Essay Questions

Who is the addressee in “Mazie’s Diary, January 4, 1911” and “Mazie’s Diary, February 3, 1913”? What is the significance of the addressee?

In “Mazie’s Diary, January 4, 1911” Mazie states, “You’ are where the secrets go. I mean to write in you all this time. I mean to tell you everything. I mean to tell someone everything about my life but I forgot until now. I got all these secrets inside me. Only I just forget to let them out.” Here, Mazie discourses with her diary as if it were a person. The personification of the diary emphasizes its part of a confidant in Mazie’s life. Mazie can trust the diary not to disclose her secrets more that she would trust a real human.

In “Mazie’s Diary, February 3, 1913” Mazie declares, “ I wouldn’t let Rosie throw you away. She got nothing better to do than go through my personal private things all day. But you are mine.” Mazie’s declarations in this access accentuate her gratification with her diary. She does not appreciate other parties such as Rosie reading it because it wholly belongs to her. The Diary serves the function of conserving all of Mazie’s recollections.

Explain Mazie’s ideology on marriage.

In “Mazie’s Diary, March 1, 1917”, Mazie declares, “I didn’t want nothing to do with marriage with a respectable man or any other kind of man. Not once in my life did I ever dream of my wedding day, no white dresses, no goddamn diamond rings. I only ever dreamed of freedom. The love I have is with the streets of this city.” Mazie’s aversion for marriage is accredited to the fact that it would contract her self-sufficiency; it means that she would have to accommodate her spouse’s requirements and schedules in hers which would be unfavourable to her autonomy. If Mazie were to be coerced to wed, then definitely the marriage would disintegrate because Mazie has made up her mind about not craving to be in matrimony.