Thematic Essay on Identity
Thematic Essay on Identity There are many aspects of identity in the poem "Sex without Love," by Sharon Olds. I can relate my own thoughts to how the author views the subject that she talks about in this poem. There has been a situation in my own life where I was thinking to myself, just as the author was, "How do they do it, the ones who make love without love?" (Olds 740). Having been raised as a well-rounded and disciplined person, as well as religious, I know the discouragement of having premarital sex. It 's not just the immorality that these characters are experiencing that the author is talking about, but they probably have personal issues that have to do with a their self worth and identity. These characters think they know what love is, but the truth is that they are in denial of what they are really doing.
Even though religion is an issue to the characters, their identity pushes that concept to the side so that they can do what they desire most. I believe that the author is trying to stress the point that these people are not obeying the word of God and leading themselves into their own temptations. Olds compares the truly religious to the lovers ' by introducing them as people who have sex without being in love by saying, "These are the true religious, the purist, the pros, the ones who will not accept a false Messiah, love the priest instead of the God" (Olds 740). Part of this poem is ironic because the author starts by questioning the rightfulness of what these people are doing, then turns around by saying that sex without love is "Beautiful as dancers, gliding over each other like ice skaters over the ice," (Olds 740) and ending her sentence by implying the disadvantage of having a baby in the incident that would end up having to be given away.
It is hard to believe that someone would endanger his or her identity just for the sake of pleasure. A lot of people will find themselves in this kind of situation if they are not aware of
Even though religion is an issue to the characters, their identity pushes that concept to the side so that they can do what they desire most. I believe that the author is trying to stress the point that these people are not obeying the word of God and leading themselves into their own temptations. Olds compares the truly religious to the lovers ' by introducing them as people who have sex without being in love by saying, "These are the true religious, the purist, the pros, the ones who will not accept a false Messiah, love the priest instead of the God" (Olds 740). Part of this poem is ironic because the author starts by questioning the rightfulness of what these people are doing, then turns around by saying that sex without love is "Beautiful as dancers, gliding over each other like ice skaters over the ice," (Olds 740) and ending her sentence by implying the disadvantage of having a baby in the incident that would end up having to be given away.
It is hard to believe that someone would endanger his or her identity just for the sake of pleasure. A lot of people will find themselves in this kind of situation if they are not aware of
Cited: Olds, Sharon. "Sex Without Love." The Bedford Introduction to Literature 5th Ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 1999.