Mrs Midas: Themes; Consequences

Mrs Midas: Themes; Consequences

“Mrs Midas: Themes”

Consequences of Greed and Materialism

  • Greed is shown to dehumanise and isolate individuals, as seen in Mr Midas’ increasing detachment from humanity after his wish.
  • The catastrophic impact of placing material wealth over human relationships is explored. This serves as a critique of materialism.

Ignorance and Thoughtlessness

  • The poem illustrates the negative outcomes arising from thoughtless actions, using Mr Midas’ heedless wish as a metaphor.
  • This theme further extends into a warning against ignorance and a lack of foresight.

Transformation and Change

  • Transformation, both literal and metaphorical, is a key theme. This is most notable with objects transforming into gold, Mrs Midas’ changing feelings towards her husband, and their disrupted lives.

Female Experience and Perspective

  • Duffy’s feminist lens brings forth the untold side of the Midas myth. The voice of Mrs Midas, her trauma and adapting to a crisis, provides a fresh take on the story.

“Mrs Midas: Consequences”

Personal Consequences

  • Mr Midas’ wish leads to his isolation and eventual loss of human contact. He becomes a prisoner of his own desires.
  • Mrs Midas also suffers the ramifications of her husband’s wish, ultimately losing her husband whilst grappling with fear and loneliness.

Relational Consequences

  • Their marital relationship undergoes a drastic change – from a normal domestic couple to estranged individuals doomed by the golden touch.
  • Mutual affection is substituted with fear and estrangement, shadowing their lives with grief and regret.

Existential Consequences

  • The wish overshadows all facets of their existence, pulling their lives into disorder and uncertainty.
  • Death becomes a looming threat due to irrevocable catastrophe, exemplified in the transformation of living things, including food and drink, into inedible and indigestible gold.

Societal Consequences

  • The poem demonstrates how personal greed and thoughtlessness can have wider societal consequences. Mrs Midas’ experience acts as a warning against selfish desires overpowering concern for others.
  • Implicitly, it criticises a capitalist society where the pursuit for wealth can often lead to fallouts and destruction.