Summary Of On The Subway By Sharon Olds

Throughout the poem “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds, the author describes the contrast in the relationship between two different individuals from two worlds. At the beginning of the poem, the narrator describes the stereotypical view of a white woman who is fearful of a black boy simply due to his skin color. Throughout the poem, the narrator gives a deep understanding of how the scene of these two individuals is parallel to American culture in general. The author uses literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, and tone to distinct the contrasting characteristics of black and white society. The poem begins with the narrator describing her encounter with a black boy in a moving subway. The focus on the black boy immediately shifts to the physical appearance of his black sneakers, which are described as laced with a pattern like “a set of intentional scars.” This use of imagery compares the white scars on black sneakers to white discrimination of black people. The scars, however, are described as intentionally caused, which informs the readers that black people are

When the narrator stated “I don’t know if I am in his power...”, she is expressing signs of disquietude and nervousness toward the black boy. The tone, however, shifts again when he narrator states, “or if he is in my power, the way I am living off his life...And he is black and I am white.” This contrast focuses on the limits of the power and abilities of the two characters. The black boy possesses insignificant power of physical strength and aggression that could only be used for labor or minor purposes. On the other hand, the white woman possesses superior qualities of both wealth and skin color that allows her to thrive in society. The narrator later concludes that regardless of the qualities any character holds, it could still threaten the “life” of opposing