Ella In A Square Apron Along Highway 80 Summary

Snakes Slithering into Poetry Snakes are known for their intelligence and intense protective personality. They work hard to capture prey, protect themselves, and not stand for any nonsense. Centralized on the struggle of a waitress, “Ella, In a Square Apron, Along Highway 80” by Judy Grahn, compares the tough lifestyle of a protective single mother to that of a protective snake in the wilderness with analogies and free verse style. The poem tells a heart-wrenching story of a hardworking mother trying to protect her child and herself from the misfortune in the world and getting destroyed in the end for her attempts. In comparison to the mother’s life, the poem slightly correlates the situation to that of a snake using analogies with types of

The poem states she, “Swallows her eggs cold, and tells lies.” The situation uses the “Swallows her eggs cold” statement to illustrate that she can take challenges and make the best out of situations, even if she has to lie. This word choice relates to snakes way of eating, by swallowing their prey whole. She “keeps a flask under the counter”, to keep up her confidence and strength to persevere through challenges. This statement can relate back to snakes with their strength and confidence in protecting themselves from humans when they feel threatened. These maternal actions of the woman in the poem in comparison to snake’s defensive behavior shows that mothers as well as animal mothers will do anything to protect themselves and their child in times of

Her focus is strongly on herself and does not turn her head in any direction toward someone striving for her attention. The poem states she “Flicks her ass out of habit, to fend off the pass that passes for affection.” This brush off toward men who aim for her affection demonstrates her confidence and focus in her actions, just as a snake in the wilderness will act out of fear toward any human or animal that gets near. An action she takes against danger is, “She slaps a wet rag at the truck drivers if they should complain.” Her radiating confidence at work strikes the customers if they should act out of hand. The words describing her action toward the truck drivers is also an expression of snake’s personality that was described as “slap a wet rag” relating to a snakes tongue slithering at a