Abstract:
This collection of poetry discusses a female adult reflecting on her survival of an adult
reproductive cancer that she suffered as a child, as well as her reflection of her adult
female body. She struggles with the understanding of losing her ability to bear children
due to uterine cancer prior to the age of understanding what it means to bear a child, as
she also struggles with anorexia. The poems have two prominent characters, referred to
as “I” and “she” by the speaker, who are essentially the same woman. The poems where
the speaker speaks as herself (I) are more reflective of the author’s autobiographical
representation of her experience with cancer treatment. The poems where the speaker
references a ‘”she” reflect more precisely on the main female character as an
objectification. The mentioning of Eve refers to the biblical character. The manuscript
discusses the idea of childbirth as a “curse” due to Eve’s inability to refuse the “fruit”
when tempted by the serpent. The prominent female character (she or I) struggles with
her understanding of her fate in relation to the fate of the first woman. Many references to
water, whales and sharks stem from childhood experiences as well as dreams.
