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Is the speaker in "The Old Woman's Message" by Kumalau Tawali happy with her sons' behavior?

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In the poem “The Old Woman’s Message” by Kumalau Tawali, while it is abundantly clear that the old woman on the brink of death is unhappy and longs to see her sons one last time, whether she is not happy with their behavior or perhaps her own is subject to interpretation. Her sense of desperation might be based on her last attempt to admonish her sons for their behavior or her regrets about her own failures.

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The poem "The Old Woman’s Message" by Kumalau Tawali is, on its face, about a dying woman’s desire to send a message to her two sons, Polin and Manuai, encouraging them to visit her on her death bed. Her sons no longer reside in her rural community but have relocated to the city to pursue their economic goals. The old woman has no interest in the fruits of their labor, only in her desire to see them one last time:

Let them keep the price of their labor
but their eyes are mine.
I have little breath left
to wait for them.
I am returning to childhood.

The above lines seem to indicate that her motivation for the message is less about her unhappiness due to her sons’ behavior and more about her own feeling of desperation. This is her last-ditch effort to right a wrong she believes is not...

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natural. Her perception is that the natural course of action for the children of an aging and dying parent is that “the ripe fruit falls and returns to the trunk,” a reference to the tree of life.

Another indication that the old woman’s unhappiness might not be totally caused by the behavior of her sons but rather her disappointment with her own actions during her lifetime is found in her observations of other women in similar positions:

But my sons, forgetful of me,
are like fruit borne by birds.
I see the sons of other women
returning. What is in their minds?

She appears to be searching for the possible reasons her sons have not visited, and when coupled with her previously noted statement, “Let them keep the price of their labor,” it becomes clear she is trying to justify her own behavior as seen through the eyes of her children.

Much of this poem focuses on the old woman’s need for her children in her old age. To her, that seems natural, as does a child’s need to help an aging parent. Her sons have obviously drifted away from her, but whether her unhappiness is due to their behavior or her desire to understand why they have apparently forgotten her in her time of need is subjective.

Through powerful imagery, the author effectively presents a sense of longing and desperation, and a quick reading of this poem might bring the reader to a logical conclusion that the old woman is unhappy with her sons’ behavior. However, a deeper inspection of the old woman’s motivation in sending the desperate message as time runs out must be explored by the student. Closer scrutiny reveals a final assessment of the speaker’s own life.

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In "The Old Woman's Message," is the speaker happy with her sons' behavior?

In the poem, the speaker is deeply grieved at her sons' indifference to her. The whole poem centers on a mother's appeal for reconciliation and connection with her sons before she dies.

But my sons, forgetful of me,
are like fruit borne by birds.
I see the sons of other women
returning. What is in their minds?

In her mind, the speaker cannot fathom the thoughtless apathy of her sons, so contrary to the filial loyalty shown by other women's sons. She uses a simile to describe her sons' estrangement from her; perhaps they are like 'fruit borne by birds.' Birds digest the fruit they eat, but the seeds in their fecal matter often land in another area. The speaker laments that her sons have allowed themselves to set down roots far away from her.

Already I sway like a dry falling leaf
I see with my hands-
oh tell Polin and Manuai to hurry
and come to my death feast.

The use of enjambment in the lines above lends an immediacy to the speaker's appeal. She is desperate to see her sons and entreats them to attend her 'death feast.' The feast reference is an interesting one; the poet's Pacific Islander roots may account for this singular mention. Papua New Guinea (where the poet was originally from) is part of the Pacific Islands, where different customs are observed for the Festival of the Dead. Read a description of one such festival in northern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

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