Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s "Cripples and Other Stories" is a deeply confessional and darkly humorous exploration of childhood trauma, family dynamics, and the enduring scars—both physical and emotional—that shape one's identity. The poem uses stark and often jarring imagery to convey the complex relationships the speaker has with her parents and the ways in which these relationships have contributed to her sense of self. Through a blend of irony, vulnerability, and biting wit, Sexton delves into the pain of being molded by others' expectations and the struggle to reclaim agency over one's own life.

The poem begins with a direct address to "My doctor, the comedian," a figure who serves as both a literal and metaphorical healer. The speaker's relationship with this doctor is marked by a mix of dependency and resentment. The doctor is someone the speaker turns to for validation—someone she tries to entertain or please, even as she recognizes the absurdity of this dynamic: "I called you every time / and made you laugh yourself / when I wrote this silly rhyme." The use of humor as a coping mechanism is evident, but it also underscores the speaker's frustration with the superficiality of their interactions. The doctor sends her "off to boarding school / in training pants," a metaphor for infantilization and the speaker's feeling of being perpetually treated as a child, despite being "really thirty-six."

The poem then shifts to the speaker's memories of her parents, portrayed through vivid and disturbing images. The mother is depicted as someone who imposed shame and control from an early age: "Disgusted, mother put me / on the potty. She was good at this." This line suggests that the mother was adept at enforcing societal norms and expectations, beginning with toilet training—a symbolic first step in a child's domestication. The father's alcoholism is presented with brutal honesty: "My father was fat on scotch. / It leaked from every orifice." The image of alcohol seeping from his body conveys the pervasive nature of his addiction and its impact on the family.

The poem's central event—the childhood accident that left the speaker physically crippled—is recounted with a mix of horror and dark humor. The speaker describes how, at almost seven years old, she put her arm through the wringer, resulting in an injury that made her "an instant cripple / from my finger to my shoulder." The laundress's reaction—a combination of weeping and swooning—emphasizes the drama and shock of the incident, while the mother's need to hold the laundress highlights the inversion of expected roles, where the caretakers are themselves overcome by the situation.

The father’s reaction to the accident—taking a crowbar to "break that wringer's heart"—is an act of both rage and futility. His attempt to exact revenge on the machine that caused his daughter's injury speaks to his impotence in truly protecting or healing her. The surgeons, unsure of whether "the cripple inside of me / [would] be a cripple that would show," introduce the theme of visible versus invisible wounds, suggesting that the physical injury is just one aspect of the speaker's overall trauma.

The poem continues to explore the speaker's complicated feelings toward her parents. The father is described as "a perfect man, / clean and rich and fat," embodying societal success and respectability, while the mother is "a brilliant thing" who excelled in her domestic role. Despite this, the mother’s fixation on her daughter's injury becomes a source of both pride and morbidity, as she "described it" and "sang it like a hymn," turning the withered arm into a macabre point of distinction.

As the speaker grows older, she reflects on her parents' continued influence on her life. The father, focused on "making money," is emotionally distant, while the mother disapproves of the speaker's choices, viewing her life as "wasted." The speaker's physical appearance deteriorates—her "cheeks blossomed with maggots," an image that conveys both physical decay and the speaker's deep-seated self-loathing. The attempt to cover up these flaws with "pancake" and "curls" reflects the futile effort to conform to societal standards of beauty and normalcy.

The poem reaches its emotional climax as the speaker confronts the reality of her relationship with her parents. The father, who "didn't know me," is contrasted with the doctor, who shows tenderness by kissing the speaker "in [her] fever." The mother's knowledge of the speaker is fleeting and conditional: "My mother knew me twice / and then I had to leave her." This line suggests that the mother's understanding of the speaker was limited and ultimately insufficient to sustain a meaningful connection.

In the closing lines, the speaker returns to the doctor, who has become a stand-in for the father figure, someone who "draw[s] me out of hell." The speaker’s admission that she is "thirty-six, / yet I lie here in your crib" encapsulates the tension between her adult identity and the childlike dependency she feels. The final metaphor of being "born again, Adam, / as you prod me with your rib" invokes the biblical creation of Eve from Adam’s rib, suggesting a re-creation or redefinition of the speaker's self, but one that is still heavily influenced by the figures of authority and care in her life.

"Cripples and Other Stories" is a raw and unflinching exploration of the scars—both visible and invisible—that shape a person’s identity. Sexton’s use of stark imagery and dark humor allows her to confront painful memories and complex emotions with a blend of vulnerability and defiance. The poem ultimately reflects on the struggle to reconcile the expectations and influences of others with one’s own sense of self, and the ongoing effort to find healing and autonomy in the face of enduring trauma.

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