Salt and Incest

Anna Akhmatova's poem, "Lot's Wife", teaches us that no matter how hard we try, we cannot resist looking back. Akhmatova emphasizes that it was a choice for Lot's wife to look back by using the phrase "gave up her life" in looking back on her hometown. We cannot resist looking back because the past is where our memories lay, and in our memories are ourselves. We are defined by our experiences, and to neglect our pasts would be catastrophic. In this poem, Akhmatova asserts that only two paths follow turning on one's own past, both of which lead to the same destination: self-destruction. On one path, Lot's wife gazes behind her, sacrificing her life and turning into a pillar of salt. On the other path, Lot continues and his life, never looking back, guilty of bearing the sons of his daughters. The only difference between Lot and his wife is that his wife chose the path of physical destruction; he would end up suffering emotionally. Akhmatova shows us that to deny our pasts is to deny ourselves-an action which cannot end well.