My Rival's House: Theme; Female Relationships

“My Rival’s House: Theme; Female Relationships” - Insights and Characteristics

Exploration of Relationships

  • Through the examination of female relationships, Lochhead’s poem provides an insight into the complicated dynamics of feminism and competitiveness, envy, and the quest for perfection.

  • The rivalry that exists is reflective of societal pressures on women, where the protagonist is locked in competition with her rival over unobtainable societal standards of beauty and success.

Feminine Bond and Empathy

  • Despite the rivalry and hostility, there is a degree of unspoken empathy which is present in the protagonist’s acknowledgment of her rival’s struggles.

  • Certain lines such as “the rustling tissue-paper house I could never inhabit” express a poignant understanding by the protagonist about her rival’s facades.

Female Competition: Society vs Self

  • The text centres around the theme of female competition, revolving around societal standards of beauty, accomplishment and success.

  • The protagonist’s fixation on the rival’s accomplishments point to a greater societal issue of women feeling they are in competition with one another.

  • The ‘rival’s house’ metaphorically represents the pressures women face, and the consequent self-alienation and discontent.

Perception of Feminine Success

  • Lochhead questions the societal perception of feminine success that focuses on glamour and materialistic achievements.

  • The protagonist’s negative self-perception when measured against her rival’s accomplishments are reflective of the societal expectation and obsession over female success.

Key Quotes

  • “She kept a tortoiseshell for me in her bureau drawer”

  • “the rustling tissue-paper house I could never inhabit”

  • “around the **sharp angled ** escape routes of hairpins”

These quotes underline the theme of female relationships in the context of societal pressures, showcasing the competitive dynamics, empathy and the representation of success that shapes female relationships in Liz Lochhead’s “My Rival’s House”.