Women

In her poem, Walker refers to the women who “ironed/Starched white/Shirts” as women who could fight on the battleground and still do their simple chores (Lines 9-11). The image has a dual symbolism: confined domesticity (for the ironer) and power (for the wearer). Traditionally, women have been societally relegated to all such domestic tasks—especially Black women. The starched white shirt symbolizes success and power in a white-collar job, economically separating the wearers of the shirts from those who iron them. At the end of “Women,” Walker mentions “Desks / A place for us” (Lines 22-23), which suggests that the women one day could obtain those white-collar positions and require their own starched white shirts.

Walker acknowledges that all of the women’s hard work and labor can lead to the discovery of “books / Desks / A place for us” (Lines 21-23). The desk has multiple meanings, as it can be both a place for study and an office where a woman could apply what she studied in her books. To aspire to a secure job with its own office, including a desk and other equipment, was next on the list of jobs for Black women whose ancestors toiled on plantation fields and then as domestic servants.