|
In this poem This Is a Photograph
of Me by Margaret Atwood, the
speaker is passively exposed
to the photograph. Thematically,
the title is in passive, the
first sentence is in passive
voice. This is a photo others
have taken of me. This is a
history of me which others have
created. The others are males
who are active to make history
of females.
|
|
|
When other makes history
of female then there
comes the problem of
precision and accuracy.
In patriarchy males
are creating women’s
story. Photograph was
taken sometimes ago.
She has not specified
the time. The photograph
is not clear, lines
are blurred, and the
light of photograph
has become dim. Photograph
stands for her history
which is not clear;
light stands for the
creativity of the woman.
If a woman does some
important work in the
society, that is shadowed.
Patriarchy ignores the
contribution of female.
In the left hand corner,
there are branches of
tree. |
These branches of tree have
emerged to right hand side.
In right hand side there is
a frame house. This can be seen
if you see the photograph minutely.
Here the right hand side (frame
House) stands for male and left
hand side (branches) stands
for female. In the patriarchy,
a woman is treated as left hand
and man is treated as right
hand. Woman is placed on the
left hand with simply associated
with branches which have no
roots and man is placed on the
right hand side. Left hand is
normally weaker than right hand.
Females are supposed to be weaker
than male. By giving her left
position she has been shown
as passive.
Lake stands for the society
of the photograph. Beyond the
society, there are low hills.
Hills and lakes keep the woman
in shadow. Hills and lakes are
the causes that distort her
history. Margaret is trying
to show the small frame houses
are not responsible for the
exploitations of women. As a
whole background society or
the lake/ hill are responsible
behind what happens to women.
The speaker is not taken out
of the lake. She is dipped and
left in the lake. She could
not get her identity. As per
Christian culture one is dipped
and taken out to name but here
in her case it does not happen.
Here she is showing identity
crisis. She is left in lake
she can’t come out of
lake that society is to revolt.
She is center for domestic work
and she is marginal for social,
political and economical work.
In patriarchy, women are taken
forward in domestic roles but
in the social roles male come
ahead. In the final stanza there
is a shift intone. If you look
carefully, you will be able
to see me. Photograph is dim,
its true but I am there. They
have dimmed my photograph, undermined
my work but my presence is there.
Patriarchy cannot negate me
completely. The last line is
revolutionary. Despite all the
discrimination I am there. They
can destroy my photograph but
cannot destroy my existence.
Time is not clear it means that
when the domination started
it was not clear. Woman is exploited
since time immemorial. Therefore
the speaker does not like to
historicize the time.
This Is a Photograph of Me -
Poem by Margaret Atwood
It
was taken some time ago.
At first it seems to be
a smeared
print: blurred lines and gray
flecks,
blended with the paper;
then,
as you scan
it, you see in the left-hand
corner
a thing that is like a branch
part of a tree
(balsam or spruce) emerging
and, to the right, halfway up
what ought to be a gentle
slope, a small frame house.
In
the background there is a lake,
and beyond that, some low hills.
(The
photograph was taken
the day after I drowned
I am in the lake, in the center
of the picture, just under the
surface.
It
is difficult to say where
precisely, or to say
how large or small I am:
the
effect of water
on light is a distortion
but
if you look long enough,
eventually
you will be able to see me.) |
