The Iron Woman

Blurb

The Iron Woman is the 1993 sequel to the popular Ted Hughes novel The Iron Man. "The Iron Woman has come to take revenge on mankind for its thoughtless polluting of the seas, lakes and rivers" says the introduction to the novel. It references sexism, in that the iron woman exacts her revenge on a seemingly ignorant/uncaring male community for polluting the area in which she lives; however, the book is more of an attack on society for the oblivious ways in which for many decades, a vast amount of habitats have been destroyed or on the brink of annihilation. Ted Hughes' novel is an attempt at getting people to be made aware of and respond to this.
The main character, 'Lucy,' finds the Iron Woman in a state of despair and covered in chemicals. After being cleaned, the Iron Woman takes her to see the environment in which she lives. Lucy sympathises with the Iron Woman, watching the animals' painful deaths as more toxic material is poured into the marsh from the local waste-disposal factory. She is angry and wants to save them, but ironically, her dad is one of the factory workers. Lucy contacts Hogarth, the friend of the Iron Man, asking for his help.