Embedded Files
Summary
Summary
This poem is about class divisions and the ‘games’ we play when making judgments about others or when we try to present ourselves in a way that affects how others see us. The speaker complains that she is judged on her accent, her vocabulary, her father’s job and her social background. But she is defiant and quite able to challenge the negative assumptions some may make about her.
A Reading of The Class Game
A Reading of The Class Game
Context
Context
Mary Casey
There is very little known about the author of 'The Class Game'. Mary Casey, other than that she was a housewife from Liverpool who contributed four poems to a poetry magazine called 'Voices', of which 'The Class Game' was one published in 1979.
The Class System in the 20th Century
Despite the wartime attitude of 'everyone being in it together', post-war Britain was still intensely divided in terms of class. There was still a large wealth gap between those belonging to the working class, and those belonging to the upper and middle classes.
The Magazine 'Voices'
The magazine exclusively published poets from working class backgrounds who were not professional poets and were without literary reputation. People who wrote for it typically focussed on their everyday experiences in life. However, a lot of literary voices were critical of the publication, claiming that the poets and poems featured had no literary merit.
Guided Annotation
Guided Annotation
Annotations & Notes
Annotations & Notes
Revision Links
Revision Links
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