"Marks" by Linda Pastan

“Marks” by Linda Pastan

                      As I read the poem, I understand what the writer is going through. Putting myself in her shoes, I felt unappreciated. Emotionally it is sad, because she is trying her best, but yet her family is unthankful for what she is doing. I think that if her family would thank her, rather than grading her like she is in school, she wouldn’t drop out. Most of the time people doesn’t know what they have until it’s gone. Being a house wife is a full time job and it is not an easy task. It is like you working around the clock without getting paid. The only payment you will received is a thank you, or you did a great job but in the poem she is not getting any form of appreciation.

The word that draw my attention in this poem is “average”. Her son said that she is "average" and she can do better. I think she feels unappreciated by her son because I have a brother and my mom dose everything for him, and at the end of the day all she is looking out for is just a little “thank you mom”.  My husband gives me a “B plus in bed” I was like what the hell!!. He fail to realize that being a house wife is like working a 24 hour shift, constantly thinking “what should I do next” or “what should I cook”. At the end of the day she will obviously be tired and just want to relax and sleep to start a new day again.  In the last line in the poem she said “I’m drooping out” I agree with her. She should have done that a long time, to show them it is not an easy job. And then at the end of the day not getting the appreciation she deserved.

The poem is generally about a housewife who is frustrated about the fact that she is constantly being judge by her family as not good enough. They fail to realize that being a full time house wife is a hard job. As a reader I felt what she is going through because I am just like her daughter. Sometimes I am not thankful enough for the stuff my mom be doing for me. This poem makes me think of my mom because she is a full time housewife time.