Child Carrier Poem Analysis

Fanning wrote the poem Child Carrier, which is one poem out of a set of poems, entitled Man Carrying A Corpse. I believe that this poem is about the main character, Man. He is trying to fit into a crowed elevator with a corpse draped over his shoulder. When he gets in the elevator a little girl reaches up and touches Corpse’s hand. The Man was startled that the little girl touched Corpse without any reservations. Then the little girl told Man not to worry as she readjusted the large load she was carrying under a blanket. I think that the little girl was also carrying a corpse of her own. Throughout all of Fanning’s writings I believe that Corpse takes on different identities and meanings. Corpse can take on meanings of death, depression, anxiety, loss, change, and hurt. In this poem, I believe that the corpses are representing the death of a loved one. The little girl may have lost a parent, sibling, or friend that she is constantly carrying around with her. I believe the poem explains that anyone can be carrying a corpse around, no matter what age. People are often shocked, like Man was, when a child is carrying a corpse. People are amazed that children can carry such a ‘heavy load’. I believe the resiliency of children allows them to typically cope better with hardship than adults. In this case, the child is able to
This is what leads to death being suppressed and a taboo in society; similar to what Lifton would describe as pornography of death. This is what Lifton described as repression and denial of death. Pornography of death also elicits the sense of exploitation and manipulation, which creates a pseudo-reality around the topic of death. Therefore, Man’s repression of death is what caused him to be shocked by the little girls demeanor toward