Essay on Analysis of Rita Dove’s, “Daystar”

Paul Newman once said, “People stay married because they want to, not because the doors are locked” (74). There is no such thing as the perfect relationship, however, being involved in a healthy relationship is essential for a person to feel valued, safe, and happy. Unfortunately, in the situation of Kelly Sundberg’s personal essay “It Will Look Like a Sunset,” and Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of An Hour,” include extreme examples of unhealthy relationships. The essay “It Will Look Like a Sunset,” shares painful experiences of Sundberg’s physical and emotional abusive relationship with her husband Caleb, while “The Story of an Hour,” shares a rare reaction of a married woman, Louise Mallard, who explores her emotions cautiously when hearing about the death of her husband. Each woman faces their own prison created by their husbands. The two marriages represent the figurative meaning of doors being locked in a marriage. Both pieces of literature convey the theme of confinement by using the literary devices of foreshadowing, imagery, and conflict.

With good intentions, John controls his wife's life and makes all decisions for her, whether she agrees with them or not. His wife is full aware of the restrictions that her husband has imposed on her, but she is recessive to his control and often agrees with him. However, she fails to see “signs of her confinement: the bars at the window, the gate at the top of the stairs, steel rings on the walls, and the nailed-down bestead” (Korb). Because she is unable to escape from the isolation that her husband has kept her in, the woman seeks relief from the yellow wallpaper and she creates an imaginary relationship it. In fact, the worst thing her husband should not of done is give his unstable wife an object that is not appealing to focus on. In doing so, he has given her an opportunity to let her mind wonder and create objects that no one else sees. John, however, does not give any thought to this because after all, he thinks he knows what is best for his wife.

This demonstrates how Curley’s wife’s uses her attraction of her body to achieve her desired outcome over the men, thus showing how Curley’s wife goes through the temporary nature of the shifts and notions of power to control the other men while having her life influenced by her husband.

It’s ironic that this particular word is used because puberty is actually a stage of emotional crisis’. A hurtful remark was made towards the child, and she was described as having a "big nose and fat legs." The second stanza also begins with the subdued tone mentioning the girls positive aspects, such as being "healthy…intelligent…strong." These specific details are usually related to the male. Once again, the gender characteristics play as an underlying factor. These qualities were not good enough for a woman if they were not beautiful. The stanza then takes a turn like the first turning away from the simplicity. The girl "went to and fro apologizing," while everyone still saw "a fat nose on thick legs." Society places women into the mold where they begin to put on a facade and apologize for their "misfortunes." In the third stanza, the girl was "advised to play coy…(and) smile." Women are once again pressured to act in a way that is unreal, like a "barbie doll." The "fan belt" mention in this stanza is used as imagery to describe how one’s facade can wear out over time, as hers did. She "cut off her nose and her legs," in response to this. The character Nora in "A Doll’s House," is a perfect example of how women are like dolls and do what they are told or what society expects of them. It is only in the last stanza where the girl is dead and has "consummation at last." She is finally given a compliment when someone said,

As a woman, the narrator must be protected and controlled and kept away from harm. This seemed to be the natural mindset in the 19th century, that women need to have guidance in what they do, what decisions they make, and what they say. John calls her a “little goose”(95) and his “little girl”(236), referring her to a child, someone who needs special attention and control. His need for control over her is proven when she admits that her husband is “careful and loving and hardly lets me stir without special direction”(49). John has mentally restrained the speaker’s mind, she is forced to hide her anxieties, fears and be submissive, to preserve the happiness of their marriage. When the narrator attempts to speak up, she is bogged down and made guilty of her actions. Her husband makes her feel guilty for asking, he says, “‘I beg of you, for my sake and for our child’s sake, as well as your own, that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind!’”(225-226). By making her feel guilty for her illness, John has trapped her mentally from speaking up about it, convincing her that she must be more careful about her actions. Men often impose the hardships placed upon women during this era. They are often the people reassuring them of their “womanly” duties, and guiding them

Her marriage also causes her to lose control. Even within the one thing that is supposed to hold strong, she is alone. Her husband, leaving her on a daily basis to work, insists that she cannot write nor visit friends and family. Thus, he leaves her alone during the day to sit

