The readings this week cover a wide historical swath, and show a wide variety of personalities. Two women figure prominently this week. One is Georgiana in Hawthorne's The Birthmark. The second is Virginia in Rita Dove's Second Hand Man.
Each time I read The Birthmark I am gripped anew by the desperation of Georgiana and the arrogance and hubris of Aylmer. I get exceedingly angry with Aylmer, and frustrated with Georgiana, yet I know Georgiana was a woman of her time and had been taught to "obey" her husband. Georgiana represents what happened to many women then, but sadly she also represents what still happens to women today. Why do women feel it is imperative to have botox treatments and plastic surgery to "perfect" themselves for a man? Why can they not accept themselves as they are and be proud? Why do they accept derogation from males? What is it in our society, or in our DNA that makes women behave this way, and makes men take advantage of women so meanly? Georgiana was as near perfect as possible for a person from the hand of the creator, as Aylmer said, but not perfect, so he felt it necessary to change her, and of course in the process killed her. He did this physically, but I have seen women killed emotionally because of the same lack of respect and love.
On the other hand is Virginia, a woman who valued herself as she should and would not sell herself cheap for just any man. Interestingly, there is no explanation for why Virginia could hold herself proudly, but she did. James intuitively knew how to win Virginia, and he did. Their humanity and depth of relationship is seen only after she learns he is a "second hand man" having been married before in another state and having fathered a child. Her solution was startling, but it worked. Virginia showed herself to be a bigger person than people would have thought when she asked to have his child brought to Ohio. I admired her before this, but I liked her when she did that. I wish Georgiana could have had one quarter the confidence in herself that Virginia did. Then, she would have lived.
What is to be said about Oedipus Rex? This is one of those works that people have heard so much about that they think they know it, but few have ever read. The play grabs the reader and doesn't let go. Horror builds on horror, especially awful, since the reader does know the outcome. Greek plays were taken from Greek history and legend. The people watching knew the story, but it was the playwright's job to build it so memorably that it would stay with the audience. It has stayed with audiences for 2,500 years. Each time I read it, I watch Oedipus work his way boldly to knowledge which everyone, even his wife, tries to shield him from. He is the last to know the terrible truth. This sometimes happens to us in our lives...and we say "Why didn't someone tell me!"
The poem that gets to me the most of today's selections is Lot's Wife. The poet, Kristine Batey, shows a truly human woman caught in a web not of her own making. Through this poem we see the humanity of biblical characters who don't even rate a name in the scripture. As we know from the succeeding scripture, her daughters were not exemplary. Maybe she knew that, so she didn't regret her decision. The most poignant part, to me, is when she goes to bid her little herd of goats farewell. The goats provided the family with milk and wool for clothing. They probably gave her more affection than Lot did!
No comments:
Post a Comment