Interpretation In The Woman Hanging By Joy Harjo

Throughout “The Woman Hanging,” Joy Harjo uses repetition and powerful diction to grasp the attention of the reader in order to describe the pressure on women as mothers. In the poem, Harjo describes who the woman hanging is in relation to other people rather than herself through the use of repetition. The woman is described as a mom of Carlos, Margaret and Jimmy, a daughter, and a wife that has been married twice stating “She is several pieces between the two husbands / she has had” (Harjo 10-13). The first descriptions we receive regarding this woman (who we know is hanging from a building) do not explain why she is hanging or who she is; rather, they tell the story of her life. This is significant because it shows that as herself, she is

Harjo writes “She sees / other women hanging from many-floored windows / counting their lives in the palms of their hands / and in the palms of their children’s hands” (24-27). In this quote, the idea that society limits women is extended beyond just the woman in this poem. It is extended to apply to all women within this city. Through the use of parallelism through the repetition of the phrase “palms of their hands,” Harjo leads the reader to understand that every woman is confined by what society sees them as. Through the mentioning of children it is clear that society limits women to their role as mothers. Through the use of flashbacks and parallelism Harjo emphasizes that women are most frequently limited to their roles as

It explores this idea primarily through the use of diction that refers counterintuitively to that which it describes. In the opening stanza of Piercy’s poem the idea of gender identity is immediately discussed through the idea that girls are expected to play with certain kinds of toys. Piercy writes “presented dolls that did pee-pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy” (Piercy 2-4). In quick transition, Piercy then explains that “in the magic of puberty” the young woman was insulted for her appearance (5). This quote shows that gender expectations are placed on children at the first possible moment. As children, girls are forced to prepare for their roles as a wives and mothers by taking care of baby dolls and by cooking pretend meals. This shows that for their entire lives, women are only destined for one outcome—domesticated servitude. In addition, through the use of descriptive language, such as the mention of “pee-pee” and the cherry flavored candy, Piercy seems to mock the way young girls talk (primarily their choice of words). In the next description, Piercy uses imagery to show the reader that the woman is healthy, intelligent, strong, and having “abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.” (9). This quote shows that no matter how smart she was