The narrator is totally crushed by the gender discrimination. She longed to be seen by her mother and her grandma. The narrator is heartbroken that her mother loved her brother more than her and failed to notice her. “When she went into Nonso’s room to say good night, she always came out laughing that laugh. Most times, you pressed your palms to your ears to keep the sound out, and kept your palms pressed to your ears, even when she came into your room to say Good night, darling, sleep well. She never left your room with that laugh” (190). Her agony can be easily seen by the way of her narrating. She does not get the affection that she deserves. She really needs the affection from her own mother, but she is not getting it. She compares the love which her mother shows to his brother and herself. This is gender discrimination can be seen with her grandmother too. She hated her grandma as she would always support her brother and find fault with her. Even though what the brother did, no matter what crime. Her mother and grandmother always supported her brother and never supported or showed interest towards

Women in the early Victorian Era were very limited in their individualism as they were expected to conform to societal norms. The narrator craves freedom from the society she lives in, dreaming of having a room "downstairs that opened on the piazza and [has] roses all over the window." (Gilman 3) The narrator wants nothing more than to be able to express herself, yet she is held back as she reveals that "John would not hear of it." (Gilman 3) She knows her place is not to question her husband, so she finds other creative outlets that she keeps secret. She knows that these outlets of creativity are found, she risks her husband’s reputation as she would disrespect him. Throughout the narrative, the heroine acknowledges the importance of status in society. Even when her madness drives her to contemplate committing suicide, she says, “I wouldn't do it. Of course not. I know well enough that a step like that is improper and might be misconstrued.” (Gilman 15) Even in the most stressful times, it is the fear of ruining her husband’s reputation that keeps her from obtaining what she wants. Finally, the narrator breaks free of her confinement by tearing off the wallpaper, saying, "I've got out at

Beyond the already mentioned first line about how Beulah “wanted a little room for thinking (1),” there are many other evidences in the poem that prove this woman desires more than what she currently has. Even today, women are viewed as the main caretakers of their children and the ones who are expected to respond to the domestic duties at home, and this is what Beulah exemplifies. In the next lines of “Daystar,” obligations of motherhood are further explained as Dove writes, “but she saw diapers steaming on the line, /a doll slumped behind the door” (2-3). Both the diapers and the doll imply that it is Beulah’s job to take care of the laundry and clean up the mess that her children have left behind.

Rhyming couplets such as “date” and “late”, “rehearsing” and “nursing” are surprisingly simple, but meaningful, as they highlight how the author examines this important issue in society. This clearly communicates how sympathetic the poet feels for the women who are faced with nurturing children by themselves, as negative connotations in “departing” and “aimless”. More particularly, the “departing” of the man’s smile emulates how her disconnection from society has left her emotionally broken and somewhat regretful that she decided to have children in the first

The narrator is an undoubted neurotic man. Fist of all, he is pure isolated, which comes to surface when his wife mentions that he is on possession of any friends. In a sense, he feels

The poem “Daystar” contrasts from “Loneliness” in the way the message is expressed. In the poem, she tells a story of a woman wanting to get away from her daily responsibilities. It’s obvious she’s a full time mother, and full time wife. She is exhausted from taking care of an infant “But she saw diapers steaming on the line.” She not only is burden with a new born child, but she also has many children. She is at a consistency with

The first lines of the poem say, “She saw diapers steaming on the line a doll slumped behind the door.” The phrase “steaming on the line” is especially strong, making us able to feel pleasant heat of the day and the bright warmth of the sunshine radiating on our skin. We can deduct also that the diapers and doll may serve as another symbol that represents all the cares that the woman carries in looking after her family.

       As the tale begins we immediately can sympathize with the repressive plight of the protagonist.  Her romantic imagination is obvious as she describes the "hereditary estate" (Gilman, Wallpaper 170) or the "haunted house" (170) as she would like it to be.  She tells us of her husband, John, who "scoffs" (170) at her romantic sentiments and is "practical to the extreme" (170).  However, in a time

Daystar by Rita Dove emphasizes gender roles and the expectations society has towards being a mother. It is often believed that mothers should assume responsibility for cooking, cleaning, tending to their demanding children and husbands. The poem illustrates the challenges women endure to live up to society’s expectations to be a fit mother and wife. As seen through the main character mothers have to make sacrifices that often puts everyone else’s happiness before their own. For example, the women in the poem desired to have time to herself but she couldn’t because she had endless chores and children to care for. Not having time to herself made her feel lost and unfulfilled.