Essay Questions

In “The Window,” the narrator says, “Standing before an open window is what the living do […].” What does the narrator mean by this?

While reflecting upon her difficult and often heartbreaking relationship with her mother, the narrator looks out a window and concludes that this is something that living humans do. In this particular instance, the window is likely a metaphor for our own lives and/or futures. When the narrator is staring out the open window, she views the window as a portal through which she can reflect upon her decisions and her future. As all humans are prone to contemplation and reflection—whether conscious or sub-conscious—the narrator concludes that all living beings will find themselves at a crossroads in life, where they will be forced to look out the window of their lives and reflect upon their situation.

Why does Chan liken the changing of her clothes in “Flèche" to cross-dressing?

This entire poem is a metaphor for Chan’s identification as a queer woman. She explains that, as she changed out of her plainclothes and into her fencing clothes, she felt strong, powerful, and protected; it was only in her fencing clothes that she felt like she was truly able to accept and embrace her queerness. For Chan, the physical act of changing her clothes was a metaphorical representation of her shedding her skin to reveal her true self and her identification as queer. In this way, the narrator views this changing of clothes into protective armor and shields as a form of cross-dressing, wherein she feels protected enough to express herself fully and genuinely.

Why does the narrator of “Names” choose to “name [her] loves sparingly”?

Author Mary Jean Chan identifies as queer and possibly lesbian. The narrator of this poem—Mary Jean Chan, herself—addresses her current lover. She apologizes for the fact that she cannot be open about their relationship in front of her mother. It is implied that the narrator’s mother is deeply hurt by Chan’s sexual orientation and that their relationship has suffered deeply as a result. Therefore, the narrator has chosen to use her lovers’ names sparingly, so as to preserve some of the sanctity of her relationship with her mother. She feels that she cannot speak freely about her love nor sexual orientation in front of her mother, and has made the decision to limit such discussions.