A Feminist Analysis of Gwen Harwood's 'Emporium' Anonymous 11th Grade

In ‘Emporium’, Gwen Harwood uses an extended metaphor to explore how women are presented with an illusion of choice, but are ultimately shamed and pressured into making choices that align with society’s ideals. By beginning the poem with a question, Harwood sets the reader up to expect a dialogue between two characters. She then subverts these expectations by affording only the (male) salesman (representative of society as a whole) a voice, despite the fact that the (female) protagonist is meant to be making her own choices. In drawing the reader’s attention to this, Harwood highlights the illusion of choice presented to women and the powerlessness of women in making their own lifestyle choices.

The use of capitalisation in the description “Young Lady” indicates to the reader that the protagonist’s identity is based upon her desirability as a young woman in society. The phrase “of course, you want a lover” brings attention to the way that women are expected to desire a relationship, and nothing more. The salesman then presents a “beautiful model with floating hair”, emphasising his desirability and physicality with descriptions of his physical appearance. The line “just look at the eyes!” suggests some spark, excitement or life...