Feminism In Diving Into The Wreck example essay topic

Diving Into The Wreck: Feminism (Play "I'm Not a Service Station" by Margie Adams) An era of social and political upheaval, of transition and change, of protesting on the streets and through the arts; the 1970's represented a time when controversial and alternative opinions were not only expressed, but acted upon. Among many of the global movements which developed and gained momentum during this timeframe was the prominent faction which undisputed ly holds the most relevance and magnitude for the women of today - feminism. The women's movement spawned myriad poems, songs and literature generating a wave of work protesting oppression, discrimination and patriarchy with one dominant goal in mind, gender equality. Adrienne Rich, an American poet and active feminist, used subtlety in dealing with these discourses and this technique is seen in her poem "Diving into the Wreck", written in 1973. Remaining appreciable throughout the last 30 years, this poem is seen as Rich's most critical exploration into the depths of the issue of feminism.

(Recite Poem) (Overhead) Diving into the Wreck First having read the book of myths, and loaded the camera, and checked the edge of the knife-blade, I put on The body-armour of black rubber The absurd flippers The grave and awkward mask. I am having to do this Not like Cousteau with his Assiduous team Aboard the sun-flooded schooner But here alone. There is a ladder. The ladder is always there Hanging innocently Close to the side of the schooner. We know what it is for, We who have used it. Otherwise it is a piece of maritime floss Some sundry equipment.

I go down. Rung after rung and still The oxygen immerses me The blue light The clear atoms Of our human air. I go down. My flippers cripple me, I crawl like an insect down the ladder And there is no one To tell me when the ocean Will begin. I came to explore the wreck. The words are purposes.

The words are maps. I came to see the damage that was done And the treasures that prevail. I stroke the beam of my lamp Slowly along the flank Of something more permanent Than fish or weed The thing I came for: The wreck and not the story of the wreck The thing itself and not the myth The drowned face always staring Toward the sun The evidence of damage Worn by salt and away into this threadbare beauty The ribs of the disaster Curving their assertion Among the tentative haunters. This is the place.

And I am here, the mermaid whose dark hair Streams black, the merman in his armoured body. We circle silently About the wreck We dive into the hold. I am she: I am he Whose drowned face sleeps with open eyes Whose breasts still bear the stress Whose silver, copper, vermeil cargo lies Obscurely inside barrels Half-wedged and left to rot We are the half-destroyed instruments That once held to a course The water-eaten log The fouled compass We are, I am, you are By cowardice or courage The one who find our way Back to this scene Carrying a knife, a camera A book of myths In which our names do not appear. "Diving into the Wreck" emerged as a product of one of the most eminent social issues that prevailed in the 1970's and marked a turning point in Adrienne Rich's career. Social turmoil and political confusion proved the basis of this timeframe and it is widely acknowledged as a time of protestation and debate.

The issues of the Vietnam War and various Civil Rights movements were frequently seen and heard not only in newspaper headlines but in song lyrics and poems. Utilizing the arts to convey social and political stances soon became the chosen instrument of expression and an instrument which the 1970's are still remembered for. (Play excerpt from "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan) Society began to move away form conservatism and popular culture became increasingly concerned with political issues on a global scale. Traditional values, beliefs and attitudes were challenged in this era like never before and among those opposed was the ideal of male-dominated society. The Suffrage Movement, or the second wave of feminism came into play in the late 1960's. It progressed and grew larger throughout the 1970's and became perhaps the most definitive move for gender equality seen throughout history.

(Short video excerpt of feminist protest) Between burning her bras, Adrienne Rich played a key figure in this movement as her poetry and writings expressed so freely what her fellow feminists wanted to hear. Prior to the 1970's she had already experimented with the notion of feminism in her poetry, yet her sentiments were not so clearly communicated. In her poem "Snapshots of a Daughter-In-Law", written in 1969, Rich manifested her partiality to feminism. (Show overhead of "Snapshots of a Daughter-In-Law") "To have in this uncertain world some stay which cannot be undermined, is of the utmost consequence". Thus wrote A woman, partly brave and partly good, Who fought with what she partly understood. Few men about her would or could do more, Hence she was labelled harpy, shrew and whore.

This interest in feminism spawned "Diving into the Wreck" a collection of feminist writings and poetry, including its poem by the same name, which was awarded the National Book Award in 1974. Rich rejected this prize for herself, choosing instead to accept it on behalf of all unknown women writers. Rich's work in relation to feminism was seen as her most radical and, simultaneously, most significant as it enabled her to display a broader range of her talent. "Diving into the Wreck" deals with the discourses of feminism, unity and discrimination in a discreet manner through the use of poetic devices and hidden messages. The poem uses first person and consequently positions the reader to see through the eyes of the diver. Although the poem does not follow a set structure of repetition or rhyme, the unconventional use of imagery and symbolism allow Rich's hidden message to be conveyed.

The wreck is meant to represent the state of sexual definitions of the past and the diver represents an explorer searching for what can be salvaged from the disaster. As the poem progresses, its story unravels and the reader sees what the diver is searching for - recognition. The message within the context of this poem is that women have not received any recognition in the past and are therefore not responsible for the disaster of gender inequality. It then incites that women are the only survivors and therefore can unite and are in a position to decide the future.

In the first stanza, Rich makes a reference to Jack Cousteau who was a prominent figure of the time and was highly mythologized yet still supported by the public in all of his expeditions. This creates a contrast to the treatment of the woman who is left to fight and explore alone, which is seen through the line, "But here alone". In the lines, "And I am here, the mermaid whose dark hair streams black, the merman in his armoured body... we dive into the hold. I am she: I am he", found in the sixth stanza, Rich is encouraging the notion that women can encompass the strength and dominance of men, whilst still retaining their feminine qualities.

In the final stanza of the poem the lines, "We are, I am, you are, by cowardice or courage, the one who find our way back to this scene", the poet is expressing that it is through unity that women will prove victorious, and find their way back to the top. The last line of the poem, "A book of myths in which our names do not appear", highlight Rich's sentiment that women have not been acknowledged in the past and are deserving of recognition. Rich has positioned the reader to understand the difficulties women have faced in the past, but that these trials can be overcome through unity. Feminism is an issue that still remains vitally important and relevant to the women of today. It is through reading poems such as Adrienne Rich's "Diving into the Wreck", written 30 years ago, that we are able to appreciate and gain a better understanding of the battle our predecessors went through, and that we still go through today, in order to enable a more even and just society for our generation. Although it could not be said that the fight that is feminism has been won, the structures that we now have in place which ensure a much more equitable lifestyle for the female race are owed to our fore mothers, such as Adrienne Rich, who struggled against sexism in the 1970's.

"Diving into the Wreck" clearly portrays the exploration that women have embarked on time after time in the pursuit of justice and recognition and is continually considered to be one of the most significant and expressive poems of the 20th century. "To have in this uncertain world some stay which cannot be undermined, is of the utmost consequence". Through "Diving into the Wreck", Adrienne Rich achieves her 'stay. '

Bibliography

"Women's Movement", Microsoft (R) Encarta (R) 99 Encyclopaedia. (c) 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. web web web web web.