Modernism In Jana Harris's 'Don T Cheapen Yourself'

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Born in San Francisco, Jana Harris is the author of “Don’t Cheapen Yourself” a poem empowering woman. This poem was created at a time when women were fighting for equal rights. In the poem, the subject who appears to be a young woman is confronted by her mother who calls her “sleazy” (line1). This would suggest her mother does not agree with the selections of clothing, since she is accustomed to more conservative ways for a woman to dress and percent herself in public; to her mother’s harsh words the subject response was simple “I was not allowed to do high school cheap and now I’m doin cheap” (19.4). The implication being that she made this choice intentionally, modernism describes this as a Byronic Hero; someone who “appeals to …show more content…
The supposition drawn from this is that, the subject in Harris poem is adapting to her constant changing environment. The Harris poem challenges the audience to think abstractly, by using strands to describe a young woman, that looks like “a bird with red waxed lips, and wearing a snake dress”. (9.10.13). The way the subject percent herself to the world carefree and independent. Modernism describes Realistic- Allegory as things or abstract ideas used to convey a message or teach a lesson. It is clear, the subject of the Harris poem is thought-provoking the only way she knows how. She is finding inspiration from beautiful thing in nature adapting and morphing into a care free woman who is not going to …show more content…
The subject is being called “an easy mark and a skag” (38.26) her answered is harsh and rebellious, “you got any idea how much it cost to do cheap these days?” (5.6.7). It is clear, therefore, that the subject is dismissing her mother’s comments. She is not affected on the contrary this is the reaction she wanted and was expecting, not only from her mother, but also those around her. The subject has a specific goal in mine and that is to start a discussion to help open peoples mine to a new way of living. According to Craig White's Literature Courses modernism describes this approach as Realism “the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly”. The inference to be drawn from this is that her mothers, harsh word are not affecting the subject self-image, and her mother has not succeeded in make her feel dirty and unworthy. Demonstrating that the subject is consciously challenging her mother; she is trying to prove that she is not concern or interest in what her mother or others may think of her. It is clear, that she won’t allow anyone to dictate who she should be and how she should express