Comparing Women in Lowell’s Patterns and Sorrell’s From a...

The Struggle of Women in Lowell’s Patterns and Sorrell’s From a Correct Address Woman is not born, feminist Andrea Dworkin wrote. She is made. In the making, her humanity is destroyed. She becomes symbol of this, symbol of that: mother of the earth, slut of the universe; but she never becomes herself because it is forbidden for her to do so. Dworkin’s quote relates to women throughout history who have been forced to conform. Although women can be regarded highly in society, representing images of fertility, security, and beauty, many people still view them in stereotypical ways; some people believe that all women should act a certain way, never letting their true selves shine through. Amy Lowell’s Patterns and Helen†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, the author also gives details to show the woman’s unhappiness with her life. For example, she writes, The daffodils and squills / Flutter in the breeze / As they please. / And I weep (22-25); these lines imply that, although she can wander in her magnificent garden, objects inside of it cause her to feel grief because she realizes she can never be as free as the flowers. From a Correct Address in a Suburb of a Major City parallels Patterns in the fact that it also gives contrasting details of the woman’s life. The first clue that the woman in the poem is wealthy is the title. Since she lives not only in the suburbs, but also at a correct address, the title signifies that the woman’s household seems to be proper and wealthy. Another mention of her wealth appears in line four when the author writes, charming, proper at cocktails (4). Attending cocktail parties is not something a low or middle class woman normally does, so the reader infers that the woman lives an upper class life. In contrast to these details, the author gives descriptive details of the woman’s unhappiness. For instance, immediately after the line mentioning cocktails, Sorrells describes the woman in the poem as having her inner one raging and wondering how to hide her [inner self] (5-6). These phrases illustrate that, although she lives a financially comfortable l ife, her inner