Week X assignments. "The Estrangement" by Jamaica Kincaid and the "Rape Poem" by Marge Piercy

The Estrangement by Jamaica Kincaid

Reading “The Estrangement” essay by Jamaica Kincaid, one comes across many themes which are important topics of discussion such as motherhood, independence and hatred as a feeling.      
Through the essay the author has emphasized several words such as ‘eternity’ or ‘god’ giving the idea of a religious woman but when it comes to elaborating them it’s difficult not to notice the bad connotation in which they are used for. She often says that she would rather be dead than spending eternity next to her mother. This line reveals how much hatred she has against her own mother and also gives the main idea on how complex their relationship is. The reason why their bond was long broken before her mother passed away was because of her non-stopping criticism during all her life and the most severe reason was the death wish her own mother gave to her. Being brought up criticized and not valued all the time, gave Jamaica another perspective of motherhood and life itself. She understood that the way her mother was treating her was wrong and didn’t act like her with her own children.

What I valued most about the author was the fact that she was fighting for her own independence and was trying to give another meaning to her life as a woman regardless of the fact that her mother was against this fact. I believe the most important thing in life is trying. Trying to be a better person, a better woman in this case facing all kinds of prejudice, downfalls and death wishes even if they come from your own mother, trying to be responsible of yourself and leave a good legacy among those who are truly near you like your kids and not your neighbors.                           
Another point that I appreciate the author for mentioning was the fact that women who are valued to be the best mothers they can, are regarded like Gods and not like Goddesses. This brings up the feminist part of the author showing that women don’t have to be compared to God as a wonder man but on a female as well, simply because females are as strong as they want and choose to be.          

Rape Poem - Poem by Marge Piercy

“Lord knows there is a war to be won.”  I heard this phrase a year ago by a singer reciting a poem at the Women’s March and it stuck with me ever since. While reading the Rape Poem by Marge Piercy, it came back to me on how accurate that expression is.  In my point of view the author has done an incredible job by pointing out the fact that there is no difference between being raped and other horrible things that happen to humans because rape in itself is a horrible thing and it should be treated as such. There is no difference between being raped than being pushed down on cement, run over by a truck or being bitten by a rattlesnake. They all hurt the same. Same pain, same inside bleeding. People often fail to believe that. It is certainly ironic how no one asks a person why they were on the cement steps to begin with or why they were in the road where the truck hit them or why they didn’t run way from the rattlesnake but somehow it is normal to ask a woman why their skirt was short or even why they were out to begin with.          
Why do we always have to prepare women to protect themselves from half of the human race and not put that effort in educating and teaching moral to that half of the human race?   
Why should females feel the need to protect themselves all the time? Not opening the door, always being with a razor just grazing the throat and aluminum in the mouth….     

Forever afraid of the smiling man! Forever afraid of the serious man in whose fist is locked with hatred.   

You ever wondered how it is living with the constant fear of the dark side of the hedges, the back seat of the car, the empty house and worse… the rattling keys like a snake's warning? 

What triggers a man to rape is just the body of a female no matter the shape, color or problems. In my opinion rapists aren’t simply men. They are savage creatures who want to possess and punish in one act, ripping up pleasure and carelessly murdering those who dare to live in the leafy flesh open to love.  And no matter how much we try there is still going to be the fear of the smiling man, in whose pocket is a knife.                 
Either way lord knows there is a war to be won and if we all stand together against these kinds of act maybe…maybe one day they’ll stop existing.