Clearly, there is a message beyond the obvious. As she becomes a bed, she loses her humanity. She is an object that is used to sleep on. She has no choice, or opinion, or personality. She cannot move. Tim Burton is commenting on the way girls grow up in a society such as our own. They may be innocently picking pussy willow, or other things that girls do that they think is innocent (Like treating themselves as objects for the opposite sex to use). But after a while, these girls become unaware of what they are becoming. The use of the bed in this poem is symbolic of women who are used as sexual objects. Just like a bed, these women cannot practice using choice, opinion, or show personalty because they are put in a position where showing humanity is unnecessary.
The picture of the girl in the story shows no signs of alarm as she transitions into a bed. Perhaps she has been conditioned by society to think that turning into a bed is normal or that girls are supposed to turn into beds. Whatever the case, nothing was done to stop the transition. Clearly she, nor the narrator wanted to keep her from transitioning. The narrator's attitude was at first surprise and terror, but in the end he did not want to help her because he got something out of it. And that is the unfortunate attitude of society towards women who allow themselves to be used.
I actually thought it was weird of me to relate what appeared to be a children's story to sex. I am very glad I was not the only one to see this story that way. This story seems to be feeding on the thought that women are beginning to accept that men are only viewing them as a bed. Not to say that all men treat women as mere sleeping objects, though. The last quatrain that read, "It was so terribly strange that I started to weep," made me believe that the narrator had once loved the girl, but not anymore. He felt remorse for no longer loving her, but he was fine with the idea of having someone to "sleep" with. The girl may know that he no longer loves her for her but for the good nights he is able to get from her. Maybe this is the closes she can get to feeling wanted.
ReplyDelete~ Chrishell Lennox
Think of it in another light. What do you think about the way that the narrator reacts at the end of the poem? I personally don't think that this story is about women's sexuality and femininity, but rather about the way that society takes everything for granted. Take Edward Scissorhands, for example. The entire neighborhood used him for selfish reasons, and though some commented that they "knew a doctor who could help," none of them ever made an effort beyond that point. The neighborhood is much like the narrator. The girl was not useful to the narrator until she had turned into a bed, and the narrator was not there to help her not turn into a bed. The narrator took the girl for granted, just like the neighborhood took Edward for granted.
ReplyDelete-Summer Balbero
Yes THIS!! I totally agree! I love how Burton uses subtle imagery to show us the sexual nature of this poem; Beds, Pussy Willows, etc. I think that Summer has a good point is stating that it is about more than sexuality and femininity. For me though, I just cannot get passed the fact that this poem is saying something about females and their attitudes about sex.
ReplyDeleteI also am curious about Burtons intention is using the illustrations he choose. To me this girl looks like an air head. Her head is balloon shaped. Her face is also placid and void of emotion. I think this is Burton’s way of suggesting through images what kind of girl this is. Sometimes I think Burton’s pictures tell much more of a story than his words. I almost wish he would do another book but just of illustrations. It would be interesting to see what people would think of that!