A Stone’s Throw Summary and Analysis

Summary
The poem alludes to the story of Mary Magdalene in the Bible (John 8:3-11), highlighting
themes of religion, violence, sexism and hypocrisy. The persona is addressing some sort of
unknown audience who he either wants to convince or shares his point of view. He appears
to be a misogynist, objectifying the woman who is the subject of the poem and the victim of
the abuse of the persona. The persona stereotypes the woman as a harlot, and considers
his assault of the woman to be righteous as a result. The recounting of this tale of violence
by the persona is laced with glee, self-righteousness and sexual overtones. As the
members of the village 'rough her up,' the persona notes callously that she had felt men's
hands greedy over her body before. There is a sense of irony throughout the poem due to
the assertion of the persona that they, assaulting this woman are more virtuous than the
woman herself or any man with whom she had been with. However, as the persona and
presumably a group of others in the village (as suggested by the use of 'we') prepare to
exact 'justice' upon this woman through stoning her to death, a guru/preacher (Jesus)
'spoils their fun' by speaking to the woman. He sees a sort of humanity within the woman
which the persona cannot and judges them, letting the woman judge them, and therefore
triggering introspection in the surrounding crowd. They now leave, still holding stones- and
their judgements against her- which they hope to throw another day given the urge.
The tone of the poem is nonchalant, callous and condescending. The mood is violent.

Analysis

"We shouted out, 'We've got her! Here she is! It's her all right '. We caught her."
The persona begins with the use of the pronoun 'we' to show that he was accompanied by
at least one other person. This could be in an attempt to share accountability, but it is more
likely a display of the involvement of multiple pursuers in search of this woman. The
subsequent lines are punctuated with exclamation points to show their excitement. 'We've
got her' shows a triumphant conquering of this woman who has apparently evaded them for
a while. 'Here she is' gives the impression of exhibiting her for all to see, like a trophy or an
elusive animal. 'It's her all right' and 'we caught her' echo that triumph in capturing the
woman.
39
"A decent-looking woman, you'd have said, (They often are)"
The persona evidently sees the woman as physically attractive, but uses the phrase 'you'd
have said' to somewhat distance himself from admitting to the idea of finding her attractive.
He continues to say 'they often are' showing that he simply classifies her as part of a group
rather than as an individual. She is made to be only a stereotype.

"Beautiful, but dead scared,"

The persona again reaffirms the fact that the woman looks beautiful even though she is
obviously deathly afraid.
"Tousled - we roughed her up A little, nothing much"
The word tousled here suggests that her clothing is slightly ruffled or her hair is disheveled,
as though playing around. The persona goes on to say that they 'roughed her up a little,
nothing much', a euphemism, insinuating that they didn't use any excessive force in
capturing her. His version of the tale is obviously a lie.

"And not the first time By any means She'd felt men's hands Greedy over her body - "
These lines show that the men took the opportunity to let their hands roam around the
woman's body. The persona makes a point of expressing that it wasn't the first time
something like this would have happened to her, so it wasn't out of the ordinary. This also
insinuates that she was a prostitute or a adulteress given to such promiscuity. The use of
the word 'greedy' suggests a violent ravaging of the woman's body by these men who hope
to sate a hunger by molesting this scared woman. They likely had long wanted to do so, but
had neither the audacity nor the opportunity before.

"But ours were virtuous, Of course."

The persona here tries to make it seem as though they are virtuous in probing her body with
their hands; as if they are above reproach for doing so. He tries to distance himself from
those men with whom she fornicates. This is irony in that the persona suggests that he and
those with him are 'virtuous' in fondling this woman's body, although they are doing the
same thing as those she 'sins' with. Hence, his obdurate assertion of self-righteousness is
ironic, since he is no different from those he tries to separate himself from.
40
"And if our fingers bruised Her shuddering skin, These were love-bites, compared To the
hail of kisses of stone,"

The persona uses 'if' here in an attempt to mitigate their cruelty. It is obvious that they did
bruise her skin, which is described as shuddering due to her fear. The persona introduces
more erotic overtones by comparing these bruises to 'love-bites' like a bite made during
intercourse meant to be pleasurable and painful simultaneously. He attempts to palliate
(mitigate) their maltreatment of the woman by saying that there was far worse in store for
her- particularly what is expressed in the speaker's euphemism for being stoned, 'the hail of
kisses of stone.' By saying that the hail of stone would be like kisses, he introduces the idea
that this violent execution of 'justice' would be pleasurable.

"The last assault and battery, frigid rape, to come of right."

