35/10: Chapter 3 explication

In the poem 35/10 by Sharon Olds, the author shows the relationship between a mother and a daughter unfold. The title seems to be representative of the two characters ages, the mother being 35 and the daughter being 10. The mother seems to be uncomfortable with the way she is aging and refers to her body as sagging and drying in areas. Although she does this with her body, she refers to her hair as “gleaming” a word with both a positive connotation and denotation. Even though the gleaming hair is grey and may stand out, it seems she believes they do in a good way. Like all things, there are two sides to aging. I believe the author separates the hair and the body to show the two sides of aging. While on one side, she sees her aging as maybe a maturation and an “older and wiser” type deal, she also is feeling the negatives of a changing body. While the speakers body is changing, so is that of her daughters. Her daughter is coming closer to puberty while the mother is coming closer to menopause. The speaker compares the daughter to a “moist precise flower” and refers to herself as a pit. The speaker also oddly uses the menstrual cycle to represent life. As the mother ages and has fewer opportunities to bear children, the daughter is just beginning to develop them. These opportunities to bear children could possibly be a reference to opportunities in life, rather than just bearing children. Although menopause is supposedly a very emotional experience, I don’t believe this is what the author or any women would miss the most about being young and youthful. The author also gives a very different perspective on life and family by viewing her daughter as her replacement. Personally, I had never viewed myself as my mothers replacement on the earth, but after reading the poem it is easy to see this perspective. It was hard to tell if she meant “replacement” in a negative or positive light. Although a replacement can be some one that steals the spotlight, it can also be some one that carries on your family history and values.