<span class="apple-style-span">Marriage is often regarded a happy celebration that commerates the union of two individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that is not always the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poem, “Conjoined” by Judith Minty, expresses a pessimistic view towards marriage through the use of literary devices such as diction, analogies, and metaphors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Minty uses an analogy of a wedding cake to her marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minty uses words like “deformed” to imply that her marriage is not normal or not right. She also describes the cake, or her marriage, as a “monster”; a very pessimistic way of looking at a marriage.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span">The cake represents a monster, with two beasts in one skin. They fight for space, pressing against one another. These lines also make an allusion to two bodies trapped in one skin. The author uses the term "deformed". Marriage is intended to be a union between two people who, through years of bonding, grow to know one another so well they are almost two souls in one body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the last line of the first stanza we see why deformity had taken place before and that is because it was, “pressed and grew against the other.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Minty uses the word, “pressed” it gives off the connotation of a uncomfortable situation, and almost implies that the marriage was forced, rather than letting it develop naturally.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through such words like “flat” and “deformed” we can see how the marriage described by Minty is an unnatural one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span">Another metaphor that is used to compare marriage is, "an accident, like the two-headed calf rooted in one body."</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">This is Minty talking about a troubled marriage where both sides are fighting against each other for what they want.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">This statement displays that this marriage evolved into a union that was not meant to be; what was once intended to be a happy, fruitful marriage has become nothing more than an imprisonment of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting out the line stating that this two-headed calf is an accident really does give the impression that the calf is not meant to be, almost like the marriage she’s talking about is not meant to be.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span">Additionally, she brings up the idea that marriage is also, “like those other freaks, Chang and Eng, twins, / joined at the chest by skin and muscle, doomed / to live, even make love, together for sixty years. Chang and Eng were Siamese twins, and, like the cows, would be considered freaks of nature, possibly featured in a side show at a carnival of some sort. This depicts marriage as a sort of show at times, which needs to be put on for outsiders. The people involved need to be able to cooperate with one another in public, as Chang and Eng (or any other pair of Siamese twins) would, were they put in a show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minty is relating a marriage to the troubled situation of Siamese twins that must live together forever joined at the chest. Also, diction is again a very important part of these few lines because Minty uses derogatory terms like “freaks” to say that being a Siamese twin is a terrible thing to be, just as she believes some marriages are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span">Minty makes use of strong diction to get her point across about the gloom and unfortunate part of an unsuccessful marriage. The word choice also creates a dark tone. The onion was actually a “monster” in the cupboard; she was afraid of it and in one way or another, wanted to avoid it. In addition it’s “deformity” seemed disgusting to her and she realized that their relationship was more of an “accident;” it was not meant to be.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space">Throughout the poem Minty uses literary techniques to convey her point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span">With these literary devices we can come to the conclusion that Minty is not happy in her marriage and doesn’t support others getting married as she thinks some might make the same “mistake” she did.</span></div>
