In The Park

“In the Park” exposes the dark side of motherhood, which was rarely if ever explored in the popular culture of the time. The woman is trapped in the park with three children, expected to handle their different demands on her own: Two are fighting with each other, complaining, and yanking at her; the third is spaced out, drawing meaninglessly. Rather than a place to enjoy nature, the park becomes a holding cell whose possible beauty or aesthetic appeal is erased by the demands of the children. The woman has also lost many aspects of her identity—her "out of date" (Line 1) clothing speaks to the fact that she no longer has the time, energy, or money to participate in the kind of self-expression that marks individuality.

The woman’s biggest fear and excitement for the day is seeing a former lover. Because that relationship no longer has a level of intimacy, she is unable to speak truthfully to him. Instead, they are found by convention to keep to conversational clichés and useless repetitions of maternal positivity. The woman cannot find solace or comfort by sharing her woes with this old friend; rather, the man and the woman put up barriers to mask their feelings, as she imagines him silently judging her and feeling relief at no longer being associated with her.