Motherhood In The Angry Woman A poem by

Motherhood In “The Angry Woman” A poem by Anna Wickham By Charity Liu

Anna Wickham (1884 -1947) v Anna Wickham was the pseudonym of Edith Alice Mary Harper. v In 1906 she married Patrick Hepburn who was interested in Romanesque architecture and astronomy. v The marriage was a turbulent one. v Patrick thought women should be homemakers and resented his wife’s commitment to her poetry. Anna Wickham (1/2)

Anna Wickham (1884 -1947) v She longed for children. v She had a miscarriage and a daughter who died within moments of birth. v Then, she gave birth to four sons. In 1921 her third son died of scarlet fever. v In 1947, she hanged herself. Anna Wickham (2/2)

Identity u Woman Bodily / Physically defined “I am a woman, with a woman’s parts” “I am a woman in my speech and gait” “I have no beard” Blameless for naturally born woman “I have no beard (I’ll take no blame for that)” Identity (1/3)

Identity ¿ Mother Source of motherhood marriage “because of marriage, I have motherhood” based on love; rather for men “And of love I bear children” “Do not ask my weakness as a sacrifice to power” Identity (2/3)

Identity Pregnancy—bearing children honor miracle physically weak and suffered “In the days of bearing is my body weak” “body’s pain” togetherness and intimacy “In many things are you [son] and I apart” “But there are regions where we coincide” “Where law for one is law for both” Identity (3/3)

Causes of Anger — Confinement ¿ Sex [female or male] “Woman” totally sexualized, trapped in sex “woman” “In many things are you [“woman”] and I apart” “Where law for one is law for both” “There is sexless part of me that is my mind” Confinement (1/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement Marriage bond 1. being mastered “But why because I do you [husband] service, should you call me slave? ” “Where law for one is law for both” 2. wearing a mask “If I must own your manhood synonym for every strength. ” “Then must I lie” Confinement (2/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement manhood 1. Man with power of manhood controls all. “In marriage there are many mansions” “Shall you rule all the houses of your choice” “Because of manhood or because of strength? ” (mansions may be bodies/persons of the family or every aspect in marriage ) Confinement (3/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement 2. Sex [male], not strength [ability], decides who has the power. “If sex is a criterion for power, and never strength, ” “What do we gain by union? union 1. Nothing is owned “I lose all, while nothing worthy is so gained by you” Confinement (4/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement u Body Woman’s body as weakness and definition Body’s love brings body’s pain Bodily relationship – taking care of children “Shall I for ever brush my infant’s hair? ” “Cumber his body in conceited needle-work? ” Confinement (5/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement u Traditional Framework Marriage / Motherhood mentally humiliated “But why because I do you service, should you call me slave? ” “And how can I serve my son, but to be much self” center or wholeness of her life “That [motherhood] is much, and yet not all” Confinement (6/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement abstract / superficial mothering 1. Abstract name “I am not mother to abstract Childhood, but to my son” “A fantastic creature like a thing of dreams” 2. Duties—housework 3. Leads to disattachement with her son “Or shall I save some pains till he is grown? ” “Why should dull custom make my son my enemy” Confinement (7/8)

Causes of Anger — Confinement Privilege of manhood leaving her “So that the privilege of his manhood is to leave my house” “Or shall I save some pains till he is grown? ” Lack of education “You [husband] would hold knowledge from me because I am a mother” “Power should be added to power(v. )” “That [mother/hood] has so great an eye it has no head” Confinement (8/8)

Claims for Her Motherhood Mind > Body Thought sexless, free mentally strong Heart, love (spiritual love, good affection) woman need it “Kiss me sometimes in the light” “Let me have flowers sometimes” value for her son “He will find more joy … in laughter” Claims (1/5)

Claims for Her Motherhood u Trueness > Disguise Be true self “Let me speak my mind in life and love” she does not want to “lie, ” to do things “falsely, ” be a “mime” and be “of pretence” “Are you content to be from henceforth only father, and in no other way a man? ” Frank love “And sometimes let me take your hand kiss you honestly” Claims (2/5)

Claims for Her Motherhood u Spiritual Attachment > Physical Care Spiritual love “And love, which has no more matter in it than is in the mind” Good affection Intelligent enrichment “If he is my true son, ” “He will find more joy in number and in laughter” Claims (3/5)

Claims for Her Motherhood u Strength / Ability > Sex [female] Be Wise She is as good as men or even better “You calculate the distance of a star” “I, thanks to this free age can count as well” “And by the very processes you use” “When we think differently of two times two, ” “I’ll own a universal mastery in you!” Claims (4/5)

Claims for Her Motherhood Necessary for being a mother “Rather for this reason [I am a mother] let me be wise, and very strong” “Show him the consolation of mathematics” Be Strong mentally strong To have power “Power should be added to power” Claims (5/5)

Conclusions As a woman, wife and mother: v She redefines her motherhood opposing that of traditional stereotype given by the society. v She asks for fairness and equality with men, and shows the confidence of her capability. v She asks for being self and to have her voices. v She values what’s under the surface, such as mind, love, self, knowledge and affection. v In her motherhood, she not only can give her son the traditional mothering but also what men can give. Conclusions (1/1)

Text from: Ingman, Heather, ed. Mothers and Daughters in the Twentieth Century: A Literary Anthology. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000. Source (1/1)