Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Victims" by Sharon Olds is a powerful narrative poem that explores the consequences of familial dysfunction, particularly focusing on the aftermath of a parent's departure and its impact on the children. The poem presents a complex blend of emotions, from initial relief and satisfaction to later introspection and empathy, as the speaker reflects on the circumstances that led to her father's downfall.

The poem begins with the speaker's blunt admission of relief and even joy when their mother divorced their father: "When Mother divorced you, we were glad." This opening line sets a stark tone, highlighting the deep-seated animosity and the sense of liberation felt by the children. The mother had endured mistreatment "in silence, all those years" before decisively "kicking" the father out, an act that the children celebrated. This sudden shift in family dynamics is compared to the public's reaction to Nixon's resignation, suggesting a sense of justice being served and a desire to see the powerful humbled.

The poem continues by detailing the father's fall from grace, describing how the children were pleased at the loss of his job and the privileges that came with it: "your office taken away, / your secretaries taken away, / your lunches with three double bourbons." The imagery of "dark / carcasses hung in your closet" and "the black / noses of your shoes with their large pores" serves to dehumanize the father, reducing him to the symbols of his former authority and status, now rendered useless.

The speaker reveals that their mother had taught them to "take it, to hate you and take it," indicating a shared, internalized resentment that had been cultivated over years. The children's participation in "pricking" their father's "annihilation" with their mother emphasizes the collective nature of their animosity and the satisfaction they felt in seeing him brought low. This destruction, however, is not without a moral complexity, as the poem's tone begins to shift towards the end.

In the second half of the poem, the speaker's perspective evolves. The speaker now passes "the bums in doorways," using vivid and evocative imagery to describe the destitute figures: "the white / slugs of their bodies gleaming through slits in their / suits of compressed silt," and "the stained / flippers of their hands." The description of "the underwater / fire of their eyes, ships gone down with the / lanterns lit," suggests a sense of lost hope and the remnants of life and dignity in these people.

This encounter with the homeless prompts a moment of introspection for the speaker, who wonders "who took it and / took it from them in silence until they had / given it all away and had nothing / left but this." The parallel drawn between the father's downfall and the plight of the homeless highlights a broader reflection on societal and familial failures. It suggests that the father's decline, like the lives of the homeless, may have resulted from systemic or personal failures beyond their control, leading to their ultimate downfall.

"The Victims" ultimately grapples with the complexities of victimhood and the cycle of suffering and retribution. Sharon Olds navigates the emotional landscape of resentment, relief, and eventual empathy, challenging the reader to consider the broader consequences of familial and societal actions. The poem's progression from a personal narrative of familial rupture to a broader social commentary underscores the interconnectedness of individual and collective experiences of loss and failure. Through her vivid imagery and introspective tone, Olds captures the ambiguity of justice and the often unseen, lingering effects of familial trauma.

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