The Class Game - Confronting Class Prejudice
Ever wondered how quickly people judge you based on your accent or where you live? Casey's poem tackles this head-on by creating a dramatic monologue where a working-class speaker directly confronts middle and upper-class prejudices.
The poem uses rhetorical questions like "How can you tell what class I'm from?" to challenge the audience immediately. Casey deliberately juxtaposes posh language ("Queen's English") with colloquial expressions ("Tara" instead of "Bye Mummy dear") to highlight the artificial divisions between social classes.
The speaker's angry and frustrated tone becomes clear through repetition and confrontational language. She mocks stereotypical assumptions about working-class people - from their speech patterns to their living situations. The contrast between "corpy" (council house) and "pretty little semi" emphasises how society segregates people based on housing.
Key Point: The poem ends with defiant pride - "And I'm proud of the class that I come from" - showing that working-class identity should be celebrated, not hidden or ashamed of.
The simple rhyme scheme mirrors working-class simplicity whilst the colloquial language ("me stomach is me belly") reinforces authentic working-class speech. Casey uses this structure to show that complexity doesn't require posh language - working-class voices deserve respect and recognition in modern society.