The persona mentions the final punishment- like the final dish of a meal (assault and
battery)- to be given to the woman- 'frigid rape.' This is an oxymoron because the speaker is
inferring that the woman will be sexually assaulted, but not penetrated as in an actual rape.
The phrase expresses the inability to consummate the physical act of a sexual assault, as it
will be her corpse being violated. This is 'justice' to the persona as it correlates to how he
thinks the woman lived her life- an object for the sheer use and disposal of men.

"For justice must be done specially when it tastes so good."

It is made evident by this line exactly how self-righteous the persona really is, because it
isn't made clear in the poem exactly whose justice is being executed. These lines, then,
clarify that this is simply providing pleasure for the persona, who neither values the life of
the woman nor the idea of true justice. After all, whose laws did the woman break? What
authority have they to deliver punishment? And most of all, is anything done here even
close to justice? This extrajudicial punishment is clearly just enjoyable for the persona as
shown by the line "...it tastes so good." They relish in the brutal assault and violation of this
woman. This delight in her misfortune or Schadenfreude, continues this metaphor of a meal
to sate the appetites of these power-hungry, misogynistic miscreants.

"And then - this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what -Spoilt the whole
thing,"
The persona's tone takes a turn for the contemptuous as his masochistic euphoria is
interrupted. He spits out several names to label the man by, and it is obvious that he is
greatly upset by this man's intervening. He calls him a guru, as he is well-versed in matters
pertaining to God or philosophy and the gospel; a God-merchant, implying the man's trade
in things relating to God. The poet skilfully incorporates the use of the phrase 'God-knows-
41
what,' as it denotes the persona's frustration with this man and his inability to confine him to
a single category; but, it also indicates the fact that God does know the identity of this man
even if no one in the crowd does (Jesus).

"Speaking to her (Should never speak to them) Squatting on the ground - her level,"
The man speaks to the woman who they want to persecute- something the persona
considers taboo due to how he discriminates against this woman, stigmatizing her as a
prostitute/adulteress undeserving of any human decency. The man literally comes
between the mob and the woman, putting himself in harm's way.
The intervening man stoops to the ground, at the same level as the woman. This essentially
shows that he is not critical of the woman; he doesn't consider himself morally or socially
superior to her for any reason. Unlike the crowd, he sees her as a human being and not an
object of immorality and ridicule. The way that the persona says 'her level' gives the
impression of disgust and prejudice.

"Writing in the dust Something we couldn't read."

This line, where the man is said to write something that the mob couldn't read, has several
possible connotations. What he wrote could either be a foreign language or it could be
simply illegible. However, he could have intended to show the crowd that they lacked
discernment in their condemnation/persecution of another human being by writing in the
dust.

"And saw in her something we couldn't see at least until he turned his eyes on us, her
eyes on us, our eyes upon ourselves."
The man sees something in the woman that the persona and the mob could not see in her.
However, it became obvious once the man looked at the crowd, and the woman looked at
them as well. In turn, they began to look at themselves. In an attempt to persecute this
woman, they themselves had operated with no moral compass. They had descended to
such a level where nothing morally right had been achieved. No words were said, but the
crowd understood.

"We walked away still holding stones that we may throw another day given the urge."
The crowd leaves, feeling dejected and unable to satisfy their craving for brutality and
violence. However, they still have their stones in hand- showing that the insight given by the
man would not be permanently incorporated into the minds of the crowd. The precepts of
42
true justice- rationality, truth and fairness- has never been and will never be a part of the
crowd's purpose. They have no intention of changing. They will do the same again 'given
the urge.'
The entire poem, is of course an allusion:
The poet has used the concept of intertextuality in crafting her poem from an original story
taken from the Gospel of Jon 8: 3-11. In the Bible story a woman is accused of adultery and
is brought before Jesus because according to Mosaic Law, she should be stoned to death.
Jesus states the famous lines, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone
at her.” Her accusers scatter. Jesus tells the woman he does not condemn her and to go
and refrain from sinning.

