quoting and function of images - assignment 2

Chopin “A Pair of Silk Stockings”
“She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection. She had no time -- no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily to-morrow never comes.”

This passage seems particularly relevant, because it demonstrates how even the most pragmatic of individuals can occasionally become blinded by materialism. Perhaps my reaction to this passage was so strong, because I realized what a pervasive force materialism continues to be in society (and was in the 19th century). The image of a "dim, gaunt monster" Chopin uses to reference the future emphasises the discrepancy between transitory, material pleasures and the consequences of indulging in such pleasures that are often ignored. Thus, the passage functions as a metaphor for the underlying consequences of the protagonist's actions.

Styfers “Why I Want A Wife”
“I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more than strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible.”

This passage initially aroused my disdain, because of the difference in how males and females relate to others. Males, as Styfers sarcastically suggests, often cannot relate to another woman in a way that is not sexual. Females tend to relate emotively, rather than physically. Even though I rationally believe that males today are more able to relate to women on a non-sexual level, the author's choice of words still evoked a knee-jerk reaction, making this passage more significant for me than any other. I believe this passage functions as Styfer's method of addressing the sexual politics of the era in which she was writing.

Dove “Daystar”
“she would open her eyes
and think of the place that was hers
for an hour—where
she was nothing,
pure nothing, in the middle of the day”

This passage evoked a strong feeling of serenity, but given its placement at the end of the poem, also a feeling of complacency. The emotional appeal comes from the universal desire to be completely free of expectations, even if just for a moment. Dove's choice to end the poem with these lines suggest that she wanted them to serve a very particular function. Perhaps she felt the need to emphasize that women can never escape the traditional roles of wife and mother, nor do some of them wish to. Are the alternating tones of longing and complacency throughout the poem...in a sense mediated and kept in check by the precious hour of serenity she experiences each day?