Anne Sexton gives us a glimpse into the most intimate parts of her life through her confessional poem, “The Double Image.” Since Sexton is confessing about her life after post-traumatic stress disorder, we would assume that she is always being completely honest; however, we see that some events of the poem are merely figments of her imagination. Just when we think we understand, she hits us with the brutal reality that is her life. Sexton uses rhymes and writes in child-like phrases to explain that her truth cannot be looked at outright; the reality of her life is too harsh to be written in plain words. By relaying these somber issues in a playful and sometimes humorous way, we get closer to the truth. We get closer to Sexton’s truth. Through
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In the fifth stanza, she states, “That October day we went / to Gloucester the red hills/ reminded me of the dry red fur fox / coat I played in as a child; stock still / like a bear or a tent, / like a great cave laughing or a red fur fox.” (lines 27-30). By bringing up the fur fox, and the coat, it is evident that Sexton is comparing herself to the fur fox. The fox is not a fox anymore because it is dead, it has been skinned and made into a coat. Like the fox, Sexton does not feel like she is herself anymore. The fox is who she used to be, and the coat is a representation of who she is now: a woman with a mental condition. She also mentions that the hills in Gloucester were “stock still” (line 28). This can also mean that Sexton does not feel anything anymore, she is still, with no desire to keep on living. Even though this is something very solemn and quite depressing, Sexton formulates her thoughts into a beautiful comparison with a fox. A fox, when alive, is a strong and willful animal, however, when killed, it is nothing but a coat. In a way, Sexton is relatable to the fox. Before her PTSD, she used to be a strong woman, but her depression has made her weak and unable to find the will needed to
In the fifth stanza, she states, “That October day we went / to Gloucester the red hills/ reminded me of the dry red fur fox / coat I played in as a child; stock still / like a bear or a tent, / like a great cave laughing or a red fur fox.” (lines 27-30). By bringing up the fur fox, and the coat, it is evident that Sexton is comparing herself to the fur fox. The fox is not a fox anymore because it is dead, it has been skinned and made into a coat. Like the fox, Sexton does not feel like she is herself anymore. The fox is who she used to be, and the coat is a representation of who she is now: a woman with a mental condition. She also mentions that the hills in Gloucester were “stock still” (line 28). This can also mean that Sexton does not feel anything anymore, she is still, with no desire to keep on living. Even though this is something very solemn and quite depressing, Sexton formulates her thoughts into a beautiful comparison with a fox. A fox, when alive, is a strong and willful animal, however, when killed, it is nothing but a coat. In a way, Sexton is relatable to the fox. Before her PTSD, she used to be a strong woman, but her depression has made her weak and unable to find the will needed to