In Julia Armfield’s “Stop Your Women’s Ears with Wax,” we are introduced to the effects of mob mentality; how easily molded the minds of young adults truly are. The story begins from the perspective of Mona, a woman hired to film on tour for a band whose fans, only girls, are outright fanatical. Through the use of subtly dropped hints and foreshadowing, we come to learn early on that there’s something ex
tremely dark and magical within the band, who are described limitedly and are never fully detailed or explained.
The unnaturalness of their qualities, the power they hold over everyone associated with them, and their ability to produce music capable of bringing out the worst in all within earshot — this abnormal and freakish influence is mirrored in the structure of the language used throughout the short story –in the description of night and music and of unseen things, and in how the choice of words not just describes but defines.
The description of feathers and bird-like characteristics alludes to the presence of sirens, notorious for charming and luring individuals with their enchanting and seductive voices to their inevitable deaths. The parallels between these figments of Greek mythology and the band described in the story paint a picture that goes beyond the typical overreactive fangirl craze, as sometimes portrayed in the story.