IB English A Lit The HLE Notes

Model Answer: 20/20 IB English HL Essay (HLE)

LOI: How does Carol Ann Duffy give female characters from Greek mythology a voice to challenge gender roles in their relationships in The World’s Wife?

Essay Outline

1. Introduction (150–200 words)
   1. Purpose: Introduce Duffy’s feminist lens and her poetic reimagining of myth.
   2. Text, Author, and Context: The World’s Wife (1999) by Carol Ann Duffy reinterprets myth, history, and literature from a female perspective, often drawing from Greek mythology and patriarchal narratives.
   3. Thesis: Duffy gives voice to mythological women to challenge the gender roles that define them as obedient, silent, or secondary in their relationships.
   4. Line of Inquiry: How does Duffy use poetic voice, imagery, and structure to critique traditional portrayals of women in relationships and empower female characters with autonomy?
   5. Roadmap: This essay will explore how Duffy reclaims the voices of Galatea, Penelope, and Eurydice to critique objectification, redefine marital fidelity, and reject patriarchal romanticism.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Reclaiming Objectified Women in Pygmalion’s Bride
   1. P (Point): Duffy challenges the glorified male fantasy of the ideal woman by giving Galatea a voice and turning her from object to agent.
   2. E (Evidence): “Cold, I was, like snow, like ivory.” / “Screamed my head off. All an act.”
   3. E (Explanation): Similes suggest lifeless purity, qualities Pygmalion desires. The metaphor of stone is later revealed as strategic resistance. Galatea’s false performance of pleasure is her act of rebellion.
   4. L (Link): By reclaiming her body and voice, Galatea undermines the notion that women should conform to male desires, asserting her autonomy through subversive performance.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Subverting the Loyal Wife Trope in Penelope
   1. P (Point): Duffy reconsiders Penelope not as a passive and faithful wife, but as a self-determined woman who finds empowerment through creativity.
   2. E (Evidence): “At first, I looked along the road hoping to see him saunter home.” / “I sewed a girl.” / “licked my scarlet thread.”
   3. E (Explanation): “At first” signals emotional evolution. Embroidery shifts from diversion to self-definition. The metaphor of sewing becomes an act of control and identity formation. Colour symbolism in “scarlet” conveys strength, passion, and autonomy.
   4. L (Link): Duffy reframes Penelope’s relationship not as a space of waiting, but as one of personal growth, challenging the narrative that women’s value lies in loyalty to men.