My Doll

Summary

The text is a poignant reflection on a mother's complex relationship with her unborn child, characterized by a mix of cruelty and a sense of accomplishment.

Abstract

The poem "My Doll" presents a mother's ambivalent feelings towards her unborn child. She admits to never having loved the child, taking a perverse pleasure in its movements, which she interprets as misfortune since it is to be born to her. The mother acknowledges her potential for being a terrible parent, recognizing that the child, if given a choice, might have preferred a kinder mother. Despite this, she expresses a twisted sense of pride in the child, viewing it as her sole achievement, a legacy quite literally stitched together with her own blood.

Opinions

The mother expresses a lack of love and a sense of schadenfreude towards her unborn child.
She questions her own maternal instincts and suitability as a mother.
There is a sense of inevitability and resignation in her acknowledgment that the child is her legacy, suggesting a lack of personal achievements beyond motherhood.
The use of the phrase "stitched in blood" implies a painful and visceral connection to the child, possibly alluding to the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy.

My Doll

I never loved you

I held you in my body, laughing each time you moved not in delight, but in the glee of your misfortune to be born to me

What a terrible mother I must make If only you could have chosen someone else Someone with kindness in her eyes

As for me, I’m glad I have you, for you are my one accomplishment,

My legacy stitched in blood