Two dolls in rags and tatters,
one missing an arm and a leg,
the other blind in one eye –
I grabbed them from her arms,
“No,” I said, “they cannot come.”
Each tight luggage
I had packed for the barest need:
no room for sentiment or memory
to clutter with loose ends
my stern resolve. I reasoned,
even a child must learn
she cannot take
what must be left behind.
And so the boat turned seaward,
a smart wind blowing dry
the stealthy tears I could wipe.
Then I saw – rags, tatters and all –
there among the neat trim packs,
the dolls I ruled to leave behind.
Her silence should have warned me
she knew her burdens
as I knew mine:
her clean white years unlived –
and paid my price.
She battened on a truth
she knew I too must own:
when what’s at stake
is loyalty or love,
hers are the true rights.
Her own faiths she must keep, not I.
Discussion
Merlie Alunan’s bringing the dolls revolves around a very ironic situation: a mother learning from her daughter what the words loyalty and love mean. As the poem opens, it transports its readers into a situation. The image of the dolls flashes a picture of a childhood that had once been enjoyed by an innocent child. As we hear the commanding voice booming inside our head, we are introduced to the present situation that the child and her mother are in which then takes us back to the unhappy marriage that once took shelter in a happy home. The poem puts life into the emotion by the concrete description of the dolls. The voice of the mother and the silent reply from the child reflects the loosened knot of their relationship. It is in that silence that the mother realized that she was no longer the innocent child that she used to be.
She had her “clean white years – unlived.” No matter how hard the mother tries to protect her child from all the pain that the separation caused, she knew she could not live life for her. She had life that she had to live on her own.
June 23rd, 2007 at 2:57 am
Having this kind of situation is really a difficult one…A child who is suffering from her past and still brings it at present…It can’t be solve easily especially for a child…I know some person who have this kind of situation, they often avoid having this kind of conversation…But we all know that we can’t just let this kind of situation pass…The parent should also learn that they also have a role, a role which can’t easily change the life of their child…
June 24th, 2007 at 12:03 am
I can’t understand what does author wants to tell to her readers. I think before I could fully understand the poem I should read it several times.
June 24th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Some mothers do have “letting go” issues. They hold on too tight that they forget that their child has her own life. There are two possible outcomes for this. Either the child grows up spoiled and very dependent or she breaks this bond for herself. Either way it’s no good. Thus, mothers should be aware of this. It’s okay to be protective, I mean, it’s their job as mothers anyway but, there will always come a time where we all have to let go. Not that one is not needed anymore, but because God has a whole new plan for each of us.
June 25th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Children have the right to enjoy life just as the adult and if someone tries to take away this, concurrently they are also trying to take away the life of those children.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Past events can never be forgotten…it always remain, for it will always leave traces in our lives..
July 1st, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Mothers are tagged as “mother knows best.” I understand why they are doing this. I know that they are just being overprotective. In the story, the mother should know the limits and her child has her own life.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
If the article, “Breaking Through” talks about the father-daughter relationship. This article, “Bringing the dolls” talks about mother-children relationship. Yes, it really is hard to be away from your mother because mother’s tender care and comfort is beyond compare. A mother’s expression of love is far different from the father’s. As I read through this article, I feel sad. I miss my mother though I could get to see her at the end of the week. It’s really just different without a mother’s touch within your day.
There are really instances of separation. Some reasons are going abroad or just parting ways to live life away from your loved ones. It’s difficult.
No matter who I am, and what I am, I know that in the end, my mother would be the first one to defend and save me in times of need and sorrow and appreciate me in times of gain and gay. I just couldn’t live without my mom.
July 8th, 2007 at 1:22 am
every mother has this attitude that they must protect their children no matter what that it comes to the point that they hold them to tight. It is ok to be protective but you must know your limitations. You need to know when to hold on and to let go. You need also to open your eyes to the reality that your child will grow and need to have her or his life of their own.
July 20th, 2007 at 12:12 am
I had once read a poem that says that the children are grown not for the parent themselves but for the other person.i mean those children who will grow up,might take another life which could separate the mother from her child. the children has the right to enjoy their lives it is only that mothers should know their limitations towards their daughter.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Mother and child relationship as we all know is not that easy to break, but once it has break, it takes a number of years before the heart of both parties, heal… The poem is very emotional especially on the part of the mother. Every mother wants every good things for her child. But as the year may past everything must changed. As well as her child. But we can’t also blame the child for that change. Because if we are in the situation of the child, we can understand why he/she do that thing.
It’s hard for a child to leave her mother. Because since he/she was born in this world. Her mother is the first person who protects, who cares and who loves the child. And no matter how time be cruel and how the world be so selfish to the child, the mother is still always at the child’s side no matter what happen. So if it’s hard for a child to leave her mother, it’s much more harder for a mother to leave his/her child…
August 17th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
“mothers know best”..i think this is the best statement fits this entry..this entry gives me another reason to love and value my mother…no matter what happen I’ll never leave my beloved mother.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:44 pm
i think it’s just a mere reflection of giving so much love to a daughter. she became over protective because of the fact that she came from a negative situation with her relationship in the husband.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:50 am
the way i see it, this poem is trying to highlight this human misery of having to accept that each person views reality in different perspective. The persona in Bringing the Dolls tried to impose her values and convictions to her daughter but apparently love, respect, loyalty are values earned diversely.
the parallelism of the mother and daughter’s character is emphasized. and in this parallelism lies the conflict of the situation. both are trying to hold on to something not absolute, the child insists on keeping her faith and memories of the past, the mother on the other hand clings to the notion that she “own” the child’s will. all boils down to this “fact” that what humans wanted most is what is unreachable most.
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 am
The poem somewhat depicts a memory of my past.