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THE KRAY SISTERS
Duffy has fun in this poem, with cockney
rhyming slang and with the idea of the Kray
twins being sisters rather brothers. She also
takes liberties with their personal history (and
with history itself too).
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The Kray twins, Ron and Reggie were famous for running a savage and violent East End
gang in the 1960‛s. They had been brought up by their mother, as their father had
deserted from the army during World War II and was constantly on the run. Although
they were seldom in trouble at school, they were both champion boxers. The twins, in
their turn, deserted from the army, where they had been called up for National
Service, and became involved in crime, finally being given a dishonourable discharge.
By this time they were in charge of a gang and were involved in hijacking, armed
robbery, protection rackets and arson. They owned a number of clubs that gave them
a ‘front‛ for their criminal activities. They were also well known for their social
connections, often appearing in the newspapers.
Ron was actually insane and was later certified as a paranoid, schizophrenic
psychopath. His twin protected him and worked with him until they were finally
imprisoned. It took the police a long time to secure a conviction, despite three
murders and a trail of violent criminality. This was partly because of the East End
code of silence, but more because of the intimidation of witnesses. At last they
arrested all the gang members together and witnesses finally came forward. The
Krays were given thirty years in 1968. Ron was detained in a secure mental unit, dying
in 1995, while Reg remained in a top security prison until 2000, when he was released,
suffering from cancer. He died later that year.
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How would you describe the tone of this poem?
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Euphemism
The substitution of a mild term for a blunt one.
e.g
MILD BLUNT
a firm criminal gang
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In the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, the media was fascinated by the rise of girl
gangs. Read the following extracts and note down anything interesting about the role of
men and women in society and how they are represented in print.
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1. 'The Kray Sisters' shows a depressing alternative to a
patriarchal society, in which women adopt the same tactics as
the men.
2. The poem presents an alternative reality in which women use
strong-arm tactics to create a safer society.
3. The sisters are shown to be just as skillful as their male
counterparts at justifying their control of the underworld.
4. The poem is less about two 20th Century gangsters than a
celebration of a century in which women came to have a voice and
a place in society.
5. The playfulness of the language and the exuberance of the
poetic voice are more important than any theme or message.
6. The final stanza reveals that the Kray sisters' rule is long
over, suggesting that ultimately men will always have the most
power.
7. This is not a feminist poem; it is a parody of a feminist poem.
8. It is difficult to see what this poem adds to the female
voices and experiences as explored in 'The World's Wife'.
9. In this poem Duffy turns cliche, slang and street speak into a
vibrant, exuberant account of the women's movement.
10. The Krays and 60s London are used solely because they
provide a context for a clever, witty exploration of a woman's
eye view of the world.
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Elvis is alive Madona made this comment about the
and she's female singer KD Lang. Also there was a great
deal of press and media coverage about
conspiracies surrounding Elvis' death
Why do you think Duffy chose to use
these two epigraphs?
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"Lawdy" 20th
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("Lawdy Miss
Claudy") "Don't step on
my blue suede
shoes" Read the poem and write brief notes to sum up
your thoughts.
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Attachments
Heartbreak Hotel
video The Kray Twins.mp4
Nancy Sinatra Boots.flv