In what ways can Thetis be understood as a poem about transformation and power?
Thetis by Carol Ann Duffy uses the context of the Greek goddess Thetis who transforms into different forms in an attempt to escape from Peleus to tell a story of the vulnerability of women at the hands of men, and their ability to adapt and survive as they grow into womanhood. Throughout the poem, we hear the perspective of Thetis as she shapeshifts into different animals, creatures, and even elements, doing different things and struggling more and more to escape, but every single time the pursuer shapeshifts into the one thing that is able to capture her. This could show that nobody is able to fully change themselves as they will always have the same weaknesses that they can never get rid of. The elusive ending of the poem illustrates her eventually succumbing to the hunter and giving birth to a child. Duffy could be making a statement on her attitudes towards the purpose of a female which is to create life, or how women will always be controlled by stronger men and have no choice but to accept it in order to free themselves.
One thought on “Thetis Overeview Paragraph”
Great engagement with ideas here, Tarush. You give a clear overview of the narrative and the dynamics between the characters; I’m not sure about the very last sentence, however – is accepting powerlessness a form of liberation? Maybe that needed a little more consideration. Another thing to consider is the way in which we can read Thetis in a contemporary C21st context – who do the characters become then?
Katherine Wallace