The Woman Speaks to the Man who has

Employed her Son
Summary
In this poem, the persona seems to be addressing a man who has taken a woman's son into
a life of crime and gun violence. The history of the woman's relationship with her son is
recounted and the love she felt for him even before his birth. She first knew she was
pregnant due to morning sickness- showing that this pregnancy was not necessarily
planned. This son had no father, so the mother played both roles in his upbringing. She saw
his potential as endless, he could become anything. However, she is the told that he has
been employed by a man who 'values' him so much that he gives him his own submachine
gun. The son for whom she had great hope for had now been inducted into a life of crime
that would ultimately cut his life short. She prepares for the funeral of her son, which she
believes will happen sooner rather than later because of what he has become involved in.
She compares this feeling of betrayal and misfortune to 'throwing a partner' (or sou sou
agreement) with notably untrustworthy people and drawing the first and last hand.
"Her son was first made known to her as a sense of unease, a need to cry for little
reasons and a metallic tide rising in her mouth each morning."
This gives some sort of exposition for the life of the woman. It says that 'her son was first
made known to her' through morning sickness, discomfort and emotional hypersensitivity
showing that this pregnancy was a surprise and therefore completely unplanned. Chances
are that she was irresponsible, and did not use contraceptives.
"Such signs made her know that she was not alone in her body."
This continues to give the impression of a somewhat naive and irresponsible mother who
relies on 'signs' to confirm her pregnancy rather than having planned or being aware
enough to know. The line saying "she was not alone in her body" implies that she was being
taken over by some unknown being and had no choice but to accept this new presence.
54

"She carried him full term tight up under her heart."

The mother makes no attempt to abort the baby and carries him for the full nine months.
The phrase 'tight up under her heart' shows that she loved and deeply cared for the unborn
son.

"She carried him like the poor carry hope, hope you get a break or a visa, hope one child
go through and remember you."
This simile compares how she carried the child to how those in poverty carry their hope.
This shows that the mother likely saw the son as a potential ticket out of poverty- a child
that may secure that elusive visa and get an opportunity to work abroad, and, remembering
his mother, send remittances to her. Hope is repeated 3 times here, almost as if to show that
where there is a paucity (lack) of money, there is an excess of hope.

"He had no father. The man she made him with had more like him, he was fair-minded he
treated all his children with equal and unbiased indifference."
This line boldly states the lack of a father figure in the child's life. The man who had
biologically fathered the child had no intention of caring for him. The subsequent line, which
states 'the man she made him with,' gives an impression that the creation of the child was a
mechanical, routine process, that, much like the biological father's regard for his child, was
devoid of emotion or real care. There was a paternal gamete supplier, but no father.
The speaker goes on in sarcastically referring to the man as 'fair-minded,' due to his
indiscriminate disregard for his children. These lines would be somewhat comical, had they
not been given with such venomous indictment of the prevalence of parental truancy. He
has several children, but makes no attempt to support any of them emotionally or
financially.

"She raise him twice, once as mother then as father,"

This line continues to show the impact of the absence of the father- the mother takes the
role of both mother and father. She makes every effort to be supportive to this son of whom
she expects so much.

"set no ceiling on what he could be doctor, earth healer, pilot take wings."
55
This continues to establish the high expectations held by the mother. She believes his
potential is limitless- he could become anything in the world.
"But now he tells her he is working for you, that you value him so much you give him one
whole submachine gun for him alone."
This is the volta or turning point of the poem. Up to this point, the hopes of the mother have
been built up and her love and care for her son has been displayed. Her hopes are
completely dashed now though, when he tells her that he has been recruited by a gunman.
The persona now completely doubles down on the tone of anger/resigned sadness that
was underscored previously in the mentions of paternal absenteeism.
This line is a good example of irony. The mother is told that this gunman values her son so
much that he gives him his own submachine gun. This is ironic because the son feels this
false sense of pride because he is put in charge of this gun. He feels that he is held in a high
esteem by the gunman because he is given the responsibility of a terrible weapon that can
only cause destruction to himself and his community.

"He says you are like a father to him she is wondering what kind of father would give a
son hot and exploding death, when he asks him for bread."
The son, having had no father figure while growing up due to an indifferent father, now
views this gunman as his father figure. The mother questions his idolization of this donor of
guns using a biblical allusion to Matthew 7:9, which states, "Which of you, if your son asks
for bread, will give him a stone?" (a similar verse is at Luke 11:11). The son's penury has led
him to seek material goods, so why would this "father figure" offer him a weapon of certain
death? The woman accuses the man of being purely wicked and having no regard for her
son's wellbeing.

"She went downtown and bought three and one-third yards of black cloth and a deep
crowned and veiled hat for the day he draw his bloody salary."
The mother is completely convinced that this induction into gun violence will inevitably get
him killed. In melancholic resignation, she prepares for his funeral by purchasing a hat and
the material for a dress. She knows that he will eventually draw his 'bloody salary,' i.e. he will
reap the rewards of violence- death.
56

"She has no power over you and this at the level of earth, what she has are prayers and a
mother’s tears and at knee city she uses them."
The mother knows that she cannot physically combat the gunman, but, being religious, she
believes that she can implore the spiritual, righteous power of God. Faith is the only strength
she can possibly use to fight him. She uses her tears, a manifestation of her grief and
sadness for her son and a symbol of condemnation of the man who has given her reason to
cry, at "knee city." This is a sort of Jamaican term that refers to long sessions of prayer,
kneeling. So, the mother prays for her son and implores the intrinsic power of her motherly
Tears.

