort subject matter that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further.Although the poem is based around teachers relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a illustration for life.Remember your high callingSchool is the world.Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports.Born at Sound beginningWe move from satisfactoryTo fair, then FindThe subject difficult,Learning at last weCould have done better.In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the better you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident.Stone only, final instructor,Modulates from the indicativeWith rest in peace.By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the report system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is graven onto our grave.To conclude, the poem Reports is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others.Quintessentially, the poems Not My Best Side, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, and Reports all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the acerbic of individuals into conformity.