Feminist Analysis of the Poem

Feminism refers to a broad spectrum of approaches, concepts, and ideals directed solely at advocating for sex and gender equality for women. It is primarily based on political, fiscal, and social justice for women. A feminist can be anybody in a population; it can be women, men, children, or boys. Feminism may also be described as a movement comprised of both men and women who wish for the world to be free of all constraints. These restrictions or impediments are well established as discrimination and bigotry toward gender equality, age, marital status, and economic growth. Everybody perceives humanity with his or her intellect of justice and gender. The feminist group views humankind in a state of being imbalanced. They desire to see the gender gap where the men are more superior to women. Emily Dickson is one of the women who has exclusively contributed much of her time and efforts to the feminist speculation. Her values and thoughts are majorly founded upon feminism differences.

The writer of the poem, “My life had stood- a Loaded Gun,” stands as one of the most successful writers; this is because the poem does not majorly have a single coherent and satisfactory idea of feminism. It clearly shows Emily Dickson’s strategy of “omitted center”, a device by which the writer has been employed in the fundamental understanding of the poem. However, the primary objective of this analysis is not to discuss the manifold possible interpretation of the poem. The main aim is rather to consider and analyze it from a feminist point of view, showing the manner on how it gives a woman an entirely different image from the one the majority is used to and also how it capsizes the role of gender in the society.

The speaker begins by showcasing herself as a loaded gun that is used as a lethal weapon with an ability to kill and destroy. The speaker sees herself as opening, not between anything so simple as feminine and masculine identity, but as an optimistic seeker, the gun stands out like object destined to be dormant awaiting the hunter to make use of it. However, the gun has an excellent energy, which is capable of stirring reverberations over the mountains as well as lighting up the valleys; it is also the owner’s custodian against his foes. The enthusiasm and conception in women are aggression forms that control their day to day activities. Feminism is clearly understood as the author rejects most of the traditional beliefs and thoughts about femininity. She portrays herself potentially and strong in opposition to the general idea of weakness and passivity linked with the women, it expresses the charged aptitude of human beings who remain dominant until “identified” to a conscious vitality point. The author has tried to present a woman as a strong being over the second half of the 19th century, while other feminist critics hold the perception that completely negates the famine qualities.

The speaker is not sure of her identity; she does not exist as an individual endowed with consciousness (Bennett). The choice of word in the first stanza extensively describes her as an object, all her image stands out like a leader throughout the poem. The strong individuals as well as the powerful ones are in some way undermined. At the start of this poem, the speaker appears like an object endowed with subjectivity by a realm and pre-existence. The thought that her independence is only borrowed from “Him” is evident throughout the poem; her only goal remains to defend him and protect him from his foes that are at the same time hers.

The Speaker’s Independence and Men-Women Relationship

The speaker is fully independent. “My Life had stood-a Loaded Gun” is an influential declaration of the speaker’s preference to give up the acknowledged responsibilities during her time and take after an outlawed way of life, an existence open to men only. The speaker does so enthusiastically devoid of reluctance, with the necessary power, taking pride in her decisions. She conveys her message with immense power and ardor, bearing no deterrence; she strongly decides to uphold her independent nature for the rest of her life. There exists a tense relationship between men and women. According to the poem, there are some clues that imply some variance between male and female characteristics. For instance, there are only male (his, he, and him). And we know that a doe, the animal the hunter hunts, is a female deer. The literal implication of this poem may perhaps be doubtful, however, it is clearly obvious that there exists a disagreement between femininity and masculinity.

The speaker opposes the fact that being a woman entails being passive as well as defenseless. However, Emily also says her aggressive nature appeared only after a man identified her. Although the conclusion sounds disturbing, the poem focuses on relevant thematic issues initiated in the first half. The last stanza stands out as a moralistic commentary, but it is an identification of a wider truth and power as a whole.

Work Cited

Bennett, Paula.My life a loaded Gun :Dickson plath and female Creativity. Boston: Beacon Press, 2008.