“Marks” is a poem by Linda Pastan in the mid 1970s about a young wife and mother. It describes her treatment by her husband and children, ending with a dramatic statement that leaves the reader with multiple options for the outcome. The poem begins on a slightly happy note, a good grade she has received. Once we get into the second and third grades, we can easily see the decline of the happiness in the poem. As the poem progresses, the reader begins to realize that the persona of the poem is miserable and sad in her life. Many of the ideas in the poem reveal her feelings and a few physical traits that contribute to her feelings.
Throughout the poem, the persona focuses on the criticisms she receives through grades, like one might receive in …show more content…
Given the pressure put on this young woman, this grade is, in my opinion, very good. For a young woman who was seemingly thrust into the life of a wife and mother at such a young age, I believe that she has done quite well for herself. In the end, we see that she has every reason to take whatever action is necessary to take back her life.
Another way we can see that the woman is basing her grades on a school scale is the terminology she uses. When describing her grades, she uses terms such as ‘B plus’, ‘incomplete’, and ‘improve’. Each of these terms are commonplace in a school setting. However, the last few lines of the poem could be seen to symbolize more than just her dropping out. It could also say that she feels that her family needs to learn. Perhaps learn how she struggles each day and how their criticisms do not help her but hurt …show more content…
I see the ending as two possible outcomes. One possibility is that she commits suicide. She would not only drop out of being a wife and mother, but also out of life. Given the double meaning of the title “Marks”, this outcome is entirely plausible. If the title not only stood for grades, but also physical marks, the poem would serve as a kind of suicide note. However, I believe in the second option. I believe that the poem’s persona simply left her husband and children; with valid reason. After living many years with a family that still grades her actions and tells her that she is nothing better than average, any woman would find her breaking point. Since the children are able to speak and say the things they are saying, they would have to be in their early teens at least. This would mean that she would have had to live in this kind of environment for over ten years. Being told that you are not quite good enough for that long can take a serious toll on not only the body but the mind as
Throughout the poem, the persona focuses on the criticisms she receives through grades, like one might receive in …show more content…
Given the pressure put on this young woman, this grade is, in my opinion, very good. For a young woman who was seemingly thrust into the life of a wife and mother at such a young age, I believe that she has done quite well for herself. In the end, we see that she has every reason to take whatever action is necessary to take back her life.
Another way we can see that the woman is basing her grades on a school scale is the terminology she uses. When describing her grades, she uses terms such as ‘B plus’, ‘incomplete’, and ‘improve’. Each of these terms are commonplace in a school setting. However, the last few lines of the poem could be seen to symbolize more than just her dropping out. It could also say that she feels that her family needs to learn. Perhaps learn how she struggles each day and how their criticisms do not help her but hurt …show more content…
I see the ending as two possible outcomes. One possibility is that she commits suicide. She would not only drop out of being a wife and mother, but also out of life. Given the double meaning of the title “Marks”, this outcome is entirely plausible. If the title not only stood for grades, but also physical marks, the poem would serve as a kind of suicide note. However, I believe in the second option. I believe that the poem’s persona simply left her husband and children; with valid reason. After living many years with a family that still grades her actions and tells her that she is nothing better than average, any woman would find her breaking point. Since the children are able to speak and say the things they are saying, they would have to be in their early teens at least. This would mean that she would have had to live in this kind of environment for over ten years. Being told that you are not quite good enough for that long can take a serious toll on not only the body but the mind as