Discuss the Techniques Used by the Authors to Reveal Attitudes to Women in the three Stories.

Discuss the Techniques Used by the Authors to Reveal Attitudes to Women in the three Stories

The three stories 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver', 'Tickets Please' and 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' are each set where the author had lived for a period of time, but contrast greatly, for instance, 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' is set in rural Wessex (Dorset), in the late 19th century. It displays attitudes to women in a very traditional way, whereas in 'Tickets Please', the women have a less traditional role. This due to the fact it is set in World War I. The women have jobs, and it is set in the towns around Nottingham, this creates a different atmosphere to traditional country lifestyle and attitudes. The women in 'Tickets Please' are considered more ‘tough’ and less ‘ladylike’ than in 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver'. In contrast 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' is set in Bolton, where there are cotton mills which offer employment to women, giving them power. In addition, in the 1920’s when this story was set, women had the vote (women over thirty). Unlike the other two, this meant women were more equal to men.

In 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' the man, Tony Kytes, is engaged to be married to a woman named Milly. He is on his way home in his cart when he meets some of his old girlfriends, he was then found out and all the girls left him except Milly. In 'Tickets Please' there is a ticket inspector named John Thomas, he is one of the few men who has not gone to war. He finds he can choose which woman he wants, however, the women do not like this and decide to teach him a lesson for his behaviour. In 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' A man named Rudy goes to a dance and finds himself with a woman he dislikes. When, however, he finds she is a beauty queen he decides to try his luck. It does not go according to plan, and he misses his chance.

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All three stories display the attitudes of the men, towards the women, but in different ways. The main difference is that 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' is in the first person perspective of the man so we hear his thoughts, and feelings. It is from his point of view. In contrast 'Tickets Please' is from the third person perspective and follows a woman. This means that we only see the male attitudes through their speech and actions, not through the male characters thoughts. 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' however, is seen from the male narrators (third person) point of view. This means the way the story is told shows a lot about men’s attitudes to women at that time. An instance of this is when the narrator states ‘he was quite the woman’s favourite’. This suggests that the men expected the women to come flocking around them. 'Tickets Please' is from the third person, and follows Annie, and so has a slight angle in the way it is told. A place in the story where this is displayed is at the fair. The author makes excuses for Annie’s behaviour, for example when he states ‘She could hardly for shame repulse him’

In all three stories the men choose which women they want, but they do not get the woman that they choose in any of the stories. The way the men think that they can have whoever they wish shows they have little respect for the women, and treat them as inferior, as if they are unable to chose for themselves. In 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' the man thinks he is in love with Millie, when the other girls offer themselves to him he is persuaded easily, as if the women really were the ones in control. However, in 'Tickets Please' John Thomas is depicted choosing the woman he wants

‘He flirts with the girl conductors…and walks out with them…at night’

This shows how he had the pick of the women. In 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' the man, Rudy, goes to the dance and chooses a woman to dance with. He says to himself ‘ I never had to ask for a dance’

The man in 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' thinks he ‘was making their weekend’ this suggests he thinks the women needed him to live. Tony Kytes was not so arrogant, yet he still thought that he could choose any woman, he however, was proved wrong when the women rejected him in front of their parents. In 'Tickets Please' the women rejected John Thomas in a more severe manner for his mistreatment of them.

The men in all three stories are quite arrogant. This is displayed well in 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' when Rudy says ‘Many a chap would give anything to be in my shoes’ suggesting that the women are so naÏve that they all wish to dance with him. It shows that Rudy thinks of women in a very stereotypical way.

In 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' the women treat each other in a very stereotypical manner, shrieking and pinching at each other when they find the other women in the cart. In addition, they show attitudes to women in the way they treat, and think of themselves. The women come up to Tony and take advantage of the fact that they are women by making him give them lifts. Then they try to push themselves upon him, and try to get him to marry them. All they want for themselves is to marry someone, stay at home and look after the family. This is an extremely stereotypical view of a woman of herself by today’s standards. In contrast, in 'Tickets Please' the women view themselves differently, as they have men’s jobs, and more power. They take matters into their own hands, and punish a man for trying to do what Tony Kytes would have liked to have been able to.

In conclusion, I think that as the authors are all male a biased is placed on the stories and the attitudes to women that are displayed. The authors also seem to be on one of the characters ‘sides’. An example is when in 'Tickets Please' the author attempts to qualify Annie’s actions with John Thomas by writing things such as 'She could hardly for shame repulse him’. The other authors are less clear in their bias, for instance in 'Tony Kytes: The Arch Deceiver' near the end the author tries to inspire pity for Tony Kytes but is subtle in the way he does it. In 'Seeing A Beauty Queen Home' there is no clear bias but the author may have intended to show the woman as having more power than the man by throwing him out of her home.

Lee Cubeddu 10JHL