Carol Ann Duffy and Alan Bennett present deliberately provocative attitudes towards matriarchy and patriarchy through their respective uses of narrative. In "The World's Wife" Duffy uses a variety of poetic forms to displace and reinsert female mythological and literary figures into roles of dramatic cultural centrality, or by contrast into singular roles in history and society in order to accentuate their oppression, subverting it. Duffy then uses the revisionist method of reevaluation to critique the superficiality that inhibits modern society, allowing reinvention to move away from an unacceptable truth towards a more attractive alternative. Similarly, Bennett's "The History Boys" exploits revisionist methods to encourage its audience to reevaluate the nature of history itself and to question the function and value of literature in modern society. However, where Bennett uses revisionism as a technique to sell “false” truths through the presentation of Irwin's “roundabout” approach to knowledge and teaching, Duffy uses revisionism to reevaluate what it means to be a woman, as well as criticizing superficiality and the materialism of modern lifestyles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayBoth Duffy and Bennett encourage their reader, or audience, to reevaluate the patriarchal nature of literature and history and the displacement of women. However, both authors reevaluate the role of women in society for different purposes and using contestation techniques and reevaluation methods. Bennett almost seems to parody the existing patriarchal prejudice of history and literature through the gender imbalance between the characters of "The History Boys" which features only one female speaking character, reflecting the gender inequalities of the society of the 1950s and 1980s from which it draws from. Lacking a feminist agenda, however, Bennett actively promotes an overtly masculine society, as well as emphasizing the typical role of female subjugation through her reconstruction of the male-dominated society of the 1980s. In contrast, Duffy, in a stridently feminist manner, deliberately highlights the historical oppression of matriarchy through her use of cultural references and intertextuality. This allows her to persuade her readers to reevaluate female figures, previously replaced by patriarchal versions of history or literature. This can be seen at the beginning of "The World's Wife", where Duffy subverts the fairy-tale figure of Little Red Riding Hood in her opening poem, "Little Red Riding Hood". This poem is a bitter revisionist parody of the traditional fairy tale in which Duffy suggests that female liberation from male oppression lies in the need to reverse expected gender roles. Little Red Riding Hood actively takes responsibility for her own 'loss of innocence' by eagerly following the wolf into the woods, then through her final challenge to the patriarchy by killing the wolf: "I took an ax to the wolf." Duffy shows the death and consumption of patriarchy by the stronger force of matriarchy, as the wolf symbolizes masculinity as a whole. The active verb “take” emphasizes the activity and strength of femininity over masculinity, demonstrating that 'The World's Wife' “marks a critical turning point from previous poetry in that men and masculinity are constantly attacked by female narrators more abrasive". Duffy then uproots traditional expectations about the strength of patriarchy within society, shocking the reader throughtypical subversive techniques, irreverently combined with a postmodernist twist and encouraging the reader to reevaluate the supposed 'inability' of femininity, positioning matriarchy above patriarchy. Unlike Duffy, however, Bennett seemingly adheres to patriarchal domination without a feminist agenda, creating a gender imbalance to reflect the latent misogyny of 1980s society. She uses Mrs. Lintott as a dramatic device, conforming to the characteristics of the contemporary "submissive" stereotype of women who accept their assigned role in society ("...my role is a patient and not indifferent suffering of men's predilections and concerns .") Duffy also draws on gender stereotypes, but shows Red Riding Hood as capable of manipulating them in her favor, playing on her supposed innocence to seduce the wolf and convince her. Duffy uses the condescending label of “little girl,” as well as the list of condescending female identities: “sweet sixteen, never been, little, waif…” to expose stereotypical perspectives of women as sexualized and innocent. objects. Duffy directly addresses normalized views of female diminution in history, subverting the degrading connotations of these identities, instead allowing them to empower femininity. Thus, in her opening poem Duffy instantly constructs the newly established notion of a matriarchal world, which progresses through “The World's Wife.” Bennett similarly presents a partially repressed female figure through the characterization of Mrs Lintott, giving her “the role of astute and insightful commentator”. This comment extends to Mrs Lintott herself, acknowledging that she has little influence on events in a patriarchal society other than as an observer and confidant: "I am what men call a safe pair of hands." Bennett constructs the image of a male-dominated history through the use of bitter metaphor and active passive division: “They kick their stone along the way and I watch”, whereby Mrs Lintott inhibits a passive role, typically feminine. The non-action verb “watch” further hyperbolizes Mrs. Lintott's inactive and compliant role, offering a feminine critique of the story. Bennett juxtaposes this submissive female figure with the rather self-centered nature of the male characters, through her use of the active verb and third-person pronoun "they kicked", allowing Mrs. Lintott to denote an invaluable role. As part of her postmodernist narrative, Bennett draws attention to Mrs. Lintott's "function" as a "self-reflexive" character within "The History Boys", allowing her to highlight her own very limited role within the work (" I have not yet been given an inner voice..."), Duffy similarly reevaluates the stereotypical identities of women and girls in society, instead restoring a newly heightened sense of femininity and Red Riding Hood by directly addressing suppressive stereotypes. Both authors use social commentary and satire in order to encourage the reader to reevaluate social values ​​and concerns within society, such as the different ways in which both Duffy and Bennett attack materialism Duffy uses social criticism, combined with a ferocious satire, as a tool to encourage reflection and a reevaluation of materialism in late 20th century society. While Bennett creates a gap between the importance of life education, knowledge and wisdom to present the commodification of the education system. Bennett uses revisionism as a technique to sell "false" truths through presentationof Irwin's "roundabout" approach to knowledge. Like Duffy, Bennett uses satire to encourage his audience to