Dickinson and Social Pressures by Katty

A Way Out

The role of women in society has drastically changed for the past few decades. Even though women have achieved a better position in numerous fields in our culture, women’s traditional roles in society still prevail. Despite the effort to be recognized in a society that undermined them, women still are seen as wives and caregivers in today’s society. In the poem “I'm ‘wife’ -- I've finished that --,” written by Emily Dickinson, the poet presents the concept of marriage in a very complex way.

Dickinson’s poem reveals in a very ironic manner the loss of independence of women upon marriage. The first stanza of the poem reads, “I'm ‘wife’ -- I've finished that -- / I'm Czar -- I'm ‘Woman’ now --” (1-3). These lines are significant because they suggest the apparent acceptance of women to marriage. Even though this event was the most common social pressure during the 19th century, it still is considered a relevant issue for women in today’s society as well. For example, a great number of women still are in the category of housewife, taking care of their kids, and financially supported by their husbands. For them, marriage has a major implication which is their loss of independence.

On the other hand, there is another category of women that rebel against rules of society, thus fighting for independence. This group is represented by women entering the labor force. Although many working women have reached professional success and a higher sense of independence, they live a very stressful life trying to manage their busy careers and family affairs at the same time. In a way, that is why marriage is described in Dickinson’s poem as an eclipse: “How odd the Girl's life looks / Behind this soft Eclipse --” (5-6). The “eclipse” suggests the debate that women have between the two worlds: the one in which they will lose independence, and the other one that could set them free.

In conclusion, marriage represents a very complicated subject in any society, especially for women. Their traditional role they play (as wife or caregivers, for instance) is very difficult for them to avoid, for women have been forced to absorb such traditional expectations through decades. There always will be norms in our present society that limit our behavior and keep us away from setting ourselves free from these conventionalisms. The most important thing is to recognize that women are as active as any members of today’s society, and that it is imperative to continue empowering them to succeed, so they can be recognized as any man. At the end of the day, the eclipse will come to an end.
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Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. "I'm ‘wife’ -- I've finished that --." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 7th ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2007. 2562.