Momma Welfare Roll Flashcards
Resilience, Black lives
The woman serves as a…
universal figure symbolising the challenges and hardships African Americans face
The poem emphatically illustrates a…
hardworking, firm, and strong woman whom is not being given her due of welfare.
4 Big Ideas
- Woman has great strength and courage
- Demands for welfare (she is in poverty / belongs to a lower class)
- Harsh, unjust realities of the lives of African Americans
- Passionate and defiant
Universal message (Overall)
The lengths the speaker will go to in order to see her children happy and healthy is an outlook we all must try to obtain in our lives.
“Her arms semaphore fat triangles”
The imagery illustrates the vivid posture of the woman -
She is waving her arms in an attempt to emphasise her anger and frustration in achieving her demands.
“semaphore”
The noun usually references the system that is used to send signals to boats. However, metaphorically, it could be interpreted as the woman sending signals of anger and rage to the speaker whom is observant and perceptive of her frustration.
“Triangles”
Could portray the speaker´s hands on her hips. The woman´s stance may convey her dominance over her household
OR
it may convey her rage in the acknowledgement that she needs welfare in order to survive.
Context
1978 - Draws upon the struggles women had: fewer job opportunities, confined to lower wages or to a domesticated lifestyle.
Welfare was a necessity because otherwise…
“fat”, “pudgy hands”, “layered hips” - lexical field of being overweight.
(+ link to “lima beans” and “fatback”)
Woman has adapted an unhealthy life style.
however, the speaker justifies her weight as being consequent of the large amounts of intake of “Lima beans”, and “fatback”.
“Lima beans”, and “fatback”
These sources of food are typically more affordable than meat or naturally organic food, emphasising how the woman is of a lower class.
“Her jowls shiver in accusation”
The metaphor represents the woman´s severe impact with the oppression inflicted on her by society.
She gives another reason as to what may affect her physicality and that is her emotional state.
“shiver”
The verb may portray her as being full of emotion. She is specifically consumed of fury and enragement at the mistreatment she has to face.
“accusation”
Presents the imagery of crime and suffering.
If so, it could allude it the crimes she has experienced
OR
it could reference the continuous absences of the man in the household, as we know that during this period, families tended to heavily rely upon the father´s income. Perhaps his leaving forced the woman to depend upon welfare.
“Too mad to work,”
The woman declares that it is the government´s fault that she is behaving like this. She implies that if she had her own income, she would be able to access better food and have a more positive mindset, allowing her to earn enough money that would rid her from the need of welfare.
Universal message 2
The patriarchal society enforced a negative portrayal of women as they illustrated them as being ill-fit for jobs.
“Too” (from “too mad to work”)
(+ context)
The anaphora portrays the woman´s fury and presents her as overly hysterical
CONTEXT:
Men viewed women as hysterical
“mad” (from “too mad to work”)
The woman´s mental state is heavily influenced by the restricted / limited amount of opportunities she has in comparison to men´s.
“…and know the slick feel of / other people´s property.”
(THEME + link to another poem)
Symbolises the luxury and fortitude white people had, contrasting dramatically to the “darkened doorways” black people had. - They had very different lifestyles.
THEME:
The suburbs were viewed as “picture perfect” and appeared to be living artificial lives.
(“Through the city into the suburbs”)
“Slick”
The adjective portrays the woman´s desire towards the glossy and perfect (in appearance) lifestyles of white people.
Her jealousy towards their lives forces her to create a mocking and condescending approach in the portrayal of white people.
- potential rephrase
The pronoun, “other”, also highlights the…
segregation that was occurring during that time period.
“Into a den of bureaucrats for / Her portion.”
The woman is unafraid. She confidently marches into the “den” to obtain what is rightfully hers.
(metaphor)
The abstract noun, “den”, could represent…
(+ D.I.)
the speakers views about politicians; she sees them as predators and cruel beings whom inflict racism and oppression to people of colour. She depicts the men as deadly, with animalistic characteristics.
The men are refusing to give the woman financial aid.
DEEPER IMPLICATION
This gives an insight to how people of colour were treated.
“Bureaucrats” holds…
biblical allusions which may symbolise the woman´s power in being able to go into the den with “bare-hands” and fight without the need for a weapon.
Similar to the biblical story, as long as she has faith, she´ll be bale to obtain her portion of welfare.
“Her” from “Her portion”
The possessive pronoun emphatically conveys the woman´s demanding tone and desperation for what is rightfully hers.
” ´They don´t give me welfare. / I take it ´”
Injustice - society does not see her worthy of welfare and therefore victimises her.
“I take it.”
(+ context)
Although they won´t give her welfare, she maintains her dignity in claiming it.
This strong attitude links to Angelou as an activist.
Shift between stanza 2 and 3. The shorter lines may indicate…
her frustration, mirroring the defiant attitude as she marches into the “den”.
The poem ends with 2 lines of dialogue, indicated by the quotation marks, which…
is used to enhance / amplify the voice of the speaker
The sense of agency and pride in the woman is evident in the poem as she will take what is owed…
Her demanding welfare confirms that life is a struggle - it isn´t freely given to her.
