The speakers in “A Stone’s Throw” and “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” both have different perspectives on women. Each poem employs literary devices to display the speakers’ attitudes towards women. In “A Stone’s Throw”, for example, a group of self-righteous men wanted to stone an indecent prostitute when they said, “‘We’ve got her! Here she is!’… We caught her.”
Now let’s stone her!” (lines 1-4). The speaker in this poem is trying to convince the others that it would be morally right to stone the prostitute even though she has not done anything wrong. This shows how women were treated poorly and were not given the same rights as men. In contrast, the speaker in “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” has a completely different attitude towards women. The speaker in this poem is a mother who is talking to her son’s employer and she shows respect for him even though he is a man.
She says, “I hope, sir, you will not be angry with my son” (line 1). This shows how women were not always treated with respect and were sometimes seen as inferior to men. However, the speaker in this poem is able to stand up for herself and her son, which shows that women are capable of strength and resilience.
The speaker was in the midst of a group encouraging the stoning of a woman. He participated in roughing her up and described it as “nothing much.” The Speaker tried to convince himself that his actions were just by saying, “For justice must be done especially when it tastes so good.
The speaker is unapologetic about his actions and even takes pride in them. On the other hand, the speaker in “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” shows remorse for her actions. She killed a man who had employed her son and she feels guilty about it. She tries to justify her actions by saying, “I had to do it.” But she eventually realizes that what she did was wrong and she is sorry for it.
Both speakers are women who have killed men. However, the speaker in “A Stone’s Throw” is unapologetic about her actions whereas the speaker in “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” feels guilty and remorseful for what she has done.
Someone suddenly interrupted the mob, which “spoiled the whole thing.” A “guru, preacher, God-merchant, or God-knows-what” approached the mob and then knelt by and spoke to the woman. The speaker addressed the man in a scornful and disrespectful manner and implied that he “(should never speak to them).” This shows that the speaker was condescending towards prostitutes by referring to them as ”them.“
In the second poem, “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” by Annamalai, the speaker is also a woman. She too speaks to a man, but in a very different manner. The speaker in this poem is humble and respectful towards the man she is speaking to. She begins the poem by asking for his forgiveness and blessing.
The speaker then goes on to thank the man for giving her son a job. She talks about how her son is now able to provide for her and how grateful she is. The tone of this poem is very different from that of “A Stone’s Throw”. The speaker in “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” is not condescending or disrespectful towards the man she is speaking to.
There are a few similarities between these two poems. Both speakers are women and they are both talking to men. Both poems also talk about how the women are in a lower social position than the men they are talking to. However, there are also many differences between these two poems. The most obvious difference is the tone of the two poems. In “A Stone’s Throw”, the speaker has a scornful and disrespectful tone towards the woman she is talking to.
In contrast, the speaker in “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” has a humble and respectful tone. Another difference is the subject matter of the two poems. “A Stone’s Throw” is about a mob trying to stone a woman to death, while “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” is about a mother thanking a man for giving her son a job.
Both of these poems are about women in lower social positions talking to men. However, they have different tones and discuss different subjects. “A Stone’s Throw” has a scornful tone and is about a mob trying to kill a woman. “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” has a humble and respectful tone and is about a mother thanking a man for giving her son a job. Although they are both about women, these two poems are very different.
After taking a quick glance at the group, the woman passed judgment. In response, each member of the crowd looked within themselves. The so-called preacher saw something special in her–something that we couldn’t see. This goes to show that he values her even though she’s nothing more than a prostitute according to society.
He casts stones every day but chose not walk away this time. However, it’s evident by the end of the poem that he still holds a condescending attitude towards her and those like her. Unlike Jesus, who showed compassion and forgave them, this mob feels no repentance or retribution for their actions..
The second poem is about a woman who has been employed by the speaker. The woman is very subservient and speaks only when spoken to. She is not given a name and is known only by her profession. The speaker tries to engage her in conversation but she just replies with monosyllabic answers. The speaker feels sorry for her and wonders what her life must be like. He also thinks about how he would feel if his own son was in a similar situation.
Although both poems are about women, they are quite different in terms of tone and theme. “A Stone’s Throw” is condemning while “The Woman Who Speaks To The Man Who Has Employed Her Son” is more sympathetic. The first poem is also about judgment while the second is about empathy.