reevaluate a key social construction in the form of the educational system. Through his characterization of Irwin as an Alastair Campbell-like spin doctor, Bennett focuses on attacking supposedly innovative educational methodologies in order to mock the Blairite New Labor years. This was a government set up to exploit the political power of "spin" and their obsession with "education, education, education". This links to Irwin's repetitive teaching of journalistic methods of "selling" their exam essays to achieve higher results and win "the brackets", getting into Oxbridge. Duffy deliberately attacks late 20th century class lifestyle aspirations in both "Mrs Faust" and "Salome". By creating a revisionist version of the Faustus myth (in which Faust sells his soul to the devil via Mephistopheles and receives unlimited power and wealth for 25 years in exchange) Duffy satirizes the "soullessness" of modern society due to its materialistic value system, an idea also covered in "Mrs Midas". In 'Mrs Faust' multiple status symbols are referenced through a series of elliptical phrases: “Fast cars. A boat with sails. / A second home in Wales”, generating the sense of infinite wealth that makes up an inextricable lifestyle, presumably creating contentment. Most of the poem is in fact a list of acquisitions, which continues the attack on the cumulative mentality and the lack of "soul" present in this relationship. Bennett also attacks social values, as evidenced by the idea that "Irwin is largely a product of the 1980s", which can be seen in reducing all aspects of kids' knowledge to how they can be exploited for personal gain in a social context. examination. Irwin's commodification of knowledge links directly to the late 20th century focus on materialism, whereby even knowledge itself is objectified in terms of value. Furthermore, Duffy also highlights the lack of consequences of a selfish and materialistic lifestyle in "Salome", where she revisits the mythological and biblical tale of the original story, presenting an ultimately unrepentant soulless female figure. The lack of compassion of the pre-corrupt cultural female figure matches the "soullessness" of the dissatisfied character, Mrs. Faust. Duffy's use of repeated rhetorical questions: “a head on the pillow next to me, whose? - /what did it matter?”, combined with the objectification and obsession with the physicality of masculinity: “a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew how to flatter…” creates the feeling that the protagonist leads a parody of the 'ladette' lifestyle of the 90s. Salome, is presented as showing no remorse or regret for her violent actions through her admission at the beginning of the poem: "I've done it before / and will no doubt do it again...". This absence of compassion or remorse is suggested through his immediate and casual confession of his intentions, emphasized by Duffy's use of the contracted form of the modal auxiliary “I will”. Salome's lack of fulfillment and soullessness links to Mrs. Faust's greed: "I bought a kidney/With my credit card", showing Duffy's use of social satire to attack values of society at the end of the 20th century. Thus, Bennett's presentation of Irwin's distortion of knowledge for personal gain is closely linked to Duffy's satire on the soulless soul of modern society, through the selfish and greedy attitudes of Salome and Mrs. Faust. Where Duffy usesrevisionism to reevaluate alternative representations of femininity in history through "The World's Wife", Bennett encourages the reader to reevaluate the nature of history through Irwin's revisionist versions, thus introducing the idea of ​​historiography, whereby historical accounts depend on experiences personal or cultural context. Duffy deliberately distances her characters from sentimental idealism regarding the role of the female protagonist, creating "real" voices of repressed female voices through her use of the dramatic form of the monologue. Yet Bennett presents the historiography of the subjunctive through Dakin's characterization, leaving the reader to wonder how small changes in historical events can have a significant impact on the path of history. Dakin seems to follow Hector's focus on the constant questioning of alternative outcomes of history, reflecting on both alternative and subjunctive history (“It's subjunctive history. You know, the subjunctive? The mood used when something might or might not could have happened. When it is imagined”). Dakin finds pleasure in "summarizing the sometimes accidental nature of the story" by arguably blending both Irwin and Hector's contrasting perspectives on the story. Duffy also uses the historical subjunctive to convey a defiantly sympathetic portrait of the English serial killer, Myra Hindley, within the poem "The Devil's Wife." Here, Duffy uses revisionism and the historical subjunctive to provide possibilities for what may have happened in the ambiguous events of "The Moors Murders" (1963-1965). Duffy is subversive through her portrayal of Myra Hindley as a victim, rather than a violent criminal, through her objectification and public judgment of her appearance and voice (a topic of great attention among the media and public of the 60s): “No one liked my hair. Nobody liked the way I spoke." Duffy's use of repetition of "Nobody", combined with the emphatic nature of the phrases, instills a sense of victimization. Myra Hindley's objectification encourages the reader to question and revise what it means to be a woman in a highly critical modern society. Duffy subtly uses revisionism to criticize society and the media for their frivolous judgment of Myra Hindley, rewriting history by portraying Hindley as a victim. In contrast, Dakin presents a striking example of subjunctive historiography within “The History Boys.” This is reflected in his reinterpretation of the day of Winston Churchill's election as British Prime Minister, following the absence of Halifax (the most likely candidate to be elected: "Halifax more generally acceptable" - Dakin) as he was at the dentist. This is a great example where historical events would have unfolded to create alternative outcomes, showing how Bennett is emphasizing the concept of the incidental nature of history. Dakin's obsession with the history of the subjunctive and the possibilities of different events is illustrated by his pleasure in considering minor details of the past: "If Halifax had had better teeth we might have lost the war." Bennett's use of the conditional “if” highlights the interchangeability and probability associated with the history of the subjunctive. Bennett's comedic writing highlights deeper concepts regarding alternate history and the consequences, chance, and scenarios that shape history. Likewise, Duffy uses subjunctive history by presenting various interpretations of Hindley. She is partially portrayed as not meeting the "ideal" appearance constituted in the eyes of the public. Hindley is pointed out as a misfit of society and normality, supported by the title of the third.