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THE VICTIMS. by Sharon Olds (from Suzanne Choo’s Unseen Poetry and Prose , p. 56). Attitude of the children in the beginning. Children inwardly elated. Obviously took the side of their mother, sharing her joy of seeing their father’s downfall.
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THE VICTIMS by Sharon Olds (from Suzanne Choo’s Unseen Poetry and Prose, p. 56)
Attitude of the children in the beginning • Children inwardly elated. Obviously took the side of their mother, sharing her joy of seeing their father’s downfall. • “Then you were fired, and we / grinned inside” and “We were tickled / to think of your office taken away” indicates the malicious attitude they had towards the degradation of their father. Illustrates their familial anger.
Attitude of children • Vicious anger of children expressed in their gloating over the way every bit of his life is stripped away. They detest his materialistic lifestyle and arrogance. • For e.g., father’s suits are described as “dark carcasses” symbolic of fact that they regard father as dead.
Attitude of children • Repetition of ‘dark’ in “dark carcasses” and “dark pores” suggests that they view him as a cruel, evil presence. • Conveys the extent of their hatred for him.
Attitude of children • Sense of anger towards the father climaxes in the line, “until we pricked with her for your annihilation.” • ‘Pricked’ gives the impression that the children are vultures fighting to devour their father. • ‘Annihilation’, a strong word which implies they regard their father as a dangerous enemy whom they need to be rid of.
Do we blame or sympathise with the father? • In line 17, attitude of the speaker changes. • She notices the bums in the doorways. • Realizes the downfall of her father is not just a fun game of revenge but is of tremendous pain to him. • Begins to sympathise with him. • In considering his situation, she criticizes herself for her attitude – “I wonder who took it and took it from them.”
Style of narration – use of metaphors • The metaphor “white slugs” compares the bums to worms. Implies how far they have degenerated until they no longer resemble civilised people. • The metaphor, “the stained flippers creating the visual impression of these bums slouching lethargically in a filthy corner. Their lack of life and aimlessness evoke a sense of sympathy in us and contribute to a heavy, solemn mood.
Style of narration – use of metaphors • “Ships gone down with the lantern lit”, strong metaphor compared to their human vigor and spirit . • A sunken ship implies the utter material and psychological devastation of her father. • Like a once majestic and glorious ship, he is now reduced to nothing.
Style of narration – use of metaphors • Lanterns are lit while it sinks implies devastation was fast and he was caught unprepared. • Mood at the end conveys sense of depression and hopelessness. We sympathise with father for all that he has lost – his career, family and self-dignity. • Like a ship that has sunk, he cannot return to former life.
Relevance of title – The Victims • 3 victims in the poem: speaker’s mother, her father and the speaker herself. • Speaker’s mother possibly a victim of husband’s abuse initially. Typical of his rich, arrogant and flamboyant personality and probably accounts for the deep hatred she has for him. • “She took it and took it, in silence all those years” describes amount of pain she has endured.
Relevance of title – The Victims • Father as victim of his society. • Relied on power and sense of pride which his lifestyle and society fed him e.g. he had many secretaries, expensive suits and lunches. • Fuelled by his ego and arrogance, he lost his family in the process.
Relevance of title – The Victims • Reliance and sacrifice to the materialistic lifestyle he had, eventually led to his downfall • When his business failed, the society he worked for and lived for neglected and betrayed him in the end, leaving him a bum on the streets • He is victim to the greed and power-hungry society he lives in.
Relevance of title – The Victims • Speaker is also a victim in the poem. • Probably caught in conflict between her parents at a young age. • Her deep sense of hurt may be caused by her confusion over her parents’ separation. • Through the years, expresses this hurt by plotting revenge with her mother and siblings.
Relevance of title – The Victims • Irony: when her father is eventually broken and left with nothing, she is not filled with elation, but remorse and guilt. • In the last lines, she shows signs of regret as she questions her own cruel behaviour towards him. • “took it”, “I wonder who took it from them” is repeated to show there are no winners in this matter. • Both husband and wife suffer from the pain of divorce.
Is the father to be sympathised with? • Father led an extravagant life – quite a glorious and grandeur former life. Expensive suits, lunches, bourbons are indicative of a luxurious materialistic lifestyle and his vanity and image consciousness. • Neglect of his family. Irresponsible father. Domination and control over house and wife.
Is the father to be sympathised with? • Insecurity in family. Sense of fear of father. • End of poem: weak person, confidence just a façade. • During trials, compared to a ship that sinks. • Sense of hopelessness, reveals his lack of courage and strength to overcome problems.
Is the style of narration effective? • 1st person narrative, conversational and more personal. • As if narrator were speaking with father. • Style could be way of narrator attempting to reconcile with her father. • Appropriate style as issue of family breakup is a personal. • Allows speaker’s reflection and arouses sympathy of readers for the family.
Effectiveness of last line • Shortest line of poem. • Simple and clear in its meaning. • Repeats idea of emptiness and annihilation. • Irony as speaker achieves her plans to annihilate father but feels deep sense of remorse as a result. • Like the foul smell from a carcass, she repels him and detests his materialistic lifestyle.
