The Relationship between Freemans Revolt of Mother and Three Dickinson Poems - Essay Example

The Relationship between Freeman’s Revolt of Mother and Three Dickinson Poems The “Revolt of Mother” by Mary Wilkins Freeman is a perfect example of a work enthused by the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson is one of the respected and talented poets in the history and her poetry remains relevant in the 21st century. Her poetry explores pertinent issues through imagery ─ a style that enables readers to visualize the intended themes. In this essay, three of Dickinson poems namely; “Success is Countest Sweetest,” “Much Madness is Divinest Sense,” and “She Rose to his Requirement,” will be analyzed based on how they inform Freeman’s story, “Revolt of Mother.” The essay will also assess the poem, among the three, that informs Freeman’s story the greatest. Wilkins Freeman’s story begins with Sara Penn, the main character, enquiring from her husband, Adoniram, about men digging in a nearby field. Adoniram ignores his wife’s question but she compels him and Sara is surprised to know that the men are digging a cellar in order to put up a new barn. It is this same spot that Adoniram had already promised the family to build them a new house. Frustrated, Sara leaves to the family small house, and this house is described as much smaller than the barn that already stands on their compound. Her son informs her that Adoniram is putting up a new large barn because he plans to buy more livestock. Her daughter Nanny laments that her father wants to build another barn while they are living in an indecent house. Sara replies that ways of men-folks are very different from those of women and are beyond understanding. In this story, Sara is a typical late 18th century woman who is brought up to revere men in a patriarchal society. During this time, women were perceived as lesser beings compared to men. This is the time when women started revolting against patriarchal authority and started demanding their rights. The way Sara talks to her husband and from her son depicts her lack of strength. Moreover, the writer describes that: …forehead was as bald and innocent as a baby’s; with the light hair strained back from it in a row of curl-papers. She was quite large, but her soft curves did not look as if they covered muscles. (Freeman 553). According to this description, Sara is a mild, meek and benevolent woman whose characteristics fitted all women of the time. The writer also calls her “mother” even from the title of the story and it symbolizes all women in the then highly patriarchal society. Adoniram’s disinterest in the house is a reflection of how he has no interest in his wife. Adoniram spends most of his time in the bans and thus he would prefer himself a new place before he builds his wife a house. Adoniram believes that his desires are more important that those of his wife and family. Success is Countest Sweetest In this Dickinson’s poem the persona analyzes that “those who ne’er succeed” value success the most by counting it “sweetest” (Line 1-2). The speaker further says that to understand nectar and its value one should feel what he calls “the surest need” (Line 4). Moreover, the poet uses another symbol of a victorious army who are not able to define victory just as the dying defeated army who hears the victor’s trumpets from far. In this poem, Dickinson is lamenting the defeated army, representing the frustrating ironies of life. The defeated is tormented by success, which he can not attain because he is dying. In fact the sounds of the triumph agonizes the defeated army the more because he will contend with failure in the next world. This idea is related to Freeman’s illustration of Sara at last as having been defeated in her quest to woo her husband to honor his 30 year’s promise. This poem is an illustration that those who do not have success value it more that those who have already succeeded. Similarly, Freeman has tried to illustrate through women’s (Sara and Nanny) concern. In Sara’s society, men are privileged and do not value freedom of expression as women. As her son explains the reason as to why his father is building the bar instead of a house, it is clear that her daughter is more concerned about the house than her son. Just as the women in the Freeman’s story and in need of freedom, the defeated in the poem is the one who is desperately in need of success. The poem is also a celebration of the fallen soldier’s life and the few opportunities he had to fight for the elusive success. In the 18th century, the women revolt had just started and had no strong force to overthrow patriarchy and so even Sara gave up her struggles and her husband triumphs. The poem illustrates that there are people who are born in the world and achieve success without struggle while others struggle so much and never achieve it although they value it. Much Madness is Divinest Sense This poem presents a subjective thought in a very simple way. The poem suggests that what many considers senseless is the most sensible to a wise person while what the masses considers sensible is the most foolish of things when analyzed critically. To the persona, therefore, sensible life in a society is all about group-think. When one goes against the majority, “you're straightaway dangerous/ And handled with a chain” (Lines 7-8). In relation to Freeman’s story, Sara’s family lives at a time when men-think is dominant in the society. The dominant social order is that women are inferior to men and should prostrate before them. In this society, going against the popular established principles is “madness” and as can be seen in the fear that Sara expresses, she feels meek and weak as society expects. Asked by her daughter the reason her father’s decision is not considerate of their plight, Sara says, You 'ain't found out yet we're women-folks, Nanny Penn…You 'ain't seen enough of men-folks yet to… we'd ought to reckon men-folks in with Providence an' not complain of what they do any more than we do of the weather. (Freeman 555). In this case, women are not supposed to complain of men’s decisions. To the poet, truth is more significant than the number of people supporting a social phenomenon. It is because of this majority ignorance and madness that illogical things are accepted and institutionalized, just as patriarchy has been institutionalized in the Freeman’s story leading to underdevelopment of men and women alike. She Rose to his Requirement This is a poem about a woman who has surrendered herself wholly to her husband. However, this woman is lacking great opportunities or “the playthings in her life” because of her complacency (Line 2). Regardless of the effort that this woman puts in her work, no one is ready to acknowledge her; including her husband. Freeman’s story is about a woman who is breaking the chains of imprisonment in a patriarchal society. This poem is calling for women to grasp the opportunities provided to them and revolt against patriarchal society. This poem is a critical assessment of how women miss out opportunities when they accept societal expectations and become housewives. For example, because of this complacency, Sara misses out an opportunity to live in a decent house with her family. The fruits of a woman’s work in the society are given to men as exemplified by individual men in a family. The persona implies that there is something wrong when a woman leads a mild, meek and benevolent life as a wife and a home maker and fails to disentangle herself from the expectations of the society. The poem that informs Freeman’s story the most is “Much Madness is Divinest Sense.” This is because the poem underlines the popular opinion as the one that destroys the society. In a patriarchal society, in the Freeman’s story, women are popularly considered non-entities and their questioning of men is protested, even by women themselves. This way, the idea of inclusive thought and seeking truth in an idea rather than what is dominant is significant in informing women liberation as in Freeman’s story. In conclusion, the three poems by Dickinson are mainly about the frustrations of life when a person misses opportunities. As freedom is missed and valued the most by those who lack it, women have lacked freedom in the society and their complacency is inculcated by the popular opinion of patriarchal institutions. However, this complacency makes them to miss a lot in their lives as demonstrated by Freeman’s story. In this case, the poem “Much Madness is Divinest Sense” greatly informs Freeman’s story as it explores the causes and effects of the story’s main idea. Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. “Success is Countest Sweetest”, “Much Madness is Divinest Sense”, and “She Rose to his Requirement. Poems. Print. Freeman, Wilkins. “Revolt of Mother.” A New England Nun and Other Stories. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1891. Print. Read More