e misconception of a woman as the person responsible for running the home smoothly, and for bringing out "platters glittering like wax"("What's that smell in the kitchen?" 8). The voice in "What's that smell in the kitchen?" shows a strong message although the tones differ greatly. Piercy is honest, but she also uses a keen sense of humor along with anger to bring her point across. Marge Piercy writes, she feels, she is fed up with the way women are being treated in American homes and society.
             Yet, in Marge Piercy's "What's that smell in the kitchen?" she only talks about American homes, but really the situation of women being mistreated could and does happen all throughout this world. In "What's that smell in the kitchen?" Piercy paints a perfect, yet critical picture of household perfection. The poem is filled with contrasting images so that the reader senses frustration early on. Lamb chops, haddock, steak, tofu delight, red rice, and beans are considered comfort food but here they are supposed to be served "on platters glittering like wax", which shows that no comfort is given, or is the food what it seems ("What's that smell in the kitchen?" 8). It is almost like Piercy is saying that men can not comprehend the fact that it is not easy or quick to create something such as a meal from scratch without realizing how much work really goes into the planning and preparation to get the job done.
             In "What's that smell in the kitchen?" women are extremely angry at the fact that they must cook all the time. Women are rebelling against their "calico" image as providers of daily nourishment (7). Women are not living in the past in "What's that smell in the kitchen?", but instead they are looking forward and aggressively acting to change old attitudes, habits, and their stereotype...