Sunday, January 21, 2007
Emily Dickinson III
Katja
ENGL 48 B
Journal # 8, Dickinson III
21 January, 2007
"It often alarms Father—He says Death might occur, and he has Molds of all the rest—but has no Mold of me, but I noticed that Quick wore off those things, in a few days, and forestall the dishonor—You will think no caprice of me—" (Emily Dickinson 209)
This is from a letter, [My Business is Circumference], Emily Dickinson wrote to her friend Thomas Wentworth Higginson in 1862. Here she laments her father’s request for a portrait of her.
I think this letter speaks volumes of Dickinson’s apparent feelings towards her family and herself. She seems quite unhappy to have to consider the idea of sitting for a portrait or photograph, and with good reason. The already existing "Molds" (209) of her siblings seem to have lost their charm and have fallen out of favor with her father. She asks the Mr. Higginson not assume she is making this statement frivolously; she has really thought this through. I think she is offended at her father’s lack of enduring interest in his children.
It is sad that a father would have to consider making special arrangements to get a picture taken of his child. If the child is as unwilling as Emily is it would seem rather rude, since it is such a big deal. If my kids refuse to have their picture taken, I just wait a couple of days and try again. I do not live in fear of them dying suddenly. There might be some reason why Emily’s father fears this fate for his daughter, perhaps explaining why she was such a recluse. Was she sickly? Did she have emotional/psychological problems putting her at risk for suicide?
Emily might also dislike the notion of sitting for a portrait because it would mean having to invite the world into her home, an idea she would definitely resent after working so hard to be left in isolation. Perhaps she suffered low self-esteem or lacked tolerance for "common people." Whatever is the basis for her reasoning, this letter offers a glimpse in to Dickinson’s daily life and her family relationships.
ENGL 48 B
Journal # 8, Dickinson III
21 January, 2007
"It often alarms Father—He says Death might occur, and he has Molds of all the rest—but has no Mold of me, but I noticed that Quick wore off those things, in a few days, and forestall the dishonor—You will think no caprice of me—" (Emily Dickinson 209)
This is from a letter, [My Business is Circumference], Emily Dickinson wrote to her friend Thomas Wentworth Higginson in 1862. Here she laments her father’s request for a portrait of her.
I think this letter speaks volumes of Dickinson’s apparent feelings towards her family and herself. She seems quite unhappy to have to consider the idea of sitting for a portrait or photograph, and with good reason. The already existing "Molds" (209) of her siblings seem to have lost their charm and have fallen out of favor with her father. She asks the Mr. Higginson not assume she is making this statement frivolously; she has really thought this through. I think she is offended at her father’s lack of enduring interest in his children.
It is sad that a father would have to consider making special arrangements to get a picture taken of his child. If the child is as unwilling as Emily is it would seem rather rude, since it is such a big deal. If my kids refuse to have their picture taken, I just wait a couple of days and try again. I do not live in fear of them dying suddenly. There might be some reason why Emily’s father fears this fate for his daughter, perhaps explaining why she was such a recluse. Was she sickly? Did she have emotional/psychological problems putting her at risk for suicide?
Emily might also dislike the notion of sitting for a portrait because it would mean having to invite the world into her home, an idea she would definitely resent after working so hard to be left in isolation. Perhaps she suffered low self-esteem or lacked tolerance for "common people." Whatever is the basis for her reasoning, this letter offers a glimpse in to Dickinson’s daily life and her family relationships.
# posted by Katja @ 3:33 PM 
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I wonder if it isn't just that she resents being the "current" subject of her father's musings. The only reason she explicitly states is that she noticed that her father's enjoyment of pictures of her other siblings wore off quickly. She doesn't care for his intrusion, especially in light of the fact that it was for something frivolous. She also could just be a bit of a crazy. :o)
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