Freya Richardson-Fay
How does Fanthorpe explore illness in her poem?
‘A Minor Role’ is a cri cal comment by Fanthorpe on the social pretences of illness that are
produced within a typically Bri sh society. The speaker is “best observed on stage,” detailing
how not only is the face that the speaker presents to their peers an act, they are also able to
“observe” this act, leading to a sense of situa onal irony that is brought about by the desire
to seem unobtrusive and civil, a reference to stereotypical Bri sh politeness. This dual
perspec ve created by the crucial verb, “observed” denotes how the speaker is aware of the
social pretence they are playing a ‘role’ in, however chooses not the challenge it, perhaps
due to being weakened by their illness. This is further solidi ed through “But my heart’s in
the unobtrusive” as this phrase emphasises just how far the speaker will go to upholding this
act, and therefore just how strong socie es’ grip on their emo ons truly is. The possessive
pronoun “my” however, leads to the interpreta on that this stoic and unwavering nature
that the speaker presents, allows them to feel in possession of their own percep on, and
thus, lessens the impact that their illness has on their wider surroundings, and so although
the speaker is ac ng within the status quo, their ac ons are an act of rebellion against the
threat of illness.
ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti fi titi ti
How does Fanthorpe explore illness in her poem?
‘A Minor Role’ is a cri cal comment by Fanthorpe on the social pretences of illness that are
produced within a typically Bri sh society. The speaker is “best observed on stage,” detailing
how not only is the face that the speaker presents to their peers an act, they are also able to
“observe” this act, leading to a sense of situa onal irony that is brought about by the desire
to seem unobtrusive and civil, a reference to stereotypical Bri sh politeness. This dual
perspec ve created by the crucial verb, “observed” denotes how the speaker is aware of the
social pretence they are playing a ‘role’ in, however chooses not the challenge it, perhaps
due to being weakened by their illness. This is further solidi ed through “But my heart’s in
the unobtrusive” as this phrase emphasises just how far the speaker will go to upholding this
act, and therefore just how strong socie es’ grip on their emo ons truly is. The possessive
pronoun “my” however, leads to the interpreta on that this stoic and unwavering nature
that the speaker presents, allows them to feel in possession of their own percep on, and
thus, lessens the impact that their illness has on their wider surroundings, and so although
the speaker is ac ng within the status quo, their ac ons are an act of rebellion against the
threat of illness.
ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti fi titi ti
