P.D.
English 2202
23 July 2002

Audre Lorde's poem, "Hanging Fire," portrays a girl of fourteen who is experiencing many of the normal questions, fears, and concerns of a young teenager.  Her problems range from worries about her appearance, to boyfriend problems, to deeper fears about her own mortality.  The author has written the lines relating to her thoughts without punctuation.  I believe this has the effect of mimicking how thoughts pop into your head randomly, one after the other.  Often times our thoughts are not necessarily connected.

The final two lines of each stanza are the same: "and momma's in the bedroom with the door closed."  Some students in our class discussion wanted to know what momma is doing behind her closed bedroom door.  If the author is writing literally, then we can speculate on various theories.  Perhaps momma is an alcoholic and is drinking.  Possibly she is entertaining a male visitor.  Maybe she is struggling with problems of her own.  It doesn't really matter what she is doing.  I think the author is writing figuratively.  (#1)  Momma isn't literally behind closed doors.  She is too consumed with herself to have any time for her daughter.  The daughter desperately needs to talk to momma, ask questions, get motherly advice, but momma is detached, unapproachable.  (#2)

Some of the worries this fourteen-year-old expresses may seem trivial in nature to an adult: wearing braces, learning how to dance, and dealing with acne.  These are things most teenagers are concerned about.  However, it is interesting to note that she talks about dying in each of the three stanzas.  This is a recurrent theme in her thoughts.  In lines 16-18, she worries that after her death they will "finally tell the truth about me," as though there is something unfavorable or unworthy about her.  She seems to have low self-esteem.  Her preoccupations with death, her low opinion of herself, and her mother's indifference may lead her to take her life.  Perhaps the title "Hanging Fire" means "Impending Tragedy."  (#3)  (#4)

(334 words)

Prof's Comments:

(#1)  I agree.

(#2)  And the daughter, at that age, really needs guidance -- or at least someone to listen.

(#3)  Very good theory about the title.

(#4)  Well done -- very focused!