“The Choosing”
“The Choosing”, by Liz Lochhead, depicts the importance and consequences of ones choices, being made actively or passively in early ages of ones life. In the specific case of the poem, a description of the development of two girls’ similar childhoods into completely distinct lives as women takes place.
Remembering their joint childhood, there is a variety of things the speaker of the poem thinks of: Back in their childhood, the two girls were quite equal in anything they did, for instance in their appearance, behaviour, efforts in school, housing, and competing. They even were best friends (compare: first two stanzas). In a way both of them were congenial, just like most children have their fitting counterparts as well. However, they already battled for “the top desk” (line 11) and a certain dread and respect for each other was grown (line 14/15). Nevertheless, their parents had different notions about money and education (compare: line 22/23, line 27-30) , resulting in a separation from each other and , finally, fairly different lives. At the present the speaker seems to envy Mary’s life, because Mary has got what one would call a life. Mary is pregnant and, obviously, she has a husband who cares about her and gives her ample attention. “Her arms are round the full-shaped vase that is her body.” (line 38/39) indicates the speaker’s admiration for the pristine fact of life in Mary’s womb. The beauty of nature and of Mary fascinate her. “Not that I envy her, really.” (line 42) ironically manifests that the speaker would like to have Mary’s life. Instead, however, the existence of the speaker is built around studying and the library, which is expressed with the repetition of “And I’m coming from the library”(line 32 and 43). Where the “And” of the second sentence emphasizes the speaker’s “library life” even more. Those lives weren’t really chosen by themselves. The key decisions were made by their parents, when the two girls were still younger (“and wonder when the choices got made we don’t remember making” line 46/47). Moreover, the divergences in the development of the two girls’ lives can also be seen in the tone of the poem. Whereas the first part rather playfully depicts their childhood and their common memories; the second part - starting with “Ten years later” (line 31) - sadly describes the present situation. In the first segment, everything is still callow and it seems to be like a normal and carefree childhood for both of the girls, until Mary moves away. The second piece of the poem contains a sad voice, describing the sad life of the speaker (library=education), probably chosen for a carreer, and envying Mary for her normal and happy life.
Furthermore, symbols portray the two different girls and their specific lives. Though having “the same colored ribbons” and “equal shyness” (first stanza) and being “best friends” (line 7) when they still were children, the similarity and equalness of childhood days is gone. Now Mary has got “a full shaped vase that is her body” (line 38/39) and a wonderful husband. All the speaker can come up with is the library. In a bigger context one could mean to see Mary having a joyful, normal live, and the speaker studys in order to get a good job and a carrer. Two completely different notions about life, as different as the two women are. Which one is better?
“The choosing” as headline of the poem sort of reflects the entire theme of it. The written text is all about choosing, important decisions, and the right picks in life. The headline and the last line of the poem form a frame, entombing all the meaning of the word “Choosing”. As a child you can’t make important choices on your own, so that your parents do that for you. You go the predicted way and do as you are expected. Later on in your life, attitudes might change and you might become a different personality. Then you may realize that you would have preferred another way of living, but that it wasn’t in your power to decide over it. Now you just would like to have a happy life. This is what happened to the speaker of “The Choosing”.
If Mary and the speaker would start a conversation, they might talk about old times.
Just like: “Hey, old Mary girl, how are you doing? It’s been a long time since we’ve met.” But Mary might not even remember the speaker and would ask: “Oh! Hey…uhm, do we know each other from somewhere?” The speaker would have to make a decision again and probably would utter:”Oh sorry, I was mistaken, I thought you to be someone else.” Partially telling the truth with this last sentence, the speaker would remain in her little scholastic world and still envy Mary for her life, because it was not her coice.
- Quote paper
- Sebastian Arnoldt (Author), 2001, Lochhead, Liz - The Choosing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/104755
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