"She says psalms for him, she reads psalms for you, she weeps for his soul, her
eyewater
covers you."
The mother continues her spiritual warfare with this man who has recruited her son. She
says psalms for her son- hoping to shield and protect him. However, she reads psalms for
the man, (reading psalms for someone often means to hope for bad things to befall your
enemies) hoping to injure and inhibit him.
Her tears continue to flow for her son as she implores the forces of heaven.

"She is throwing a partner with Judas Iscariot’s mother the thief on the left-hand side of
the cross, his mother is the banker, her draw though is first and last for she still throwing
two hands as mother and father."
This stanza is rife with biblical allusions. She is engaged in a savings agreement (called a
partner in Jamaica, a meeting in Barbados or a sou sou in other Caribbean islands) with
Judas Iscariot's mother (the mother of the well-known betrayer of Jesus) and the thief who
was crucified with Jesus. The thief's mother is the banker, who keeps the money- meaning
that she may have her money stolen if the thief learnt it from his mother. These women
seem to belong to a club of mothers of 'infamous offspring,' reinforcing the point that even
people who have done some of the most ignominious acts in human history have mothers.
The fact that she must hold a savings agreement with these mothers of notorious biblical
men doesn't bode well for her, as a partner agreement requires trust and honour among the
members. The persona says the mother has two ‘draws’ (payments) coming from the
‘partner’ because she has borne the responsibility of both parental roles. being both mother
and father to the boy. She has the first and last payments- the last being particularly risky in
a partner since dishonesty begins to influence the participants the longer they wait to draw.
Similarly, she had the first draw and brought him into the world and she will be there when
his life comes to an end, taking the last draw.
57

"She is prepared, she is done. Absalom."

The mother has prepared herself for the inevitable passing of her son due to his
involvement in this criminal activity. She has bought her dress materials for his funeral, and
she has prayed. There is nothing more that she can do.
The final word, 'Absalom' is spoken sort of like an 'Amen' at the end of a poem. This is a
biblical allusion to David's son Absalom, who was killed after plotting to kill his father. David
however, still feels grief at the death of this son who plotted to kill him. In accepting to be
employed by the gunman, the son has basically plotted against his mother’s investment in
him and her limitless expectations for him. He has killed her hopes.
The mother, like King David, will experience profound grief over the death of her wayward
Son.

Figurative Devices
Simile
"She carried him like the poor carry hope"
This simile compares how she carried the child to how those in poverty carry their hope.
This shows that the mother likely saw the son as a potential ticket out of poverty- a child
that may secure that elusive visa and get an opportunity to work abroad, and, remembering
his mother, send remittances to her.
"He says you are like a father to him"
The son compares the gunman to a father, showing that he fills a gap left by his own absent
Father.

Allusion
N.B Allusions are generally regarded as brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to
a person, place, event, or to another work of literature.
"what kind of father would give a son hot and exploding death, when he asks him for
bread."
The mother questions the son's idolization of this donor of guns using a biblical allusion to
Matthew 7:9, which states, "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?"
(a similar verse is at Luke 11:11). The son's penury has led him to seek material goods, so why
58
would this "father figure" offer him a weapon of certain death? The woman accuses the man
of being purely wicked and having no regard for her son's wellbeing.

"She says psalms for him, she reads psalms for you,"
This is an allusion to the biblical book of Psalms. The mother says psalms hoping to protect
her child, but she reads psalms for the gunman in hopes of his defeat or injury.

"She is throwing a partner with Judas Iscariot’s mother the thief on the left-hand side of
the cross, his mother is the banker,"
This is a biblical allusion to Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus in the bible, and the
thief who was crucified on the left of Jesus in the bible. She is engaged in a savings
agreement (called a partner in Jamaica, a meeting in Barbados or a sou sou in other
Caribbean islands) with Judas Iscariot's mother (the mother of the well-known betrayer of
Jesus) and the thief who was crucified with Jesus. The thief's mother is the banker, who
keeps the money- meaning that she may have her money stolen if the thief learnt it from his
mother.

"Absalom."
The final word, 'Absalom' is spoken sort of like an 'Amen' at the end of a poem. This is a
biblical allusion to David's son Absalom, who was killed after plotting to kill his father. David
however, still feels grief at the death of this son who plotted to kill him. In accepting to be
employed by the gunman, the son has basically plotted against his mother’s investment in
him and her limitless expectations for him. He has killed her hopes.
The mother, like King David, will experience profound grief over the death of her wayward
son