Kristin Goehri 06/14/10

The passage that struck me the most in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s story reads, “Sarah put her apron up to her face; she was overcome by her own triumph. Adoniram was like a fortress whose walls had no active resistance, and went down the instant the right besieging tools were used” (40). This passage struck me so greatly due to the image that it produced in my mind. The husband is sitting on the ground weeping as the woman towers over him in triumph. This piece of the text acts as the pivotal moment for the reversal of gender roles. The woman of the house has made a decision that the man has agreed to without any questions or objections. Despite the husband’s refusal to discuss household decisions and the woman’s original inability to push the subject, the wife has prevailed in the decision-making process. This passage demonstrates the ways in which women were beginning to claim their own independence and refuse to have their lives dictated by the words of men.

In our second reading, the lines that stood out the most to me were said by Mrs. Hale. She said, “I might have known she needed help! I know how things can be-for women. I tell you, it’s queer, Mrs. Peters. We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things-it’s all just a different kind of the same thing” (404). This piece of the text seemed so important because women have placed the universal connection of their gender’s struggle over the importance of truth and justice. Both women know that a crime has been committed, but they are unwilling to tell their husband’s due to their understanding of Mrs. Wright’s difficult home life. This part of the play gives me a strong sense of sisterhood and how sisterhood acts in a man’s world. I felt extremely torn by this text because I don’t know if it showed weakness or strength to keep their knowledge a secret. I view telling the truth and loyalty as virtues, so I don’t know which one I would value more in this particular situation.

While reading Carolyn Forche’s poem, “As Children Together”, I was surprised by the stark contrast between the adult activities and childlike activities happening within the poem. There is sledding and sex all wrapped into one poem! Anyway, my favorite line was, “I always believed this,/ Victoria, that there might/ be a way to get out” (309). This line seems to be a perfect blend of adult and child. There is a childlike hope for something greater, but an adult realism that tints that hope. The word “might” stood out to me as really strange. It seems as though the speaker knows that escape is not a guarantee, no matter how hard you struggle. This line also made me feel slightly depressed. I felt as though these two young women were aware that they did not have complete control over their lives, which came across as so limiting. This line plays an important part in the poem because it presents two options. You can get out, or you can stay. You can change your life, or you can follow the same path you have been following. I think this line helps to illuminate a key message of the poem, which highlights the dangers of staying in a destructive pattern.