7.11.2007

“The Yellow Wall-Paper”

“”I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store.”

This quote indicates the reality of the narrator’s situation. In my opinion, she is insane and has been from the very beginning. Any child that is entertained more by blank walls and plain furniture than by a toy store is seriously odd. The quote also proves that the woman has not only worsened in her adult years, but she has become even crazier! She has the same problem as when she was a child: she lays awake at night watching the walls as if they re some priceless form of entertainment. Although she is somewhat nutty, I do believe that the woman she sees behind bars represents herself. She feels trapped for some reason, and her sentiments towards her husband prove so, as well as her final statements in the story. This particular quote gave me the impression that the problem lies not with the wallpaper, but with the actual woman herself, since she has had similar experiences prior to moving into the house.

“Ain’t I A Woman?”

“If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?”

This quote strikes me because it says two things: that the speaker has accepted the fact that inequality existed at the time, and that those who strive to increase the gaps between different groups of people are “mean.” This speech was a bold statement at the time, and this quote is definitely acceptable, in my mind. I do not agree with inequality, nor do I believe in “Separate, But Equal,” but Truth’s acceptance and understanding of such concepts was revolutionary at the time. She acknowledged the fact that those people who had power and privilege were out of line for not allowing people with lesser privilege to simply exist and thrive. This definitely sends a strong message to those in power; inequality is not only wrong, but it is unethical.

“Lady Lazarus”

“Out of the ash I rise with my red hair/ and I eat men like air.”

I find this quote to be empowering in spite of the rest of the poem. I didn’t really understand it, but I believe she feels as if she dies every ten years. I’m not certain why, but I know that she is a Jewish woman in some sort of agony. It seems as if she is a spectacle, or feels like she is; she makes references to parts as her body as being used as objects, such as her skin being a lampshade, her foot being a paperweight, and her body as a pure gold baby. I feel as if she may be imprisoned against her will. This quote makes feel as if she looks forward to her final death. I think that upon the end of her ninth life, she is looking forward to returning as a phoenix of sorts and disposing of the men that are causing her so much pain.

“When I was Growing Up”

“I know now that I once longed to be white.”

This quote is essential in itself, for it simply implies that at one point the author wished to be white, but now she does not.

“when I was growing up and a white man wanted to take me out, I thought I was special, an exotic gardenia, anxious to fit the stereotype of an oriental chick”

This quote was interesting to me for a few reasons. First, is shows that the author enjoyed being exotified, something I strongly disagree with. I think anyone who is attracted to someone simply for the fact that they view that person as being exotic is extremely wrong. This quote also contradicts the rest of the narrative. Throughout the writing, she states that she does not like her heritage, nor does she wish to be identified as being Chinese. But in this quote, she enjoys the attraction she gets from white men due to her Chinese background. I can definitely understand how she feels, though, for I think this is a feeling that many minorities experience at some point in their lives. I’m just glad she seems to no longer resent her Chinese heritage.

“The Thirty Eighth Year”

“in the thirty eighth year of my life, surrounded by life, a perfect picture of blackness blessed, I had not expected this loneliness.”

I am moved by this entire poem. The speaker has children, as well as a life that she feels has been blessed. Therefore, I’m saddened that she feels lonely. I get a feeling that she wants to be like her mother, but she is also scared of an early death, since she is so close to the age that her mom was when she died. She seems to really appreciate everything that has happened for her, but she does not seem to like the life she is living for herself. She doesn’t feel extraordinary, and she hates it. She feels like she is going to die the same as her mother did: lonely and sad, and she is praying not to die alone.