Work Flashcards
(5 cards)
“She toiled to the bone.”
Analysis: The phrase suggests extreme labor, reducing the woman’s body to just bones—a symbol of exhaustion and sacrifice.
Interpretation: It highlights the relentless, often unseen work that women do, both physically and emotionally.
“Her womb was a factory.”
Analysis: This dehumanizing metaphor suggests that women’s reproductive roles are industrialized, treating childbirth as production rather than an intimate, personal act.
Themes: Links to feminism and female oppression, showing how women’s bodies are often controlled by societal expectations.
“She was all to men.”
Analysis: This vague phrase emphasizes how women are expected to fulfill multiple roles—mother, worker, wife—without acknowledgment.
Interpretation: The lack of specificity makes it universal; every woman, in some way, is expected to “be all” for others.”
“The world shouldered the sky.”
Analysis: This allusion to Atlas from Greek mythology suggests that work, particularly female labor, carries the weight of the world.
Wider Meaning: Women’s contributions are essential yet invisible, a burden they bear without recognition.
“She had swallowed the moon.”
Analysis: The moon often symbolizes femininity, mystery, and power. Swallowing it could represent a woman internalizing expectations or responsibilities.
Deeper Meaning: This line suggests a consuming, overwhelming pressure—she takes in the whole universe, yet she remains unnoticed.
