Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · English Literature
Course version: 9ET0 · Version from Sept 2015
Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology…
Full specification wording
Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: The Deliverer Tishani Doshi
Tishani Doshi’s ‘The Deliverer’ explores the harrowing reality of female infanticide in Kerala, India, juxtaposed with the adoption of a surviving girl by an American family.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9ET0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 6 of 20
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Tishani Doshi’s ‘The Deliverer’ explores the harrowing reality of female infanticide in Kerala, India, juxtaposed with the adoption of a surviving girl by an American family. The poem is structurally divided by asterisks, shifting the narrative across geographical and cultural boundaries from a convent in India to an airport in the USA. Doshi employs a deliberately detached, reportage-style tone, using stark verbs like ‘tossed’ and ‘stuffed’ to emphasise the devaluation of female life. The title itself is ambiguous, questioning who truly ‘delivers’ the child: the biological mother who gives birth, the nun who rescues her, or the adoptive mother who offers a new life.
What earns the marks
- Analyse the structural division of the poem and how it reflects geographical and cultural shifts.
- Evaluate the use of detached, unemotional language to convey the horror of infanticide.
- Explore the ambiguity of the title 'The Deliverer' and its multiple interpretations.
- Discuss the contrast between the commodification of girls in Kerala and their reception in America.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming the poem is entirely autobiographical.
Put it right: Treat the speaker as a constructed persona, even though Doshi's mother's experiences inspired the text.
Ignoring the structural shifts marked by asterisks.
Put it right: Explicitly analyse how the asterisks divide the poem into distinct geographical and emotional landscapes.
Misinterpreting the ending as purely joyful.
Put it right: Recognise the lingering trauma and the cyclical nature of the tragedy implied in the final stanza's reference to the biological mother.
Exam tips
- Compare the detached tone of 'The Deliverer' with more emotive poems in the anthology to highlight Doshi's reportage style.
- Focus on the verbs used to describe the babies, such as 'stuffed' and 'tossed', to discuss the theme of objectification.
- Use the shifting settings (Kerala to America) to explore themes of identity, displacement, and cultural contrast.
Try the lesson
The start of the Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: The Deliverer Tishani Doshi lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
How does Tishani Doshi structure 'The Deliverer' to emphasize the contrast between different cultural attitudes towards the abandoned children?
Listen
Tishani Doshi’s ‘The Deliverer’ explores the harrowing reality of female infanticide in Kerala, India, juxtaposed with the adoption of a surviving girl by an American family. The poem is structurally divided by asterisks, shifting the narrative across geographical and cultural boundaries from a convent in India to an airport in the USA. Doshi employs a deliberately detached, reportage-style tone, using stark verbs like ‘tossed’ and ‘stuffed’ to emphasise the devaluation of female life. The title itself is ambiguous, questioning who truly ‘delivers’ the child: the biological mother who gives birth, the nun who rescues her, or the adoptive mother who offers a new life. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Analyse the structural division of the poem and how it reflects geographical and cultural shifts. Evaluate the use of detached, unemotional language to convey the horror of infanticide. Explore the ambiguity of the title 'The Deliverer' and its multiple interpretations. Discuss the contrast between the commodification of girls in Kerala and their reception in America. A common slip: Assuming the poem is entirely autobiographical. Instead, Treat the speaker as a constructed persona, even though Doshi's mother's experiences inspired the text. Exam tip: Compare the detached tone of 'The Deliverer' with more emotive poems in the anthology to highlight Doshi's reportage style.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Gender and infanticide
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Cultural contrast and displacement
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Motherhood and family
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Trauma and survival
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See every definition
- Gender and infanticide
- The poem explores the harrowing reality of female infanticide in Kerala, India, where female life is devalued.
- Cultural contrast and displacement
- The narrative shifts across geographical and cultural boundaries from a convent in India to an airport in the USA, raising themes of identity and displacement.
- Motherhood and family
- The ambiguous title questions who truly delivers the child: the biological mother who gives birth, the nun who rescues her, or the adoptive mother who offers a new life.
- Trauma and survival
- The ending should not be misread as purely joyful, since lingering trauma and the cyclical nature of the tragedy are implied in the final stanza's reference to the biological mother.
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