Analysis Of Marge Piercy's Woman On The Edge Of Time

In Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time Connie has been left at the mental institution by Geraldo and Dolly. There, Connie is forced into seclusion and heavy doses of Thorazine leaving her weak. During the time in seclusion, Connie remembers the negative parts of her past. She thought of Claud, her black and blind husband who was arrested for being caught pickpocketing, then died from experimental hepatitis injected in him without his consent during his prison time. During her mourning for Claud, Connie took drugs and alcohol, neglecting herself and her daughter Angelina. When Angelina wears a hole in her shoe, Connie’s anger and frustration at the difficulty that would arise to replace them causes her to slap Angelina, breaking her wrist. A social worker sees Connie unfit to be a mother, and Angelina is adopted by a white family. In her dark reminiscing, Connie suddenly sees Luciente, a person who claims that they come from the future. She and Luciente talk, Connie explaining how she came to the institution and where they are. During an attempt to go to Luciente’s time, Connie …show more content…
Connie gets along with an attendant named Ms. Fargo, who has her do some work in exchange for cigarettes while despising a redheaded one. Connie is scared of the shock shop where patients are electrocuted into forgetfulness, fright-induced normalcy or vegetables. Connie has not made contact with Luciente in weeks from fear of being caught from heavy surveillance. Mrs. Martinez is introduced as Connie lends her a newspaper, a silent woman who is visited by her family through a glass window and taken home during holidays only to be returned a month or two later. Sybil is introduced as Connie sees her being forcibly dragged to seclusion, a woman who acquainted herself to Connie for being in the same ward twice, and thinks herself a witch. Connie often talks to Sybil, leading to her falling out of Ms. Fargo’s