The speaker in Hanging Fire seems to feel as though she has never been good enough for anything. She is always worrying and complaining. I believe that the author (Audre Lorde) was trying to catch the feeling of puberty in a poem. Always self conscious, always worrying what other people will think about her. She is worrying that she might "die before graduation," which shows she dramatizes situations, which is what teenagers do sometimes, she makes claims that "nobody even stops to think about my side of it." They exagerate a lot, and I know I've exagerated from time to time as well, so the poem is relatable in way.
Audre Lorde captures the awkwardness of purberty in this poem, for example, how she is worrying that she can't dance or why her knees are always so "ashy." I think the speaker is effective in relaying these feelings of self consciousness to the reader.
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I agree with the puberty aspect that Lorde is trying to portray.
This aspect is captured in the first two lines. "I am fourteen and my skin has betrayed me". She captures the adolescence through this fourteen year old girl who tries to figure out why life is the way it is. I agree that she dramatizes situations, but what else does a teenage girl think about than what will happen? This is such a good poem by the way.
I also agree that the speaker is self-conscious and going through puberty.
However, I think that the speaker could be a boy or girl. The boy he or she "cannot live without" could be a boyfriend, or a baby brother. The boy who the speaker lost to in the math competition can represent gender opression if the speaker is a girl, or inequality if the speaker is a boy.
Also, the repetition of "momma's in the bedroom with the door closed" represents the disconnect the speaker feels with his or her family.
I also enjoyed this poem because it is easy to relate to.
I blogged on this poem as well and I definitely agree with the overall use of the speaker. However, I also the significance of it being a teenage girl is the emotional aspect. Especially as teens ourselves, we are able to directly connect with what the speaker is saying; we sympathize with her. How do you guys think the poems effectiveness would've changed if Lorde has chosen the speaker to be an adult, looking back? I'm just curious to hear people's opinions :)
Oh and I was just led to the fact that it is a girl because the Norton says so in the questions it asks after the poem...but I also thought of the possibility that it could be a boy!
I guess we all blogged on this. The girl/speaker in the poem seems to be frustrated at the world, she feels like she deserves more than what she's been given. Like all teenagers, she thinks the world is unfair and decides to lash out at it with pointed attacking questions (Why, how). By knowing that the speaker is a teenager, we can relate a whole host of memories and emotions to the poem that are explicitly stated.
I also think that we like this poem because it isn't overly abstract and it relates well with us. Elitist literary critics may identify with Cummings or Elliot but as adolescents we tend to like the Shell Silversteins
I blogged on this poem too... But I looked at it a different angle. I thought the girl was talking about her skin color and the racial tension that arises because of it. I wont restate everything here, but you can go read my post if you want.
But anyways, I definitely agree that this poem advocates change. And the physical aspect of this poem ties along nicely with what I thought. Also the fact that the speaker is a young adult supports the idea of the future and optimistic hope.
The author uses the speaker in this poem to show how some teenagers can over obsess and feel self conscience at times. This poem shows that most teenagers have social issues that are constantly nagging them, consuming their every thought. The poem also intertwines the issue of some teenagers not having a good relationship with their parents to help them in their time of need. The character refers to her mother being in “the bedroom with the door closed”. The character in this poem wants help from her mother but can’t receive it because her mother is “locked away”.
I beleive that the Speaker is a girl, not only worring about puberty and awkaward teenage years, but of the absence of her mother.
The speakers is goign through all the emotions, yet her mother is distant and this troubles the speaker. He/She (though I think it is a girl speaking) has problems, yet cannot convey them to others since her mother is the one getting attention for her illness, whether it be physical or mental.
How does this poem compare to Barbie Doll? It's a good idea to make connections to other poems and explore how poets tackle similar topics differently. What specific devices are used to characterize this speaker?
I personally believe that the speaker of this poem is a girl. I feel like this is better evidenced through the text than if he/she was a boy. To go with what Ms. Giggie was saying, This poem is definetly very similar to "Barbie Doll" in that both deal with reactions towards ones unique qualities. The girl in "Barbie Doll" is very conscious of her own appearance. She is scared of not looking "acceptable" to society. Whereas, in "Hanging Fire" the girl is showing the first signs of the same beliefs. She shows a dramatization of every little difference in her body, the initial signs of the discontent evident in the barbie doll. Her exaggeration of each of these small things is causing her to create a distorted view of what she "should" look like.
While this girl may not be as extreme as the one in "Barbie Doll" is, she still exhibits the more common worries that were discussed in both poems.
It's tough to follow so many comments because a lot has been said! In response to Ms. Giggie's post, I think Barbie Doll is much harsher than this poem. Since it is told in the third person and this one in the first, it has a much colder, impersonal feeling to it. Barbie Doll makes the reader feel as if they are watching an afternoon special on teenagers and body image, while Hanging Fire feels like a conversation, or like the reader's own thoughts. The girl in Hanging Fire does over-dramatize things, but as a result of the uncertainty and insecurity of being a young teenager. On the other hand, Barbie Doll is over-dramatized to show the dire consequences of unrealistic societal expectiations, which is totally valid, but different.
Just as a side note, I found it interesting that the structure and fluidity of the poem makes it feel like the speaker is rambling and spilling out ever thought in her head. This further adds to the effect because it shows her thought process constantly proceeding, which is very much like a teenage girl.
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