The Woman Hanging from a Thirteenth-floor Window: Analysis and Study

In the poem The Woman Hanging From the 13th Floor Window, the narrative begins with a woman precariously holding on for her life while contemplating suicide. However intricate her story may appear, she does not actually exist. Through carefully chosen wording and vague details, Joy Harjo leads readers to believe they are reading a poem about one specific woman, but in reality, this figure never has—and never will—exist. After finishing the poem, a reader may come to the startling realization that the woman was not its true focus; rather, the poem is addressed to the reader themselves. This shift in perspective surprises many, given the poem’s ambiguous ending, but the details of her life become personal memories and sentiments throughout the stanzas.

The first stanza begins with a repeated mention of the title, establishing the mood for the rest of the poem. The following lines—“Her hands are pressed white against the concrete molding of the tenement building” (2-3)—evoke a sense of alarm and tension. Soon after, the fourth line—“She hangs from the 13th floor window in east Chicago” (4)—prompts the reader to question the poem’s reality. Many city buildings skip the 13th floor in their numbering, suggesting this might be a symbolic or nonexistent place. Harjo’s choice to place the woman on the 13th floor opens the first of many opportunities for readers to project their own experiences onto this figure.

Although the second stanza is only one line—“She thinks she will be set free.” (7)—it offers insight into the woman’s mentality. This thought of being “set free” is common in suicidal contemplation, yet here it carries a delicate, almost hopeful tone, as if uttered in a brief gasp between the first and third stanzas. It also leads the reader to wonder why she seeks freedom, fueling curiosity and drawing attention to the poem’s purposeful ambiguity.

In the third stanza, the poem initially suggests the woman has a past or identity, but those details soon give way to more ambiguous “facts.” One striking line is “She is her mother’s daughter and her father’s son.” (12), which implies a symbolic duality extending beyond a single individual. Lines 14 and 15—“She is all the women of the apartment building who stand watching her, watching themselves.”—reinforce this idea, hinting that she could represent everyone who has ever envisioned themselves in a similar predicament.

The fourth stanza describes experiences that seem specific but remain broad enough for most readers to relate. “It was farther north and she was the baby then. They rocked her,” (17-18) is vague enough that many can insert their own memories or emotions here. Harjo crafts the poem to be open-ended, allowing readers to see their own stories in the woman's perspective. The contrast is clear: her childhood is portrayed as safe and warm, while her adult life is stark, driving her contemplation of suicide.

In the fifth stanza, the woman looks back on her childhood with an increasingly cynical viewpoint: “It is a dizzy hole of water… it just sputters and butts itself against the asphalt.” (20, 22-23). Even if some have never experienced Lake Michigan’s waves “speak softly,” this stanza conveys the moment when something once perceived as beautiful becomes merely ordinary—or even oppressive—taken over by those “living in tall glass houses” (21). The later lines mention other women “hanging from many-floored windows counting their lives” (24-26), suggesting that this figure now encompasses each woman who has considered suicide. They occupy floors of their own, while the original woman remains on the 13th floor, emphasizing her unreality and the universal aspect of her situation.

The sixth stanza highlights how many women measure their worth through their children: “She sees other women…counting their lives in the palms of their hands and in the palms of their children’s hands” (24-27). This theme continues with the mention of her “soft belly,” symbolizing motherhood. Her heart is said to be the lowest point of her, possibly reflecting loss or distance from her children as they grow up. This is relatable for many adult women, who identify strongly with the unconditional love and responsibilities tied to motherhood.

Stanzas seven and eight involve the voices the woman hears, describing sounds that are broadly recognizable: “cats mewling,” “her grandmother’s voice,” “gigantic men of light.” The “gigantic men” could be interpreted as angels for those who are religious, while for others they might be strong male figures or authoritative presences urging her to “get up, get up, get up” (38). These stanzas capture the internal conflict of whether she should hold on or let go, reflecting the confusion that anyone in her place might experience.

That confusion persists in the ninth stanza, where she acknowledges she is hanging by her “own thread of indecision” (48). Readers can question what they would do in her position, understanding that many who have stood on that precipice faced the same uncertainty. In the tenth stanza, the poem further blurs her identity: “She thinks of all the women she has been, of all men.” (51-52). This again suggests she is not a single individual. “She thinks of the color of her skin,” (52) and, although the poet is Native American, the color is never named, allowing the reader to imagine any skin tone, any race, and any background. The stanza overflows with universal memories, noises, and feelings that could belong to anyone.

The eleventh and final stanza revisits the phrase “the woman hanging from the 13th floor window” and returns to the theme of a once-loved childhood: “crying for the lost beauty of her own life.” (61). The ending lines remain open to interpretation, granting the reader the illusion of choosing the woman’s fate. Yet, because she symbolizes multiple lives, not a single person, the poem’s conclusion implicates the reader in shaping the outcome.

The Woman Hanging From the 13th Floor Window encourages individuals to see themselves in the protagonist. While it focuses on a woman seemingly with a distinct past, Harjo includes details—children, memories, anxieties—that can apply to a broad range of experiences. The immediate hint is the 13th floor itself, which often does not exist in many buildings, foreshadowing that the woman, too, is not a tangible figure. The poem directs its message to anyone who has grappled with suicidal thoughts or heartfelt despair, subtly involving readers in the process of deciding the woman’s future. Ultimately, it reveals that her destiny could be theirs, and by extension, it exposes the reader to deeper questions about life, identity, and will.

Works Cited
American Psychological Association. (2020). Suicide.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Suicide prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/index.html
Harjo, J. (1983). The woman hanging from the 13th floor window. In She had some horses (pp. 53-55). Thunder's Mouth Press.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Suicide prevention.
Pilkington, E. (2018). ‘It’s not going to solve anything’: Joy Harjo on why we need poetry in our lives. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/09/its-not-going-to-solve-anything-joy-harjo-on-why-we-need-poetry-in-our-lives
Reckin, R. (2019). The power of poetry: Joy Harjo named first Native American Poet Laureate. National Endowment for the Humanities.
Sacks, J. (2019). Joy Harjo, the first Native American Poet Laureate, on the importance of literary and indigenous voices. Time. https://time.com/5613967/joy-harjo-native-american-poet-laureate-interview/