Anais Nin’s Diary, Article Critique Example

An examination of the articles shows that the author gives an illustration of some of her greatest accomplishments. This is done through a diary that is meant to act as a revelation to women. The diary explores the erotic life of the author ignoring some of the daily experiences. She illustrates how she pursued sexual experience relentlessly. Some of the sexual experiences are covered in the diary. The author gives an illustration of how they met with June in January the year 1932. From the illustration, it is evident that June and the author had never met because the author illustrates that June was a product of her imagination.

The author gives a description of how anxious she was when she finally met June. She states that she could not eat in her presence. Despite being calm outwardly, it was deceptive because she was tensed. The author describes June showing how her life was full of fantasies. However, she illustrates that she would expose June to reality by exposing her to violence. The author introduces her other friend name Eduardo. Her description of how men examined women in this society shows that women were undermined. For instance, when Eduardo sees June he recognizes her weaknesses and not her strengths. He then urges the author to urge out her strength. This shows that according to them men were more superior compared to women.

The author also tells Hugo her other friend about June. She shared some of the stories June had told him with Hugo, who termed them as cheap. According to Eduardo and Hugo, the author is not in love with June, but she has a sexual desire for June. From the author’s description of June, it is clear that she was from a humble background. This can be illustrated from her description of her clothing. For example, in the article the author illustrates that she wore a pair of cotton stockings. It is after this meeting that the author bought her sheer stockings. June’s desire of the perfume the author was wearing, the wine colored handkerchief and sandals also shows that she was from a humble background.

The author illustrates how she won June’s loves. From his description of June, it is evident that she was a girl who had her principles set right. For instance, the author states that she did not accept any gifts that never had symbolic significance. It is also stated that June a girl who would wash laundry in order to buy herself perfume. The author reveals that she was not afraid of poverty.

Some of the patterns evident in the article include rhetoric questions. This is evident when the author illustrates how June insisted on keeping the red dress the author wore on the first night they met. The author states “and she needs shoes, stockings, gloves and underwear. Sentimentality? Romanticism?” the rhetorical questions refer to utterances whose forms never match their functions. They normally have the structure of a question, however, the force of assertion never seeks information nor do they elicit answers. This makes rhetoric questions a unique pattern within the pragmatic and semantic analysis because the utterances are meant to be informative.

The other pattern depicted in the article is the use of irony. For instance, when the author is describing June, she illustrates that “she is quite mad, in a sense subject to fears and manias.” The statement is ironical because it depicts a difference between the thoughts of the reader and the author’s thoughts. From earlier descriptions of June, she is not portrayed as mad. Irony is also shown when the author describes her relationship with Hugo. The author states that “reality exists between him and me in our love…” this statement is ironically to the reader’s expectation because according to the article the author was in love with June. The other pattern that is depicted in the article is sarcasm. This is illustrated when the author asks Eduardo if he thinks she is a lesbian. This is sarcasm because it depicts some mockery. It is also ironically because the author’s relationship with June can be considered lesbianism, however, this is in contrary with the authors opinion.

One of the themes depicted in this article concerns women trying understand themselves and making themselves complete human beings after being stunted psychologically and emotionally in life. An understanding of the author’s life shows why the theme is preoccupied in the article. From the article, it is evident the author had a very painful childhood. The author illustrates that Eduardo’s questions maddened him. This is because they reminded him of how his father beat him and how his father humiliated him. The author illustrates that his father once told him he was ugly after suffering from typhoid fever. The diary reveals that the author obtained a sense of control over her life. The article having been written in January 1932 reveals the author’s struggles in gaining control of her life. This is because in the 1930’s women had less control of their lives compared to the current times. An evaluation of the article shows that the author concentrates on women. This is because it depicts the women’s search for liberation, love and self-expression. The author attempts to illustrate the limited expression of feminine sensibility and perspective in the society. The article depicts the experiences of a woman in her quest to discover the sense of self and achieve unity between her needs and desires and realities of the exterior world.

Romance another theme that is depicted in the article. This can be illustrated from the existence of lesbian relationships between characters. The author depicts some form of sexual awakening and love between her and June. From the article, there is an instance when June tells the author that there are things she loved doing with her. She further illustrates that, with her, she would take opium. The author also reveals how she wanted to kiss June. After spending time with June, the author could no longer hear Hugo read the newspaper or speak of his successful day. Instead, she lay in the couch thinking about June. The relationship that is described between the author and June seems to be same sex relationship. Therefore, the author and June might have been lesbians despite her denial when she question Eduardo if he thought she was a lesbian. The illustration that June wanted to keep the red rose dress the author wore the first night they met also gives an impression that the author and June might have been lesbians.

The other theme that is illustrated in this article is infidelity. Despite the author showing that she was in love with June, it is evident that she also had a relationship with Hugo. Later in the article, the author reveals that Hugo understood that reality existed between them and their love. The author ironically states that their love is solved, and she can be faithful, however, she was terrifyingly happy that night. This shows that there was a relationship between the author and Hugo. However, she was also involved with June. Infidelity is also evident when Eduardo tells the author that she was not a lesbian because she did not hate men. The author then reveals that, in one of her dreams, she desired Eduardo and not June. This dream shows that the author might have also had a relationship with Eduardo. Therefore, she was involved with more than one person.

The other theme evident in the article is male chauvinism. This can be illustrated when the author speaks to Eduardo about June. Eduardo seemed shuttered and tensed when the author told him they had spent three hours with June. Eduardo also concentrated on June’s weaknesses. This shows that men in this society did not appreciate women.