Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold - Book Report/Review Example

Dover Bitch is written from the viewpoint of the female character that Dover Beach addresses. It contrasts the patriarchal approach of the latter and places the female character in the central place. The poem begins with a kind of resistance from the speaker fo Dover Bitch, the female counterpart. She resists the attempts of her partner to influence her and stands up for herself.The parody, by and large, attempts to highlight the very inability of the original piece to attribute importance to the woman in the picture.

However, what is contrasting is the manner in which the girl is portrayed. She is described according to her looks and her fair knowledge fo things, though not as great as that of her male counterpart in Dover Beach. It is evident that the spoof while taking on Arnold's theme of attaching more influence to the male, does just the same by getting the lady to talk! It is, however, contrasted in terms of the language used, the style of presentation and the mode in which the idea is represented. Firstly, the female speaker in Dover Bitch takes a depart from the style of speech of the male speaker in Dover Beach.

She is given a New Jersey accent and is more or less forthright about her opinions.Though she is less profoundly read than the male speaker in Dover Beach, she is definitely a class apart from the female listener in the poem. She asserts her individuality and of course, is in no way inhibited by the man's presence. She is quite comfortable about using language that was considered hugely scandalous in the Victorian era. She is also self-proclaimed about her unfaithfulness and knows her mind. Evidently, Antony Hecht tries to depict changing times and the changing role of women in society.

He is quite vociferous about feminism, though some critics feel he compliments Arnold, rather than contrasting him in some perspectives. Thus, Dover Beach and Dover Bitch, both are different in terms of their themes and the speakers are contradictory, as well. However, both are in a union when it comes to revealing the current mind-set of society, in accordance with the literary milieu in which they were written.