Purple Shoes

Mum and me had a row yesterday,

A big, exploding
howdareyouspeaktomelikethatI’mofftostayatGran’s
kind of row.
It was about shoes.
I’d seen a pair of purple ones at Carter’s,
heels not too high, soft suede, silver buckles;
‘No,’ she said.
‘Not suitable for school.
I can’t afford to buy rubbish.’
That’s when we had our row.
I went to bed longing for those shoes.
They made footsteps in my mind,
kicking up dance dust;
I wore them in my dreams across a shiny floor,
under flashing coloured lights.
It was ruining my life not to have them.
This morning they were mine.
Mum relented and gave me the money.
I walked out of the store wearing new purple shoes.
I kept seeing myself reflected in the shop windows
with purple shoes on,
walking to the bus stop,
walking the whole length of our street
wearing purple shoes.
On Monday I shall go to school in purple shoes.
Mum will say no a thousand furious times
But I don’t care.
I’m not going to give in.
Irene Rawnsley (1993)

Summary:
The narrator and their mother have a heated argument over the purchase of a pair of
purple shoes. Despite the mother's initial refusal, she eventually relents and gives the
narrator the money to buy the shoes. The narrator feels a sense of triumph and
empowerment as they walk out of the store wearing their new purple shoes, determined to
assert their individuality and defy their mother's disapproval by wearing them to school.

Themes:
1. Conflict between parent and child: The central theme revolves around the
disagreement between the narrator and their mother regarding the purchase of a pair of
purple shoes. This leads to a significant argument and tension between them.

2. Individuality and self-expression: The narrator's desire for the purple shoes
symbolizes their longing for self-expression and individuality. Despite their mother's
objections, they are determined to assert their own preferences and style.

3. Dreams and aspirations: The narrator's dreams of wearing the purple shoes represent
their aspirations and desires for something beyond their current circumstances. The shoes
symbolize a sense of freedom and empowerment.

Figures of Speech:
1. Metaphor: "I wore them in my dreams across a shiny floor, under flashing colored
lights." - The narrator uses the image of wearing the purple shoes in their dreams to
convey a sense of desire and longing for something beyond their current reality.

2. Imagery: "I kept seeing myself reflected in the shop windows with purple shoes on" -
This line creates a vivid image of the narrator admiring themselves in the shop windows,
emphasizing their excitement and satisfaction with their new shoes.

3. Hyperbole: "Mum will say no a thousand furious times" - This exaggeration emphasizes
the intensity of the conflict between the narrator and their mother, highlighting the
stubbornness and determination of the narrator to defy their mother's objections.